Wear greater than growth? barefoot

Casey76

Casey76

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My mare is becoming very down at heel - literally. Her hind frogs are fully weightbearing with the frog being level with the heel, and the heel being 1mm at most, above the sole.

She is on the best possible diet, given my location. She has beautiful thrush free feet, with lovely thick walls... but she is short striding down hill on tarmac. On the rougher forestry tracks she is normal.

Now she has slipped on tarmac in the past, so I don't know if she is just being "careful" or whether her heels are sore.

She isn't ouchy in the common sense, and she walks and trots happily over varied terrain, it is just the down hill bits.

Another possible reason is that there has been a bit of a bug going round the yard, and Tartine has felt very "flat" since, so maybe it is just that hanging around a bit and she isn't feeling 100%

I'll ask my YM how she was today this evening, as she is riding her today.
 
This doesn't look too low in the heel?

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Having said that, my YM took her out for a fastish hack yesterday and she was great.
 
Difficult to see exactly [hairy black horse] but as long as the angle from the front of the pastern and the front of the hoof are in line then I think you can say you are OK.
Feed linseed and minerals , hi fibre lo sugar to promote hoof growth, and exercise regularly. I find 20 -20 mins per day on tarmac is ideal to self trim.

Check out Rockley Farm blogs [search " celery "] and really get to know "feet", I think I understand what "feet fetish" means now!
Feet First is a great book about feet, [apart from seaweed which is no longer advised].
Best to ask a farrier or barefoot trimmer to have a look at them and comment, I don't think he will need to trim.
 
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Stop whoever is slicing off the sides of the frogs from doing it.

Yes, they are possibly too low in the heel but it has nothing to do with how close her frogs are to the floor, which is correct. And also nothing to do with excessive wear.

Look at the hair line and the way it dips down at the back.

The feet look to me as if they are not getting enough stimulus, work, to the back of the foot. Ideally, if she gets more work, the depth of the internal structures at the back of the foot will increase, and put the hair line straight.

But meanwhile, if she is heel first landing and sound you really don't have anything to worry about there, they are lovely feet :)
 
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Thanks both.

She is fed locally produced hay, pro-hoof, magnesium and linseed - the latter 3 in half a stubbs scoop of soaked grass nuts. I'm mean and don't feed treats at all.

Until our school is finished I'm finding it difficult to get her in more work. At the moment she is hacked 4 times per week for 1-1.5 hours across a variety of terrain, with a minimum of 20-30 mins road work per hack. Unfortunately I don't hack by myself as my nerves are shot at the moment, other wise I'd be taking her out almost every day.

Her feet have improved dramatically over the past 8 months, buther heels do seem to be disappearing

This is from July last year:
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I see why you are worried, but allowing her to grow more heel externally is not the answer, it would just lift her frogs out of ground contact even if you could do it.. hopefully you will see a difference as we get better weather and light to work her.
 
cptrayes said:
I see why you are worried, but allowing her to grow more heel externally is not the answer, it would just lift her frogs out of ground contact even if you could do it.. hopefully you will see a difference as we get better weather and light to work her.
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I agree and think they look good and the heel has moved a good way back so is less under run and more supportive. Its the internal structures that probably need to be developed ie. digital cushion. Lots of solid heel first landings. I wouldn't worry so long as she is sound, free moving and landing heel first on flat level surfaces. The heels look a good height above sole, so to me not short for the hoof at this point in time.
That's my take anyway. Good job.
 
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