Ok lets try a pyramid... In its present form it can support any weight that can be balanced on it. Any deformities such as convaity or convexity weakens the walls to different degree's and can be the cause of or the results of other problems. A straight solid wall is stronger and a better weight supporting device. my 2 cents worth
If a reining horse spins really fast it looks like a pyramid? I agree with bruce on the straight wall thing.
For me a straight wall means that you could wrap paper around the wall and it would lie flat against the entire surface at all points with no hollow spots and no creasing.
I like to position the shoe on the bottom of the foot. I have tried on the side and on top. but on the bottom seems to work better.
I prefer the beer can analogy. You can stand on a straight beer can, but as soon as you put a bend in the wall of the can it will collapse. I like to demonstrate this, so spend a lot of time sourcing empty beer cans...
George, why do you think you should fit the shoe to where YOU want the foot to breakover? I guess the horse has no say in the matter.
I don't get the beer can analogy in regards to dressing feet either. If you are dressing feet you are reducing the structural integrity of the foot. Mechanically the distortion may be causing a problem but that goes back to the OP about shoe placement and GRF. 2x4 analogy: 2x4 has a specific dimension. If it is slightly warped then you could run it through a planer to true it back up, but you have reduced the structural integrity by removing material. You didn't "straighten" it so that it is now stronger. Likewise you didn't un-crinkle the beer can. My opinion is that if you have shoe placement correct and the wall is bevelled then that yields the greatest structural integrity and mechanical soundness. In other words, dressing a foot won't make it better, stronger, more ideal. Aesthetically it is very important though.
sorry if i read it wrong, it just sounds like he said he puts the breakover where he wants it instead of where the horse wants it.
I think at the end of the day we all put the shoe and breakover where we want it and the horse has no say.
True, removing any flare in the hoof wall won't strengthen it, but it will reduce forces that will cause further distortion of the hoof wall, so whilst dressing the hoof won't make it stronger, it will make it 'less weak'.
Gary, how do you go about position shoes on feet? If the to is distorted forward do you set the shoe back from the distortion or do you dress the wall as much as possible and fit the shoe to the foot you dressed?
Here is my thinking: GRF distorts the hoof wall. So, bevel the distorted hoof wall so that the GRF is limited to within the boundary of your shoe. Great pictures pg 87 of Butlers P3. Butler shows a solar view of a shoe 2 nailed on a grossly distorted foot with no dressing, and then the after shot. These pics demonstrate the extremes of the discussion we are having. 1) Shoe placement with no dressing. Clearly GRF would extend beyond the border of the shoe and cause further distortion 2)Shoe placement with hoof wall dressed straight down to the perimeter of the shoe. Dressing completely through the outer hoof wall in a large portion of the medial toe. Clearly GRF is contained within the borders of the shoe. However, structurally the hoof capsule has been greatly compromised. I am arguing that the optimal approach (shy of reconstruction methods) is if you just bevel the distortion so that it does not react with the ground and don't dress the foot, in order to maintain as much structural integrity as possible.
The idea that new growth follows old has been around a while. I've herd some folks claim that they have grown out distorted feet to undistorted feet by setting the shoe where they want the foot to be and not dressing flares and distortion. Thing is none of them can produce any evidence to back up their claims - like a series of pictures taken over time. I've tried it myself and it didn't work for me.
Spot on shoeing; Removing flairs and distortions won't cause immediate strength, but by continueing to make this adjustment you allow the hoof wall to grow down with thicker straighter walls with each new trim. With each new trim, if done on a consistent regular proper schedule, then the hoof wall will increase in thickness and THUS you will have thicker stronger walls. As said in an above post by removing distortions/flairs etc. you remove weakness that is a major cause of splits cracks and other problems. By making the walls as straight (not up right, but flat surface) you DO strengthen the hoof structure in time. If you look at a hoof that has a distortion you will most always find stress rings. Look at the hair line where the new hoof begins and you will see it grows down straight (most times an 8th to a 1/4 of an inch) until it hits the stress area and then it will pick up and continue with the distortion, By getting rid of the distoprtion you allow the hoof wall to grow down as it was intended and the hoof wall will increase in thickness with each consecutive trim. (If you have balance-or call it equal weight distribution around the hoof. This isn't much different than long toe low heel. This is a weight distortion that causes crushed or under wrung heels and pulled or over stressed tendons, and cracks and splits not only at the toe but more often in the quarters. GET RID of the long toe and bring the heels back to proper height and position and you correct the distortions/movement/eliminate the cracks and stress on the over all leg and hoof. The LONG TOE has become a LEVER that forces the weight distibution back over the heel area. The LONG TOE hgas become a lever that pulls on the tendons and increases the stress on the structural strength of the hoof wall creating quarter cracks and sometimes toe cracks. The LONG TOE makes the tendons attached to P-3 pull harder during break over (higher arch) and put un-necessary stress on the laminie and other structures holding P-3 in place. My POINT is PROPER hoof structure through PROPER hoof trimming and constant care will strengthen the hoof wall and decrease the stress that has been forced throughout the whole horse while it is trying to compensate OR make adjustments to contend with the distortions of the hoof wall. Don't look for immediate improvements, but look at what you are creating or causeing further down the road. Work with a plan for long range more permanent improvement than looking at or for immediate gratification of your work. If anyone thinks I clean the walls of hoofs strictly for esthetics then they are terribly mistaken. my 2 cents worth
Tom I have pictures before and after of Scooby who's hoof was foundered and horribly distorted. In 1 1/2 yrs - 2 yrs. time I grew not only a new hoof wall but a straight hoof wall. I will post them later in the evening. Bruce
I guess I shoe to the solar border. Sometimes you can dress the dorsal wall back far enough to achieve this and sometimes you can't, so in that case I set the shoe back under the toe. I agree with everything Bruce says in his post above and my long term aim for each foot is straight walls.
