Hoof balance - essentials

This is a follow on from the Movement  - essentials post and from the post on balance and its effect on tendons and ligaments, last week.  Its really just bullet points but it just crystallises what for me are the key elements.

• Balance is NOT necessarily the same as symmetry.  Feet can be balanced for the limb but appear asymmetric when viewed from the top. 

• The frog will normally be fairly central in a balanced front limb and the sole will be fairly symmetrical.   Comparing these photos of Ted, one of the current rehabs, taken a few weeks apart, you can see that the foot is now more evenly loading - a sign that his medio-lateral balance is improving. 

• Collateral groove depth will be fairly symmetrical in a balanced front limb.  If one side is shallow and one side deep its a fair bet that the foot is unbalanced.  This is the x-ray of a horse who had very uneven collateral groove depth when he arrived.   Again, this evened up as the foot became more balanced.