Senior mare has taken a chunk out of a hoof 🙈

[Tiddlypom]

Thanks, senior mare, for coming in this morning with this. Not sure how she managed it, I’d last trimmed her feet a few days ago, and there was no crack visible there yesterday. She’s not got the best of feet, though I work hard to keep them in the best shape that I can do.





Judicious light use of the hoof nippers, a light rasping off of the ragged edges, a generous application of Red Horse artimud and back out she’s gone, apparently sound.

Plan b if she goes sore will be to poultice it and turn her out in a hoof boot.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I've seen worse, but that's not a tiny piece missing. Hope your current fix works, and that the recovery goes smoothly.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

I wouldn’t worry tiddlypom I’ve seen/experienced much worse without issues

 

[Red-1]

I wouldn't worry either. It's hard to tell from those photos but, looking at where the inner wall is, there could be more taken off at trimming to encourage a tighter white line. Not back to the chip, obviously, but probably a lot further than they are now.

I am not qualified, but that is what I'd do. Trimming further back (as in angle on the side wall back towards the white line) but not taking any off the sole.



If I trim aggressively on the angle, he is capable of work barefoot on many different types of terrain. They only have to grow a little forward and they start to chip. They have become a lot more compact over time. This is freshly trimmed, but I trim every week.

You can just see the last of where they were splayed at the bottom. They grow a lot more compact than they did. I don't touch the wall or sole, just take the angle on the edge back.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Thanks, Red. She does have technically challenging flat feet which tend to grow splat sideways and out rather than gain height. I do my best to keep her toes back and give her some heel height, and I do a much better job of that than the barefoot trimmer did. She has very thin soles. The other two, now one horse have/had much easier feet to deal with.

I did have all her feet x rayed in the spring, and the vet said that they were not bad for her age (23yo) barring the thin soles.

There’s no heat in that foot today, so I’ve repacked it with fresh artimud and hopefully it’ll all grow out.