Hoof Critique Please!

[outriding01]

My client with the lame horse called me earlier this week to tell me he was sound and ready to go again so we did a lesson today. He was totally sound for the entire lesson, but looking at his feet afterwards, his angles don't seem to match. He's got some sort of pad in one hoof. I took pics so hopefully someone can tell me something about what's going on. I'm no good with feet. Sorry they're so dirty, we'd just finished a lesson. I feel like one heel is lower than the other or something....

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Teapot01/feet1-1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Teapot01/feet2.jpg

I know the way he's standing seems like the reason for one pastern being more upright, but when he's standing square, that pastern is still more upright than the other, though not as much. This is the pic that I think shows the difference in his heels the best
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Teapot01/feet3.jpg

More coming...

[prissy18]

The attachments arent working for me.

[outriding01]

Left Front
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Teapot01/leftfront1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Teapot01/leftfront2.jpg

Right Front (the one he was off on)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Teapot01/rightfront1.jpg

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y158/Teapot01/rightfront2.jpg

[WashingtonBay]

Did the client have any background on why he's got a pad on just one side or whether he's always been a little uneven? What was the lameness before?

[jeezitsjacki]

thats somewhat strange to me there is a pad on only one side... ill be interested to hear what people have to say

[Joey A]

Yeesh! :puke:

Poorly shaped shoe nailed onto a distorted run forward foot. The entire ground surface of the shoe is too far forward all around. I wouldn't be too shy about betting on P3 (coffin bone) sinking in the hoof capsule with poor sole thickness on the RF.

Classic hi / low horse. Feet grow differently and many farriers try to make them match... I don't know what current farriers approach is, but I'd guess it's not working all too well.

[outriding01]

Did the client have any background on why he's got a pad on just one side or whether he's always been a little uneven? What was the lameness before?

Nope, she said she's had issues keeping him sound since she's had him. She's been with this farrier for a year and he has been "working" on his feet. She said he originally came out the Wednesday before last, did him like usual and he walked off lame. Called him back, he put the pad on. He came back out again several days ago and readjusted the pad, and said he was "working on the heel" and that's all she knew.


Poorly shaped shoe nailed onto a distorted run forward foot. The entire ground surface of the shoe is too far forward all around. I wouldn't be too shy about betting on P3 (coffin bone) sinking in the hoof capsule with poor sole thickness on the RF.

So what does this mean exactly? You'll have to forgive me, I'm not terribly wonderful when it comes to feet. I know when something looks good and when it looks bad, but not exactly why.... maybe some drawings to show what's wrong and what should be going on?

And what does this mean for the horse? Should he not be ridden? What's the best course of action?


Thanks for all the help, I love this forum :) I have to take a horse management class next semester and I just know I'm going to be like "Well WB does this" and "WF says you should do it like that", lol.

[Joey A]

If you look at the center of articulation (or COA) you want your ground forces to be equal in front of and behind the COA. Everything in the pictures you posted has "run forward" of that ideal balance around the COA.

Some marked up pictures.

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=420&pictureid=9377

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=420&pictureid=9376

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=420&pictureid=9375

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=420&pictureid=4770

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=420&pictureid=4769

Now this foot is still run forward, and will most likely always be that way, but you can see that the shoe is set back in order to achieve balance around COA in all aspects.

I only worked on this one once because of the other hind foot, and he's probably back to the way he was shod before

[Joey A]

As to the "sinking" it's exactly what it sounds like. The bone sinks inside the capsule. Like most things, its caused by poor balance and lack of frog support from overly long heels.

You can see at the heels by the shape of the hairline, the rings, and the frog that the frog is prolapsing and trying to seek the ground due to a lack of support. (trying to fill the gap created by the shoe) Some horses will grow out the frog and fill that space nicely. (remember the picture of Huey's shoes where the frog is still at ground level with the shoe on?) Unfortunately this guy has a weak foot, and everything is "falling out the bottom." Now the frog in and of itself is not a sign of the bone sinking, but it certainly can be an indicator, and is absolutely a sign of problems.

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2942&stc=1&d=1238723637

ETA: Oh yeah, and the farrier needs to be called again anyway... Shoes bent, maybe steped on, maybe... (marked in red)

[Horseaholic]

I sware...all this shoe stuff is like rocket science to me..Idk if I'll ever understand
:huh:

[Joey A]

:D

http://www.baywindfarm.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2943&stc=1&d=1238727264

[Horseaholic]

:hysterical:


got me..good one!

[outriding01]

Haha, that's hilarious!

Wow, thanks Joey! That first set of pics definitely helps a lot. And I can see what you mean about the frog now. So what do you think about the other foot?

I kind of get the feeling her current farrier really doesn't know what he's doing past slapping shoes on there.... If I tell her to find someone else, she will but the actual finding is hard. One of the guys who lives upstairs from us is a farrier and is supposed to be pretty good, but I've never seen his work. I might show him these pics and see what he has to say and if it matches up with what you said. I'm also going to ask the BO at the place I lease who does her horses. Their feet always look really nice.... Thanks again!