Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I have an Arab mare that tends towarding having underrun heels and long toes.  We fought this for years, with nothing working, even natural balance shoes.  She was staring to short stride, was VERY bumpy, especially going downhill, and starting to trip.

 

3 years ago she was taken barefoot, and slowly started to improve.  It took about 3/4 of a year for a better quality hoof to grow out, with a tight lamima, as she had a very stretched white line.  It also took that long to develop a thick hard sole.  She still needs consistent toe trimming.....but is 100% sound, not tripping, and moving better than she every did in shoes. 

 

Wedge pads won't help anything, the flexor tendon isn't the problem....the lack of a good heel landing, and lack of good strong internal structures in the back of the hoof is the problem....

 

The hoof will tell you where to trim ( level of sole) and can remodel the hoof capsule over time.  Forget some farrier going "guesstimates" on angles.....

 

I reccomend you read

www.hoofrehab.com

 

and www.healthyhoof.com

which has terrific information and great links

 

Also.....http://www.equethy.com/page4.htm

 

After many years of being a total skeptic about this barefoot stuff, I have to admit now i will never nail a shoe on a horse again.  If they can't comfortably go down the trail barefoot, i will boot them .  Studies have shown that nail-on shoes compromise the blood flow to the hoof by 50%, and pinch the circumflex artery.  The hof is designed to NOT be flat (the shape farriers have to do to nail on a shoe) on the bottom, and the sole and frog and heel buttresses bear the majority of the weight of the horse; the hoof wall very little.  Nailing on a shoe prevent the heel buttresses and frog from landing on the ground, and places stress on the hoof wall , which is not designed to carry all the weight of the horse.   I have seen SO many horses improved by taking off the shoes and trimming correctly. 

 

Karen

 

On 8/5/08, Mary Krauss <lazykfarm@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

We're on week 8 of a 12 week rehab program for my 6 yr. old gelding's underrun heels.  After his first ride out on the trail (flat, open, easy 7 miles), he came up so lame he didn't know which foot to limp on.  Our vet (Dr. Bryant who came highly recommended by a bunch of you ridecampers) prescribed wedges and pads, but my farrier, who comes highly recommended by Dr. Bryant, says wedges and pads are a bad idea.  What's the rider/trainer to do when caught between two competent professionals?  

 

I've been reading like crazy and can't find a definitive answer.  Any ideas out there?

Mary K. 

 

From an article in Anvil Magazine by Kent M. Thompson, PhD:

For this study, each leg was trimmed to a constant angle (55 degrees). Heel wedge pads were then added to create the following toe angles: 58 degrees, 61 degrees, 64 degrees, 67 degrees, 70 degrees, and 78 degrees.Strain on the deep flexor tendon was reduced with increases in toe angle. The reduction in strain followed a linear pattern with the increasing toe angle at two locations on the deep flexor tendon.
Deep digital flexor tendon strains decreased from 2.49 for the 55 degree toe angle to 1.42% and 1.02% for the 70 degree and 78 degree toe angles, respectively. This represented a 59% decrease in tendon strain between the 55 degree and 78 degree treatments. Strain decreased in a similar fashion at the interphalangeal site, as there was a 64% decrease between the 55 degree and 78 degree angles. Strain measured in the superficial flexor tendon was not affected by an increase in toe angle. Within the range of toe angle used in this study, there was no change in strain on the superficial flexor tendon. Initial strain for the control treatment was 2.90% and varied very little with the increase in toe angle. This is similar to that observed by others. The suspensory ligament acted very similarly to the superficial flexor tendon; there was not any change in suspensory ligament strain with the addition of the toe wedges. Strain in the suspensory ligament had a small numerical increase in strain as the toe angle was increased, but the change was not significant. However, a large increase was noted for the extensor branch of the suspensory ligament. There was very little strain present on the extensor branches with the 55 degree, 58 degree, 61 degree and 64 degree toe angles. However, when the toe angle was increased to 67 degrees, extensor branch strain increased dramatically. At the 55 degree toe angle, strain on the extensor branches was .02% and when toe angle was increased to 78 degrees, strain increased to 1.40%.Strains on the surface of the hoof wall remained in compression during loading and the magnitude of compression increased on the medial and lateral walls with increases in toe angle, and decreased on the dorsal hoof wall. A similar but opposite trend was observed for the dorsal hoof wall as strain decreased 52.8% as toe angle increased. Strain on the medial hoof wall followed the same pattern as the lateral hoof wall. The trend in this case was for a higher strain on the hoof wall as toe angle increased. The difference was noted between the 78 degree toe angle and the 58 degree and 55 degree toe angles.Heel wedges had no effect on reducing strain in the superficial flexor tendon and suspensory ligament. However, heel wedges are recommended in cases where reduction of strain on the deep flexor tendon is needed, such as laminitis and tendon flexor tendon injury. One other effect noted with the addition of a heel wedge is the large increase in strain of the extensor branch of the suspensory ligament. This may be of particular interest in the treatment of laminitic horses, as reduction of deep flexor tendon strain and increased extensor branch strain both occur with heel wedges and will work concurrently to stabilize the coffin bone in normal and laminitic horses. Heel wedges also raised compressive strains on the surface of the hoof wall at both the medial and lateral quarters, which may affect the occurrence and treatment of quarter cracks.Thus, heel wedges have a great influence on redirecting the forces that are generated by the tendon and ligament structures in the lower limb. The use of heel wedges will be of great benefit in treating laminitic horses, due to their effect on reducing strain in the deep flexor tendon and increasing strain in the extensor branch of the suspensory ligament.