[doublebarr]

I've enjoyed watching the threads about hoof care and decided to put some of mine up to see what you all think. These are all 1 week out of a reset, so 5 weeks on. I would appreciate those "hoof people" to take a look and tell me what you see. Then, on the 10th when the farrier is out, I will put new pictures up and see what comes from them. I'm not going show my farrier what you all say before he resets. I have a very good relationship (10 years) with my current farrier (actually longer if you count his journeyman time) so I'm not looking to blindside him with anything. Just currious what the HGS family says.

So, if you don't mind and have time here they are:

John - ranch horse mostly and reining horse at a few shows. (Can't do as many with John as we promote the FQH horses and he just doens't quite fit in, LOL.
All 4 on the floor:


Front from the left side


Back from the right side


Solar front left


Solar rear left



Wamp - ranch horse and starting this year Reining. He is quite toed out in the back, LOL.

All 4 on the ground:


left front


Right front (Hubby wanted a solar pict. of his "shoe" also, LOL.


Left rear


Right rear


Solar front left


Solar rear left


One more next post:

[doublebarr]

Ok, last horse:

Angel - NRHA reinier

all 4


Left front


Right front


Left rear


Right rear


Solar left front


Solar left rear


Have at them and thanks

[JBandRio]

I don't have time to do an individual critique, so I'll put up a summary LOL

Overall things aren't too bad. But, overall there are high heels and toes a bit on the long side. Heels are taller than toes are long, if that makes sense. Fronts are worse in the heel department than the hinds, and that is usually the case.

That last solar shot, with what I take is a slider? has me thrown a bit as I'm not used to seeing those shoes. The lateral view of that foot doesn't look too bad from what I can see - toes a bit long, heels a but underrun. But the shoe makes the whole foot look VERY contracted and long. A view of that foot from in front and behind would help. But, not a big deal if you don't.

One thing you can look at yourself in judging some of this is to look at the new growth coming right out of the coronet band. We'll use the LH on that last horse as an example. There is a more upright growth angle coming out of the coronet than there is just down from that. Can you see that? Anytime you see that, you are looking at a stretched white line. The lower that angle change is on the wall, the shorter a period of time it's been going on, or the longer it's been being corrected. When you see that change in angle up high like that, it means the toe has been too long for too long As in, it's pretty much been too long for an entire growth cycle, minimally.

Another clue you can see in these pictures, on the lateral shots, is how the coronet band/hairline curves up, or approaches horizontal in many cases. Those are signs that the heels are too high and/or the quarters are too long. You have both in these feet here, nearly all of them.

Front views would show what the medial/lateral balance is - I can't tell from these solar shots since there are shoes on.

Does that give you some things to look for?

[doublebarr]

Originally Posted by JBandRio

That last solar shot, with what I take is a slider? has me thrown a bit as I'm not used to seeing those shoes. The lateral view of that foot doesn't look too bad from what I can see - toes a bit long, heels a but underrun. But the shoe makes the whole foot look VERY contracted and long. A view of that foot from in front and behind would help. But, not a big deal if you don't.

LOL, I figured that would "throw" non reining people, LOL. Yes, that is a slider and the toes will be long, but there is a goal to pulling the rest of the foot with the long toe. Now, weither (spl?) we are pulling it in the best way optimal is the question which is probably better answered by a farrier used to working with reiners But I wanted to give those unfamiliar with this type of horse a view they may not have seen.

As to the rest of your post, I'm going to study it a bit more. And, thank you for taking time to type it all out JB.

OH, Wamp does have heels that we are slowly brining down. He was in BIL herd for the last 3 years before we grabbed him this spring and I don't care for their farrier at all. So I did know that his fronts are not nearly where I would want them I'll also try to get some of Sam on here. He's been under my farriers care since he was 2 and he's 5 now, so that will be interesting to post.

[RickB.]

I see much the same things as Jordana did. How long has Wamp's LH laterasl quarter had the crack and how is it being treated? I wouldn't ask any horse with that kind of crack to sit down and/or spin.

A horse not wearing sliders should not be asked to perform reining patterns. Add the strong toed out hind conformation of the one horse, and you are asking for early and consistent lameness problems .

The sliders are a bit short in the heels for my liking, and if you are going to leave the toes that long and the angles that low, the toe of the shoe should either be rolled or rockered.

At this point, the feet need trimming and if a perimeter fit shoe is going to be applied in front, then the toes of these shoes should also have either a very strong roll or a rocker. And, I'd like to see a more defined heel check in the shoes so that they more accurately define/reflect the shape of the heels of the foot.

[4horsem0m]

Originally Posted by doublebarr

LOL, I figured that would "throw" non reining people, LOL. Yes, that is a slider and the toes will be long, but there is a goal to pulling the rest of the foot with the long toe. Now, weither (spl?) we are pulling it in the best way optimal is the question which is probably better answered by a farrier used to working with reiners

My question is why distort the foot and bring it forward? Just for a better slide?? From what I have learned, the toe flare causes leverage on the foot and therefore the leg, and also leads to white line seperation. The long toe also causes contraction in the back of the hoof, which I would have to assume would be cause for pain after a while. I have seen it in my horse that the long hind toes also caused him back pain. Also on many of the hooves shown there is jamming in the quarters as shown by the bow (upwards) in the hairline. I don't want to be flamed for this, but in my opinion trying to alter the foot is not a good idea. I know other breeds (for example TWH) alter the horses foot, but the long term result is rarely good.

[ches]

Rick/JB is there some wall jamming going on in the first two's hind feet and the last one's fore feet? I thought I saw that, but I am very much untrained. I think wall jamming is all I can pick out myself when looking at feet.

[JBandRio]

4horse, yes, I agree. I know next to nothing about shoeing sliders, but IMHO the hoof form doesn't have to be compromised to do it. Sure, a longer shoe could be put on, yes? That would give the longer sliding surface area that seems to be the goal in "pulling the foot forward" without compromising the hoof itself.

[JBandRio]

Originally Posted by ches

Rick/JB is there some wall jamming going on in the first two's hind feet and the last one's fore feet? I thought I saw that, but I am very much untrained. I think wall jamming is all I can pick out myself when looking at feet.

There is wall jamming going on in every foot

[dana k]

I was curious how long the horses have had shoes on... I was actually surprised how good their frogs looked.
I don't blame you for not wanting to throw your farrier for a loop- around here it's hard to find one that knows how to put sliders on!