How to lower heels without losing correct HPA (external)

Casey76

Casey76

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My three yo always grows masses of hoof - farrier easily removes 1/2in hoof wall every 6 weeks. It is good solid horn, not prone to cracking or splitting.

However he has always has fairly high heels, and therefore underdeveloped frogs. Externally his HPA is good, so not sure how to get frogs in contact with the ground without breaking the HPA.

Any ideas?
 
Is there any toe wall that can come off?

If not bring down heel height gradually over several weeks and as heel is lowered the heel buttress bearing surface with move back. As heel support moves back to widest part of frog hoof will rebalance itself.

Be aware that capsule at toe may not have 100% attachment to pedal bone and HP angles may be misleading.
 
Can you get him either working or turned out on some surface that will squash up inside his feet and give that frog some work? It is possible that the heels look high because the frog is shrunk, not the other way round, but it's now become a vicious circle. I know work is a difficult issue with a youngster, and we don't all have rockley' s conformable track system.
 
You know I have no recent foot photos of Blitz at all. I'll take some tonight, though the toes may look over long, as it has been 5 weeks since they were trimmed.

@CPT, unfortunately we don't have any conformable footings at the yard; and I'm reluctant to turn him out in an all weather pen (which is scalpings) as there is no room for him to run around in (and he would just stand and stuff himself with hay all night)

Our school is quartz sand but is too big to loose school in, and I don't really want to start lunging him just yet :/
 
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I know that the EP answer to this would include boots and pads. I don't know if I agree, I've got no experience of using them. Perhaps someone will come on and say.
 
cptrayes said:
I know that the EP answer to this would include boots and pads. I don't know if I agree, I've got no experience of using them. Perhaps someone will come on and say.
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Not this EP :p. Two reasons for long heels, laminitis or lack of heel first landing. I'm guessing the latter. He needs to be encouraged to take big proper strides in hand in walk and trot, good propulsion and get him moving. Ride and lead would be ideal for this. Think foals with "ballerina" feet......they need to run to correct it.
 
Andalucian said:
Ride and lead would be ideal for this. Think foals with "ballerina" feet......they need to run to correct it.
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That could be fun... My "riding horse" is a 13.3 pony who seriously dislikes being crowded, and Blitz is a 16h oaf with no concept of personal space. They are in a paddock together, and the amount of times she's booted him... after being fielded together for a year you'd think he'd know better, but she can be a right stroppy madam when it takes her.

Normaly I would say that it is the type/style of trim that effects the heel height, but my farrier does both of my horses, and Tartine's feet are very good, with full contact frogs and low heels - and it has taken a year to get them to that stage.

Unfortunately I don't have any "safe" tarmac to walk him up and down. The single lane road that the farm exits onto is a rat run between two villages, and the majority of drivers - including the farmers - completely ignore the speed limit. Would hand walking up and down packed hardcore be OK?
 
Ok here we go. Photos taken to night on my phone (so quality is naff)

Left fore:
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Left hind:

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Standing kind of straight

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How long since she was trimmed Casey, they are very long, to my eye, though photos can be very deceptive?




(Andalucian, you're not a 'normal EP though, are you? Far too open minded from what I've seen :D)
 
They look really long to me too, looks a good bit of hoof wall could come off, including heel obviously. The frog does look quite small too. If you don't want to lunge what about long lining?
 
They don't half grow! I was expecting worse in frog contraction, and if I was you I'd be stuffing at least one of the central sulcus with sudocrem as it looks a bit sheared. But until you can get her into real work I'm stumped for suggestions. I agree with you about lunging three year olds. Can you long rein instead?
 
My 3 year old came to me very similar (although was 2.5 when I got her).

She had very high heels, possibly slightly worse than your horses. Her frogs were more contracted than your horses too.

I took the hoof wall down a small amount every week/fortnight. After 3-4 months they were looking much better. I then started walking her out on hard surfaces inhand 2x week for 10-15 mins a time, and now they look brilliant.

So I would say slowly, slowly bring the heels down and walk out on hard surfaces.
 
The school is 40x60 and too big for me to keep things under control. We aren't supposed to use it to loose school in it anyway as the surface is new and YO not very happy with it being torn up.

I could try to tape off an area, but I don't trust him not to go through a temporary fence (he really is a bit of an oaf, and has no idea of his own strength and size).
 
Is the animal lame or footy? I had a pony that had tall boxy feet, the horn grew down not out, as a result every six weeks she would have half an inch taken off and her frogs never were contact with the ground, her frogs looked like shrivelled walnuts. In twenty years of owning her she was never lame but certainly was a conversation topic at pony club. I have also had TB and a pony with wide flat feet with text book frogs, more prone to bruising and thin soles, always needed to shod. I would not worry about the size of the frogs if there is not a problem, I have seen enough of them to know they are all different a bit like human noses but always seem to do the job
 
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