Hoof and Foot Health

I am trying to clarify a statement I heard a few weeks ago. The veterinarian that said it had "heard" it from someone else.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to get to the source of this statement?

"At the AAEP convention, Gene Ovnicek just said the barefoot technique horses that were so successful back west failed miserably in the eastern states."

I am suspecting the statement may not be true.

Thank you.

I am always suspect of statements that someone else heard. Remember the telephone game when we were kids? Things have a way of changing. Even a subtle change in tone can horribly change the sentiment of the entire statement.

That being said, this year the east coast (or at least New England) had one of the wettest summers on record. Horses that were turned out in the knee deep mud that we had suffered regardless of being shod or barefoot.

No single shoeing/trimming modality will work universally. There are no magic trims, or shoes.

Nick Denson

"nuff said" Esco way to nip this one in the bud I wish more people in this industry would do what you did.

Well regardless of whether Gene Ovnicek said it or not there is some basis in the assertion that barefooting can fall apart in the spring. But so do shod feet, just that nobody notices!

 

Because as one poster pointed out, the sugar levels in the feed generally skyrocket in the spring. And that is causing subclinical (or maybe NOT subclinical) laminitis. The rich feed causes changes in the hindgut bacteria which migrates (and Dr Chris Pollitt, Queensland University, Australia is a world expert in this process) to the feet causing inflammation and delamination.

 

And what we see as trimmers in these areas of lush growth is that the feet deteriorate as the diet increases in sugars.

 

No amount of trimming (or shoeing) will save them. The root cause is diet and that needs to be addressed. The danger passes as the sugar levels in the pasture drop. However, sugar levels are affected not only by the reproductive cycle of the grass but also by the environment..particualrly the weather. Grasses grown with lots of sunlight will have higher levels of sugars than those (for example) which are subjected to a number of overcast, cloudy days. Hay cut after a week of sunshine will have higher sugar levels than hay cut after overcast days.

 

So even if Gene Ovnicek didn't say that barefooting fell over in the rain prone states in the spring....I'd bet my bottom dollar that it did. I have it happening here in Australia on some of the lush pastured areas on my runs. And its not for want of regular trimming as all my clients are on four weekly trim cycles.

 

Cheers

Rebecca in Oz

It's reasuring to hear someone has horses on a four week cycle. My horse's feet are growing like weeds. He's too long in the toe already and his heals are over the edges of the shoes at places. it's only four weeks since my farrier's seen him. He can't come this week and I hope he can come next week - he says he'll see, so the horse will have to wait. Too bad there's no way to slow them down.