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  Discussion on Hoof Critique 5... my 1st attempt at trimming/rasping
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Member:
scooter

Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 - 2:20 pm:

Continuation of https://www.horseadvice.com/horse/messages/3/350779.html#POST159776

Here we go, I will say Hank seemed more comfortable when I was done, they have been begging to go out in the ice peaks, that way they can beg for food every time I go outside. I opened it up to see out of curiosity if he was better worse or the same. Sam walked slowly out and Hank trotted out!!! no sidling. I was quite conservative, but can see a difference, hopefully a good difference.

Here they are...be gentle

Dr.O would you rather I make these attachments so I don't have to have so many threads?







Member:
scooter

Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 - 2:31 pm:

Forgot this one, his walls are NOT as high as they appear, they are about an 1/8th of an inch above the sole if that.

Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 - 6:10 pm:

Diane, did you do something other than just use the riders rasp? Right off the top of my head, I don't see anything major. I think it's a good bevel. But then I am exhausted from trimming mine, got 3 out of 4 done. Have to excuse my lack of focus, I all "hoof trimmed OUT" for tonight!

I found this picture on the site someone listed on your previous thread: I thought it was a very good picture showing how the bars go WAAY up into the hoof!

https://www.johnthevet.com/anatomy.html
Member:
scooter

Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 - 7:01 pm:

Angie I don't blame you just doing Hanks hooves wore me out!

I used the travelers rasp to relieve the quarters a bit, that thing works just like a regular rasp...glad Anna Marie reminded me of it!

dug out the bars a bit with the hoof pick and rasped them down some. rasped like you told me in the other thread and beveled with the RR to finish. I didn't want to get too aggressive, but I thought they looked nicer when I got done. I think I could learn to like this. I looked at Sams hooves...which need work and thought NAW not yet! If I can master Hanks hooves it'll be a Christmas miracle

Thanks
Member:
scooter

Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 - 10:48 pm:

Hanks hoof journey including his x-rays... 3 founders,long toe low heel/underun synDrOme, thin soles, WLD, Thrush. Sore more often than not, lost canter, couldn't tolerate ANY hard ground, often unrideable.

His hooves are not perfect now, but he can now tolerate hard ground barefoot when ridden...even gravel. Beautiful canter is back!

The dates are in the right side bar, they are in order from 2007 until present. If you take a gander at these you will see why I am very happy for how far we have come...with all your help of course!

https://picasaweb.google.com/hank97/Hooves20072009#
Member:
scooter

Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 - 11:19 pm:

Dr.O. Do you have any idea what this discoloration is? It is IN his hoofwall, His hoofwall is smooth as silk there, tho it does make it appear there is a dish there , there is not. It would coincide with when he started barefoot. Just kind of strange. Both hooves have it in the same place.

Member:
juliem

Posted on Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 - 11:53 pm:

Good photo journal..........what a journey huh? While I know diet and being overweight contributed to the disaster his feet were, much of it was due to very poor farrier work, IMO. Good for you for getting all those issues addressed. Who knew we couldn't trust "hoof care professionals" to know how to take care of our hooves? It's not easy for horsey moms and dads to tell the "professionals" how to do their jobs, and truthfully there are many who do outstanding work, but there are way too many who just don't educate themselves. You can give yourself another pat on the back for goading a few of them into larnin' a thing or two!!
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 - 7:28 am:

Thanks Julie, yes a very long, frustrating journey as you know! Hanks diet was part of the culprit, but it is scary what some farriers can do to a horses hoof. Some vets could use an education on the horses hooves and pathologies too FME. Educating ourselves is our best defense I think.

I have about 100 more pictures that are as bad or worse as the ones I linked to. I am glad I took many pictures along the way, or I wouldn't realize just how far we've come...
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 - 7:49 am:

Diane when I get into my office tomorrow I will review the above photos but in short they are improved.
DrO
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 - 8:55 am:

Thanks Dr.O. I would appreciate your input. I think we are getting very close, he was walking around on the ice peaks quite comfortably again today.
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 - 9:32 am:

Nice album, definately lots of improvement! If you do master his hoofs, let me know your secret, it's tough when they keep changing, lol!

I am feeling a little under the weather, doing 3 horses yesterday was not in my best interest. One left to do today, and I noticed Gem is sore today..sigh. She has a hole in her sole, now what?!?! I dug it out, but forgot to go back and look at it.

I feel like having goldfish for pets some days.

I hope it's not my turn for 4-5 part discussions, lol!

'Nways, good job, and relax now and have a Merry Christmas.
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 - 11:03 am:

Hope you feel better soon Angie. Yes the ever changing hoof is the challenge I will be dealing with, I am going to stay on the conservative side, I could see while I was rasping away yesterday it would be easy to "sore" him up. My goal is to hold him where he is or improve a little and I'll be happy. Hopefully I can do that while the farrier is on his winter hiatus.

Where is the hole in Gems sole located? sounds painful.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 - 2:31 pm:

Diane,

I am wondering whether that is just some kind of discoloration caused by the natural climactic conditions and moisture, etc., in the grass, over the course of time?
Member:
kpaint

Posted on Sunday, Dec 20, 2009 - 7:43 pm:

Wow Diane, the photo journey is amazing. The time, patience, worry, and $...phenomenal on your part. Diva mare better not give me that much of a challenge or I'm toast.
Member:
scooter

Posted on Monday, Dec 21, 2009 - 6:57 am:

Vicki actually the $$ amount wasn't anymore than regular shoeing and trimming..... Patience was the hard part! Diva will be much easier than Hank, she hasn't foundered or have WLD.

Vick Z. I don't know what would be in their environment that would cause that only Hank has it.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Dec 21, 2009 - 3:13 pm:

Diane I have repeated the same lines as I used before trying to emphasize the relationship of the frog, bars, and angle of the bars. On the nearly-tangental solar view I tried to recreate these lines.

The impression I get from these and recent past photos and discussions is that you have improved the foot over the last assessment I posted by lowering the heels and bars of the wall with relation to the frog. But that one heel (inside of the left fore I think) remains a bit high and slightly out of balance with the other side. In the ideal foot the angle and frog nearly touch as we see on the outside of the heel in the image. If this is true you should slowly continue to lower the high side until you have a balanced appearance while maintaining the good side about where you have it.
DrO



Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Dec 21, 2009 - 3:20 pm:

Ohh...concerning the red coloration, it is no coincidence that this is where the flare starts. This looks to be bruising caused by the wall being pulled away from the sensitive laminae because of the abducting force on the wall caused by the flare when the horse walks.

To prevent this from happening in the future be sure to maintain the roll in the wall and remove as much flare distally as is safe.
DrO
Member:
scooter

Posted on Monday, Dec 21, 2009 - 7:58 pm:

Thanks Dr.O. I'll see what I can do.
Member:
scooter

Posted on Wednesday, Dec 23, 2009 - 3:59 pm:

Dr.O. concerning the discoloration in his hoof wall, where is the flare you are speaking of??

I was just cleaning the lean to and admiring Hanks hooves again..I really am awed at this! I just don't see a flare anywhere.

When I was cleaning the lean-to he had another breakthrough! He is the type of horse that LOVES to cock his back hoof and rest it always has before our "problems," since our problems he rarely rested a back hoof for any amount of time before switching weight or hooves. I knew it was because he didn't want to load his fronts with extra weight. He looked so relaxed and happy with his back leg cocked today... these new hooves really are a miracle... now if I can figure out where the flare is
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Thursday, Dec 24, 2009 - 8:04 am:

The dish you describe in the post along with it and the appearance of rasping just distal to the redness. I presumed the rasping was to remove flare.
DrO
Member:
scooter

Posted on Thursday, Dec 24, 2009 - 9:21 am:

Thanks Dr.O In the above post I said the discoloration makes it appear there is a dish there, there is not a dish that I can see looking at his hoof. The rasping was to level him up a bit and bevel, which still needs work. Your lines on his hoof are very good, matching the appearance well.. I tried to take pics last night but it is too slushy/muddy/icy and they turned out worse than usual!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Dec 25, 2009 - 12:14 pm:

Diane, if that is an illusion, it is a good one for I see it too.
DrO
Member:
scooter

Posted on Friday, Dec 25, 2009 - 6:48 pm:

Dr.O. if you don't mind could you look at the attachment, I'm not sure but I think with resizing the pic smaller it is hard to tell...I don't think there is a dish there, but not 100% sure.
Thanks

https://picasaweb.google.com/hank97/20091219HankTrim#5419319578338935506
Member:
kpaint

Posted on Saturday, Dec 26, 2009 - 2:26 pm:

Wow Diane. I'd stand there in the cold and admire his feet too! They sure look different than 2007. Amazing.
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Dec 27, 2009 - 7:50 am:

Thanks Vicki. we have a ways to go, but getting there. The difference is quite amazing.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Dec 27, 2009 - 9:50 am:

Diane your straight edge does not follow the natural growth of the hoof you have twisted it sideways.
DrO
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Dec 27, 2009 - 9:57 am:

Thanks Dr.O.... I am going to fix that dish then ( if it is there). Hard to take a pic and hold something against the hoof.. I will see if I can get a better pic holding something straight
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Dec 27, 2009 - 1:47 pm:

Yikes I decided to do my weekly bevel/rasp today and took a tape measure with me, Hanks hoof is 3 7/8" long and 5.25 in. wide. I looked at the old Macs I bought for him in 07' and they were size 8'sand they fit him!. The length of size 8's are 5 11/16" - 5 15/16" He has lost almost 3"s of toe! No wonder it took 2 years

Dr.O. you were right I think, there may be a small dish there, I still don't see it looking at his hoof

Pics after I beveled/ very lightly rasped. The VERY good news is no bruising is showing up in his sole, but he does still have that weird winter toe callous.













VERY VERY Happy Hank hooves...he is moving great!

Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Dec 27, 2009 - 1:54 pm:

Me and Math He has lost over 2"s of toe..not 3 I think!
Member:
ajudson1

Posted on Sunday, Dec 27, 2009 - 3:03 pm:

Hi Diane,

Wow, it was a lousy week for me, I am finally feeling like I am back amongst the living!

I know you missed me, so:

I took the one picture and drew on there how I would rasp Hank's toe area. Hard to show on here. I wish I could remember a good link where a barefoot trimmer shows that really well. At any rate, if you do that every 2 weeks or 3 weeks, you will see that stretched toe area tighten up.

I'd probably angle the rasp a bit more even, this is just starting the mustang roll from underneath.

I don't think you can do that with your handy dandy riders rasp, I still think that just keeps a nice bevel on the wall, and I still would want to do some more with those hoofs to get a better hoof.

Like some bar work, and swipe at the heels yet.

Don't despair, if he's moving well, great, these are just more tweaks that I see. With my limited knowledge of course!
Member:
scooter

Posted on Sunday, Dec 27, 2009 - 3:57 pm:

Welcome back to the living I've been couch bound myself for the most part with my stupid knee! Looking at hoof pics! LOL. That black part isn't all stretched WL part of it is that weird toe callous that is getting wet and dirty looking. I got the walls down a bit today and he finally seems level... I used the travelers rasp for that.

Pictures in the snow I found out are not a good idea, to much glare and distorts things. I'm going to try different pics when they come up for supper in the lean-to. Glad you are back I think I have his toed rolled and wall lowered as I much as I dare at this point...will try to get better pics Thanks
Member:
maggienm

Posted on Monday, Dec 28, 2009 - 12:32 am:

I am not sure if I got this from a Pete R site, it really made sense and helped me. I will try to explain it.
Where the hoof and coronet touch the hoof is still nice and tight, as the hoof grows it grows straight down. At some point the hoof will start to expand outward.
When you look at the hooves DrOp an imaginary line from the coronet band straight down.
For the first inch or so it will likely DrOp almost straight down then it will start to expand.
this expansion is the stat of flaring.

Diane in your post with the discoloration a string will go fairly straight down the right side(looking at the picture) but on the left side just below the discoloration the string would expand outward, thats your flare. imho.

Really tho, those feet have improved so much, you really have done a fab job.
Member:
scooter

Posted on Monday, Dec 28, 2009 - 7:20 am:

I thought Dr.O. was saying he had one of those toe dishes (flips) I see the flare
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