Hard sole and flat footed please help me!?

Question

What can i do to help my mares feet? Shes in a dry grassy pasture so her feet are not at all soft but the soles of her feet are so hard they can't be cut with a hoof knife so they can't be carved out and she is now kinda flat footed. her frog is now also very hard and has little bounce to it. I live in basically in the middle of nowhere and find it very hard to have someone come out so after extensive research i can keep her hooves from growing out and splitting but I know i'm not good enough to be her only farrier but i want to know what i can do in between professional visits (3 or more months) to help her out. I have her on hoof suppliments as well because she used to have very brittle feet but that is nearly taken care of.

Answer 1

plenty of people would say go natural and shoes are wrong, but i have gone out with my dad who is a farrier, and seen some horses like this, my dad goes out every 6 weeks, and sometimes less, a horse should not be left for 3 months. a good shoer should do the trick. his heels should lifted with pads and shoes so that can grow right.

ttys

Answer 2

Your description is one of a horse with good feet.  If her soles are hard, that is a good thing.  A horse cannot have feet that are too hard.  Also, there is almost NEVER a situation in which a knife should touch the sole of your horse's feet, especially if they are hard.  It sounds like the soles are well calloused which is what everyone should want to see in the soles.  A calloused sole is healthy and strong and rock crushing which is GREAT for your horse.    A horse's feet should NEVER be "carved out".  The only time a sole should be touched is if it is all white and flaky and striated looking as this is excess sole that is exfoliating and your horse is trying to get rid of it.  Even in this situation, I would be reluctant to remove much if any.  If the frogs are healthy and firm, again, this is a very desirable condition.  Unless there is a flap at the back of the frog or it is ragged and torn, I never trim the frog.  After beginning barefoot trimming, my knife is the least used and least necessary tool in my box.  If you are getting correct trims, the feet get so healthy that the primary focus is the hoof wall and putting on a mustang roll so that your horse has good breakover.   Brittle hooves are usually the result of wet, dry, wet or unsanitary conditions and too much time in the stall - not from being overly dry.  You want your horse's hooves to be dry and hard.  If you are comfortable with some filing, you should be able to help out between trims.  Just always be conservative in what you do.  Always do TOO LITTLE because that way you want to insure that you DO NO HARM.  That is always my first priority.   If you have any doubt about your ability, just leave the sole alone and don't use the knife at all.  What you describe sounds great.  You have no reason to be concerned.  You mentioned you had done research, and I will recommend a good site for you www.hoofrehab.com. and their links.   good luck.  

Answer 3

Current thinking says don't pare away the sole anyway.  Studies have been done that show the sole should be left alone.  It is still important to keep the wall trimmed and balanced, and to remove dead frog material..but the sole is fine.

ADD...I'm glad to see that barefoottrimmer responded, explaining it better for you.

ADD...maybe because she needs the walls trimmed more frequently.