Horses never stop trying to grow the best possible hooves...

When I posted last week about Dali, one of the comments that struck me the most was from his owner, Rachael. When she saw the changes he had made in less than 3 weeks she said this:

"He's been lame for so long and has so much to repair - the odds were against any big changes really :)...there isn't a single person or professional that gave Dali any hope".

Dali is only 13, he has been lame a long time but even in 3 weeks he has made substantial improvements to his hooves and I see no reason to write him off just yet! 

So todays' post is for anyone whose horse has been given a poor prognosis, who has been long term lame or whose owner thought it was too late for any improvement. 

These aren't the best comparison shots, but they show Eva in her shoes and today. Many people would think that her feet were more symmetrical in shoes but I hope you can see that to judge whether a hoof capsule is well balanced you need to look a lot further than just the hoof. Incidentally, this is one reason why I never comment on hooves if all I can see are photos of the foot - you just can't tell anything without looking at the limb AND at the horse moving.

Compare her stance in the top photo and today and imagine which is more comfortable and more supportive of the body above. Her hoof capsule looks less "symmetric" today but is actually in a better place and allowing her to stand and move straighter. Eva had a severe DDFT tear and was given a poor prognosis for a return to work, yet here she is.

Lexus proved that even a 19 year old horse after years of poor shoeing would grow better feet. These photos are 5 months apart.

How many people would have written him off saying he was just too old?

Here's Abbey, proving that growing a better frog is the key to better medio-lateral balance...

 The photos are just 4 weeks apart...clever boy, Abbey!

Here's Roo, showing how much a frog and digital cushion can beef up in 4 weeks. She is doubly clever as she had a DDFT injury 4 years ago which (we assume) has recurred but she is still able to turn her hooves around. 

Roo is also happy to demonstrate how healthier hooves allow for better limb balance... 

Here she is on arrival, well shod with comparatively healthy hooves but with a niggling lameness and poor medio-lateral balance. Like Eva, looking at her hooves alone you would have said she had well balanced feet - but the overall balance is better now in front and hind feet. 

Comparison today - not perfect but better loading from limb to hoof. Horses are ALWAYS trying to have the best possible hoof balance with the most effective support for the limbs above. 

Whether they manage to grow it depends on how they are shod, how they are fed, how they are kept, how they move and how their feet grow. 

Even in 2 weeks, M is starting to make the changes that will lead to stronger hooves...

Horses NEVER stop trying to grow the best possible hooves. Whether they achieve that is a whole 'nother story.

 

M says its pretty tiring growing new hooves...I could do with 5 more minutes in bed...