tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post6320892836252088909..comments2024-03-14T06:57:29.577+00:00Comments on Rockley Farm: A quick sort outNic Barkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06885459438592023135noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-38927323433372697992011-11-13T22:09:14.526+00:002011-11-13T22:09:14.526+00:00I am flabbergasted & encouraged bythe improvem...I am flabbergasted & encouraged bythe improvements in Paul's hooves in such an incredibly short time. Well done Nic. I read all the blogs with avid interest. If only I could successfully persuade our resident farriers here in UAE to do the same! Can't wait to read Mr. Knightley's next update :0)madasarileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07762593974520087338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-43293901254970843942011-11-11T19:15:29.299+00:002011-11-11T19:15:29.299+00:00Jen, as usual with hooves its a case of sometimes ...Jen, as usual with hooves its a case of sometimes but not always. Its common practice to trim bars here too, but personally I rarely do so. <br /><br />Partly its because our climate is much, much wetter than yours, so bars (like the rest of the hoof) tend to have a high moisture content and realistically over here they tend to be soft and wear away easily. <br /><br />With this horse, the ridge of sole is very new and goes right down both sides of the frog - a classic sign of an unstable foot which needs the bars for support. <br /><br />In addition, what you can't see from photos but can see clearly in real life, his hoof has a steeper side and more shallow side and the ridge is more pronounced on one side than the other - again a classic sign of an imbalanced hoof. This is something I am going to talk about a LOT more in future blog posts because its a really important area :-)Nic Barkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06885459438592023135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8415492346905673232.post-61657775751115514692011-11-11T14:08:29.341+00:002011-11-11T14:08:29.341+00:00Nic, could you please explain your comment "a...Nic, could you please explain your comment "at this stage, his bars and the ridge on his sole is absolutely crucial to the stability of his hooves". How can you tell? <br /><br />I'm asking in part because it's "normal" here to trim the bars flat with the sole. Common theory says that the bars can easily lay over if not trimmed. I'd like to better understand when the bars should NOT be trimmed!jenjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01737679332792618499noreply@blogger.com