Re: RC: RE: Long toe, low heel

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated Tue, 12 Dec 2000 12:41:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, "Kathy Mayeda" <kathy_mayeda@atce.com> writes:

<< Oh my gawd - do you actually want the coffin bone to be parallel to
the ground?  Sounds like a ligament breakdown waiting to happen.
The angle you should be concerned with is the fetlock, pastern and
coffin bones should be all aligned. NOT PARALLEL TO THE GROUND.>>

I think there is some misunderstanding here about what is meant by having the coffin bone parallel to the ground.  The coffin bone is the bone that is actually inside the hoof, and is shaped somewhat like a hoof itself.  You can't see the coffin bone--you can only visualize it on an x-ray.  But yes, the bottom surface of the coffin bone should be pretty much parallel with the ground and the front angle of it should be parallel with the front outside wall of the hoof, in a healthy hoof.  When "rotation" of the coffin bone occurs due to founder, the front of the coffin bone pulls away from the hoof wall, causing the coffin bone to "rotate" on the second pastern bone, the toe of the coffin bone to point downward, the front of the coffin bone to diverge away from the hoof angle, and the heel of the coffin bone to move upward relative to the ground.  With improper hoof angles, the front of the coffin bone and the front of the hoof wall will still be parallel, but the bottom surface!
 will no longer be parallel to t

he ground.  With long-toe-low-heel, the toe of the coffin bone angles somewhat upward from parallel, putting a tremendous strain on the suspensory apparatus and flexor tendons as they are all stretched too far each time the foot lands.  With the toes too short and the heels too long, the heel of the coffin bone is somewhat above parallel, putting strain on the sensitive laminae in the hoof where the coffin bone attaches to the inside of the wall.

Heidi