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[RC] Rasping - k s swigartCandace said: I don't think I ever said to rasp the entire hoof wall, IMO one should never rasp the periople. And, if there is flare at the bottom, the thickness of the hoof wall at that flare goes up the hoof. The wall needs to be thinned in that area (below the periople) so that it will grow in properly. Since the periople is the entire outer covering of the hoof wall, there is no way to rasp the hoof (except across the bottom) WITHOUT rasping off the periople....yes, even to rasp off a flare. It is true that in some situations, that by the time the hoof wall has grown as far as the ground that the periople has worn off a bit, but this doesn't happen "naturally" And while I can't speak to the hooves of feral horses (I refuse to call them wild, there is a world of difference between feral and wild) not having had a chance to observe them; I can speak to domestic horses that have grown up out to pasture without any hoof care for 4-5 years (since my rock pile does provide enough abrasion that the horses hooves don't need trimming...and don't get "flares" on them). And I can tell you, that those horses have a periople that goes pretty much all the way to the ground, but then they also naturally get a few lumps and rings in their hoof wall, depending upon the time of year and the quality of the forage out in the pasture. Which makes this statement: "...check the outer wall for any unnatural growth irregularities. This would include bulges, flares, unnatural wall angles, or any other irregular growth salient which compromises the natural conformation and functioning of the hoof. These generally result from insufficient natural wear of the outer wall, unnatural trimming practices, and certain lamenesses such as laminitis...." just so much bull shit. It is perfectly normal for horses feet to have "rings" on them if they are foraging for what is "naturally" available, since what they are really indicative of is changes in amount of growth, which in a "natural" setting (i.e. without the interference of trimming, feeding, etc.) is caused by the changes in the seasons, the availability and quality of the forage, and the hardness/moisture content of the ground. And you won't catch me rasping those things off just to make my horses' hooves look pretty. As long as they weren't caused by a bout of laminitis (or some other pathological insult to the system that showed up in the feet, gelding a horse has also been known to show up as rings in the horses hooves) then they are no concern except cosmetic. Even if they are caused by a bout of laminitis, this may be cause of concern (because they show a history of a laminitic episode that may have had some other truly unpleasant effects that are not merely cosmetic), but it still doesn't require/recommend rasping them off. If I see rings on a horse's feet that I don't know the history of, the "change" in hoof growth that this indicates will suggest that I should find an explanation for it, and if the horse was gelded three months earlier, or had a feed change, or moved from sandy soil to hard soil, then that is explanation enough and I am unconcerned. I would be more concerned if the horse's hooves had been rasped smooth since that is, in essence, hiding any insult to the horses hooves that may or may not be of long term relevance. kat Orange County, Calif. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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