I’d love to slap some hoof boots on him, but he’s shod up front.
That’s a good point and something I never considered. He has more or less had these foot issues since I started riding him (2006). He doesn’t have Cushing’s symptoms, but I know that they don’t necessarily have to have those symptoms to have Cushing’s. I’ll definitely keep this in mind.
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We pulled his shoes for a few months after he had colic surgery a few years ago and he was pretty uncomfortable.
It seems to happen year round, honestly. We’re in south Louisiana and have alot of wet weather. I never considered Cushing’s, but still keep it in mind going foward.
It’s intermittent (Feb, Jul, Sept, December and now Jan) and it affects different feet. Usually it’s one of the hind feet, which are unshod.
Can you try hoofboots on the hinds?
Can you try a plastic shoe? My horse had flat, thin soles and was too sore to even be ridden even while she was shod up front. She’s gained quite a bit of concavity with these on and farrier always takes a surprising amount of growth off every trim. He’s started off just kind of humoring my BO, but after seeing them on my horse for the last 6 months he’s become a fan and is now recommending them.
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You can use boots with shoes. It does negate the warranty on the tread of the boots. However my mare has torn up hundreds of boots and it was never the tread that wore out. The straps broke, the bottom of the foot part separated from the uppers, elastic stretched out - I have a pile of boots that will not stay on and the tread is perfect. However I did not ride her in boots I used them in turnout so that might account for the undamaged treads. I did start using boots when she was shod and now she is barefoot but the boots did not wear differently with shoes on. They do offer good sole protection.
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Nice! My farrier has been using a different sort of plastic shoe for thin-soled horses. One horse’s sole depth, per xray, tripled in just a couple cycles.
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My horse went from cripple to cross rails in less than a cycle.
For the purpose you describe boots would be a good option. The type and size of boot might be different than what you’d use on a bare hoof. Cavallo Treks can work over shoes provided the hoof isn’t too tall.
Biotin.
My horse had a teeny tiny little ding about 1/4" long. It barely made a dent in the hoof wall. We figured it would grow out with a problem. It started to crack a couple of months later. The only time you could find it was during a trim when you could see it from underneath. It was a tiny white wiggle. I put him on BioFlax 20 from HorseTech.com. I didn’t think about results until months later. The farrier (same one for 20 yrs.) was shoeing one day. She said the walls were sturdier and the sole was much thicker. His feet were okay to begin with. I’ve kept him on it.
Enough research has been done that says biotin is the best supplement for hoof quality. It takes up to a year for new hoof wall to grown in, so be patient and maybe try boots. My horse is 27 and recently retired from riding. He doesn’t look or act his age. Witnesses have seen him trotting with some cantering when he is loose in the indoor. He is much younger at 27 than I am at 73. Can’t keep up. 
I just bought a pair of Cavallo Treks which I have fitted but not used, but they can be used over metal shoes. I got them primarily for losing a shoe. He has serious arthritis in his left knee. He has 2-degree frog pads for pastern angles. He does better when his feet are the same height off the ground. The boots look good and I have several pads to try. I just have to figure out how to cut them. Struck out so far. Any ideas?
Those look very cool! I wish my mare was a candidate but due to her founder she doesn’t have good circulation in her feet and doesn’t grow enough good quality hoof wall to nail shoes on. Or glue them either. I would love to do that kind of shoe instead of messing with boots for turnout.
Those are nifty.
I’d love to know the names of both those plastic shoes - I always like to learn about new products in that market.
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The pink ones are Ground Control horseshoes.
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In the spirit of reciprocity, these are what I use for my guy with a bad foot. Equiflex shoes, these are the Natural Balance shape w/ heart bar bridges. I sometimes use pour in pads with them, works a treat (you can also tap them for studs).
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The ones I posted are Visani Full Roll shoes: https://forfarriersbyfarriers.com/products/visani-full-roll-shoe. I believe the podiatrist my farrier works with buys them from Europe. They were expensive but lasted 3 cycles. There’s also an insert you can add that allows stud use.
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Spoke to the farrier and he wants to try him in leather pads next cycle. Fingers crossed!
Lots of great ideas here!
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I had great luck with leather pads, and they are super cheap.
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