ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] Thin Hoof Walls

[endurance] Thin Hoof Walls

Fred & Jan Canfield (fred_jan@bendnet.com)
Mon, 18 Dec 1995 09:18:49 -0800

I am so pleased to hear that others are trying to deal with thin hoof walls.
I have been waging war with thin hoof walls since 1989 when we moved to
Bend, Oregon, & horses were part of the deal to make up-rooting again
desirable. I fell in love with a 3 month old filly - purchased her & the
mare - brought them home 3 mo. later. Within 1 week she was so sore footed
she could not walk. I immediately put her on Horse Guard/Biotin & had her
shod. My ferrier could not understand why she would be lame since she had
only moved across town - her feeding program had been improved, etc. At age
3 I had blood work done to see if she was low/high in something that might
be causing her hoof walls to flake - right, everything showed near the
middle of the normal range. My vet & ferrier then agreed it must be
genetic, you know those TB/Appy mixes frequently now have "bad hoofs". That
winter I pulled her shoes off & of course she was immediately lame again -
but I agonized over all I had heard about putting added stress of the hooves
& they will be "forced" to improve. After 6 weeks I gave up - it was an
effort for her to get from the manger to the water (15 feet). So on went
the shoes, again, & she once more was sound (a little muscle sore from
trying to protect her tender hooves) - but sound. I had tried other
supliments also (always for 6 to nine months) & had tried exterior hoof
applications, always with the same results - basicly no improvement! Last
winter we pulled the shoes again & she was tender - not lame - making it
through the winter, a little broken but sound all winter. I felt as though
I was finally beginning to win this battle (I had taken her off all
additives in August! thinking that maybe in her system, foods were not being
used as they should be in the case of her hooves). This past spring we put
shoes on & began to work her. Everything looked great until we had a
stretch of rainy weather that lasted a full week & everything was soaked.
The "dry lots" were standing water for 2 weeks & her hooves disintigrated
before my eyes. I had another batch of blood tests run - everything looks
great! much to my dismay!! In May I started her on Equi-Marine (recommended
dosage)& Biotin II (at triple the recommended dosage) with blessings from my
vet. July we hit wits end lost 3 shoes & no hoof wall to hold a shoe.!.
Decided to try those glue on shoes (at least we won't have to try to poke
new holes in these walls that are so thin and flakey). August they arrived,
were put on & she was dry lotted from then on. In September I added Fast
Track (a probiotic supliment by Conklin Company of Minnesota). For the
first 3 weeks her urine was so strong, I could hardly stand to clean the
stall. The only complaint I have with the glue on shoes is that they ARE a
High Maintenance shoe. Since the hoof wall is like a human fingernail it
produces & excretes oils, the tabs (one or two at a time - not all at once)
would come unglued after about 10 days but this was something I could take
care of. 8 weeks from the first "shoeing" of the glue ons we decided to
reset them & there was actually some hoof to be clipped off!!!! I am now
hopeful! After another 10 weeks we repulled the glue-ons off & she has been
bare foot now for 7 weeks --with no lameness, no breakage, & hoof that WILL
need to be trimmed after the first of the year. This is a first, that she
will need her hooves trimed after being barefooted!! We had wet weather
about a week ago now & she is not lame, nor is she breaking up. Maybe, for
this mare, I have finally got a handle on what needs to be done. Dry lot,
XTRA Biotin with a probiotic chasser for better utilization.
I am sorry to have taken so much time, I just hope my war will hearten
others who are finding it difficult to get the right combination to help
their horses.
Jan & God's "A" Creatures
Apps, Ara/Apps, & Aussies