In the last5 years that I have been paying attention and studying sole contour I have found that the sole will compact and jam long before the wall will. I have yet to see a quarter crack with out a sole jam. A sole jam or compaction will cause wall distortion. I believe that the sole is the most neglected part of the trim. We use not cupping the sole (to prevent soreness) as an excuse to be lazy contour and cupping the sole is a lot of work. I have found that by simply cupping the sole to an even contour can relive hydrochloric pressures in the hoof that cause flares and hoof distortions in as little as 3 trims.
Horse's feet react to pressures placed upon them. Sole production or lack thereof is a response to those factors. I can make that foot, as a whole, do what i want it to do. Throw in a flexural, extensional or conformation issue makes it a bit tougher to manipulate a/THE miable structures.... From "Outside the Box " thread; "Horse stands like Charlie Chaplin and camped under too. Vet came out last week for injections and noticed blood in the synovial fluid in the hock. Took radiographs and told her to stay off him until she gets his hocks fused. Doesn't get much vertical depth in the back half ".......
John, you remind me a lot of Gene Ovnicek because, like Gene, you write as though you believe your observations and experiences apply to all horses everywhere. And to me it is obvious that you haven't spent any time under horses in southern Delaware and the lower DelMarVa peninsula. Otherwise you probably wouldn't be so absolute in your assertions. South of me, horses live and work in deep sand with a lot of moisture. Soles are scrubbed clean and shiny and a hoof knife is best restricted to cleaning up the frog and bars. Distortion and coronary band jamming is just as commonplace in this area (maybe even more so due to the wet soil and year round high humidity.) Also commonplace is solar distortion where the sole becomes convex instead of concave. Yea go ahead and "contour" that dropped sole and see what happens. North of me, things are much different, and a farrier that is paying attention will adjust his or her trim to accommodate the conditions accordingly because there is a lot of sole that can and should be cleaned up with a knife. How do you know how "WE" treat the sole in our trims? Your observations only apply to what YOU have observed in your scope of travel. Your sandpile is not situated on a sandy peninsula 20ft above sea level between two large bodies of water. You've been THERE and done THAT. But you haven't been HERE and done THIS. What is the mechanism of this hydrochloric pressure? Where is the resistance?
Hey John...I didn't realize you just started shoeing horses! I also didn't know you have only been under horses here in Oklahoma...guess I never realized you haven't ever been to the east side of the country.
Shane I have not been back east in over five years a lot has changed since I shod out there and Tom is right I have never shod in his sand box or in his area. Tom as far as comparing me to Gene I am not smart enough to travel around the country and sell a cure all snake oil and make more money at it that you and I put together. With either convex or concave sole they both have contour and they will jam in moist as well as dry. You are missing the point when I say contour you seem to take it to mean gutting the sole of all it structures. When a hoof distorts for what ever reason and there are as many as there are conformation problems I find (in my little practice) that a lot (no Not all) of the time there is a problem in the sole; now it was caused by conformation or man made there is still a problem in the sole I would love for you to send me pictures of soles before and after so I can learn more about your neck of the woods. This thread is about hoof wall distortion. And I still believe that a lot (not ALL) problems start in the sole. As far as the hydraulic pressures in the hoof you will need to read Dr. Robert Bowker research. I think along Dr Bowker line that pressure can be caused different conditions (environment conformation or lack of proper care) The next time you have a chance take a plantar cushion and see if you can change the shape of it in to a ball then see if it will go back to its original shape. Think that when a hoof distorts that the plantar cushion distorts. I see a lot of times farriers chasing flares (floating walls) just to find the flare back in six weeks. I know that you know the difference between height and length and how the length plays a roll in a flare. Where does the Length come from and what is the best way you have found to deal with it? How do you deal with jams in the hoof wall? How do you deal with contracted heels? As Jay said he can manipulate a hoof capsule to some extent. I hope to find a way to help under run heels in my part of the country so I will keep asking questions keep trying new techniques and keep doing what works to keep my horses sound.
Wanted to check after seeing it twice. Not sure how much faith I would put in studies on hydraulic psi in dead legs. I don't work on any that are dead, but I think David Hall shoes quite a few dead ones, maybe he can provide some incite!!!
Brian here are some before trimming and after you can see where the jam is pushing into the frog and the bar is unable to extend down the sulks
Justin that is why we need to come up with some device that will read the internal pressures of the hoof and leg and an imaging device that we can see internal structures with a natural load.
