Hoof people

[SEL]

I've used Urban Hoof to advise on funky front feet - sent them loads of photos with measuring tape against hoof. Very helpful.

Only Scoots came anywhere near fitting and i got a new pair in the advised size and a 2nd hand pair in one size up that I can pad out towards the end of a trim cycle.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

No danger of that happening - he ran a rasp round the edges, and pronounced him done!

Lol I get away with that sometimes in winter but they are really growing at the moment so they only go 4 weeks.

 

[Auslander]

here are the pics I took for Urban Horse. I'm still spitting about the trim...

 

[ester]

there's quite a bit of bar going on on those yes?

 

[Auslander]

there's quite a bit of bar going on on those yes?

Yep

 

[Tiddlypom]

I’m not a hoof geek like others on here, but though while those side wings are certainly very funky, I do like how upright the side on HPA is re taking pressure off his suspensories.

 

[Auslander]

I’m not a hoof geek like others on here, but though while those side wings are certainly very funky, I do like how upright the side on HPA is re taking pressure off his suspensories.

Agree! Bearing in mind that he was written off at 13, because his suspensories were so wrecked, he's done pretty well to still be in work at 23!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Why won’t your farrier put shoes on behind? Does the horse mess about when his hinds are trimmed? He seems to be holding them up ok for you when you took the pics, though you may now be wrecked from the effort .

 

[Auslander]

Why won’t your farrier put shoes on behind? Does the horse mess about when his hinds are trimmed? He seems to be holding them up ok for you when you took the pics, though you may now be wrecked from the effort .

He isn't brilliant to shoe - not because he's an arse, but because he has mild shivers, and arthritic hocks. Current farrier can't/won't do him the way he needs to be done (foot nearly on the floor) and Alf gets upset and chucks himself around when his hinds are held up at normal shoeing height/pulled forward.

 

[tristar]

i think they look too pointed, and flare in the quarters, the second pic looks very distorted and loads of flare to one side, like he screws his hoof when moving, being able to see the underneath would help to understand why they are this shape, they also look dry with vertical dry shrinks.

don`t eat me only saying what i see! and i do understand his age and probs, i use easyboot gloves

 

[Cragrat]

Blunt observations from a non-professional hoof geek, with 15 years of barefoot care of my own gang....

My initial thought on the first photos were that his born quality looked poor and i wondered what his mineral and AA balance was like? i also thought he didn't seem to be using his heels.

Seeing the underneath shots confirms his lack of heel use - very heart shaped, contracted heels, and bars doing their best to support but not being stimulated in the right way. i also suspect some deep thrush, preventing heel use.

His hindquarters look tight as he is trying avoid landing properly.

Happy to be proved wrong though!

 

[DabDab]

You've probably got something sorted now, but I have scoots on Arty's fronts that are prone to quarter flare, although she has a much shorter toe. The fit of them accommodates the flare well (enough for them to be secure for walk, trot and a bit of canter), and when I first bought them for her it was about as pronounced as in your pics (her feet have been getting gradually more normal shaped since she was young, when they were pretty much nothing but gull wing with no toe).

 

[Auslander]

He 's been shod now - new farrier was fab with him! I know that some will disagree with this, but he's an old man, and I'd rather he was comfortable in shoes, than sore without. I agree completely with the comments about tight hindquarters and not using himself properly/not using his heels - I think because his feet were sore over stones, so he was guarding himself. I cant find any thrush, but it could be higher up than I can investigate - so I'll do a soak.
He's so much happier - and his feet are looking much more normal. He doesn't appear to be struggling with having feet that aren't the shape he wanted them to be.