I can't quite believe that it is already 4 weeks since the current rehab horses arrived but here we are, and as ever it is time for updates.
Of course, 4 weeks is a mere blip in the life cycle of a horse's hoof and at best, it can only be the beginning of the growth of better hooves...But still, traditionally, this is the time when I look for measurable changes, initial improvements which give us a hint that the horse is beginning to make progress.
These are Dante's hooves, he was already out of shoes but had only been unshod for a short time and had been on box rest so had not been moving on his feet out of shoes. As a result, he is only just getting used to moving on feet which are loading centrally, rather than peripherally, which is a big change for any horse, particularly a horse with small feet relative to body size.
There are no dramatic changes to see from this angle, but what is encouraging is that his feet are starting to look more of a pair (contrast the photo of his left foot below, which was much more boxy when he arrived).
His frogs are showing lots of alterations, typical of a foot which has just begun loading centrally. Frogs look much tidier when you take a knife to them and carve them into shape but they tend to be healthier when you allow them to grow!
I like this angle, because you can see a positive change in the hairline as the digital cushion starts to rebuild.
I am not attaching much importance to the fact that his stance is slightly better, as that is very dynamic at this stage, but I am encouraged, as I said above, by the fact that his feet are becoming more of a pair. This is not in itself something to aim for but is often a sign of more even loading between the limbs.
Again, there is no doubt that his frogs would look more conventional if someone took a hoof knife to them, but these are feet which need to grow.
As with the right foot, there is a healthier hairline which hints at a digital cushion which is bulking up.
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