Okay, for all you hoof lovers out there. . .what do you think? Shyloh is getting trimmed Friday, her toes do look a tad long to me. She gets trimmed every 6 weeks religiously. I think I labeled the hooves correctly, I got a little mixed up with the photos, oops!
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| Right front |
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| Right hind (at a funny angle, sorry) |
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| Left front |
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| Left hind |
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| Right front side |
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| Left front side |
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| Left rear side |
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| Right rear side |
Let me have it, fellow hoof lovers! I am trying to learn everything I can :) Her hooves have been a little dry and slightly chipping on the edges, so I have been adding coconut oil every time I go out. It is working really well!
I'm Dolly Dimwit when it comes to hooves. But a few things I notice: her frogs look really healthy! It is possible that her toes are too long. I have been told the angle of the hoof should follow the angle of the pastern. The left hind looks like it isn't symmetrical. Is the sidewall flaring out on the left side (of the picture)? It's a bit hard to tell, but it looks like the white line, between the hoof wall and the sole, is larger than it should be in that area of that hoof.
ReplyDeleteSince my move I have switched to a barefoot specialist. He trims much more carefully than my old farrier. He only takes 'dead' sole off. He doesn't carve it away with his knife, but usually pares off flakes with one side of his nippers. He leaves the frogs longer than the hoof wall. so they get pressure with the ground before the hoof lands. He doesn't carve the frogs to make them pretty. He might take off a dead flap, but basically he leaves them alone... and usually they aren't raggedy. He might use the nippers if he feels the wall is way too long, but most often just uses an electric grinder to shorten the length of the hoof all the way around. He says the grinder is easier on the horse than the rasp... although he will pull out the rasp on occasion. He leaves the heels a tad bit higher than the rest of the hoof. He is meticulous about measuring the depth of the frog and visually checking the hoof to make sure both sides are even. When he feels the horse needs correction, he will only do a bit each visit. With my new farrier, the boys have never been sore afterwards - something I couldn't say with my previous fellow.
I look forward to reading what others have to say. Good hoof care is critical and finding a farrier you like and trust is really important.
The shape of her hooves are really nice and they look pretty healthy, the only thing I would do is take her walls and bars down lower. She's got some white line issues because the hoof walls are bearing too much weight.
ReplyDeleteI will be talking to my farrier about that Friday. Are the white line issues serious and are they in all for hooves?
DeleteAre you using a regular farrier? I agree with dreaming if you go with a natural trimmer, they work with the hoof better. But up to you. I think her hooves look good, but why so many stress rings? Stress rings can come from poor diet, not baring weight correctly on hoof, temperatures, sickness, or sooo many things. I am not sure what hers are from, but just something to note and watch as you own her. Maybe they are still growing out from past owner? Did they used to use horse shoes?
ReplyDeleteI had a natural trimmer for her over the summer, but I did not care for her. Right now, she has a regular farrier and I do like him. She is never sore after trims.
DeleteNot sure about the stress rings, but I have been keeping an eye out.
I do not think she was ever shod, she had no signs when I got her, but that does not mean much.
The stress rings could also simply be from change in diet. So if what the original owners fed was differant from what she's getting now that could do it as well. I'd definitly ask your ferrier about the white line.
ReplyDeleteThe stress rings could be from the wet winter we had, too. I am going to ask about the white line for sure, but it is not separated or crumbly.
DeleteEither way, sounds like you doing the best for your Shy!!!!!!! As always!!!
DeleteYeah the stress rings (I call them event lines) are probably from the grass. Chrome gets them in the spring when the grass first starts growing and then in the fall when he's eating persimmons (too much sugar!). A horse's hoof in general completely grows out in a year so if the event line is halfway down the hoof it happened approx. six months ago. Knowing when they happened can help you figure out why they happened. Other than that they look good as far as I can tell (I'm still an amateur hehe). :)
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