Part III Re: Foot Angles, Shoeing, etc (omigosh getting longer)

[Abby Bloxsom <goneriding@snet.net>]

OKAY, THIS IS THE LAST ONE.

I said:

 > I used to think squaring the hind toes was
 > de rigueur for forging, but I have since been convinced otherwise.  I
 > now focus my atttention on getting the front foot out of the way rather
 > than changing hind hoof flight/landing


Jackie asked:

 >
 >     Abby,
 >     I know that this was discussed on Horsescience a good bit.

 >And then I believe you mentioned something to the effect that you were

 >finally convinced (by horsecience) that squaring the rears was not good.

 > missed that part of the explanation.  Could you fill me in as to why not

 >to square the rears?


Two reasons.  First, and this was Tom's POV, is that a square toe puts a
"stop" on the hoof as it lands.  The landing, which should be a sort of
sliiide-into-place, becomes slideSTOP, jamming the hock joint with each
step. Bad for hocks.

Second, and this was Jaye's POV, is that the natural hind hoof is sort
of pointy.  The hoof needs that shape for impulsion.  If you square the
hind toe, you effectively ease breakover of the hind foot, which
eliminate's the horse's traction during that crucial final phase of the
pushoff.  The horse is a rear wheel drive vehicle, and if you deprive
him of traction on the breakover it's hard on the croup & back, which of
course makes impulsion and engagement harder, which makes the horse lean
on his FRONTS, and draws out the suspension phase of the front foot, and
therefore INCREASES the likelihood of forging ... are you following me?

Of course, it's never this simple, but I think there's validity in the
idea.  I've quit squaring hind toes, and I'm still leaving all that heel
on the fronts without any forging or losing shoes so there must be
something to it.

Maggie wrote:

 > We have a wonderful Morab mare with a club foot. We've had her a little

 > less than a year and have used her mainly for pleasure riding and novice

 >CTR. The foot is quite upright and has a very slight dish that disappears

 >if we keep her shod. She appears lame at first, but on closer inspection,

 > doesn't bob her head. She looks like she's trying to walk with one

 >high-heeled shoe. This lameness(?) disappears when she gets into that big

 >Morgan road trot.

<snip>

 > Since then, we haven't had much luck getting a farrier to show up, so

 > we've been using an easyboot. Her gait is more normal with the easyboot

 > even in soft grass, so I don't think the road makes her sore. Is the boot

 > creating an artificial toe and changing her breakover? She never seems to

 > be uncomfortable and is always willing to go.
 >
I can't really give my opinion on this mare without seeing her move, sorry.

I'd like to, but my guess is that it's complicated.  I have to wonder, 
though,

if she's sound barefoot/easybooted, why not just leave her that way?

Lynette asked about a horse with underrun heels:

 > My vet who is also a farrier, told me to leave his
 > heels alone. I have started to learn to do my own trimming and I have 
kept
 > his toe short and his heels long. He has a 3 in. toe and a one inch heel.
 > Now remember this heel grows forward, so it is still low even though 
it is
 > long. But it has started to come back and grow more down then forward 
with
 > leaving it longer.


This sounds like it's working, but I've known horses that I couldn't get
much past this point while they were barefoot.  Shoeing with the shoes
set back & heels extended as I described made the final difference, as
it helped to develop stronger horn and a thicker wall in the
quarters/heels.  Needs to go with work, though, an idle horse will
likely continue to tend toward crushed heels.

 >
 > I have noticed that the inside heel grows faster and the heel bulb on 
that
 > heel is pushed up. I have no problem with trimming ever week and I am
 > wondering if I should keep the heels level. Should I continue to rasp the
 > faster growing heel back to make it level with the outside heel. What 
needs
 > to be done on a weekly basis to get those heels growing down instead of
 > forward?
 >

I would definitely level the heels. This is known as "sheared heels" and
causes a twist in the internal structures.  The longer wall creates more
concussion, therefore stimulating more growth ... and resulting in more
length.  You need to keep the two heels the same length over successive
weeks until they stay that way on their own.


UGH - I think that's all of it.  Sorry this got so long!  I tried to
annotate the jargon as much as possible, but if anyone has any questions
I'm sure you won't be afraid to ask!  Now I have to go to bed since you
folks have kept me up so late being a virtual farrier!

Happy trails.
-Abby B

-- 
* * *
Abby Bloxsom
ARICP Certified Instructor
Level III Recreational and Distance Riding
Colebrook, CT USA
goneriding@snet.net