Someone sent me this picture of a foundered made. Both back feet look like this. Previous guy just chopped the toe off. It looks to me like the heels are grown almost out to the toe. What would you do and where would you start? The horse is barefoot and I'm not sure if they want to keep it that way or not.
If it was me and I wasn't confident in my skills and knowledge I would pass the job on to somebody more capable and arrange to be there to watch and learn. The horse didn't get this way because the owner was concerned about having a competent farrier working on it.
I agree completely. I don't know any other farriers in the area except the one they was useing. And well i dont want him hacking on them anymore. i may be the best option for the horse.Ill try and ask around and see if I can find someone that is more knowledgeable than I am at this time. However, how will I know if there actually doing the "right" thing? That's why I was looking for some kind of base line from the more experienced guys and gals on here.
Bottom is not the same horse but this is what the sole will look like after cleaning out the folded over heels.
Thanks Kim. You done what I was thinking needed done. I'm just concerned about making to big of changes all at once.
What do the front feet look like? Regardless, in a best case scenario you would have a fresh set of x-rays from which to work. Absent that, you'll have to put your knowledge of hoof anatomy to work. Start with a Sharpie/Magic Marker and on the hoof capsule draw where you think P3 is setting and in what orientation. If I wasn't so computer illiterate , I'd draw the lines on the photo showing where I think the bone is and how I'd trim the hoof. That said, my eye sees what I think would be the coffin bone. If you look above the light colored area on the lower part of the hoof and below the light colored area on the dorsal wall, you'll see a dark colored 'triangle'. That, to me, is where the coffin bone is located though you also have to account for the distal end of P2 which is also inside the hoof capsule. That's where your knowledge of bone structure, anatomy and their spatial orientation within the hoof capsule will come into play. In spite of that shortcoming lets see if I can at least describe where I would draw my initial trim lines. Along the bottom of the hoof there is a horizontal 'line of dirt' from toe to heel. I'd draw a line along its upper edge and trim off everything below that line. Where to draw the dorsal hoof capsule line is a bit more tricky. Put a straight edge/ruler against the dorsal wall oriented so that it follows the line created by the top(closest to the coronary band) inch or so of the wall. Strike a line down the bottom edge of the ruler. Everything above that line should be removed. Caveat: remove it slowly/in increments and if it springs a leak while you're removing it, stop. Do not remove any sole in the front half of the foot unless it is literally falling out of its own accord. Leave the frog alone except to remove any loose tags or really necrotic tissue. A few of final thoughts: 1. Charge a lot of money for doing the work. And by a lot, I mean, a lot. 2. Go slow 3. Tell the client ahead of time what the approximate cost is going to be, and IMNTBCHO, a couple of hundred bucks is not out of line. Why? Because this is not rocket science, it's much more complicated/involved. 4. Charge a lot of money for doing the work. 5. Take pictures every step of the way, both 'befores' and 'afters'. IOW, document, document, document. 6. Make sure you have a clean, dry, well lit work area otherwise you're starting with two strikes against you. Well, that was more than a few final thoughts and I've probably forgotten a few more but that should get you started. Good luck with this and please let us know how it goes.
Remember what I said about springing a leak? Well shyt(sic) happens and in this case, Julio(the donk ) couldn't have cared less.
The first words out of my mouth to the client in these situations is "we're probably going to get a little blood"
I see you dug a hole for this horse. Its good you dug it close to where you were working because that way you didn't have to drag him to it, rather he could just topple over sideways. Makes burial sooo much easier.
Thanks, David. I only got to work on Julio that one time. He was a rescue. As far as anyone knew he had never been trimmed before. Add to that he was a stud . He never moved(other than when he saw my dog he went after her), even when I was using a reciprocating saw on each foot. It was 100*+ that day and it took me longer than average to get the job done. He walked off the mats a bit funny, not lame, just funny(in the manner that a dog who never wore booties before moves when the booties are put on for the first time) and after about five minutes once he got used to his 'new' hooves, he was completely sound. At that, he never took a lame step. Once he figured out he could at last move freely, he got harder to catch.....lol
At least we saved the hair . . . https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.135356636666714.1073741827.100005771340080&type=1
