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[RC] new balance shoeing - Ridecamp GuestPlease Reply to: Cindy Marbut tetstrnr@xxxxxxxxxxx or ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ========================================== Chris, I don't know much about this "new balance shoeing" method, but I do know good shoeing versus bad. And what little I could see in your photos is that Star has classic high/low syndrome, with the right being the "low" foot. This means that his heals are low on the right foot resulting in a longer, more sloping toe, while the heals on the left foot are higher, resulting in a shorter, more upright foot. All horses have this to varying degrees and few farriers attempt to correct for it. In Star's case it is not very severe, but enough to account for the regular stumbling and the regular need for chiro on the right shoulder/wither. The longer, more sloping toe causes a slower breakover which makes him more likely to catch that toe either on the ground or by hitting it with the right hind. Does he have any overreach scars and/or has he ever stepped off that shoe? Ideally, shoeing should balance all four feet such that the length of stide and the speed of breakover is the same on all four. If you watch Star being led on level ground in a straight line, you will find that he takes a longer, slower stride with the right front than with the left front. This imbalance has consequences for his entire body. Talk to your farrier about high/low syndrome and see if he recognizes what you are talking about. To balance Star he will need to take foot off from the front (not just the bottom) of the right foot and lower the heals on the left foot. He may also need to set the right shoe back off the toe a little to fully even up the breakover and stride length. Good luck with this, shoeing is very complicated, but essential to everything we ask of our horses. ~Cindy =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 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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