Really need advice!!

[dizze98765]

Hi, I apologize if this has been talked about on here at all, but I'm at work and can't find anything quickly by searching the forums. We are at our wits end with the snow. Our minis feet are ridiculously long, which I'm sure is part of the problem. The farrier is coming tomorrow, so hopefully it will help. They have not been able to go outside when there's ANY snow on the ground, but maybe once or twice a week because it takes two people to bring them in. The snow packs so far off of their hooves that there was literally 3-4" cone shaped ice, packed in all four feet of one of them.

It's so hard that no hoof-picking helps. I literally had to take a hammer to four of the 6 minis feet (just the ice!!). It doesn't do this to the big horses and I don't know what to do. It's not even that it's an inconvenience for us, we obviously don't mind taking the time, but they look like they're going to break their legs. Trying to walk on 3" of pointed ice is impossible! One fell because he couldn't walk on his own hooves. I'm hoping the trimming will help eliminate the pointed part of the snow, but we have no idea how to get them in the concrete barn! Rubber mats do nothing with packed snow/ice in their hooves. I imagine I can't be the only one with this problem!?! HELP!!

 

[Millstone Farm]

Try coating the soles of their feet with Vaseline. It's supposed to help.

Good luck!

 

[dizze98765]

Vaseline wouldn't be slippery on concrete? I hadn't thought of that, I just know that when our farrier used oil based fly spray the floor was so slippery they couldn't stand!

 

[Mona]

I've also read on the Forum where people have successfully used Pam cooking spray.

Vaseline wouldn't be slippery on concrete? I hadn't thought of that, I just know that when our farrier used oil based fly spray the floor was so slippery they couldn't stand!

You would use it to coat the concave portion of the sole only, not the weight bearing surface of the hoof.

 

[Millstone Farm]

The Vaseline isn't slippery -- that's why I said on the sole of the hoof.

:

 

[dizze98765]

...whoops! It just seems like their hooves are so small that it would be bound to get on the edge!!! I'll definitely have to try it. Thanks

 

[normajeanbaker]

Pam spray and vasoline work okay. You can also coat the bottom of their feet with ski wax and thats suppose to help too. But, I am sure you'll see a huge difference once they get their feet done! I haven't come across anything that works GREAT besides borium shoes and snow pads(which you can't do with a Mini

: ), but the Pam spray and vasoline help a little.

Jen

 

[Sandy1]

Pam spray and vasoline work okay. You can also coat the bottom of their feet with ski wax and thats suppose to help too. But, I am sure you'll see a huge difference once they get their feet done! I haven't come across anything that works GREAT besides borium shoes and snow pads(which you can't do with a Mini

: ), but the Pam spray and vasoline help a little.

Jen

: Hi

I've used the vasoline and I'm in Northern Ont. It didn't work so good for me. was hard to apply and didn't stay. I'm having the same problem. Also have rubber mats, I put lots of straw down on the mats and it provides cushioning and traction. They take the snow out in a day or two. Melts or what ever. I had thought of heating water to melt the snow from hoofs and then heating the vasoline and brushing it while warm on the hoofs. Haven't done that yet. The straw was easiest and best. Everyones ideas are always so good to get.

Sandy

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I've used the vasoline and I'm in Northern Ont. It didn't work so good for me. was hard to apply and didn't stay.

Ditto. I had this problem with my mini for the first time earlier this winter and I couldn't pry the ice out with a knife, although ironically a good strong hoofpick applied at the heel popped it right out. I used the Vaseline and it helped a little but took too long to put on and didn't seem to last. I tried the cheapie cooking spray and it worked pretty well. I just made sure I picked out and reapplied at every meal and no more rolling on balls of ice taller than his hoof. :new_shocked:

I'm sure the ice still built up, but with the oil it popped loose on its own when it got too heavy instead of gluing itself to the hoof. I used it on my big horse's hind feet too and it also seemed to help him. At that point the risk of making his shoes slippery with oil was a lot better than the ice balls.

Leia