foot balance..what do you think????

[soulfull]

farrier is due in 10 days so not sure if it is the perfect time to ask? he is shod every 5/6 weeks without fail! shod only on front
They have dried out a little so been putting kevin bacons on which is helping but causing a little peeling too. let me know if you need more


fronts

left fore

right fore

hinds

 

[brucea]

Definitely contracted, starting to underrun....hard to tell from photos though and that's why you need to see the horse move and have the whole story.

Problem is once a shoe is on the horse can do very little to alter the foot to balance himself and is stuck with what the farrier gives him - they do this to cope with the peculiarities and conformation of the rest of the horse above the hoof - so you get some fantastically good and very functional hooves on barefoot horses that are quite asymetrical or "wonky"

I always prefer the phrase asymmetry to imbalance which always sounds as if somethign is wrong. Naturally occurring asymmetry is always there for a reason - there are some good posts on the Rockley blog about it.

If the farrier introduces an inbalance, or conversely "balances" the hoof without asking why that imbalance is there in the first place that should give you cause for concern.

Just my thoughts - but then I'm one of the Barefoot Taliban.

 

[cptrayes]

Your horse, as many do, stands slightly toe out. We need a picture of each front foot from the very front of the foot.

My opinion from the side and underside views is that your farrier is doing a much better job than many. The shoes only just reach the end of the heel, but the problem with shoeing longer is that they are easy to tread off. One branch, though, the inside one on the off fore, looks to end well short of the heel and that's really not good if I'm seeing right.

There is no great change of angle from the top half inch of the foot to the rest. Although the toe has been kept back, as you want it to be, the deviation which would suggest that the foot wants to grow at a different angle is always much higher than any point that the farrier will rasp to, at about half an inch down from the hairline, so it's not being hidden by rasping, it isn't there. That's good.

There's a suspicion of an upward lift in the hairline at the sides, which might suggest that there is too much weight (length) at the quarters, but it isn't much.

Are you concerned about your boy's movement or anything?


The back of the shoe is nicely underneath the middle of the cannon bone with the heels supporting the leg above it.

 

[soulfull]

Thank you for replying! sorry photos are so big!!

I am a little concerned by the cleft (type thing) that has appeared at the base of the bulb on all his feet

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He has a slight ligament strain and earlier in the year had a slightly swollen tendon, both on the left fore. He has not really being doing much because of my surgery, but that was supposed to change soon

Vet also mentioned he has typical foot conformation for navicular so I am trying to find out what I can do to prevent it.

Also a couple of people have said he has contracted heals ?


Additional photos you asked for, hope they are what you meant but he wanted to either eat my hair or steal the phone

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[Garnet]

I think the front feet both look quite long in the heel. This would have the effect of lifting the frog off the ground so that it does not get enough stimulation from the ground. This could possibly be the reason for the changes in the clefts of the frogs. Having the frog in contact with the ground is one of the most important elements of correct foot function.

As others have said, the heels are well supported by the shoe extending well back under the heels. Understandably the toes are long, coming up to shoeing, but not as long as some. The breakover point is almost certainly too far forward from the point of the frog, but that may be your farrier's style.

The hoof-pastern axis looks good

 

[cptrayes]

The clefts (central sulcus) aren't bad yet but are typical of the beginnings of contracted heels, as is the apparent height of the heel.

I'm not sure where your vet is coming from. Typical navicular feet are collapsed and underrun in the heel, with a long toe and a broken back hoof/pastern axis. You don't have any of that.

What you do seem to have, but it is VERy difficult to get it right from photos, is a definite lateral imbalance, which will predispose to collateral ligament damage which is often diagnosed as navicular.

Take a look at the last shot. In fact, take a paper copy of it and get a ruler. Draw a line of the angle of the first half inch of foot on each side, and extend that line to the ground. See how different the place where the line lands is from where his foot lands. He is trying, but prevented by the shoes, to grow a foot in a different place from the one he has, in the case of that phtot, out to the right. It's likely that he's trying to match his foot to the bones inside it, but the farrier is trying to centre his foot under his leg, and the two do not match.

I hope that makes sense?



ps for anyone else, if you want to take good photos for a critique I'm afraid you need to lie in the dirt and get the camera down completely level with the foot!

 

[soulfull]

Thank you all

Vet was thinking typical small boxy feet

OK so I may think of going back to barefoot BUT the problems I have then are

The front of the foot where the clip is, wears too thin

farrier still trims frog and sole.

What should I do??

I live in west mids/staffs and he really is the best I have found

 

[cptrayes]

You have to find a trimmer who will not trim frog and sole if you want to go barefoot. Or convert your farrier!

He wears the front of his foot because he wants it gone. All he's trying to do is bring back the breakover point. If he's not unsound, it's what he needs. MOst barefoot horses who work hard will give themselves a pronounced roll on the front of the foot.

 

[Miss L Toe]

If you have the time, patience and inclination to try the barefoot business you can use boots to prevent wear at the toe, but in itself if the horse is wearing the toe it can indicate gait or conformation defects, I mean does the farrier take all these things in to consideration, have good hard look at the gait at the walk, and ask the farrier to talk this through with you.
You do have the option of barefoot trimmers, but you need to swot up a bit on the anatomy yourself, and maybe go over to a barefoot diet, which will help with hoof and skin quality, again it is not a short term fix

 

[soulfull]

You have to find a trimmer who will not trim frog and sole if you want to go barefoot. Or convert your farrier!

He wears the front of his foot because he wants it gone. All he's trying to do is bring back the breakover point. If he's not unsound, it's what he needs. MOst barefoot horses who work hard will give themselves a pronounced roll on the front of the foot.

If you have the time, patience and inclination to try the barefoot business you can use boots to prevent wear at the toe, but in itself if the horse is wearing the toe it can indicate gait or conformation defects, I mean does the farrier take all these things in to consideration, have good hard look at the gait at the walk, and ask the farrier to talk this through with you.
You do have the option of barefoot trimmers, but you need to swot up a bit on the anatomy yourself, and maybe go over to a barefoot diet, which will help with hoof and skin quality, again it is not a short term fix

Interesting thanks so it will be worth just letting it wear and see what happens, as he was perfectly sound. It was just farrier said his walls are a little thin, seems strong enough really just not thick ??

I think I will have a chat with him see what we can sort out

MrsD I only have partial time and patience so not sure how successful we will be, hey one step at a time I guess. I am willing to address diet but not the way I keep him, in winter he is in over night. I don't have access to decent mixed terrain for hacking or turn out. SO I guess that limits things


Thanks