Thoroughbred Hooves- Solar View

This handsome off track Thoroughbred presented with off and on lameness/ soreness issues. Quite a few people have asked why it is that OTTB's have such a tough time with hooves, and Thoroughbreds in general? Is it genetics? Is it a preconceived notion that the hoof of a Thoroughbred will be weaker, so no other option is explored?

Once again- I'm going to fall back on one of my favorite sayings:
There Are No Absolutes.

Every horse, and every hoof on that horse, is different. We've seen Thoroughbreds with hooves as tough as Mustang hooves, and we've seen Thoroughbred hooves that needed some serious help- from the INSIDE.

So why do so many come off the track with such strong issues?
For one, it seems there is a high incidence of heels being allowed (almost encouraged in some cases) to migrate forward and become under run. For two, concavity of the sole is not allowed to develop. The third thing I've noticed is the amount of dietary and metabolic issues track horses tend to cart around as baggage. If your horse is not healthy INSIDE, he will not have a healthy OUTSIDE, including the hoof. Hooves are a window to the health of the entire horse.

Finding the cause of soreness in hooves on any horse is a process of elimination that will take a good bit of time and patience. The only sure way to eliminate the thin sole debate is with a good set of x-rays. If the sole thickness is fine, then you need to start looking deeper- health of the lateral cartilages and digital cushion, position of coffin bone, and whether or not the hoof is actually where it NEEDS to be- which is under the bony column supporting the horse. Once the hoof is in the proper position, it is amazing what kinds of transformation takes place in and outside of the hoof.



Once again, we are going with the unmarked photos first, and then the marked, so that it's easier to take a look at what might be going on to make this horse in particular so sore.





Red lines: Heel length is different. Heel to the inside is actually rolled under, and the horse is landing on it.
Red Arrow: Points to the rolled heel.
Blue Line: shows exactly where the horse is landing- which because of the unlevel heels, is quite different. This WILL drastically affect his ability to move comfortably. Care must be taken, as left untreated the heels will continue to crush and roll, further moving the hoof out from under the horse, making him more sore.
Blue Circle: Shows bar that has a break in it, and is also folded over. Careful trimming and attention needs to be paid here as well- a break in the bar can lead to soreness as well. Folded over bar tissue can also be a place for infection to set in and possibly a future abscess site.






Red Arrows: Heels of different lengths. Heel closest to the hand holding the foot (inside) is rolled/ crushed. The outside heel is quite long and the orientation of it's growth is substantially different than the inside heel.
Blue Line: Shows where the horse is landing. Again- it is affecting his ability to move.
Tiny Green Arrow: shows where the horse is walking on retained sole. Now-- remember-- the sole AND the wall were designed to work together. Having a horse bear PARTIAL weight on the sole is NOT a bad thing. But in this case, it has gone a bit too far to the extreme with the wall breakage, and the horse is left unsupported.
Orange Arrow: Was just to show the center of the hoof, and make it easier to compare the size of the each half of the hoof.

This horse does have a good bit of wall breakage, which given the overall view of his hooves from the top, I can understand. When you think about it, where this hoof is breaking in the toe is a leverage issue. We'd rather have that toe break off as it has, instead of staying attached and putting more and more strain on the connection between inner and outer hoof wall, and consequently the white line.

Breaking in the quarters is often times the hoof's way of working towards being able to flex upon weight bearing. Distortion in the hoof capsule when the horse moves helps them to dissipate the energy created upon movement, and the quarters can not flex and "distort" when they are improperly addressed.

Rasping the toe back in this case would not really do much. In order to correct this, you MUST trim and LEVEL the heels. Taking toe alone asking for trouble with the internal structures over time. The trick if you want to call it that, is finding the key for each hoof. How much toe to take in relation to heel is going to depend on your horse, and in each foot it may vary a bit.


The big question is:
Can this horse ever be a barefoot candidate?

In my opinion, yes. It will take time, dietary and exercise management, and careful routine trimming. Careful attention must be paid to the heels- this is crucial for rehabilitation. Once proper balance is restored in the hoof, I'd expect to see a period of accelerated growth as the hoof works towards regaining complete health. I'd also expect to see a drastic difference in sole shape (more concavity,) wall health, and in the horse's ability to move better and much more comfortably.

Now for the touchy subject:
Would a shoe help?

(And here is where it'll get ugly.)

No shoe will help to bring the heel back where it needs to be if the heel is left untreated and untrimmed. Again- we are looking at a leverage issue. This time though, the heel of the shoe is putting pressure on the heel of the hoof, encouraging forward migration. And if the heels are left at different lengths, one heel is going to be under more pressure than the other, creating stride deviation.

While the application of a shoe initially might seem to bring about "soundness", I do believe that it is merely a band aid. And that over time, this horse would be diagnosed with Navicular Syndrome, and the traditional bad news delivered to the owners.

Please note- I am NOT bashing the farrier in this case. Why not? For one, I have not seen him work. I have not seen the horse myself- only pictures. A lot can change in 24 hours time post hoof care- it is obvious in these images that it has been well over that time frame. Am I comfortable with his work? No- not really. But I also do not know what he had to work with when he first started working on this horse. I also do not know what the feet look like NOW, post work, (from which I understand the horse was shod.) He might well have addressed the heels. He might not have too- but unless we see otherwise, I am going to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

So can Thoroughbreds go barefoot? Yes. I say that with out hesitation, as I've seen it on many horses- both off the track and in those that never raced. It takes management and proper trimming- just as it does with any other horse.

Fire away y'all.....