Foot balance etc

[Leandy]

In your experience, is foot balance, low heels etc primarily a farriery issue or a conformational issue? Do different farriers suit different horses or should a good farrier be able to adjust his trimming/shoeing to compensate for particular foot conformation and just do that as a matter of course as part of good practice? Is it expecting too much to expect them to do this? Do some horses just have bad foot conformation even where the farrier is doing a competent job? Interested in hearing people's actual experiences. Many thanks in advance.

 

[Michen]

I do think it can be both. With the best will in the world, if a horses body is dictating what happens with the feet (ie hind limb pain causing a NPA), a farrier can only do so much to correct and control.

I have always found it amazing how horses grow the feet they "need" My now 9 year old went through a phase of being slightly broken back, then broken forward and very upright, and now as he's matured he's relaxed into an ideal HPA. He has regular breaks from shoeing which works well for him and we shoe him to how he wears his feet naturally. We have always struggled with one fore to have him land level, which my vet believes is conformational, but it's something we keep a close eye on without trying to interfere too much.

 

[bouncing_ball]

In your experience, is foot balance, low heels etc primarily a farriery issue or a conformational issue? Do different farriers suit different horses or should a good farrier be able to adjust his trimming/shoeing to compensate for particular foot conformation and just do that as a matter of course as part of good practice? Is it expecting too much to expect them to do this? Do some horses just have bad foot conformation even where the farrier is doing a competent job? Interested in hearing people's actual experiences. Many thanks in advance.

IME, if diet is right and there isn’t a primary cause of pain further up, hoof alignment is typically fixable.

But maybe not with a standard farrier approach.

My current horse had -2 hind pedal bone angles and caudal heel failure. Change of farrier and change in trim and wedge pads changed him to to plus 7 pedal bone angles (plus 2 to 10 degrees is normal). Shoes off for unconnected surgery and 6 weeks later his angles barefoot are plus 3. So stable in the normal range.

The equine Documentalist and Progressive Equine Services have lots of interesting case studies on their Facebook pages.

 

[sbloom]

I would say conformation has the least effect (some breeds have boxier feet eg Iberians), how the horse moves (especially if there is pain or significant restriction elsewhere) and how it is trimmed are much more influential. Whole team approach is usually best, agree to look at ED and PES on Facebook.

 

[Tarragon]

My older Exmoor pony is developing arthritis in his hock and you can see how his hinds are adjusting to suit. The trimmer is working with it rather than trying to change it too much. I have also been told that my ponies have naturally quite high heels. When I saw photos of other barefoot hooves with these huge frogs and compare with my ponies' frogs I was worried, but the trimmer said that their hoof conformation meant that they were not likely to develop frogs like that.

 

[bouncing_ball]

IME, if diet is right and there isn’t a primary cause of pain further up, hoof alignment is typically fixable.

But maybe not with a standard farrier approach.

My current horse had -2 hind pedal bone angles and caudal heel failure. Change of farrier and change in trim and wedge pads changed him to to plus 7 pedal bone angles (plus 2 to 10 degrees is normal). Shoes off for unconnected surgery and 6 weeks later his angles barefoot are plus 3. So stable in the normal range.

The equine Documentalist and Progressive Equine Services have lots of interesting case studies on their Facebook pages.

It is tricky as IMO my previous farrier was doing his best but did not have the insight or skill set to see or address the issue.

I think annual foot xrays for any horse where there are foot balance concerns are a great idea. But you do need to find a good vet or hoof care provider (or ideally both) to interpret the x-rays and find a way to deliver improvements if needed.

 

[bouncing_ball]

My older Exmoor pony is developing arthritis in his hock and you can see how his hinds are adjusting to suit. The trimmer is working with it rather than trying to change it too much. I have also been told that my ponies have naturally quite high heels. When I saw photos of other barefoot hooves with these huge frogs and compare with my ponies' frogs I was worried, but the trimmer said that their hoof conformation meant that they were not likely to develop frogs like that.

I think can go either way with hoof wear patterns and arthritis higher up.

Horse may grow / wear feet to the balance it needs.

Or feet may wear non constructively due to pain compensation and the imbalance may make issue worse.

if the later is happening changes in approach might be needed, depending on growth rate, wear rate and trimming rate.

 

[tristar]

we have allsorts, high heels and big frogs, lowish heels improving frogs, one aged who never had any hind heel but since i have trimmed him has grown a heel, he always had too long toe which has come well back now, but none seem to have balance problems, an ongoing and fascinating set of processes

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

In your experience, is foot balance, low heels etc primarily a farriery issue or a conformational issue? Do different farriers suit different horses or should a good farrier be able to adjust his trimming/shoeing to compensate for particular foot conformation and just do that as a matter of course as part of good practice? Is it expecting too much to expect them to do this? Do some horses just have bad foot conformation even where the farrier is doing a competent job? Interested in hearing people's actual experiences. Many thanks in advance.

I have had some really brilliant farriers, also had some rough ones who hit my first mare with a hammer.
I had a really bad farrier who "damaged" my horses feet one gave her really bad corns, then a new farrier 2 years ago was always good, but 2 years ago we found his work slipping, and his attention on a new venture. He would phone and write emails ordering parts for his venture while we waited for the shoeing to be done with the horse tied up. Then noticed a couple of horses were very underrun and my mare and gelding had issues due to imbalanced feet, also another horse. We research a new farrier who is amazing, corrected all the issues gradually, and his language when he saw my mares unbalanced feet was x rated. My gelding he was walking on the bulbs of his heels and he said *for f8888* sake what has he done to his feet, he is in so much discomfort and pain..

Geldings feet (caused by a previous farrier first mentioned) , were very bad and he would walk on the outside of his hooves like a cowboys. Vet recommended new farrier, and it was the best thing we ever did.

 

[spotty_pony]

It can be both. As it may seem and as I discovered sadly the hard way with my last horse when he ended up with Navicular - yes it is too much to expect most farriers to automatically correctly this problem. It shouldn’t be but it would appear it is. I really trusted my old farrier but added to the fact my horse had pigeon toes and he was shod for a long time without heel support - this resulted in ultimately the DDFT tears in the hoof and Navicular. I now have a fantastic farrier on side and found him towards the end of my horse’s life but sadly it was too late for him

There will of course be some horses with atrocious foot confirmation but there is always something that can be done to improve this.