So I was looking at a website that sells ottb's, let me add I am not buying right now I can barely afford the 1 I have, only window shopping and dreaming😅. Anyway I saw a grey so had to click so I opened the gallery of pics of her and noticed her back hooves are extremely short. She did just race 10 days ago but even when I worked at the track horses fresh off the track never had their hooves this short. She is 3yo and 16.1 hh (not sure if that matters) but I'm curious why they would be cut so short? The front ones aren't as short, and I looked through a bunch of pics of her and they are all like this so its not just the angle or something.
I'm curious why they would be cut so short? The front ones aren't as short, and I looked through a bunch of pics of her and they are all like this so its not just the angle or something.
I am not at all familiar with the criteria for a horse that is racing but this horse (and the others you mention) probably got trimmed and shod for private resale. My guess would be because somebody knows how to trim.
It is possible, however, they might be a tad too short but not much. If she continually moves fluid and sound, they aren’t too short
She actually looks like she has decent hooves. Trying to trim her correctly (short, well balanced hooves) is a good way to keep them decent
I'm no expert, but I think her hoof length is great. I've heard that racing thoroughbreds often have their toes left too long intentionally, although I can't remember now what the reason was. She has really nice feet from what I can see. IMO.
Those hind feet are some of the best I've ever seen on an OTTB to be perfectly frank with you. The vast majority of racehorses are shod far too long in the toe.
If I were interested in this horse, I would ask for a trotting video, and some photos that show her hind legs more clearly. Her hind leg looks extremely straight through the hock, and her rear patterns are a strange angle, which I suspect is DSLD. It could be strange photo angle and shadows, though.
Racehorses commonly have long toes and low heels for a variety of reasons when they are running which can create serious issue and have the hoof morph into something it was not originally.
The horse you pictured to me is going through some remodeling of her back hooves ...
Now rehabbed to a riding horse, her feet are cared for differently, hopefully undoing some of the changes, the damages that racehorses face with their tootsies..
Her hooves actually are a work in progress cause look closely at both feet she is yet needing some attention and diligent work done, her feet do appear healthy though.
Sadly, she does appear to have some leg issues occurring at such a young age ... in several areas too.
Always running one direction for workouts or races, having feet actually trimmed at 4 week intervals but often shod in-between those times...having your hooves put to a desired angle to better break-over and hit the ground at a dead run does cause lasting effects on some horses...
There are many studies done about the changes internally seen on racehorses feet and legs...radiographs taken of so many animals...you can't argue with "film" proof positive.
Being this one is appearing so very straight behind is additional stresses to the animal...
I'm wondering if the feet aren't intentionally trimmed shorter in the toe so the animal clears the ground with the toe and not stab so hard on each footfall behind.
Being that straight behind is going to effect movement..
She is a beautiful horse, wish she had a bit nicer hind-end...
Her looks alone make her worth a fortune in the English show world!
:runninghorse2:...
Racehorses commonly have long toes and low heels for a variety of reasons when they are running which can create serious issue and have the hoof morph into something it was not originally.
The horse you pictured to me is going through some remodeling of her back hooves ...
Now rehabbed to a riding horse, her feet are cared for differently, hopefully undoing some of the changes, the damages that racehorses face with their tootsies..
Her hooves actually are a work in progress cause look closely at both feet she is yet needing some attention and diligent work done, her feet do appear healthy though.
Sadly, she does appear to have some leg issues occurring at such a young age ... in several areas too.
Always running one direction for workouts or races, having feet actually trimmed at 4 week intervals but often shod in-between those times...having your hooves put to a desired angle to better break-over and hit the ground at a dead run does cause lasting effects on some horses...
There are many studies done about the changes internally seen on racehorses feet and legs...radiographs taken of so many animals...you can't argue with "film" proof positive.
Being this one is appearing so very straight behind is additional stresses to the animal...
I'm wondering if the feet aren't intentionally trimmed shorter in the toe so the animal clears the ground with the toe and not stab so hard on each footfall behind.
Being that straight behind is going to effect movement..
She is a beautiful horse, wish she had a bit nicer hind-end...
Her looks alone make her worth a fortune in the English show world!
<img style="max-width:100%;" src="http://www.horseforum.com/images/smilies/runninghorse2.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Runninghorse2" class="inlineimg" />...
Thank you for the explanation! I could tell something was off. A lot of times I see it but can't put my finger on the problem. Also yes I have seen greys on this site go in under an hour!
And everyone else I guess I am just used to longer hooves these just look so funky to me.
^Yeah, it is of course very dependent on what stable/farrier we're talking of over here too, but sounds like you're saying they're generally trimmed better over there, which would be good.
As for wear on racing plates, I see. My experience with racehorses has been on grass, so aluminium shoes don't wear too much in 4-6 weeks, and it was the exception to the rule that horses were very occasionally, for one reason or another, shod in between times. In the stables I worked, being on grass, horses were generally left bare for training & only shod for races too, but don't know that was common here even(& probably just about money saving) - my personal experience with racehorses was around 30yrs ago & before I knew much(anything worthwhile!) about feet. My general experience with racehorses is in dealing with hooves of the 'aftermath', or before - I have worked at a few racing studs, done youngsters & broodies...
Years ago I had to board for a few years. My horses were at a private, 14-horse barn that had an arrangement with a race track to take horses in on R&R.
I got to see some astounding, and upsetting stuff
One of the things I hated looking at was pin firing.
I didn’t notice in the original foto, but in the foto @loosie enlarged and drew on, the right hind looks like it may have been pinfired and that may account for the “waviness” some see on the cannon bone?
Or it may be nothing more than fuzzy due to the foto being enlarged ————
Oh walkin the pin-firing is ugly, no doubt about that..
But if done right, for the right reason it just gave the horse a new life.
To tighten, reduce, strengthen by scarring surrounding tissue the horse who would of been dead now can find often a home as a riding companion/mount for anything except racing...a second chance on life.
If you saw the firing as it was first done, it is pretty upsetting for the unsuspecting to view.
To see once healed and hair grown over, many do not notice the small marks seen in a coat.
:runninghorse2:....
I just don't understand how long hoof/short hoof can even be discussed or addressed without talking about the live functional sole plane.
my 1 1/2 cents
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