Yes, the only way to know for sure is by x-rays. But, even then
you may have to play around with things. In my opinion, the goal is to
get the horn tubules growing at the same angle as the pastern bones (when
correctly aligned). This way the hoof is loading evenly all the way
around.
The thing that seems to allude most farriers is that they need to get
rid of the excess toe (rasp it away or nip it away) from the top, not by taking
it off the bottom. And at the same time, they need to take the heels down
as much as possible (which may mean using a wedge to balance the pastern axis)
in order to get rid of all of the horn tubules in the heel that are growing
forward. Most farriers won’t take the chance to do this because
they see it as radical. But, it truly is the quickest way to get the horn
tubules growing downward instead of forward in a badly crushed heel hoof.
I use to have some before and after pictures of my own horse, but I can’t
seem to find them.
You can use your imagination a bit and imagine the hoof tubules growing
at the same angle as the pastern. This will spread the weight evenly
around the hoof capsule when the horse lands on the hoof. However, if the
heel tubules are growing forward, then when the horse lands, it can’t
support the weight, so the heels crush even further. Besides making the
hoof look bad, it really wrecks the soft tissue inside the hoof.
Referenced Post:
Isn't the only way to really know how far back to take the toe is
through x-rays
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