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Natural Balance Hoofcare
| Natural Balance Trimming |
| (Trimming for Horses Left Barefoot) |
Special Notice Before Beginning Trimming the Sole Too Close Our research has shown that when a foot is routinely trimmed too close at the toe each time the horse is shod, P-3 seems to settle some and the horse can be 'off' for a few days. It is our belief that the sole ridge (callus) plays a major role in supporting P-3. When the sole ridge is over-trimmed, the laminae attachment of P-3 at the distal border may be compromised, which can allow the hoof wall to migrate forward, much like in laminitis. The settling of P-3 within the hoof capsule causes a vertical deformity in the hoof wall at the hairline. A common practice for farriers is to trim the toe and leave the heels in order to achieve pastern alignment.¹ However, when farriers trim the sole close at the toe to raise the foot angle, the heels are frequently left too long. With the weakened laminae attachment at the distal border of P-3, the hoof wall and the long heels will migrate forward, allowing the entire hoof wall to migrate ahead of P-3. This can be easily seen when viewed from the bottom as well as when viewed from the side. Heel First Landing Slight heel first landing is common with feral horses as well as sound domestic horses; therefore we find it to be optimal for Natural Balance principles. Research has shown proprioceptors in the calloused portion of the frog buttress.² This supports and suggests that heel first contact may be important. Later research of Dr. Barbara Pages showed that when the breakover was placed ¼" ahead of the tip of P-3 and the heels were trimmed so the frog buttress had contact with the ground, pastern alignment improved and the navicular bone became more vertical.³ These combined hoof preparation techniques will routinely initiate a heel first landing. In retrospect, this will help to avoid stumbling, forging, interfering and has shown to improve hoof deformities that lead to heel soreness, contracted heels and navicular disease tendencies. Trimming Procedure For Horses Left Barefoot Exfoliation Procedure Used When Horse Has Previously Been Barefoot For most horses that have previously been barefoot and will continue to be left barefoot, the exfoliation of sole material is minimal, if at all. The only time any removal of soleis done with a hoof knife is when large cracks are present in the sole. The size of the cracks will determine the amount of exfoliation that will be necessary (with very small cracks, very little or no exfoliation is needed). If cracks are present, simply start at the tip of the frog and work your way outward by only scraping the hoof knife on the sole. It is not necessary to cut into the sole, as the live sole (waxy appearing surface) is just beneath this cracked surface. Once the live sole is located, you can move on to the "Post-Exfoliation Procedure" covered later in this article. Exfoliation Procedure Used When Shoes Are Pulled Off & Now Will Be Left Barefoot Start by identifying the true apex of the frog, either by probing or by removing a small amount from the tip of the frog pad if necessary. At that time you should get a mental picture of where the live functional sole is for that part of the foot. Next, remove all of the chalky sole material next to the hoof wall at the widest part of the foot. (Fig. 1-A) There will often be small cracks in the chalky sole material. The sole material that is left should have a waxy appearance and will not contain of small cracks. If there are any doubts, return to the frog apex and work your way back out to the outer edge of the sole, searching for chalky layers as you go. With those feet that are very difficult to decipher the difference between live and dead sole, take the conservative approach and do not get too close. It's better to leave it too long than too short. Your goal is to clearly identify the live sole ridge (callus), which is the waxy surface seen once the crumbly, chalky material of the sole is removed. (Fig. 2) When you exfoliate the rear of the foot with your knife, again, remove the chalky material and leave the waxy, functional, live sole. Be careful to leave as much of the upright, healthy bars as you can.
Post-Exfoliation Prodedure for Horses Left Barefoot When the foot is properly exfoliated, you should notice the slight raised area of the sole next to the wall. (Fig. 3) That raised area is the sole callus and should blend in gradually to the wall with no ledge. Once you become familiar with the sole callus, you can clearly see the position for breakover on the sole. To help you find the breakover position on the sole, lightly move your thumbs forward from the frog apex to the medial and lateral toe quarters. (Fig. 4) A slight depression will be felt on the sole. At the cranial aspect of that depression is the inner edge of the sole callus. A line drawn across the toe at the inner edge of the sole ridge (callus) is where breakover should be. (Fig. 4-A)
You should always keep in mind that the four corners of the coffin bone should be kept in balance with the ground. The objective in trimming is to prepare the hoof wall in a manner that will allow this to happen. With the "normal foot," the wall at the toe quarters will be firmly attached to the sole callus at the ground level. The sole callus on most normal bare feet is narrow and well defined, which differs some from those feet that are flat or clubbed. The wider sole callus in flat or clubbed feet means that the tip of the distal phalanx is closer to the ground. Be conservative when you rasp or nip the hoof wall to the back edge of the sole callus. The rocker or roll you prepare in the foot should not exceed 10° to 15° from the flat plane of the sole (Fig. 5), or in simple terms, what is normally found on a well-worn shoe. Next, rasp or nip the wall down to the level of the sole callus on each side of the toe, behind the rockered portion. (Fig. 6-A) The hoof wall should be trimmed so the height of the sole callus and wall are equal. The length of that flattened area will depend on the size and type of the foot and sole callus (approximately 1" to 1 ½"). (Figure 6-B) Once the wall is trimmed to the height of the sole callus, the wall behind the toe callus is trimmed to the level of the live sole through the quarters. (Fig. 7-A) The heel that remains is flattened off so that the heels are equal in height to each other, and at the same level as the frog buttress or slightly shorter. (Fig. 7-B) This generally means that the quarters are relieved or floated some through the widest part of the foot between the sole callus and the heels. (Fig. 8-A)
The only area of the frog that is routinely trimmed is the cleft of the central sulcus. Keeping this area open seems to lessen the chance of bacteria forming in horses that are less active. The rest of the frog should not be trimmed at all, unless there are parts that are hanging by a small attachment from the live frog structure. The bars are trimmed only when they start to turn, roll over and become flat to the sole. If the bars become cracked or diseased with a black substance under them, it's best to trim some away to encourage a stronger, more upright re-growth. If flares exist on the outer hoof wall, find the most prominent growth ring near the middle of the dorsal hoof wall and remove only the amount necessary to make the wall straight from top to bottom. (Fig. 9-A) On badly flared feet, never rasp beyond the white zone of the wall. The white zone is the lighter colored part of the wall that is next to the laminae. Once you have finished dressing the outer hoof wall, round the outer rim of the hoof wall that is closest to the ground (chamfer the rim). (Fig. 9-B)
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This page was last update on 8/22/01. Copyright © 1998 Wild Horse Publishing & Equine Digit Support System, Inc.. All rights reserved. Terms of Use |
