Day 17 Front Feet Pics!

Lookin good! I just have to say...first..what a handsome boy he is! So shiny in the winter! And second...boy...that is one high powered uncontrollable OTTB huh? LOL

Actually he is a saint. That's just cold winter Puck! He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He just gets a little full of himself under 40 degrees. This is also the first time ever he's had a few months off so he's a bit full of energy. That all being said, it is time to get that boy back to work!

Oh duh, you meant how calm he is. I thought you were talking about that last part on the grass with all the kicking out. Yeah, he was a good find. Definitely the poster child for why all OTTBs are not nuts.

Bet you could make him nuts if you fed the rocket fuel many do, or if you expected him to be a nutty TB

Mmmmm, rocket fuel. I do have a question for you loosie and any other trimmers who are on this forum. In regard to my horse's high/low situation. I have a pic of his mommy and she has it too, so it's more genetic than anything else. My trimmer is a bit concerned that the coffin bone is tiltled down due to the high heel. She seems hell bent on getting the angle down to a textbook hoof angle. While I see why a high heel in a normal shaped foot is a bad thing, my gut tells me that my horse's high or club foot is what it is and not to mess with the angle too much. I'd rather let that one stay high and try to encourage more heel on the low foot. Are there any studies on high/lows and coffin bone orientation? To give myself total piece of mind, I think I'll have a few radiograpshs taken of that foot when we do spring shots next month, but wanted to see if anyone has direct experience with the high/low thing.

I don't have any first hand experience with it but I'd get xrays before trying to change angles and such. I have one with a club and while it isn't the prettiest foot, its functional and does the job. I don't mess with functional! LOL


I was commenting on how calm he was! My best friend has an OTTB just like yours. He falls asleep in crossties and lunging him gives you more exercise than it does him.

Last question first - yes, there are a few good studies, but can't think of them off hand & no time to look now - shouldn't be here - but if I recall, Pete Ramey had a reasonable article on it & I think barehoofcare.com also may.

While of course a deformity or such that causes it may be genetic, just because his mum was like that doesn't make it genetic. Of course, it's 'genetic' that many types/breeds of horse are long legged these days, requiring them to stand unevenly in order to graze at ground level, and as with us being 'right or left handed', there tends to be a habitual preference, which causes the 'back' foot to frequently bear more on the toe & less on the heel. He could also have had an injury that's caused him to be uneven - anywhere from shoulder or back, to something that caused heel sensitivity in that foot, leading him to develop more heel height on that foot.

I agree with you, that while 'textbooks' are indeed helpful, it's not a good idea to try to force live animals to conform to them & that attitude of your trimmer worries me. I would be trimming both feet to what they appear to need, based mainly on what the sole plane is 'telling' me. I would not attempt to 'build up' the low heel any more than lowering the high. I would want to find a good bodyworker that could help him even up, if that's possible for him, in which case his 'high' foot may come down of it's own accord.

Yes, those high feet do indeed often 'founder' with P3 'rotation', due to the extra pressure & leverage on the toe. Therefore I think it's important to alleviate & manage any flaring, keeping the toe short(meaning in front, not at ground surface - it's already short there), and I would also consider padding/booting is possibly going to be an ongoing necessity to protect & support the toe area.

Thanks Loosie. I did find the articles on Pete Ramey's site. They do mention following the sole and trimming according to what it's doing at the time which makes sense. Puck did seem to get instant relief when she brought his heel down a hair on that foot. I just don't want her to get stuck on some absolute angle out of context of the rest of that leg/foot.

I did recently get him a good massage to try to unlock any contracted muscles, so hopefully that helps. Even though he has no so much as taken a bad step on his own, I am riding him in padded boots for at least the next few months while his the internal structures heal. Time will tell.