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Discussion on Corrective trimming
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Member:
Maggienm
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 6, 2004 - 2:33 pm:
After spending much of the summer on pasture my three year old filly has a small chip out of the left side of her left foot. I am not sure if it is connected but the same foot has grown more (longer and thicker) on the opposite side of the hoof. I trimmed her correctly for a properly balanced hoof, now someone has told me that she needs her toe shortened and one side trimmed shorter to even out her hoof.
Do you have an article that might address an issue like this? I am aware of being careful of trimming that puts to much pressure on bones and joints.
Thank you.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Oct 6, 2004 - 10:20 pm:
Hello Lori,
I am not sure you have an issue that needs addressing. If the foot is balanced properly there is no need to take her out of balance. A single incidence of a small chip does not strike me as reason to completely change the way you trim. If you would like to review proper balance we have several articles on this in the Hoof Care section.
DrO
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New Member:
Kenkat
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Posted on Sunday, Feb 5, 2006 - 12:40 pm:
MY farrier has trimmed 6 of my horses and now all six are flat footed. 2 have come lame. I have taken all the shoes off and fired the farrier. He cut the heels off to match shallow quarters that he nipped off to make a flat surface. To correct this so I can ride could I put heeled shoes on them to stand them up so I could possibly ride them or to just make them more comfortable while I wait for new growth. What would be the correction for this trimming disaster.
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Sunday, Feb 5, 2006 - 1:31 pm:
First, needless to say, you need a new farrier that comes recommended by someone whose judgement you trust. I'd ask for his recommendation after he's seen the horses' feet. He might suggest a wedge pad of some sort. Or, maybe just some sole paint to toughen up their soles and let them grow out so he can do corrective trimming. I'd get a good farrier's opinion, though. (Once you find a good farrier, treat him/her like gold! They are hard to find in some areas.)
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Member:
Lilly
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Posted on Sunday, Feb 5, 2006 - 5:47 pm:
Ken,
I went to a podiatry clinic over the weekend. The clinic is in Virginia and the doctor's website is www.serenityequine.com. The doctor is Andrea Floyd and she is a vet and farrier. The most important thing that I learned was how valuable an x-ray can be in choosing the correct shoe. Inside your horses' hooves, the P3 bone is trying to make itself as comfortable as possible. It does this by trying to achieve a palmer angle that is close to 0 degrees as possible. The palmer angle is the angle formed between the bottom of the P3 bone and sole. That's why cups are formed on the bottom of the hoof. OK, having said all that, I think an equine podiatrist would recommend a rocker shoe. The shoe would then be filled with a putty to protect the heel. I emphasize that I THINK this is what would be recommended. I am not a professional and I am just learning how amazing the hoof is.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Feb 6, 2006 - 8:35 am:
Hello Ann,
I don't think healthy feet require radiographs to trim and shoe properly as there are landmarks that have guided farriers successfully for hundreds of years however when their are abnormalities in foot conformation radiographs can be invaluable. I also disagree with the idea the palmer angle should be 0 is incorrect. In radiographs of normal feet the tip of the coffin bone usually tips downward making a palmar angle of about (and I am approximating here) 4to 6 degrees.
Ken we have articles on caring for overtrimmed feet at Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Problems Following Shoeing or Trimming. You may also want to review Care for Horses » Hoof Care » Trimming and Preparing the Feet for Shoes. If your feet still seem way out of wack I agree with Sara seek a second opinion from a well recommended farrier or vet.
DrO
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Member:
Lilly
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Posted on Monday, Feb 6, 2006 - 1:25 pm:
Dr.O,
You're right. The palmer angle of a normal hoof should be 4 to 6 degrees like you said. I was thinking of how the P3 bone tries to create a zero degree angle with a cup. At least that's what Dr. Floyd said and the radiographs we examined seemed to support that theory. I was just amazed at the information provided by a radiograph! I think that I am so excited about what I learned over the weekend that I want to go out and x-ray every horse I know 
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