Re: RC: Re: foot angles & conformation

[Abby Bloxsom <goneriding@snet.net>]

RDShoe4U3 wrote:

>>>A lot of you TB's that you think have no heels actually have a lot of heel it 
>>>
> is just bent forward.The pastern angle matching is not always so the pastern 
> angle is often broken back.>>
> 
Kristene Smuts wrote:


> Nope - looking at those feet, they have ABSOLUTELY NO heel.  The feet are flat with no bulbs - or very little bulb - and the coronary band is virtually on the ground.  The toe is so long, I cringe every time I see the horse in the arena.


I think what we're saying here is that these horses have crushed heels.
If you pull the shoes and look at what's underneath, you'll see that the 
bars of the hoof are folded forward under the sole and the horn of the 
heel is there, but bent/crushed under the weight of the horse.  This 
wall at the heel is weak, and needs support to grow strong enough to 
hold up.  If the horse truly had no heel, you would see the seat of the 
corn (the place where the bar turns in) back near the bulb of the heel, 
which it's not.

> 
> What cheeses me off, is that the owners / farriers carry on with this!  Then you see them using tendon boots to "protect" the horse.  Ugh
> 

It's a self-perpetuating problem, and one of the toughest ones to fix. 
You have to know what you want to do, be willing to provide plenty of 
heel support with the shoe, and reshoe often ... the combination of 
which is uncommon.

-Abby




-- 
* * *
Abby Bloxsom
ARICP Certified Instructor
Level III Recreational and Distance Riding
Colebrook, CT USA
goneriding@snet.net