Eager's 6 week update

Eager's owner came to visit at the weekend and as always it was great to get the rider's feedback as to how the horse is progressing. Eager's lameness was subtle so comparing how she feels under saddle is the best way to assess how she is doing.  

 As with every horse who comes here, Eager's feet still have several months to go before they will be as strong and well balanced as they can be. She is more confident in her landing and has half a new hoof capsule but it will be another 3 months or so before the whole hoof has grown in at the more balanced angle.

Eager already had good strong feet and as she hadn't been shod her palmar hoof was already well-developed. It has got stronger since she has been able to land better but it just goes to show that for some horses a relatively minor weakness or imbalance can be enough to cause a problem. 

You can see the new angle fairly clearly here - along with the amount of hoof she has grown in 6 weeks, which is impressive for any horse! The line which was in the top inch when she arrived is now well down the lower half of the hoof - jusfor anyone who still thinks it takes 9 months to a year to grow a hoof capsule (ok, it does in shoes...!). 

The line which was in the top inch when she arrived is now well down the lower half of the hoof - just for anyone who still thinks it takes 9 months to a year to grow a hoof capsule (ok, it does in shoes...!).

Better frog, stronger heels and a clear indication of where her shorter toe will break over once the new hoof has grown down. 

As ever, its all about a short, strong hoof wall and robust palmar hoof - the bigger the better!

This isn't the best comparison shot - apologies - but again you can see the line has grown much further down the hoof and is at a slightly steeper angle. This will bring her whole hoof more underneath the limb once its fully grown in.