Apologies for the lack of blog posts so far this week - I've mislaid my small camera (which is perfect for hoof pics though not a lot else) and so haven't got updates to post.
However with a new horse, Ella, arriving today something had to be done so I improvised and used the big camera (which is normally just my video camera) to take stills as well.
Ella is a German warmblood who is bred for dressage. She is normally a big-moving horse but her front limb issues have led to restricted movement with a tight back and neck and shortened stride all round.
Unlike many horses who come here her feet are boxy and upright rather than long and under-run but this has still led to a weak frog and digital cushion and a flat rather than heel first landing.
I'll post photos of her feet out of shoes tomorrow but even with pads in its clear her heels are contracted.
A shot from behind makes it clear how little stimulus the frog and palmar hoof are receiving - this was a particular concern of Ella's farrier and its something we will need to address now she is out of shoes.
To me this is also an unbalanced foot medio-laterally - whether that's just the result of the long, boxy hoof capsule should be something we will discover over the next few weeks.
5 comments:
Wow! I can't believe how bad some feet get. I continue to see un-balanced feet ALL the time, unfortunately.
Can't wait to see her feet metal-free! :)
Totally agree Grace, everytime a new horse arrives I wonder "how can they get so bad" I mean these horses are for sure not neglected, their owners pay a lot of money to a professional and these are the results, it is a shame but the professionals do not feel ashamed as long as I can see it.
Nic, have you ever talked to the farriers? How do they explain those feets?
This ones going to be interesting!
I have found contraction takes the longest of all to solve. My quarter horse has been with me a year and his frogs still are not quite in ground contact on flat ground in the front, even though his feet are short and self trimming.
C.
Can I suggest that the rippling in the top half of the foot (possibly smoothed off with a rasp below that?) suggests that this horse may have some metabolic issues? If she hasn't been tested for Cushings, personally I'd be testing her.
C
I think part of the problem is that when you look at the feet from a normal position - i.e. standing up - they never look quite as bad as they do when you look at them from ground level (which after all is the horse's viewpoint!).
I agree C that there are some other issues with these feet - the flat soles are another giveaway (you can't see those in today's shots but I will post new photos on Monday).
For sure, as with every horse that comes here, if she doesn't get much more comfortable on hard surfaces within a few weeks we will be talking about blood tests.
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