The Problem Pt3 Different Shapes

The horny wall, on which the rim shoe is placed has to bear all the weight of the horse. It can't cope with this so it changes shape, purely because it is not stable.


What does this mean, in human terms; Look at your finger nails notice how they are pretty much the same shape, now place undue pressure on them by pulling the tip away from the skin they become irregular in shape and distort and will eventually break.

So in horses all the bones are the same shape from horse to horse, yet the horn once it has undue pressure excerted and becomes irregular in shape, distorted and wants to break off.

The hooves show below are all shod with rim shoes, in other words only the outer horny wall is weight bearing, and the shoe is altered to what ever shape the wall is.

As you can see all the feet are vastly different in shape, yet the bone inside is relatively the same.

And after when the edge of the sole not the outer horny wall is shod:-

Two of the hoofs above are front feet, two are hind feet. The Pedal bone changes very little from front to hind (3%) so why are hind hooves so different in domesticated horses? Some say the hind feet are longer to push the horse forwards! Strange how feral horses don't need the long toe.
The sole grows directly below the pedal bone, the pedal bone from horse to horse hardly changes shape. Conclusion, well just like 300 years ago one shape. If the outer wall is continually supported:-

Contracted heels, flanges, dysfunctional frog and a thin sole in the worse case scenario, most horses have some of the signs.

The hoof shown above, here the farrier has tried to keep a short toe by rasping the front wall. The hoof in response has widened the quarters to bear the increased weight. The sole lowers to get more weight on the pedal bone and when this happens the structural strength has gone from the front wall and
contracted heels occur.

The outer horny wall doesn't want to be weight bearing, by flanging out or breaking away it moves the weight to the sole. The sole grows from the bottom of the pedal bone, thus the pedal bone gets support by the wall breaking away or flanging. Hence the hooves are forever changing shape.


After all which part of the hoof always breaks away?

The  Quarters!

 

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