Why would one (barefoot) hoof grow faster than the others?

[Orchardbeck]

My mare's near fore seems to show more growth than the others, which are all of a similar length. This seems to be happening consistently between trims. Is there a reason for this - perhaps her conformation? It seems to grow longer at the toe.

She has had laminitis - 2 years ago - and after X-rays I was told she'd had 9 degrees of rotation in her fores, but that should have been corrected by now I'd have thought?

Is there anything I can do to help it?

 

[LucyPriory]

Photos? When you say longer at the toe - is there more hoof wall proud of the sole or is the foot at a shallower angle and scooting forwards?

 

[Orangehorse]

Horses don't necessarily grow a "pair" of hooves, they grow what they need to support the legs and body above.

Look at some photos on the Rockley Farm website.

 

[turkana]

I had a horse like that, the farrier told me that the uneven growth was a result of her having uneven legs.
He said not to worry about it as the feet balance themselves however they need to be.

 

[claribella]

My girl went lame a little while back with a suspencted shoulder strain and she grew a toe on the one side as she was standing under and it helped her rebalance herself. Trimmer came and took one look at her and said has she been ame recently in the shoulder! Awesome trimmer. Anyway he trimmed it down and she is now standing square and all is well but it could be a similar thing?

 

[philamena]

Photos? When you say longer at the toe - is there more hoof wall proud of the sole or is the foot at a shallower angle and scooting forwards?

Sorry to hijack temporarily OP, but I've noticed that my mare (barefoot since Feb but only just coming into light walk work) has one hind longer in the toe in the latter way that you mention above LucyPriory... What might this mean? I do think it's her weaker side on her hindquarters / hind leg but as she's been out of work for ages it's a bit difficult to tell anything too sophisticated... Are there any things of which this is typical which I could look into further?

 

[Flame_]

When my horse had a keratoma that hoof grew faster than the opposite foot. Now (after removal) they grow at the same rate.

 

[Orchardbeck]

Hi, thanks for replies, we had a bit of a laminitis scare yesterday so didn't want to hassle her with pics at this stage but will get some as soon as I'm certain she's ok. She'd pulled her muzzle off overnight and even though she had a postage stamp paddock that was pretty well grazed down, her pulses were up and she was lying down and she seemed pretty lethargic, although that could also have been the hot weather. So she's in now, danilon administered, on hay, waiting for the farrier.

 

[Orchardbeck]

Bit of an update on this question.

Farrier came out and trimmed - definitely more trimmed off the longer hoof which has shortened it up and improved the angle. The white line was really stretched, hence the longer look of the hoof, plus there was some old bruising which corresponded with event lines growing out on all hooves from around Christmas time - this was when she was recovering from her one and only bout of colic and we almost lost her.

We had to build her condition up back then as she looked awful, plus she was on box rest so we didn't know she was also suffering from laminitis.

Since then (once we were out of the danger zone) her diet has been pared back to being barefoot friendly - she gets 400g topspec Antilam, 15mg mag ox, 15mg vetex agnus castus plus 40g topspec 10:10 joint supplement daily.

Her turnout paddock is now smaller, and split in to two, one side is very short and bare, the other longer. I rarely put her in it without a muzzle, but have recently been turning her out at night in the longer side muzzled, and bringing her in during the day for a bit of haylage (swapping this to hay as have some now).

I've started using the laminitis app and wonder if turning her out in the bare paddock during the 'safer' days with no muzzle would benefit her more than standing still inside. The field has been seeded with 'horse friendly' grass.

Would any bf experts be prepared to comment on the regime, diet etc?

 

[Orchardbeck]

Meant to add, farrier said she was not suffering from laminitis at the moment. I monitor her pulses daily though, but exercise is tricky and will be for a few more weeks until this baby is born.