RE: [RC] feeling depressed about underrun heels.... - Karen Standefer
One other component to making the back of the foot stronger
(besides trimming the heels down to straight horn tubules and getting the
breakover in the right place) is supporting the back of the foot.
This is why barefoot works well over many shoeing methods. I have found
that Epona Shoes work even better than barefoot (unless you have really perfect
footing like the *firm* sand on a beach). It gives the correct breakover
and supports the back of the foot better than any shoe I’ve used to
date. So, if barefoot is not an option, Epona Shoes are a good
alternative. www.eponashoe.com
For a weak hoof, their hoof packing is invaluable.
Several of us have found that our horse’s hooves have
become more healthy using the Epona Shoes than they were even barefoot for
several years.
Karen
From:
ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of sherman Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2008 6:41 PM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] feeling depressed about underrun heels....
Was
your horse barefoot during the rehab period? Just curious as all the info
I’ve read on under-run heels nearly always involved long toe, and the fix
for it was to keep the toe short, which can’t really be done on a shod
hoof. So it’s not really “fixing” the problem, but managing
the condition. I have a horse with the problem, and his afflicted hoof does
much better when I keep him bare, but it is more of a hassle to boot when we
ride. Since he no longer does endurance rides, we keep him barefoot and the toe
is kept under control, which has strengthened the heel as well. In addition,
his quarters were beginning to weaken and crumble (that was the catalyst for
going barefoot) and they are now strong.
There
is lots of advice from professional trimmers (as well as the non-professional)
at the yahoo group, barefoothorsecare. There are also links to several good
websites on hoof care.
