Jack's 12 week update

 Jack will be off home this weekend so it is time for his update. As ever, the original photos are at the top and the most recent are below.

I am happy with how much his caudal hoof has developed, though I appreciate this is not the best of photos. If you compare his hairline though there is clearly more bulk now than when he arrived. 

A much better frog and border and more supportive heel. He still has fairly flat soles and it is likely to be another 3-6 months before he has grown in enough hoof capsule for full sole depth to have developed. 

Not such a dramatic change on this foot but it is more balanced (media-laterally, ie left to right on this photo) and there is better sole depth slowly coming in. Depth of collateral grooves is usuaully a reasonably good indicator of sole depth and will take several months to fully establish.

These photos show why its important to assess from different angles, as a simple side shot does not always give much away! His toe is a bit shorter and will be shorter again once the whole hoof capsule has grown in but as he is also hairier it is not an easy comparison to make. 

Anna's 12 week update

 Anna will be going home shortly so its time for her 12 week update.

Nice changes over the last 3 months - the upper photo is her initial shot from March. She was landing poorly and that has improved but she has been slow to properly engage her caudal hoof and that will continue to strengthen over the next few months. 

Much more development in the back of the hoof but, as I mentioned, she has only just started landing well so she has a way to go. 

Her frogs are less contracted and her heels less under-run but I would expect to see further improvements in her hooves over the next 4-6 months. 

This is always an interesting angle for comparison shots, and you can see her frog and heels improving and changing. She has taken longer than many of our rehab horses to get to a heel first landing and even now it is only just established so it will be important for her to carry on with ongoing rehab work once she is back home.  

This was her lamer foot and again there are clear improvements, which are encouraging.