This horse has a awesome quarter crack due to a traumatic cut on his left outside coronary and bulb area. When I first starting shoeing this horse he had wedge pads and clips. I saw no need for the wedge after trimming the hoof. At first we were using clips, but this crack is not going to heal due to the injury coming from the hoof growth area.
First Horse's Purpose:The owners want to use the horse in the mountains and need him sound and shod in a way that will help ensure not losing a shoe. I firmly believe in the KISS method (keeping it simple...)
Second Evaluation: The best improvement for this hoof was to keep the foot fall and weight bearing where it should be. Ease the breakover both laterally and keep comfort to any medial movement. This crack tends to expand when the hoof is off the ground and closes slightly when weight bearing.
Third Shoe method applied: I trimmed to a 1/3 in front of frog apex and 2/3 behind style. I modified a keg shoe into a " Square" rolled toe (natural balance type)This helps foot fall and weight bearing. I used a light rim which I feel offers ease of lateral movement. I did not apply clips because of the fact that weight bearing actually closes the crack somewhat and felt they weren't needed. I did drive the 4th nail from back to front so it went from behind the crack, through the inside of crack, and clinched in front of cracked. I rasped flares and the deformed section on the rear end of the outside hoof wall; trying to make it look nice which I feel sometimes improves the condition..."If it looks good, it is good" This may not always be the case but I bet in 80% of the cases if you help the hoof look like a hoof you are doing the right thing.
Lee,
ReplyDeleteI have been researching you since I read your story in February 2011 Western Horseman. My wife and I are soon to retire. We have been working on several novels.
One in particular has a lady main character, about your age, with long silver-gray hair, and blue-gray eyes. You are her, Miss Ellie.
I am sending you a letter with more information, and our address.
Would you please watch for it.
Thank you so much.
May the Lord bless your day!
You're kidding me, right? If "they" make a movie of your book...I want to play Ellie..unless of course she gets killed or something! :) Haven't gotten the letter.
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ReplyDeleteIs this horse working without a limp?
It may not be appropriate to try on this particular horse, but there's a trick I picked up from Bob Skradzio some years back. Using a red hot bob punch or miniature running iron to "brand" the defective part of the coronary band. When the band tissue regenerates from the burn, it'll often start producing hoof wall again.
I know. Hard to think of testing that approach on a client's horse. But if you get ahold of a refugee from the kill pen or something...
Actually the horse is lane, but in the other leg! :)
ReplyDeleteI think the leg got stressed when this hoof got injured. I was not around initially.
"branding" is an interesting concept....if the right prospect came along. Have you seen it done?
I've only had one good opportunity to try it, and it worked... The horn produced afterward was still slightly abnormal, but nothing like the full-blown false quarter it was before.
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