Monday 23 April 2012

Hoof transformation, aka Bailey G's update

Bailey's owners came visiting this weekend and though they were pleased with how he was looking and moving, I've promised them a proper photo comparison, so they can see how his hooves have changed over the last couple of months. 
Here he is on day one, with a photo from now (about 9 weeks later) below.  Look at the difference in the length of toe and the under-run of the heel.  Also how much more bulk and depth there is in the  back of the foot today, by contrast with when he was in shoes.  Apparently small changes, but they have a huge effect on movement and soundness. 
Bailey still only has less than half a new hoof capsule (the new angle you can see in the photo above) so he still has several weeks before his hoof is even in the right place. As with all rehabs, he will go home with plenty still to work on. 
No apologies for caudal close-ups! I love these shots - his LF from day one in bar shoes...
...a couple of days out of shoes and still weak and crushed, though starting to unfold...
The same foot 6 weeks on, immature but with a better frog though the heels are still adrift and relatively high...
...and today - starting to load properly though still very immature by comparison with a truly high mileage, healthy hoof, like the one below.
I asked Bailey's owners to compare the digital cushions on Bailey and Felix (above) and of course just by touch they could tell which horse was the rehab and which was the high mileage barefoot "expert". Bailey is catching up fast, however, as you can see!
Finally, here are his sole shots - day one...
...a couple of days out of shoes, when the pinched frog and contracted, under-run heels are clear...
...a few weeks later...
 ...and today - 9 weeks in.  At last, here is a frog which is able to do its job - leading to a shorter toe and healthier caudal hoof. See how far his heels have moved back, as well - from under-run to supportive in only a few weeks. 
The proof of the pudding: a better landing, though he still has a way to go...













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