A sugar free diet.

Yeah, I will be having a barefoot trimmer out soon and I'll have her on a 4 week schedule, or whatever the BT recommends.

Thanks so much for your help. I'll look into the prices and where I can buy them.

I use Speedi-Beet as my base and mix everything into it that I need that day.

It's classed as a fibre, but has similar energy levels to oats, is super digestable, low in sugar - Can you tell I love it? Plus you can soak it so it is great to mix things into as well as getting water into a dehydrated horse. Make sure it doesn't have any added molasses, though.

I would soak your hay for as long as you can - Even five minutes makes the water go a yucky brown colour so it is doing something. If you do soak it, make sure you rinse it before feeding to get the sugary-water off it.

Don't get stuck in the barefoot cycle, many horses with these problems NEED shoes to stay comfortable

Don't go into sticker shock when you price them remember it only takes 1lb a day with a ration balancer so a bag will last 50 days

I'm going to try barefoot before I put shoes on her. This will all be discussed with the BT. Remember, this is only a possibility of a minor problem with founder/laminitis. =]

Good to know the ration balancers are only a pound a day. I always thought it was ludicrous to feed her six pounds a day of Safechoice.
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Sorry, IDK why I thought you were talking about a mini LOL

RB's are great for easy keepers b.c they ARE designed to be fed at 1lb per day for the average 1,000lb horse.

My horses are on a low sugar/starch diet also. Not b/c they have problems, but b/c it is the healthiest option for them.

Foxy
4yr old 850lb QH mare
1lb Buckeye GnW RB
4lbs Alfalfa pellets (weighed before soaking)

Teeka
9yr old 1,000lb APHA mare
1lb RB
2lbs Alfalfa pellets

Both are on free choice grass hay via round bale, both stay out all the time.

I feed the alfalfa pellets for added calories. I was happy with the RB alone this past summer when they were on grass, but I wanted them both to gain a little weight for the winter and maintain that weight, so I added the alfalfa.

If your horses is that easy of a keeper, put her on 1lb of a quality RB and grass hay soaked for as long as you can if you are worried about the hay.

This diet is healthier overall, so please DO feed it to your other horse.

=)

That is my fear the barefoot trimmer who thinks that is the only way... I am not saying NOT to TRY barefoot I am saying don't let your horse be in pain for the "idea"

I love my ration balancer and hay pellets!!!

I really don't think this woman is going to be like that. I'm sure she'll back off graciously if we find my mare needs shoes. And whatever she says, if I don't think it's helping, I'll find someone else. I know my girl, that's why I'm switching to this barefoot trimmer from the farrier I was using.

Thanks so much on the RB info. I'll bug the co-op about it, hopefully they will have it, or be willing to start carrying it.

Thanks again, folks! I really appreciate it!

Have you had xrays done?? THey were a HUGE tool in helping us get Sassy sound and KEEPING her sound... we could get her sound then she would go "off" again.. xrays helped to show Jesse where he needed to change his trim and helped with finding her "true" breakover which was actually futher forward then the foot mapped it to be

I had X-rays done about a year ago and I was working with a farrier my vet recommended. Nothing he did was helping her. After approximately 9 months with this guy, I was finding more odd things going on with her feet than she had before him, and got some insight from a few other farriers and some members here. I won't be able to get X-rays done again for another couple months, but hopefully this BT will be able to help my mare.

On the soaking hay, should I soak the alfalfa? I just bought 8 bales that will last me about two months. And if so, can it soak for 12 hours? If I can soak their evening hay in the morning, and morning hay in the evening, I can make it work.

When in doubt soak... I don't soak Sassy's hay but that is her, when it is peak times I soak early spring and when the frost or dew is heavy, well I hose I don't soak LOL

I hope so too... taking Sassy barefoot is the only thing I haven't tried but she is lame without her pads so I don't think it will work but I am pulling her pads in Feb then her shoes in April since I won't be riding her what better time to try it. According to the xrays her hooves are now balanced perfectly so hopefully taking her barefoot can help her more but since nothign is easy with her I am not holding my breathe