Re: [RC] [RC] feeling depressed about underrun heels.... - Mary Krauss
Thanks for the articles Karen. ?I've read some of them in the past. ?A couple of my horses have done really well with no shoes, no boots--just born with great feet. ?The problem is that Leo's reached age 6 without ever having had shoes. ?He's got crappy feet. ?That happens sometimes.... ?What we're hoping to do is help him have better feet than nature intended.... ?He'd probably be dead by now were he out on the range--a cougar would have polished him off during one of his frequent gimpy periods from strained tendons and abscesses.... ?When I asked the vet what exactly was hurting him, he answered slowly, "well, everything is hurting right now. ?His tendons/ligaments are sore, his soles are sore. ?There's not a lot that isn't hurting." ?He had to be on bute for two weeks -- blew two abscesses (no longer a novelty--he's had 12 since I've had him), and was still sore in the way that I've been sore after straining ligaments as a runner. ? ?
I'm pretty neutral about hoof-coverings. ?Whatever works best is where I go. ?Lately Old Macs have been my pick--mainly because my EPSM horse started moving badly and would pull shoes every ride. ?He did great in Old Macs. ?My mom's quarterhorse had the crappiest feet all his life--always barefoot partly because the wall quality wouldn't hold up to shoes. ?He couldn't be ridden basically. ?Now, at age 18, he suddenly has the most beautiful feet I've ever seen. ?Same pasture, same buddies, same food, same pasture potato existence. ?What's up with that? ?His feet now look like those natural hoof advocacy ads with the weird callus at the front of the toe. ?On the other hand, when I was a kid my Appaloosa went barefoot much of the time because shoes cost too much--but when she did get a set of shoes, she was immediately more comfortable because she had crappy feet that were most comfortable when protected by steel. ?Since then I've used Old Macs, natural balance shoes, regular ol' shoes, and ridden barefoot--all happily. ?Really haven't noticed a profound difference across the board--just used whatever works for the horse I had at the time. ?
I'm still looking for what might work for Leo. ?You are right about the basic problem--the lack of a good heel landing. ?Because the tubules are too horizontal he can't get any strong, high landing area. ?I'm gathering that the idea behind the wedges is to allow the misshapen heel to be replaced by wedges that provide a better base and allow the whole broken forward axis thing to sort itself out. ?However, the wedges themselves can cause all sorts of problems.... ?So, there's the dilemma. ?Right now I'm leaning toward the Epona shoes recommended by a couple of ridecampers. ?They seem like a good start for a guy who's got really thin soles as well as underrun heels. ?
?His legs/hooves have about a year left to figure themselves out..... ?(I'm kidding--I won't shoot him at year's end--though I may feel like doing so. ?But he may have to go be a very attractive retirement partner for someone's older horse if this keeps up. ?If we don't wind up with a rideable horse pretty soon, my husband will shoot ME. ?"I'm not working this hard to fund a horse hospice program!")?
Mary K. ?
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On Aug 5, 2008, at 10:22 PM, Karen Sullivan wrote:
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.
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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.?
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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....
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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.....
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.?
