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Hoof Shape Growth?

9K views 60 replies 10 participants last post by  NorthernMama 
#1 · (Edited)
Can we talk about this?

Sorry for posting all of these really cool pictures but it's the most recent ones, thus relevant.



The one on the right is curving strangely... what would be the cause?

And the one on the left looks clubby in this picture (but it's the angle as none of the other pics show it like this)

But what is going on with the right one??
 
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#4 ·
Something causing pressure or pinching? They look like they can't grow correctly.... I marked the picture where I think part of his problem is. Do you mind if I post it so I can see if I am right?

We both know I am not a pro LOL so maybe some of the folks who know what they are doing will respond.
 
#8 · (Edited)
So what is a hoof jam?

EDIT: Researched and found out.. and that seems to fit the bill since this wasn't going on last year as far as I know. I saw causes could be poor trimming and bad conformation. Any other causes?

And there is bruising on the outer wall.. I have a picture of that too. This wasn't happening last year.. so could this hoof jam cause other problems like say.. old injuries flaring up and cracks/abscesses?

Cause if so.. that would explain a lot.
 
#9 · (Edited)
From everything I have read lately, yep sure could. Did it? That I would want a REALLY good opinion on.

I read one way to "fix" it is float the hoof slightly under the jammed area. Bring it down over time so it doesn't crack, but do it fast enough to get the relief so they don't crack. It's a fine line when you are talking about hooves *sigh*

General consensus seems to be that once you get them straightened out, it's a whole lot easier to keep them that way.

ETA: I wonder if pads help this also... providing support, but helping a bit more give when you float the area. I gotta remember to ask this one to the farrier when/if he comes to do Rascals feet Friday.
 
#10 ·
Yep, Rascal is bruising on the white hind. I am stumped as to why though. I can't help but wonder if his toes are to long and that is causing part of it. but when you look at it, the toes aren't long... I know that sounds contradictory, but If you look at it from the bottom maybe you will see what I mean LOL
 
#11 ·
Yep.. all of the above. It started happening back in November.. same time as when (in picture form) the jamming begun....

Well I'm glad I switched farriers but I just hope my new one can address the problems. We're already taking care of the really bad thrush so I'm hoping he works out..


Anyone else have any opinions??
 
#15 ·
They are fronts, the photographer confirmed it. Which means that right one is the one he had the abscess on.

Yeah no one reads my threads.. it's quite sad actually. I help everyone else but rarely get help in return.
 
#25 ·
Yeah no one reads my threads.. it's quite sad actually. I help everyone else but rarely get help in return.
FWIW, I can go a week or more without visiting this forum(OK, that's not often & I spend way too much of my precious free time on this thing...), don't always see posts I may want to comment on & don't tend to look at threads that already have heaps of replies, cos I figure someone's already likely said what I would anyway. If you don't get the feedback you want on the forum, you're welcome to PM me.

Now I'll go away & look at the rest of the thread before commenting further...
 
#16 ·
I read your threads! I just never have anything to add so I never post anything on them. :hug:
That's basically all I do here, on The HoFo - lurk and "like" other people's posts [because I have nothing useful to add] and post Lacey picture threads. :rofl:


:hug:
 
#18 ·
They're a mess right now.

This is the two feet from the bottom though (before swapping farriers. Will get new ones on the 6th)

He's been getting soaks and no thrush for awhile now. But he apparently abscessed on the left front (which is the right hood in the picture) which is the oddball one in the other pic.

So how do I help the hairline get to normal then?
 

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#20 ·
Thanks Rasca :) He doesn't wear shoes though and this problem wasn't happening at all last year until around December (the thrush and flaring of old injury) I'm not sure when the abscess happened as my old farrier didn't even notice it nor really tell me anything.
 
#22 ·
Just some background info in case it was kind of confusing:

The picture is of the fronts (confirmed by photographer since I am not physically in the same country as him.)
Just switched farriers 2 weeks ago for professionalism reasons.
Found out Sky had horrible thrush, flaring, and his foot was "shoe ready" which is NOT what the old farrier and I agreed on.
Old injury on back left began to flare up in December.
Photographic 'evidence' of "jamming" began to be noticed in November
I have no idea when the abscess happened as I left in late February and he was thrush free and no sign of abscess that I saw. Farrier (old one) trimmed him the day after I left.
Been soaking all 4 and applying nothrush daily; now he is getting soaks once a week and nothrush 3 times a week.

If there's anything else anyone needs, let me know.
 
#35 ·
Alright here are some pictures. Didn't read your sig so they aren't perfect (I didn't see the part where you suggested it lol, sorry) but they do show some improvement in terms of the frog spreading out and I think the heels look much better.

Will get new ones after a fresh trim though.

Front L, Hind L, Hind R, Front R
 

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#36 ·
His hooves look really long to me...
Like long in, what I think of as, a "QH Show Barn" sort of way...where the hooves are kinda like lil' high heels the horses are walking on... I have no idea what I'm saying. I should stop. haha

And that is the extent of my knowledge/thoughts. :rofl:
 
#37 ·
Basically, it looks like the main issue is he is still overlong & run forward in all heels. Hard to tell from only those angles, but it appears the toes may be better dealt with.

I think that while it appears the heels could be brought down/back a bit immediately, even an 'ideal' trim is not likely to get him impacting on his heels when they're that weak, so that's why I think boots with frog pads would be good for now at least. Allowing *comfortable* stimulation will build their strength.

Regardless of whether you can/should take the heels back far enough, any extra length shouldn't be carried through the quarters, IMO. While those angle pics don't allow much idea about how much, they do show that the quarters are a bit long in comparison to the toe - near sole level.

I would address that seedy throughout the outside of the right fore quite strongly, resecting where necessary, treating regularly and keeping the hooves frequently trimmed. Considering you're needing more than just maintenance trimming, I personally think little & often is best, to make gradual changes, so I'd personally want to give this horse a trim at least every few weeks.
 
#38 · (Edited)
Every 4 weeks, okay? That's what we're doing atm. And he should be getting loaner boots on the 6th and I can see about getting him some frog pads.

His feet measure

5 1/4 wide, 5/12 long. (apparently)

Boots on all four feet?

Also would these problems be able to be taken care of in a few trims, one trim, multiple trims?

Seedy toe.. I'm not sure what that is
 
#41 ·
There's one big change that could have been done here that would have provided instant relief. Those heels really need to come back (and down but more on that later) In one of your earlier pics, there is a pink bruise right where the tip of P3 lives. This is a strong indicator that the heels are too high and has the coffin bone tipped down at a steeper angle than is healthy for the foot. To get the bone column more properly aligned, the heels need to be lowered. While you can't just go and whack off 2"s of heel in one swoop, you can encourage them to come down on their own by bring the heels back.

I edited this pic to show where there heels should terminate. (pink line) To accompish this, at each trim, your farrier should be dragging the heels back with the rasp until he/she ulimately arrives at the proper point several trims down the line. It's literally what is sounds like. Take rasp, drag heels (circled by torquoise lines) toward back of foot several times until you see progress in that direction.

Now back to the lowering part. So you don't make your horse dead lame by whacking the entire heel off in one swipe, each time you drag those heels back, the foot's balance will change slightly, the stuff inside will realign a tad, and at some point you will see the sole start to shed near the back of the foot. When you see the sole start to shed, that is your sign that the heels are ready to be lowered. Again, not a lot, just a tad and in your horse's case, always done by dragging them back so you get the proper alignment along with the height. If you just take those heels straight down, they would crush and run under in an instant, so don't do it!

hope that helps!
 

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#43 ·
earlier pics, there is a pink bruise right where the tip of P3 lives. This is a strong indicator that the heels are too high and has the coffin bone tipped down at a steeper angle

Apologies for spanners in works n all Puck.... while I agree that the tip of P3 *apparently*(remember, we have limited view with these pics) protruding like that is a *likely* indicator that there may be some rotation, I disagree that it's an indicator for high heels. Just very 'low' toes. Without some different angles of pics, I wouldn't want to say much more than I'd guess the heels may be a little high. They are however, obviously over long & run forward. I think that generally speaking, addressing the toes are the most important factor in 'fixing' underrun heels.
 
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