Apologies for the lack of blog posts so far this week - I've mislaid my small camera (which is perfect for hoof pics though not a lot else) and so haven't got updates to post.
However with a new horse, Ella, arriving today something had to be done so I improvised and used the big camera (which is normally just my video camera) to take stills as well.
Ella is a German warmblood who is bred for dressage. She is normally a big-moving horse but her front limb issues have led to restricted movement with a tight back and neck and shortened stride all round.
Unlike many horses who come here her feet are boxy and upright rather than long and under-run but this has still led to a weak frog and digital cushion and a flat rather than heel first landing.
I'll post photos of her feet out of shoes tomorrow but even with pads in its clear her heels are contracted.
A shot from behind makes it clear how little stimulus the frog and palmar hoof are receiving - this was a particular concern of Ella's farrier and its something we will need to address now she is out of shoes.
To me this is also an unbalanced foot medio-laterally - whether that's just the result of the long, boxy hoof capsule should be something we will discover over the next few weeks.
Wow! I can't believe how bad some feet get. I continue to see un-balanced feet ALL the time, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see her feet metal-free! :)
Totally agree Grace, everytime a new horse arrives I wonder "how can they get so bad" I mean these horses are for sure not neglected, their owners pay a lot of money to a professional and these are the results, it is a shame but the professionals do not feel ashamed as long as I can see it.
ReplyDeleteNic, have you ever talked to the farriers? How do they explain those feets?
This ones going to be interesting!
ReplyDeleteI have found contraction takes the longest of all to solve. My quarter horse has been with me a year and his frogs still are not quite in ground contact on flat ground in the front, even though his feet are short and self trimming.
C.
Can I suggest that the rippling in the top half of the foot (possibly smoothed off with a rasp below that?) suggests that this horse may have some metabolic issues? If she hasn't been tested for Cushings, personally I'd be testing her.
ReplyDeleteC
I think part of the problem is that when you look at the feet from a normal position - i.e. standing up - they never look quite as bad as they do when you look at them from ground level (which after all is the horse's viewpoint!).
ReplyDeleteI agree C that there are some other issues with these feet - the flat soles are another giveaway (you can't see those in today's shots but I will post new photos on Monday).
For sure, as with every horse that comes here, if she doesn't get much more comfortable on hard surfaces within a few weeks we will be talking about blood tests.