Since I actually have one-day-apart pictures, I thought I'd post them as side by side comparisons. If you click any of the pictures you can see the bigger version.
Right front solar:
Right front heel:
Left front solar:
Left front heel:
Proper side shots, standing on concrete.
Right:
Left:
She was standing pretty square for the left shot, but for the right shot she had her right foot below her girth and was busy pawing with the left. And usually Jim rolls her walls better, but she was a shit-ass and didn't want to stand still. We scheduled for 5 weeks next time - 7 was way too long.
As I'm still learning this hoof business, I'm going to ask what's probably a stupid question. What is the marbling/cracking on her soles?
ReplyDeleteI would be smacked with a rasp if I invaded a toe callus that much. Yeowch. Please say it's very superficial.
ReplyDeleteTo follow what I was saying in the previous hoof entry, I do think her heels are on the long side.
And on the front right heel shot especially, it appears that there is no daylight between those heel bulbs, that she has a bit of a plumber's crack going on. That's why I'm saying they're contracted.
They're miles ahead of where they were, and I like the arch. I'm just wondering what treatment with something like Huuf Magic would do - if it would help her let go of the heel length and widen them out.
GunDiva - that's what sole in this particular situation looks like as it gets "old" and starts to come off. If you pick up a random hoof and start scraping, you'll get white chalky stuff, then marbled stuff, then waxy live sole. It's kind of a sign that you've taken off all the loose sole that needs to come out. It's hard to see the marbled stuff unless you have a hoof knife (or ride like 10 miles in the sand, lol).
ReplyDeleteSara, he really didn't remove much callous. Compare the before and after "heel" shots - she wore her own toe callous down. He just scraped her soles with a knife to make sure nothing was retained, then rasped the walls down to that level.
I might try a spray on or goop on thrush product, but I am SO not going to soak her feet. It would be a frozen disaster every night.
Whew. I saw scraped sole and thought he had trimmed the sole itself.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Huuf Magic, it is a topical that you put on her foot, hold the foot up for something like 20-30 seconds, then put it down. That's it. No soaking, but it sounds like she might not be too keen about it?
Oh yea, totally even in the heel I thought was moved forward.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the before and after's!!
Cool! Thanks for the quick turn around with trim shots. I have heard good things about the Rider's Rasp. You could keep her walls rounded between trims.
ReplyDeleteI personally do not touch sole or frog unless a flap is harboring bacteria/fungi or the sole is chalky, and this is usually only at the heels.
Is your horse uncomfortable during a trim? My horse did not like the way I used to hold his front foot and would fidget something awful. I found that if I rested his hoof on my knee, he would remain nearly motionless. A different position or hoof height could help her tolerate the trimming process.
Sara, I may try the Huuf Magic. Sounds quick enough to do while she's eating her ration balancer.
ReplyDeleteVal, I have a Diamond rasp and when I think about it I touch up her hooves between trims. Her backs flare on the lateral walls. I just get real lazy about trimming in the dark of winter :o
What I need is a cheap hoof stand. She's ok with holding her legs up, just not so good about stretching them forward to the stand. I had a homemade stand but I think I left it in Ohio.
In general I disapprove of trimming frogs or sole, but I've watched my guy really closely and he takes off just the tiniest bit. He just shaves enough frog to see what's underneath the ratty layer, and he scrapes out the crumbly/flaky sole. He's never left her tender, so I trust he's doing it right. And he has an eye for balance that I just don't have.
Thanks :)
ReplyDelete