Hoof development and shifts in balance

Here is an interesting sequence of hoof shots, all of Taz's left front foot.  Along with his right hind this is his weak diagonal and the left front is the foot which has historically been the lamest. 

Here he is on day one - a well shod foot with pretty good medio-lateral balance; the frog is centred and in good health.

Ten days later with the shoe off you get a better view of how the foot is starting to rebalance.  It was about this time that Taz began to develop a heel first landing and you can see the effect that is having on his frog.  

After nearly 4 weeks the caudal hoof is much stronger and the foot is showing signs of better overall balance - still with a centred frog but now the frog is much more robust, there is beginning to be more depth in the foot and the toe is much shorter.   As you all know by now, this has happened without the aid of a rasp or nippers ;-)

A side shot, but this time of the right front, confirms what we are seeing from the solar view.  Long toe and under-run heel on day one...

After 10 days, the start of a new hoof capsule and better profile but still looking weak caudally...

 At nearly 4 weeks, a much more business-like foot with a respectable band of new growth.

PS: The other perennial change is that rehab horses arrive with immaculate hooves and get steadily muddier and hairier...sigh....