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Discussion on Mane indicating hoof problems?
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Member:
tdiana
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 1:17 pm:
I have heard of a theory that suggest the mane of a horse is an indicator as to how (un)balanced a horse is and therefore what work or changes should be made to the horses hoofs through trimming and/or shoeing. According to this theory, the mane of a horse should be all on one side. If it is not, this is taken as indirect evidence for tense muscles which then lead to the conclusion that there is something wrong with the balancing of the hoofs.
Likewise, if your horses mane is all on one side but one day you discover that a little piece has flipped over to the other side you can conclude that your horse has a problem with tense muscle(s).
Friends tell me this method is called the “healthy stride method” and only specifically educated/licensed farriers use it.
I personally have never used the method and do not intend to. However, I am interested in whether or not there is (from a medical perspective) any merit to this theory.
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 1:42 pm:
Interesting! I have read that the side the main is on is the side that the horse will more easily take that lead. Which I guess would apply to muscles.
Guess I will go and check which side my horses manes are on, and I wonder what it means with my goofy horse whose mane flips all over the place? I thought it just matched his personality, lol!
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Member:
tpmiller
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 2:52 pm:
Interesting. There may be some tendency of preferred lead based on mane direction, at the start of a career.
When doing 50-100 mile endurance rides, lead changes are made frequently, especially over rides more than 50 miles.
Our oldest mare came of the track (Arabian). Her mane was to the left, originally she preferred the left lead.
She was taught to change her lead after 80 strides, she would change leads on her own after 78 strides.
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 5:33 pm:
Hmm.
That is interesting.
My horse Perry's mane always used to lie on one side but presently is more split since his recovery from laminitis.
He is doing well, however.
It will be interesting to see if this condition changes after more time has passed when his feet are completely new again.
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 6:24 pm:
On come on guys let's put our thinking caps on. What ever happened to the idea we will judge foot imbalance by looking to see if the feet are balanced?
DrO
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Member:
tdiana
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 6:47 pm:
I talked to a couple of experienced "normal" farriers about this mane-feet-thing and all three of them laughed. Seems like the consensus is that this is yet another way of pulling more money out of concerned horse owners. My horses (drafts, arabs, mustangs, and gaited horses) are all happy with my experienced but traditional farrier. I just thought I bring it up as food for thought. Thanks everybody 
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 6:51 pm:
We used to have a Welsh cross pony whose mane was thick and heavy and split right down the middle, lying on both sides of his neck. Did that mean his feet were well balanced?  Sorry guys; you've lost me on this one!
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 7:30 pm:
It does seem rather silly.
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Member:
juliem
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 7:52 pm:
Well, I did my own study on this. I parted my hair on the other side and I tipped right over. Then I changed the part to the other side and tipped over again. Then I parted it in the middle and now I'm upright! If that's not enough proof, I'll try it again as soon as the bruises heal!
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Member:
vickiann
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 8:27 pm:
It is kind of amazing how changing the part on a human head can cause extreme discomfort.
As I looked more closely at my recovering laminitis case, his mane was all on one side tonight.
Maybe it was my imagination or a general lack of upkeep that was making it a spit mane recently.
IN any case, I will be watching . . .
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Member:
rtrotter
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 8:30 pm:
Personally, I think its hereditary.
Both of my colts and their mother, had manes that split halfway down. Top half was lefty, bottom half was righty. The mare's mane stayed that way until she rubbed out the middle of it and I roached the rest of it off. When it grew back in, it was totally on the left side and it never stopped growing, she had one of the nicest manes I've ever seen on a standardbred.
I never had a problem with her feet and didn't have any problems with the colts' feet either.
This reminds me of when I heard that horses with big ears make the best racehorses? While interesting, not much evidence for it.
Rachelle
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Member:
tdiana
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 10:09 pm:
By the way, the farriers who believe in this mane-feet-thing and their method are endorsed/promoted by Parelli. I don't know if Parelli has any financial involvement in this but it is an interesting connection.
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Member:
ajudson1
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Posted on Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010 - 10:53 pm:
The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone, the ankle bone is connected to the leg bone, the leg bone is connected to the knee bone...now how would that go with the hoof bone ;-) connected to the neck bone=mane??
Tim, did that mare's mane change sides too as she switched leads?
I bet Parelli has some way of making a buck off this concept; he is pretty darn good at taking something and turning it into gold.
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Member:
juliem
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Posted on Thursday, Aug 5, 2010 - 12:01 am:
I gotta say, this sounds like some joke that someone played on a new horse owner and it went "viral!" One born every minute, etc., etc. Reminds me of a time when a new horse owner was told by the old cowboy to brush her horses teeth every day. She did it faithfully until the snickers in the barn wised her up.
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