Re: Foot Angles and Conformation

[Karen Standefer <hrschk@yahoo.com>]

Since the horse's shoulders are held in place by
muscles and tendons and not joints like our own, the
conformation can be completely changed by the angles
in the hoof.  If a farrier is setting the pastern
angles to the angles in the shoulder, this is a false
template since the angles in the hoof dictate the
angles in the shoulder as well as the alignment of the
bones in the P1,P2 and P3 areas.  In a club footed
horse (much steeper hoof angle on the club hoof) you
frequently get more muscling on the club footed side
of the body.  The muscles are holding the shoulders in
an unnaturally steep angle and not allowing the
tendons in the lower leg to do their job.  If you
lower the heels on that hoof, over time, the angles in
the shoulders will also change and the bulkiness of
over-muscling will subside.  

To support the hoof optimally, the coffin bone should
be ground parallel which provides the greatest area
for internal support of the boney column.  If this is
the case, then the front hooves will be around 45
degrees and the rears will be 55 or so.  Therefore,
the angle of the front shoulder should, also, be
around 45 degrees which is optimal layback for a good
length of stride in the front.  

I'm speaking from experience, not just theory.  We
trim around 200 horses a month, currently, and have
effected changes in many of them by changing the
angles in the hooves.

Karen

REFERENCED POST:
>>All the conformation videos and books talk about the
angle of the hoof / pastern to be the same as the
shoulder angle.  Ideal shoulder angle should be in the
region of 50 or 55 degrees, therefore the hoof angle
to be that??????<<




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