Natural Hoof Prints

Volume 2 ~ Issue 3

www.hopeforsoundness.com

I would like to introduce you all to one of our latest developments from EDSS, Inc. and Wild Horse Publishing (another recent development). The above title should be enough for those of you who are familiar with the internet and it’s related cyberlingo. But if you are not online already, perhaps this web site will sound interesting enough to help convince you to take that plunge.

"hopeforsoundness.com" is more than just a web page, it is a complete site dedicated to the hoofcare guidelines of Natural Balance. Although it is still in it’s infancy, I think you will already find it useful no matter what you hoofcare involvement may be. There are currently seven different sub-levels of the web site. Each sub-level is unique in what it offers, yet all levels are closely linked and unified toward the goal of achieving and maintaining equine soundness.

From the home page you have the option of going to any one of the following sub-sites.

Most of these options are self explanatory. Wild Horse Publishing is a small company that we set up to handle this newsletter, the web site and other information related aspects of EDSS. The sub-site that people will find most useful is the Q&A Discussion Forum. This section includes "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ’s) and a "Discussion Forum" where people can post questions or comments and other people can help to answer or interact in the conversations. Gene Ovnicek will be involved in the discussions as well. In time we think that most people will find this more helpful than anything. I would like to invite everyone who is able to join us online.

Wild Horse vs. Domestic Horse

"The assumption must be that those who can see value only in tradition, or versions of it, deny man’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances."

- Stephen Bayley

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I know that we have discussed this argument before, but after talking with a few people at the recent "Guild of Professional Farrier’s Convention," I feel it is necessary to say a few words that may be helpful when approached with this very question. The question (or comment) usually goes something like this: "How can you compare the feet of wild horses to those of domestic horses? They live in totally different environments. It’s like comparing apples to oranges."

I won’t argue that the environments are different and that there are many other inconsistencies between the two. However, the fact is that when a horse comes into this world, it’s feet and other bone structures are identical (relatively speaking) no matter whether they are born in a domestic or wild environment. That fact in itself says something about why we can compare the two. However, this is not the road I wish to take at this time. I would like to approach this conflict from a more simple and prudent stand point. The very simplest truth of this whole wild horse/domestic horse comparison approach is that this research has lead us to look at the foot differently. Not only differently, but to much greater depths. Dr. Bob Bowker of Michigan State University has in the last 2 years found structures of the foot that had never been discovered before. Because of his research and Dr. Page’s research (as well as many others), we as hoofcare practitioners have learned more about the equine digit and how it works than was known in the last 200 years. So when you get right down to it, the argument of whether wild horse and domestic horse comparison’s are valid, is irrelevant. The fact that studying the wild horses and finding very distinct differences (when compared to domestic horses) has lead to a re-evaluation of how we view the foot, and that something more needs to be done. We know that we still don’t have all the answers. But we do know that we have more answers than we did before. That is what being a hoofcare practitioner (and human for that matter) is all about. Being able to learn and adapt to the changing circumstances.

0   A Natural Balance Objective   0

"To allow the foot to be as effective as it can be in what ever environment we choose for the horse."

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What about the hind feet?

Now that we have more information about the foot and it’s biomechanics and biology, we are able to see the foot in a more complete form. We’ve become more familiar with the needs of the front feet and are able to manage them more effectively with Natural Balance techniques for performance, as well as those being treated for lameness. Generally lameness is more noticeable in the forelimbs, with little attention given to the rear feet and legs until the forelimbs are made more comfortable. We occasionally see subtle to severe lameness apparent in the rear once the imbalance of lameness in the front is corrected or improved. Hock and stifle soreness are often noticed as well as pain in the loin and croup. Horses with back pain, stifle and hock pain generally stand and travel base narrow, commonly termed rope walking or swivel hocked. Numerous farriers and veterinarians who are proficient with Natural Balance techniques see great improvement in horses shod with the same guidelines behind as they use on the front feet when confronted with hoof deformity, gait fault problems or pathology. Minor changes of hoof preparation and shoe placement are employed to meet the specks found on wild horse’s feet. The rear feet examined in the study at the Prior Mountain Range in 1986 and 1987 were found to be similar to the fronts with few exceptions. The breakover point was consistently closer to the apex of the frog by 1/8" to 1/4" compared to the fronts on the same horse. The hoof gauge angles were very close to the same as the fronts with only 25% that were steeper. (E.g. Front 56° – Rear 57° - 58°) In this study we never observed any rear hooves that had lower hoof gauge readings than the front (on the same horse.) To bring the breakover back closer to the frog apex on the rear foot, relative to the front, seems to be the key for relieving stress to the upper equine framework. For decades we’ve seen the horse benefit from squaring the toe on hind shoes for a wide range of gait fault and lameness problems. Our acceptance of the square-toe has made it possible for farriers to be liberal in the application of square-toed shoes on the rear feet. What is most interesting and is an important fact is that the natural breakover point on a rear foot is closer to the frog than we could ever imagine. We have recently made light of the fact that a sole callus ridge exists about 1" to 1 ½" ahead of the frog apex. This sole callus at the toe (Fig. 2-A) gives us a good guideline to follow as an external reference.

Determining the health of the heels

Heels that are healthy and strong have a gradual arc to the bars as well as the outer hoof wall. (Fig. 1-A) The heel buttress terminates (ends) near the back of the frog. (Fig. 1-B) Weak and unhealthy heels have a sharp curve in the bars as well as the hoof wall. The bars in most poor quality feet are nonexistent and are difficult to find in many cases. (Fig. 6-A) These heels terminate well ahead of the back or bulb of the frog. (Fig. 6-B)

Hoof preparation for shoeing the hind foot

The sole plane (or live sole) is used as a guide for medial/lateral and anterior/posterior balance. Care must always be taken when preparing the surface over the sole. Only remove the part of the sole that flakes away easily. The "live sole" will be that part of the sole you will see when the texture changes to a waxy surface. The sole plane, at the toe, is described as the exfoliated raised area on the sole, just inside of the lamina. (Fig. 2-A) The wall should be finished (rasped) to an equal depth from the exfoliated (live) sole, medial and lateral to the frog apex. (Fig. 3-A) The heels are removed to a height (point) where 1/8" to 1/4"" of vertical depth is remaining from the live sole in the quarters, to the ground surface of the wall. (Fig. 4-A) The ridge on the sole (which is the sole plane at the toe - Fig. 2-A) will tell you where the natural breakover point is. We suggest you use the inner edge of this ridge at the center of the toe as the point of natural breakover. (Fig. 2-B) For most horses with nicely developed frogs and strong heels that end near the widest part of the frog, you can simply tack on a shoe, making sure that the shoe breakover will correspond with that position you determined earlier by the sole callus. We recommend a wide-web rim hind shoe for most horses. For horses with slight pathologies or ones with somewhat smaller frogs and weaker heels, a more specific shoeing method is prescribed. Dr. Barbara Page (DVM) of Littleton, Colorado, Dr. Diane Isbell (DVM) and Patty Stiller (farrier) of Livermore, California, (with cooperation of several hoofcare practitioners across the country) are applying the same principles of support to the rear feet as described in the article, "Supporting the Frog Buttress" in "Natural Hoof Prints" Volume2 – Issue1. The article discusses using a wedge pad with a frog insert attached to the very back, thick portion of the pad. The shoe is made with a very broad, square toe that is rolled well back into the inner branch in the toe area. World Race Plate fronts (or #8 hinds) work well, or wide-web rim hind shoes modify nicely for this purpose. The shoe should extend to the full length of the frog in the rear (Fig. 5-A) and breakover should be placed closer to the frog apex than what is seen on the front feet of the same horse. (Fig. 5-X) Remember to use the sole callus (ridge) as a reference. A pad with a frog insert is attached to the shoe so that the thicker portion of the pad and attached insert extends at least 1/4" to 3/8" behind the heels of the shoe. (Fig. 5-B) The portion of the frog insert that extends beyond the heel of the shoe should be taller than the ground level of the shoe. (Fig. 5-C) For those horses that have serious pathology in the hocks, the best results are seen when the Natural Balance Shoe is used with the same pad and frog insert arrangement. Impression material is always used with this application when the heel height is nearly level with the exfoliated, trimmed frog.

Hoof preparation for feet with unhealthy, weak heels & overdeveloped frogs

If the heels are unhealthy and left long, they will curve sharply and will crumble under weight, along with the bars. (Fig. 6-A&B) The heels will terminate well ahead of the frog buttress. The frog will frequently be well developed or over developed and appear to be reaching out to meet the ground through the heels of the shoe. (Fig. 6C & 7A) These are signs of poor Digital Cushion and Lateral Cartilage. This means that the frog is trying to take over with what is lacking from the poor quality heels. This condition is recognizable on both front and hind limbs. The poor heel condition is accelerated when efforts are made to raise the hoof angle by leaving the heel and rasping the toe through the live sole to achieve this pastern/hoof capsule alignment. Unfortunately, the heels collapse and the toe continues to run forward and P-3 descends within the hoof capsule. This seems to suggest there is a need for the frog to be on the ground. Therefore, when shoes are applied, the shoe thickness seems to stand in the way of the frog becoming fully loaded on the ground. The biomechanics of pastern alignment through frog contact, function the same with both front and hind feet. Recent studies have shown how important rear frog contact is to the pastern alignment when the Digital Cushion and Lateral Cartilage are a part of ground support through the frog. Heel preparation for this condition consists of removing the heel back to a point where there may be less than 1/8" of vertical depth in the quarters from the live sole (sole plane) to the ground surface of the wall. (Fig. 7-B) The objective is to prepare the heel so that there is a broad bearing surface at the heel buttress. If the frog protrudes beyond the height of the wall once the foot is properly trimmed, which frequently happens with the poor quality heels, DO NOT use impression material for 1 or 2 shoeings. The frog must be pushed up into the soft area in the back of the foot. Therefore, the frog will need to displace itself between the firm pad and hoof structure. Support to the frog in this manner has proven to be very effective for those horses with weak heels and bars, and the coffin bone is either flat to the ground or closer to the ground in the back than in the front (as seen with x-rays). Pastern alignment through support of the Digital Cushion and Lateral Cartilage is complete when the breakover is well back under the foot. Good Luck!

This page was last update on 10/18/99. Copyright © 1998 Wild Horse Publishing & Equine Digit Support System, Inc.. All rights reserved. Terms of Use