Thin soles, M and changing hooves

M went home last week and I haven't had a chance yet to update his photos so here goes. One of the immediate problems M had when he arrived was his terribly thin soles. It made it hard to work him on anything but soft surfaces because there was very little protection between his pedal bone and the ground. 

These photos provide quite an interesting illustration of what a hoof capsule should - and shouldn't - do. The top photo shows him when he arrived and the lower one when he went home. If you look at the difference in height from hairline to ground it should be easy to see that he has more sole depth - and better protection for his pedal bone - in the lower photo than he did in the top one (when his soles flexed under thumb pressure). His feet are looking less "collapsed" even though there is a long way still to go.

At this stage he has only grown in part of his new hoof capsule and the angle of growth at the top makes is clear that once the whole hoof has grown in at the correct angle he will be even better protected. His hooves look particularly odd at the moment because they are beefing up at the back as well but these are all good changes.

The proof of the pudding - compare how much more comfortably M was standing (though far from perfect) on his thicker soles and more protected bony column. He's now been home a week and apparently he and Rachel are working hard and getting fabulous support from their yard, so I hope they are destined for great things!