Wild Horse or Domestic Horse, a Hoof is a Hoof, is a Hoof

Majestic, awe inspiring, beautiful, all ways people describe the wild horse. 

As a professional hoof care provider I see many posts that fuel the debate over the use of the feral hoof as a model hoof care. Whether you are a farrier, trimmer, or horse owner emotions can run high, especially with all of the media play the feral horse gets. I too have explored the environment of the feral horse and how their hooves developed as a result of breeding, diet and overall environment. But even before I went afield to work among the feral horse, I had a revelation that disqualified the feral horse hoof as a model.The revelation came to me in the form of a law of physics;  F = M x A.

Remember, I am discussing the development of a hoof model for the treatment methods of the domestic horse. What is a model? In the practice of Farriery or hoof care the model defines the foot,  not simply the hoof. Indulge me while I present an analogy; I really would love to own a Ferrari. Years ago there were kits to transform a Pontiac Fiero into a Ferrari look alike.With this kit I didn't need to know the mechanics of the Ferrari to build a car that looked like one. But, the reality is that it would not perform like one if I simply mimicked the way it looked. I know that this comparison is a bit simplistic and silly, but it does make a point.

Developing a model that must deal with the increased forces generated by domestication requires knowledge of the internal structures of the foot. That is where the definition Structure + Function = Performance comes into play. There are several theories on energy management and foot function that have helped in the development of a model for the practice of farriery. The feral hoof model however came out of the search for a model without the forethought of foot function within a domestic environment. As a result, those proponents of the natural trim model have been searching to find foot function theories to support its use in the treatment of the domestic horse for over twenty years. The more we learn about the equine foot and foot function the more we learn that its health is governed by a few steadfast laws, and one is F=M x A.     

Hoof Explorer

We are always on the look out for teaching aids that we can use, or recommend to our clients. Fortunately there are others that are also on the look out for such aids. Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog had an excellent post discussing one such aid. She also gives excellent advice on learning. You can watch the intro video here and to learn more follow this link: Meet Hoof Explorer: The Horse's Foot in Three Beautiful Dimensions, Online, For Free

 

White Line Disease, Inflammation, or What?

What do you think this is and what else can I do?

I have a horse that is lame intermittently.  In the beginning I thought it was an abscess.  Animalintex was used and the horse got better.  Then the lameness came back.  Last weekend apparently she was quite lame.

The veterinary was called and x-rays were taken.  They are attached.
The vet found what she thinks is white line disease, the black line from the quarter into the toe area on the left front foot. All this started after the owner did a long ride over rocky terrain without the hoof boots she normally puts on her horse.  The vet and I are wondering if it's the result of trauma.

In any case, I saw the horse tonight and the foot looks very clean.  The vet had scrapped the white line looking for infection and found none.  I scrapped the sole just beside the white line a bit and found some small black areas.  I didn't want to dig holes and create more problems.  Both front feet were hot but no pulses.  She had been walked about 1km to get to the yard from her field.  Tapping didn't indicate a cavity.  I'm not sure she was positive with the hoof testers as she was very agitated (the horses in the barn where getting their feed).  The vet said she had a pulse on the weekend and she thought she tested positive with the hoof tester at that time.

We washed the foot, sprayed it with Thrush Ender and put a Sole Mate Therapeutic pad on it with a vet wrap.  The owner is going to do a Clean Trax on Saturday.

This horse has had laminitis two times in the past (last time 3 years ago).  She also was treated with acid around her coronary bands on her front feet when she was a trotter.  This damaged the CB and the hoof wall is very uneven as a result.

What do you think this is and what else can I do?

My response:

As you may know, I am not a veterinarian and I do not look at x-rays from a veterinary diagnostic perspective, but rather from the perspective of an equine podiatrist. That being said, I do offer my opinion when asked to do so, in the hope that you and your veterinarian, working as a team will be successful in helping this horse. I have reviewed the x-rays, and I will agree with the veterinarian that something is going on in that quarter.
Inflammation and gas pockets appears as dark areas on x-rays, and bone health (density) appear as varying shades of gray. With this in mind, rarefaction (low density) of P3 at the location the veterinarian suspects white line disease suggests that this could be chronic inflammation or possibly a lesion, and could explain the intermittent lameness.

rarefaction and inflammation 

Trauma from riding without the boot could be responsible for flare up of inflammation. The inflammation may or may not result in abscessing, but I don’t think it will. Conformation or way of going can have a lot to do with this type of chronic inflammation. Does this horse land balanced or does conformation result in dynamic imbalances while going? The rarefaction of P3 suggests that whatever has caused the inflammation has done so repeatedly. Once this horse is comfortable and relatively sound, I suggest you tape a pair of Sole Mates on this horse and then walk and trot the horse in hand for ten or fifteen minutes. Remove the pads and examine the impression.

Pad impression

Training your eye to see foot fall is important, taking advantage of available diagnostic tools is smart. This will give you a good idea as to how this horse loads during the stride. If this horse does not land dynamically balanced, you will have to try and figure out why. You did all the right things by treating the symptoms, now let's figure out the why of it so you can work up how to protect or prevent further trauma in that foot moving forward.

Dealing with the Downturned Economy

Surviving in today's economy means implementing aggressive business strategies, and staying ahead of the curve.

As a follow up to the post "Do Farriers Schools Need to Adapt" I think a glimpse of how our school is adapting to todays economy may offer insight into how we go about assisting bright talented communicative people in succeeding in the hoof care industry.

In an effort to help our graduates grow in today's downturned economy we have had to integrate into our curriculum new education. Education offers insights on strong ethical business practices and professional communication.

On line continuing educational opportunities make sense

We continue to look for ways to support our graduates in their professional development. One way is by making continuing education (CE) more affordable, adding free teleconferences and adding special dates for advanced learning. These new CE offerings represent from 3 to 60 hours of continuing education.

Graduates participate in gait analysis research study

We have found that those graduates that have developed the communication skills necessary to work closely with veterinarians excel in business, even during this economic turmoil.
New CE opportunities  for 2015 will include on-line modules of study on business, leadership, and communication.

It has become clear that today's horse owner is more likely to be proactive in their approach to hoof care, and as a result actively seek out those hoof care providers that participate in continuing education. At the Institute we actively promote those graduates that meet the Institute's yearly CE requirement of (40 hours). Promotion consists of web site promotion, articles distribution, presence at major equine events worldwide, YouTube and television exposure.

I believe it can be summed up by saying that today's hoof care provider has to have good communication skills, and the knowledge to support those skills. In today's economy the hoof care provider needs to be a hoof care professional that cannot only talk the talk, but also walk the walk; today's horse owner demands it. Learn more about the Institute of Applied Equine Podiatry.
Remember ... Sound Reasoning - Sound Horses