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[RC] Mustang Roll - was Strausser vs. Natural - Long! - Linda CowlesI switched to trimming based on Pete Ramey's methods in September because He emphasizes reading the hoof based on wall flair, excess wall length and the level of the live sole. He advocates (depending on the individual horse) using a mustang roll and not trimming live sole, bars or frog unless it's really necessary on a set up trim. ... can you elaborate on the "mustang roll".....the rest of it all certainly makes sense to me... Karen The most robust hoof shape for the type of riding we endurance riders tend to do is modeled after the mustang hoof found on horses wandering in hard, rocky areas like Nevada and Arizona. In these environments, the edge of the hoof is constantly abraded - worn - by the horses' constant movement. The edges of the hoof at the toe around to the "quarters" (the sides of the hoof wall at the base of the hoof) become rounded from constant movement through loose soil & rock. The toe is used to dig in, so has a more noticeable roll. www.hoofrehab.com has rollover images of a wide variety of domestic hooves showing different degrees of roll.www.tribeequus.com/wildfeet.html has pictures of cadaver feet taken from mustangs. www.aanhcp.org/page14.html shows a healthy, sound foot after 100 miles in 2 days in Arizona. The rolled edge reminds me of the edges of a car tire or a running shoe. The rounded edges enhance stability in off-road conditions, deflect rocks and dirt and enhance traction. While the term Mustang Roll refers to the rounded/beveled wall edge at the toe and quarters, this hoof characteristic ultimately shapes the rest of the hoof with movement, so "mustang roll" can refer to the natural mustang based trim. With activity, the "quarters" take on a scoop-shape that accentuates traction, absorbs concussion and allows loose matter to escape to the sides of the hoof as the hoof descends in a weight bearing stage. When you pick up a natural hoof shaped by a gravel/loose rock environment, you see the scoop in the sides. Horses that are worked on flat surfaces (like carriage horses) don't have an accentuated scoop; horses bedded on loose pea gravel or worked in rocky dirt develop more scoop. The sole on a mustang rolled hoof becomes concave towards the frog (the depth depends on breed and conditioning) and develops into a hard callous over time, particularly around the edges. This is because the sole bears significant weight as the hoof expands on impact to absorb concussion and increase traction. The heel/bar junction at the back of the hoof becomes calloused and shiny, and the heel bulbs become very tough. The frog becomes tough, too, and expands at the heels to absorb concussion and increase traction. In soft, wet environments, this abrasion doesn't occur, so the hoof wall flairs and chips off. The dead sole gets white and chalky so that minimal activity will result in shedding. The frog gets soft, too, for the same reason. When we have horses in wet, soft areas or living conditions that don't include dozens of miles of movement over rock and dirt each day, trimmers shape that natural hoof manually, then we riders finish the trim by riding or providing a hoof-building environment that includes rock, pea gravel or other abrasive materials. Basically, without an environment that naturally shapes a mustang roll, the hoof will do the next best thing, which is flair, chip, crack and flake in it's attempts to shed excess wall. So when you see cracks, white line separation, wall flair, coronet distortion and chipping with shoes on? You know that the hoof is trying to do it's best to get to a natural length. This stuff seems like lots of work, but it's not. I spend 15 to 30 minutes every 3 or 4 weeks trimming my own horses feet. Not including the riding, of course! It's important. On a domestic horse, it's where the real trim occurs. Speaking of which, I better get to work!!! Linda Cowles Certified Hoof Care Provider HealthyHoof@xxxxxxxxxxx Linda Cowles Certified Hoof Care Provider 707-869-8270 - Home 707-621-0240 - Cell HealthyHoof@xxxxxxxxxxx www.HealthyHoof.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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