Could I please have opinions on the balance of this hoof if it's possible to tell from photos. This is a four year old warmblood who can tend to walk/graze base wide at times and has had creeping splints in the past. He also tends to stand with his fronts behind vertical. He grows more hoof on the outside of both fronts. Also could the dark colouring at the hairline if the heel be bruising?
How far into the shoeing cycle is he at the time the photos were taken? Need to see a more complete series of conformation photos and some video of the horse in motion. That can be indicative of pain/discomfort in the caudal part of the hooves. Could be due to a variety of reasons. That doesn't look like bruising to me. However, the vertical-ish split on the left bulb tells me that he probably has overreached at some point. And, the frog looks to have some infection on the right side of the central sulcus. That or its just overgrown and needs some proper attention from the farrier. Also, the shape of the fetlock looks wonky to me. Looks to me that the back of the hoof has somewhat collapsed and is in need of some supplemental mechanical support.
To be honest, I can not coment 100% based on the photos. Really no one can if they cant look at the whole horse. From the photos you have posted it look pretty close. I relize you do the best you can in photos. But they just dont show enough of the horse. Is the horse good to work on?
Yes he is great to work on. He has been unshod for about 8 months and has had these shoes on just under two weeks. He has been in work about three months. I am trying to get better visuals posted. They do take a while to get.
I've heard this hypothesis before regarding horses overreaching as they learn to "balance." I'll counter that hypothesis with this - Unless there is a neurological problem or a sub-clinical lameness, horses already know "how to balance" by the time they are weaned. In my opinion, which is based on my experience, every horse that does not overreach when it is shod appropriately for its conformation and use disproves the "learning to balance" theory. It is the attending farrier's challenge to put the feet in harmony with the horse. Some farriers can do this and some farriers get by with make excuses and blaming the horse. But I ask you, when does the horse have a choice in how its feet are trimmed and shod? The animal is stuck with whatever we do to it. From my own experience I can tell you that it is much easier to get it wrong than it is to get it right. But I would never be so arrogant as to blame the horse for its inability to balance itself with what I have done to its feet.
I don't see anything terribly wrong here. As Michael and others have pointed out you can't say 100% about anything from even the best pictures. However, some things to check out. On the pics of the hinds, the hoof/pastern axis looks to be a bit broken back. That would often mean lowering the heels, but on this horse it doesn't look like there is a lot of heel to take, so I would probably use a little wider heeled shoe and hang it out the back a bit to start. On the fronts, the outside hoof wall may be a bit longer than the inside, particularly on the left (near) front. The CB looks to be slightly higher on the outside. Might eventually cause sheared heels, l but maybe not. Or it could just be the angle of the picture. How far can you insert a hoof pick between the heel bulbs? It looks like maybe it's deeper than it should be. If so, it needs attention. Check with your farrier for advice. I agree with Tom B's post, but having said that, I don't think that there are any horses that don't occasionally over reach or step on themselves, depending on a variety of conditions. Just as there are no people who never stumble or slip and fall down. The key lies in what are the conditions in which it happens, and how frequently does it happen. Ocassionally, ok. Repeatedly, problem. Regards
think in terms of any horse (especially warmbloods) under the age of 6 yrs, is like a teenage boy in the midst of a growth spurt; hardly able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Balancing themselves with tack and rider is difficult for unfit horses too. imagine dancing or running an obstacle course with a floppy backpack, with uneven straps?
this horse's hoof growth is in direct relation to his current conformation. he not finished growing, won't be done for 2 more yrs. I would try to shoe this horse the way he wore his feet when barefoot or use a thick aluminum shoe and study his wear pattern at weekly intervals
Great description. On top of the rider and tack he has been asked to carry himself in a completely new way. Collection and lateral work are a foreign language to a laid back baby. They tire quickly and then make mistakes. He was lucky to be out of a walk more than a minute a day in the paddock before being started.
Dam is 1/2 Tb Rest of the "Belgian" warmblood is really Irish Draft and Selle Francais. Flat round feet.
