Caring for the OTTB warhorse -- weight and feet

[KJP1115]

Thank you everyone for your input!

In regards to the oats, it’s part of the standard barn protocol. I’ve asked to have it taken out in the past, but it seems they always creep back in. It sounds like I need to revisit that conversation.

He was on Body Builder which is a rice bran oil supplement, but didn’t care of the liquid either by syringe or top-dressed on his feed. The Cool Calories, Cocosoya, and rice bran pellets are all going to be on my list to compare and talk to the vet about.

He had a massage appointment over the weekend and the therapist seemed to think a lot of his twisting is from super tight PSOAS and hamstrings. I’m going to keep working with her and doing the stretching exercises she’s advised. I’ve already seen a difference after two appointments.

I have an appointment with the farrier setup to talk about the frog pads and hear his recommendations on moving foward as well. I am currently feeding a biotin supplement. Started that in January. There is improvement, particularly in his front feet. The hoof wall is much stronger and holds the shoes longer. I think the issue is two-fold in the hind end because of the weaker hoof wall and the twisting movement as he walks.

I have nowhere to store any alfalfa as the barn feeds its own grass hay mix. He is on soaked alfalfa pellets, which I can increase at any time.

Thanks again, everyone!

[ecpolo]

Bummer that he doesn’t like oily top dressing, because I would say get him on Equine Omega Complete for sure. It has gone from a hail mary purchase for my favorite old girl to something I give to all my horses every day. My herd of mostly OTTB all look amazing, even the wind sucker is keeping weight on, and their feet are doing really well too. I found out about it from a friend who has a string of OTTB/TB and they are gorgeous.

[CindyCRNA]

@luckycricket123

I supplement my hard keeper with Cool Calories and Coco Soya which are both fat supplements. (Powered fat and oil respectively) I feed triple crown senior, but I think the Sentinel LS has a similar breakdown. I also make sure he has 24/7 access to hay.

To be honest, what you are feeding is probably fine! Especially for the summer months, but if you find you have trouble keeping the weight on in the winter, I highly recommend the Cool Calories and/or Coco Soya. The coco soya can get a little annoying because it is liquid oil, but it comes with a pump so all you have to do is squirt into his grain bucket before feeding.

I just had to cut back on my geldings fat supplements because he is starting to look a little chubby! I did not know that was even possible for him! :eek: I’m pretty thrilled

I just started my TB on Cocosoya. We event and he is usually difficult to keep weight on during eventing season so we tried this , 2 pumps am and pm so that’s what, 1/2 cup oil a day? It really helped.

I just heard about frog pads and asked my farrier what they are for. They stimulate the frog and help with sole thickness. Worth a try. Poor guy.

[KJP1115]

I am reviving this after a few months of trying different things with my guy. I am happy to report that his weight is greatly improved. I switched from the Sentinel LS – which I love, don’t get me wrong, just wasn’t the right fit in this situation – to Tribute Kalm Ultra. In just two months on the Kalm Ultra, there was a huge difference in his weight. He is eating a smaller “grain meal”, but deriving more benefit, so I’ll take it.

I had a sporthorse vet out to do a thorough going over and she confirmed what I suspected with hock arthritis. Fortunately, everything else is relatively clean (mild OA, but nothing horrible considering his past). So, he is starting on Adequan right after Thanksgiving and going to see how he takes to it. She did recommend limited jumping which is a-okay with me since I have no desire to do so.

The biggest problem we are (still) having is his feet. I have a new farrier who is working with the vet to figure out the best way to keep my guy comfy, but it’s still proving to be quite a task. We tried the frog pads that were mentioned by a few of you for two shoeing cycles and by the end of the second cycle, he was incredibly lame. It’s almost as though they put too much pressure on the foot. He was also getting dirt particles (not stones, just dirt) under the pad that seemed to be irritating him and exacerbating the whole situation. Any other suggestions on that front? His hind feet are growing slowly, but they do not seem to be sore anymore. We are transitioning to barefoot behind as he continues to build the quality of the foot. Our last resort(s) will either be casting or glue-ons, but I’m trying to avoid either one.

Any and all thoughts are appreciated!

[PNWjumper]

@KJP1115

The biggest problem we are (still) having is his feet. I have a new farrier who is working with the vet to figure out the best way to keep my guy comfy, but it’s still proving to be quite a task. We tried the frog pads that were mentioned by a few of you for two shoeing cycles and by the end of the second cycle, he was incredibly lame. It’s almost as though they put too much pressure on the foot. He was also getting dirt particles (not stones, just dirt) under the pad that seemed to be irritating him and exacerbating the whole situation.

Frog pads are incredibly hit-or-miss. I’ve posted several times that we tried them a couple of times (different pads) on my [very stereotypically-footed] TB and they absolutely crippled him in a matter of days. Turns out he can’t tolerate any frog pressure. We also can’t use silicone or anything that hardens to pack his pads because he flattens as he grows and that starts creating too much pressure a few weeks into his cycle. My farrier uses sole pack + Oakum or Magic Cushion + Oakum. That seems to do a good job of keeping rocks out.

Have you x-rayed his feet recently? X-rays showed us that my TB needed wedge pads and also told the farrier where to take his toe back to (it was WAY further back than he would’ve taken it back by eyeball). Both things made a huge difference in his body shape and straightness over time. Once he started using himself more symmetrically we all but eliminated the pulled shoes. That may or may not be an issue for your guy, but thought I would throw it out there.

Um, another thought - my farrier started using copper nails and it made a big difference in the quality of my guy’s feet. Actually, my farrier started using copper on all 6 of my shod horses, and it ONLY made a difference for my TB. But then he was also the only one who was prone to getting crumbly and poor quality feet.

Sounds like you have him on a biotin supplement, which is great. I can add that I’ve had the best luck with Glanzen or Platinum Performance (I’ve used them somewhat interchangeably) supplements for my horses’ feet.

[findeight]

Takes 12-18 months to completely grow a new hoof, patience.

I always had better luck with rim pads instead of frog pads, even pour ins can put too much pressure on the sole where the rim pad is just under the shoe and lifts the sole off the ground while being open over the sole putting absolutely no pressure on it since there’s nothing there. I found them a bit less bulky and more likely to stay on for the whole cycle, especially if you turn out.

And a good hoof supplement to speed growth of a healthy hoof is a must, double dose the first few months. Need to combine that with a good diet of course, typically start to see real progress around the 6 month point when you get a solid inch of new hoof established below the coronet, as it grows, the farrier will have more to work with.