Question about a shoeing issue…

[Gabe Ayers]

I have recently begun to shoe my two drafts myself, and I am having some issues with cracking of the hoof wall on one of my guys. My Suffolk gelding has white, soft hoof tissue in the hinds and he tends to chip off the lower edge of the wall where it meets the shoe. I been brushing on turpentine to try to harden up the hoof, but I am wondering if anyone has had any luck with the hoof paste that is used to fill holes in the hoof. Does this stuff hold a nail? I am using five nails on the hind shoes and so far I have been able to get good hold with the nails, but he is just hard on this hooves. Thoughts?

[PhilG]

I used some two part epoxy stuff last summer, it held for a couple weeks is all

[Mark Cowdrey]

Brad,
Did he have this issue when someone else was shoeing him?
Mark

[sickle hocks]

Some pics would be really helpful. Hard to say much without seeing. Keratex is an effective hoof hardening product, but might not address the root cause of what’s going on. With the chip-outs i’m wondering about your nail placement and size? Is the cracking superficial and stable or moving under load? Does it extend to the coronary band?

[Anonymous]

Brad, I am a farrier by trade. I know here we go right no actually unless it is going to the band and deep like more than 1/8th inch it sounds like its superficial cracks probably wont hurt him but looks bad. I was trimming drafts for a guy in NC and he had the same problem because of drying due to lack of moisture. I had a 35 yr practicing DVM tell me moisture in a horse foot comes out from the inside unless you soak it. So the fellow in NC I told him to feed corn oil and in about 1-3 months they got better or if you are rich haha you can feed olive oil with same results. Now dont go feeding qt of oil per horse but I directed to cut back alittle of the grain and start with 1/2 cup and end up in two weeks with 2 cups per horse every other day max after that its to hot for them. I dont like the crack sealers because a horse hoof flexes when they walk and from what I have seen it doesnt allow the flex. I have heard rainmakers works too. Think about it like your hands or feet or nails what makes them soft and not break and apply the concept ok I am done I just like most oldtimers ways. Thanks

[vthorselogger]

We had extremely good luck with the farriers formula that is a pellet form supplement that you put in the food once a day. The hooves of our two Belgians were horrible when we got them and our farrier recommended it to us. There was a big difference in the hoof by the next trimming. we didn’t feed the recommended amount and still had great success. Good luck.

[Gabe Ayers]

Here are some more details on Bob’s feet:
1. He did have the same issues when I used a farrier.
2. The problem is only right at the bottom of the hoof from the nails down of the shoe – they crack and chip there.
3. This horse tends to be right on the bit, and his feet suffer from time to time because he steps on this with his shod hooves when turning corners.
4. I use this team to log commercially, so their feet take some abuse. Their feet look a bit like my hands when I am logging – in good shape but not that pretty!
Hope that answers the questions. I think I will look into a supplement and see if that helps.
-Brad

[tsigmon]

Feed supplements can be of some benefit if there is a lack of the esential nutrients in the horses diet. I’m not too sure how much they really help but I don’t think they hurt anything either. A horses hoof is alot like a presons finger nail , it is produced at the hair line and grows out so any new hoof produced after starting to feed a suplement is several months away from the where the nails exit the foot. As for creams, lotions and such I think they are a waste of time and money. A GOOD / PROPER trim is way more important than any feed suplement or hoof dressing. Vertical cracks and the resulting chipping are caused by improper weight bearing of the hoof wall and is a result of the hoof wall being too long some where. Flares are caused by too long of a foot and improper ” balance” for lack of a better word. Lots of show drafts shod with scotch bottm shoes have awful feet because of the flares and cracks associated with the flares. Everybody thinks their farrier is the best but I would advise you to contact your state farriers organization an get a recomendation and give him a try. Good farriers are expensive, good draft farriers are very expensive and none of them can make much of a difference in one or two trimmings so it could be a fairly long , expensive , process to solve the cracking and chipping problem. Also remember that the trim is the most important aspect of a shoeing job, anybody can put a shoe on a foot but it takes skill and knowledge to properly trim a foot either for shoeing or for going barefoot.

[Anonymous]

Yes a good farrier is the way to go. As a word of advice on price I have seen a farrier give a horse owner some explaination that I understood but the owner didnt really and was a feel better excuse on the owners side to pay alot more. BTW the owner has had horses for 20+ yrs just didnt understand feet real well. I would suggest work with the farrier that you have that knows your stock and see about doing things different. I wouldnt call for help to total strangers because you never know about fast talking money wanting people out there. I shoe and work on horses as a matter of I like to help the animal more than I like the money. I am not rich just responsible.

[Author]

Posts