Pastern angle change

[Rayna5 <Rayna5@aol.com>]

Hello everyone!!
I've got a question, and it's not gun related. Is this the right place to ask?
: >
My mare Rayna, who I've had for 2 1/2 years seems to have changed her pastern
angles over the last four or five months.  The shoer used to keep her at a
hoof angle of 58 or 59 in the rear and 55 or so in the front. Both of these
angles were correct according to her pastern.  Now however she is at 53 or so
front and back and it looks a little high to me. During this time I have
changed shoers ( my horse didnt like the other shoer, or so I thought , until
I realized she acts the same for the new one) and the new shoer seems to think
that it's because his angle checker may be a little different than the other
shoer's, but that much?  I have always been very active in my horses shoeing
as my life depends on it, and have spent years learning everything I could
about horses feet.  I used to help my old shoer ( who passed away) do hoof
resections on horses, and he would tell people that I knew more about feet
than alot of people.  So I feel confident I am not concerned needlessly.
Anyone got any brilliant ideas?  Can a horses pastern angles change due to
age? She's only 13.  Can there be a nutritional reason for it? Could it be
that she is not handling the work?  I gave her six weeks off after the Oregon
100 Sept 20.  We had been pulled at 42 miles because her rear end seized up.
I had the vet check her in camp and she said she was not tying up.  She was
FINE about two hours later, and still fine after the five hour trailer ride
home the next day.  A lot of riders were pulled at that race for about the
same reason in various degrees.  Some people felt the extreme cold ( there was
a thick frozen fog that made us all look like icicles) And the lack of rump
rugs had been the problem. Anyway she got a vacation and Nov and dec were very
light months
due to the holidays, so I rode about once a week then.  Starting Jan 1st, I
have been riding three or four times a week. Some 6 mile rides, then mostly 10
to 15 and I've done a couple of 20s.  Nothing dramatic, Only a few faster
rides.  Its very rocky and steep here.  Could it be that the LACK of work is
the culprit and her angles will come back up as she gets more miles? And BTW I
do not think this is a shoing problem. Current;y I have heel and toe shoes on
her, as I ALWAYS do as it gives me more clearance on the rocks, more metal to
wear off, and better traction.  It also puts more stress on her less so I tide
with Sports Medicine boots all around ( Dont tell my husband how much I spent
) She is shod every six weeks and has excellent texture, shape and balance to
her feet.  The last two shoings I have had her toes squared to take even more
stress off of her tendons.  Could this be a temporary ( or permenant) result
of that? 

Okay, I'll quit babbling now and let you guys cogitate and spew on this!

Post Away!

Julie and Rayna