Slightly delayed, its time to post updates on Smarty. who has now been here for over 8 weeks. We took these photos earlier in the week but I've not had the chance to post till now, apologies. AS usual his recent photo are below and his original photos at the top.
Smarty arrived with a solid hoof already and he had improved his landing too so that he was heel first when he arrived. He had done work in boots and our main job was to increase his workload and help him build a hoof capable of higher mileage on tougher surfaces.
Roadwork is one of the best ways to develop frogs and digital cushions and Smarty is no exception. After 8 weeks of roadwork he has grown a much more robust and hard-working frog. His foot also has better media-lateral balance - it looks more symmetrical from the sole (which is about the only place where a more symmetrical foot is necessarily a good sign!).
When you compare his digital cushion as well there are signs of improvement.
His digital cushion is better developed now and his frog has built up while his heels have lowered.
Again, we have roadwork to thank for this as frog pressure on a hard surface is by far the quickest way to stimulate and rebuild the digital cushion.
You can't see dramatic changes from this angle; possibly his toe is a little shorter and his stance more solid but the differences from this angle are small.
Again, the sole shot gives a clear indication of how much his frogs have changed. There is still some way to go in perfecting his medio-lateral balance but he's made good progress.
Looking at the digital cushion from this angle confirms how much it has strengthened up. As with any horse who comes here, he will have more work to do once he goes home and its continuing work over the long term which will ensure that his good hoof balance and improved foot strength are maintained.
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