Basic foot balance and farriery Flashcards
What is the static assessment of a horse
Assess the conformation
Front, lateral, long axis, solar view
3D foot balance
Describe the static assessment from the anterior view of the horses hoof
From the front
- Medial/lateral symmetry
- Assess coronary band in relation to the bearing surface
- Length and angulation of the medial/lateral hoof walls
Describe the static assessment from the lateral view of the horses hoof
Hoof pastern axis - Angle of the toe and heel should be parallel
Coronary band from dorsal to palmer
Dorsal hoof wall and heel angulation
Relation of dorsal hoof wall length and heel length
Describe how you would assess the medio-lateral balance of the hoof on a static exam?
- 90 degrees to long axis
- Assess symmetry
- Evaluate heels/heel blub for shunting/sheared heels
- Using the ‘T’ square to assess symmetry: heel heights medial and lateral - if one is higher it indicates where trimming needs to be carried out
Describe how you would assess the solar view of the hoof on a static exam?
- Bisect midline
- Central point of foot should be just back from the point of the frog
- White line reflects the true shape of the foot
- Length/shape of frog
- Bar shape/angulation to hoof wall and heels
- Concavity/convexity of sole
What other features of the hoof should be assessed?
- Show fit, type and wear – shoes should always be slightly bigger than the actual hoof capsule
- Horn quality/solar thickness
- Cracks
- Coronary band injury/defect
Which feature of the 3D static exam would differ on the hindlimbs compared to the forelimbs?
Assess as for forefoot except that hindfoot often has a steeper angulation
Which features of the horse would you assess when at a walk?
- Soundness
- Stride length and symmetry – is it fluid in its stride?
- Footfall
- Does the foot land laterally/toe/heel/medial first
- Rotation/twisting on landing
- Tracking up/over tracking/plaiting/foraging etc
Which features of the horse would you assess when at a trot?
- Soundness and symmetry
- Stride length/tracking up/over tracking
- Footfall - May differ between a walk and trot
- Interference
Describe a ‘broken back’ hoof and the correcting shoeing/trimming used
- Hoof capsule and P1/P2 are not in alignment
- Get a lower, weaker heel and a long toe
- Can improve the hoof pastern axis by raising the heel
- Need to then get the hoof capsule to try and regenerate
Describe a medio-lateral imbalance hoof and the correcting shoeing/trimming used
- Lands on one side and loads on the other
- Bulb on one side is much higher than on the other
- Can present with low grade pain and a performance issue
- Can put a shoe on that loads the foot on the affected side and trim the hoof capsule so it doesn’t touch the heel (floating)
How would palmar foot pain/navicular disease present, how is it treated using shoeing/trimming?
- Long toe, low weakened heel
- Shoe too small
- Need to concentrate weight away from the heels – frog plates
- Need a suitable sized shoe to support the caudal part of the foot
How will lameness due to a foot imbalance present? How is it treated using shoeing/trimming?
- Appears to be slightly toe out – will land laterally
- Long toe: nothing to remove so going to need to fit a shoe under the toe and try and support the heels
- Some distortion in the bulbs of the heels
- Solar view: last point of weight bearing is not near the bulbs of the heels
What is the most common cause of hoof cracks?
Conformation defects or poor foot balance
How can cracks be treated?
Need to balance the foot, re-shoe the horse, apply caudal support, shorten the toe. Can also float the heel to remove pressure
Stabilise the crack – small aluminium plate glued across the crack. Needs to be applied when the limb is non-weightbearing so when the plate is applied the crack is held apart and allows the horn tubules to grow down normally (may not work if there is coronary band damage)
