The Problem Pt5 Front Wall Rasping

The hoof wall is a uniformed thickness from the top of the hoof to the bottom of the hoof.

When rim shoeing the hoof slowly pulls forwards, the only way to keep a straight hoof is for the farrier to rasp the hoof wall.

This thinning of hoof wall exposes tubular horn, which are not as strong and tightly packed as the outer part of the hoof wall. This leads to cracking of the hoof wall, and a weakening of the over all structural integrity of the hoof. i.e.:-

The hoof wall will be servely damaged if rasped and thinned, on the outer surface densely packed horn tubules and further in the hoof the wall becomes less densely packed. In other words, the more you rasp the wall the more you reveal weaker horn, that was never meant to be exposed, i.e.:-

Horn density untouched:-

The front wall rasped and less densely packed horn tubules revealed, which crack and tear:-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Pictured below is an example of a lamintic pony, the farrier has raised the heels to give the impression of a short upright foot. In doing so has turned the pedal bone forwards and created a lamintic pony what makes it worse is the leverage in the toe portion ( pink to red line).

The faint biro line is where the farrier has been asked to cut/rasp back to, even if the farrier does this a leverage occurs between yellow and pink lines.

The red line is the break over point at the moment, as you can see the leverage between the pink line and red line is causing the hoof wall to tear forwards lowering the pedal bone to the ground for support.

  

  

Green line indicates the majority of weight passing through the hoof.

The brown arrows, are in fact the thickness of a pad, the pad which was added to protect the sole from damage from the ground.

The blue arrows,are some of the excess heel, which the farrier has left to give the impression of an upright hoof. Unfortunately all that's happening is the pedal bone is being tipped forwards.

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