Dropped Soles

["Carolyn Stark" <carolyn.stark@mail.utexas.edu>]

Fellow Campers,

My farrier just called and expressed tremendous concern about my horse's
front hooves, which he described as having no 'cup around the frog.'  This
has driven me frantic with worry, since I am out of town and unable to rush
out to the barn and see for myself.  Echo has had pads on since October, and
the farrier was out to reshoe without pads.  He thinks Echo might have a
coffin bone 'turning' or something, and wants me to have him x-rayed.  He
also thinks Echo has had too much beta carotene in his feed. (I feed him
carrots, but not that much!)  Now, when I told my friends of this situation,
they all felt that it probably was just stress ( I hauled him 3000 miles to
Death Valley and back over the holiday) and that it will be ok.

Has anybody else had this problem?  Could overdosing on beet pulp cause this
(Susan G.?)  Is it stress?  Should I stress?

Help,

Carolyn Stark