Ok, my turn to judge since Eric asked so nicely. The April contest will be an ugly foot contest, but not one you've done in the past. It has to be one you get this month with before and after photos. So don't be to picky waiting for that real ugly foot, just find something that looks alot better after your done than when you started.
Im in. I shoe in a college town with horses always coming and going. However, Karen has a really good point.... but since it has no cost to enter, Im in. How do you like to see feet fit?
Just fit the foot your presented the best way you see it. If it needs a bar shoe, lateral support, rocker, etc just do what the foot needs. It ain't a beauty contest. Let's just see what good shoeing can do for ugly feet. The end product may not be show quality finished but if it makes the foot look more like a foot than a can of corn then you've done the job. I guess we could add the words Best Improvement into the conditions, but doesn't have to be show or competition finished.
My thoughts were taking the feet from ugly at the beginning to looking better when we were finished with them. Just some everyday work where you show up at a place and a horse is brought out and the first thing that goes through your mind is "Holy Shit, what have I got myself into today?" And when your done things don't look to bad and your happy with the job cause you've made the horse better. I know in your case this could work backwards and the foot could look ok in the befores but look like frankenhorses hoof when you get done and be better than when you started. Please post anything you feel like as it is always interesting and I'll consider it.
Yes Smitty, before and after on the same day. I'm just looking for feet that were ugly to the eye but with some skill and hard work turned out to be pretty decent to good looking feet in one shoeing. Not looking for long term founder type stuff. This fits your work pretty well from some of the stuff you've posted over the years where the feet look like they haven't been worked on in months and when your done they look ready for the show ring. As many entries as you want to post is ok with me. The more pics we can see the more we can learn. It will make judging a bit tougher with a lot of pics but that's ok, I don't have much else to do but shoe horses six day a week.
As far as pics, try to get a lateral, a solar, and a dorsal (or palmer) which ever shows the worst to best change.
^ Darn it! I've got in a 3 year old this week and who hasn't had his feet trimmed for ages and because he's not been trained to stand or lift his feet properly. He kicks back and then sits back! So his feet are pretty ugly right now. I'm going to try to get him sorted in terms of his manners tomorrow and Tuesday and then if all goes well trim his feet Wednesday. They won't be shod though! That will be for my farrier to do and only once the little tyrant is behaving well enough. I may well stick some before and after photos up anyway ... you never know, I could get the booby prize !
erm thanks having just googled to see what one is I'll make sure I don't win! what do you have to do to win.... is it about making a difference and doing a good job, or just starting out with the ugliest feet?
After all these posts I've come to the conclusion that it will be making a difference and doing a good job. Taking the ugliest foot to the best looking job will be the biggest factor. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? So the foot won't have to be completely screwed up beyond all recognition, it just needs to be ugly before someone starts and look good when they are done. I did one today that would have been a good example but didn't want to piss my friend off by taking pics of it. He usually does his own but let them go a bit long. They were about 5 inches in the toe, dished, flared, cracked, and had a ton of sole that stunk enough to make my stomach turn. Shoes were plains barely shaped except for the heels that were turned in at about 45 degrees to keep the horse from stepping them off. This is his good calf roping horse. When I was done the toes were about 3 1/4", the hpa was lined up, fronts looked like fronts and hinds looked like hinds. A bit of expansion and extension with the shoes boxed and safed and the nails driven to a good height with nice small smooth clinches instead of bear claws. That's the kind of change I'm looking for. The uglier the start and the better the after will make the biggest difference.