Friday, January 13, 2012
Pathological hoof: What do you see?
Here's a fun exercise for a cruddy, stormy day: These pictures were posted online to one of the list serves I follow. I thought it might be fun for you to take a look and share what you see and what your trimming recommendations would be for this horse. I'll follow up with my thoughts in a few days.
Looks almost more like a goat's foot.
ReplyDeleteWay too long. Angles all wrong. Heel not bearing weight. Forcing the horse to stand on a weird angle fighting how the leg, foot is supposed to work. I'm not sure what is going on with the colors - trying to give a badly damaged foot a way to heal? If so there must be a better way.
I'm wishing I could see a shot with the angle of the pastern showing - but for what it's worth...
ReplyDeleteHeel and toe need to come off - but more toe than heel over a number of trimmings to change the angle gradually. Angle of hoof is too upright. That's a terrible crack, and the bottom ring / indention around the hoof says injury or founder? Bars are squishing the frog I think...
I'd look at nutrition, up trims to monthly or more and work on some harder surfaces to help develop the frog. :)
Good call Barbara, there are some crazy angles going on there. The colors are just from pigment, you can see the little spot of black in the hair where it originates.
ReplyDeleteOoh, good eye CFS- there is a lot of toe that needs to come off. The frog doesn't stand a chance until the heels are bars are taken down.
Interesting pictures! But I have no thoughts, as I leave to my Farrier whom I trust implicitly.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately lots of people who trust their farriers end up with hooves like these. I think it's important to know enough to tell whether your trust is well placed.
ReplyDeletemy goodness ... agree that there needs to be some adjustments with the angles and length. Does this horse also have deep thrush in the central sulcas (sp?) ... his foot looks split all the way up the back. Or is this just due to the heel problem?
ReplyDeleteOh yes! Owner is currently treating with Pete's Goo.
DeleteTippy toes!! Poor thing...that frog is almost non-existent. That crack made me cringe. I would think trims every couple of weeks are in order to get the angle back to where it should be, to improve balance and so that the frog can get some circulation going.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, getting this horse on a sped up schedule would help and you're right to think that the blood supply in this hoof is compromised.
DeleteI'm not good with hoof opinions but for what it's worth I'd just say it looks too upright and uncomfortable and the angle needs to be corrected. Glad this isn't a test or I'd probably fail. That's why I make sure I always have a really great farrier.
ReplyDeleteThat hoof does kind of resemble a stiletto. How do you make sure you have a great farrier? You have to have an image of a good hoof in your mind to compare their work with, right? I think you know more than you think you do.
DeleteI would start with evaluating the diet and turnout situation. I am guessing that this horse cannot land anything other than toe-first. Treat the frog, after you find it.
ReplyDeleteI am blown away by how badly contracted the heels are. It doesn't seem possible. Maybe this horse is not even mobile?
I have never trimmed a pathological foot, so I would leave this to a more experience trimmer. If I were to pose a theoretical plan for trimming this horse, I would remove excess wall above the sole and back the toe up to the white line with a strong roll through to the quarters. I would take the heels (and bars) down a little at a time, waiting for the back of the foot to improve with diet/turnout/boots/frog treatment. I know that this foot and the frog is not going to go anywhere until the back of the foot decontracts, but if diet or metabolic issues are to blame those would have to be addressed first. After that, frequent, small trims, backing up the toe and taking down the heels only as far as the horse is comfortable. The tendons and ligaments at the back of the leg must be very short from wearing forward-set high heels all the time.
I'm pretty sure this horse is mobile, though not comfortable.
DeleteGood Lord... this horse was/is getting trimmed by a farrier? Are you doing this horses feet now? I'd love to see a follow-up in a few months it so.
ReplyDeleteNot one of my clients unfortunately. All I know is this horse is somewhere in the U.S.
DeleteYipes. Yes, major contracted and high heels. I think I hear the frog screaming that it can't breath it's being suffocated and pinched. Not sure how much toe will need to come off, once the miles of heel is removed..
ReplyDelete