Feet & Hay

Hmm... hay first... Couldn't find coastal bermuda (or any other hay, for that matter) in the local feed stores. A few more weeks, they tell me.. Hmm.. darn winter. Won't mess this up again. Next time I can find a good cut, I'm going to buy enough for the season. Thinking I won't need hay in the mid summer when the grass is green & lush in the pasture, I can hopefully find enough to last through winter & spring. Ended up buying a bale of alfalfa. Can you hear the horses? Listen carefully.... yum yum yum yum munch munch yum... LOL Both boys are getting half a flake of the coastal I've got left, and half a flake of alfalfa. Hmmm yum alfalfa munch munch yum. LOL both boys dove into the first bunch of alfalfa. Hope they don't get goofy.. it was all I could find, and didn't know what else to do.

Moving on to feet.. Chewie got glue on shoes with vet-tec "adhere", I think it's called. His feet look like a mess, glue everywhere. Not really sure how his hooves are going to grow the right way (spreading out heels like he needs). Farrier, who doesn't know squat about riding (IMHO, based on how I've seen him ride & his lack of patience) says "give him a couple months off would be best." Now, from what I know, riding increases muscle movement, increasing blood flow, and, if shod right, increases hoof growth. Am I right? He's not ridden on asphalt, or hard dirt, but on sand & soft dirt.

I still haven't figured out the whole hoof thing. Barefoot, he had growth, but I don't think it was in the right direction. More toes than hees. Chewie needs heels up front, the toes are long, and heels are contracted. I did ask the vet, and the vet recommended the farrier in town that I was using that made his feet worse rather than better. That guy kept trimming his feet with long toes & shod him tight, so his heels kept contracting. I think I know what needs done - shoes with longer backs and wider set so the heels can spread in the back. Frog kept longer so it contacts the ground when he puts his leg down, increasing blood flow.

Anybody help? don't know what else to do... Glue for now (since new farrier says the nails were tearing up his hoof wall). Trainer (who is now married to farrier, and is in the newlywed stage where she doesn't seem to have the fortititude to disagree with him) says "he's right, ride him lightly, and if his feet don't hold the shoes, and/or don't miraculously grow like they should, give him a few months off".

help help help....