[RC] Shoes and stifles/hoof angles from another one-rat study - Kris
I just had the opportunity to pick my farrier's
brain last night. ;>) He was showing me some of the shoes that
people put on their horses to improve traction in the winter. These are
NOT endurance folks, by the way! The one that really sticks in my mind was
the guy that welds the tips (about 3/4") of railroad spikes to the heel/toes
of caulked shoes. His horses really walk in high heels! This
was a "what not to do" demonstration. What my farrier likes to do for
traction, or to improve the shoe life span, is shoe with rim shoes with the
groove filled with borium. He will use those on Forest Service
pack animals that put in a lot of miles over rocky ground, and may need to be
reshod every 4 or 5 weeks because their shoes wear out.
The farrier was out to pull shoes and trim my
gelding. He (the gelding, not the farrier) has intermittent
problems with his right stifle. It catches, but doesn't really lock.
Especially noticeable going downhill. Especially noticeable if he's not in
condition. We (my farrier and I) talked about his trim, and ended up
giving him a little steeper hoof angle in back (measured at 58 - 59) and
rolling the toe. Salty walked off much straighter, and time will tell
if it's just right for him even while he's a pasture potato right
now. The front feet, just for comparison, were at 56-57. The fronts
look about parallel to his pasterns. The backs might be a little
steeper. But I've noticed that he will stand with his back toes dug in
when he's on soft ground (like an arena). That seemed to be more
comfortable for him.
