RE: Hoof Angles/Pastern Angles

[Karen Standefer <hrschk@yahoo.com>]

That’s where we disagree.  I don’t believe there is a
"natural" pastern angle.   I believe that the coffin
bone should be ground parallel and the pastern angle
will follow the coffin bone angle.   It can be changed
by resetting the position of the coffin bone inside
the hoof.  

Obviously, with a club hoof, if you were to make it
match the good hoof, the pastern angle would need to
change, agreed?  Because, with a club hoof, the hoof
as well as the pastern (and as follows, also the
shoulder) angle is steeper than the normally angulated
hoof.   Inside the hoof, the coffin bone is also at a
steeper angle.    Logically, it stands to reason that
if you can get the coffin bone to be at a normal
angle, then all the other pieces of the boney column
will follow suite.  It’s simply suspended in the hoof
via the laminar connections.  Those connections can be
changed/weakened and destroyed  with improper
shoeing/trimming and also from founder, so we know
they can be weakened.  Club hooves can be caused by
injury, so if that is the case, why would they not be
able to be corrected by proper trimming?  It's the
same actvity that caused them that needs to occur to
fix them.  They can also be changed in a positive way
to allow the proper suspension/angle of the coffin
bone.  It has to be done slowly and consistently with
1-3 times a week trimming.  And, you don’t stop just
because you don’t see immediate results.   It usually
takes one to two complete hoof growths to affect the
change (which means between 8 months to 2 years)  
This is not about instant gratification.  It takes
time and consistency.  One also has to realize that in
this process, the laminar MUST weaken.  So, the horse
cannot be performing endurance or racing or executing 
technical maneuvers of any sort that would turn or
twist the hoof capsule in such a manner as to make
cause more damage to the hoof capsule.   Nor should
this process be undertaken by a person who does not
have a complete understanding of the internal workings
of the hoof because of the fact that the laminar
connection will weaken while allowing the coffin bone
to change positions.  Guidance and instruction must be
given clearly to the owner of the horse in a way that
the owner can understand what would happen if the
horse were sent out to do a 30 mile conditioning ride
while trying to remodel the inside of the hoof (road
founder can easily occur anytime a horse has a
weakened laminar connection if the horse is out racing
or conditioning).   The horse needs 24/7 turnout and
LOTS of *walking* on hard, firm ground to allow the
hoof to affect these changes in the most efficient
manner possible.    This has worked over and over for
us.  Not just one anecdotal time.  

My thoughts and experience,
Karen


Rdshoe4u3 Said:
By doing that you are changing the natural pastern
angle.You can look at a leg and see if it is broken
forward or back.In most normal cases it should not be
either. 
RD


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