Orientation Of Growth

One of the biggest things we look at when preparing to trim is where the hoof actually is placed under the horse. And one of the biggest things you'll hear me talk about on this blog is the Orientation of Growth. (Remember: orientation of growth refers to the general direction the tubules that comprise the hoof are growing in.)

I did a couple of (really) rough sketches to try and show things a bit more clearly.

The first set of photos shows a hoof that while not "ideal", it does give a good look at a more proper growth direction. The foot is able to actually physically stay squarely under the limb of the horse, allowing for better movement and better energy dissipation.






Now- the next set. This fellow is a bit of a drastic example, but unfortunately, one seen all too often. His breed aside (Thoroughbred) this particular issue plagues many many horses. This is the result in failure on the hoof care providers part to address the heel properly. Many would look at this horse and say he does not grow heel, but as we've seen in his sole shot, he DOES grow heel. Unfortunately he grows his heel FORWARDS, instead of more up and down. When heels tend to grow forward, you are looking at several things- one is a mechanical issue in that the more forward the heels grow, the more pressure is exerted on them to continue to grow in the same direction (forward). Another is the "treatment" of feet like this, which often times includes the application of a shoe, usually with a pad, thinking that the heel will need more support the shoe offers.

Now you all know, I'm not a shoe Nazi like many people are. But in a case like this, I am against the use of a shoe. Simply because if you continue to add additional pressure on the heels, you will continue to encourage them to migrate/ grow FORWARDS. This is also a mechanical issue of leverage at play.



The sketch is rough, and exaggerated some. But it gets the point across.

How on Earth would that situation be treated?

Trim. The. Heel. Begin a slow process of bringing the heel back under the horse where it needs to be. This is going to be an on-going process, and not an instant fix.

The tubules that make up the hoof (laminaie) are flexible. Made of the same keratized tissue as our finger nails, the tubules will flex, bend, and give to pressure. Once the pressure is relieved, as in the case of long under run heels, those tubules will relax and begin to grow in the proper orientation again.

If you look at a foot from the hairline down about the first inch or so of growth, you can see what direction that foot *wants* to grow in. By running a *relaxed* hand and fingers around the outside of the hoof wall, you will be able to feel where flare may be present. Flare is the result of a stress placed upon the growing hoof, such as under run heels or a laminitic attack.

Again- this is a basic explanation of orientation of growth. Fire away with questions, emails, photos, etc.

My Friend Is A Meanie Head.. Or--- Be Still My Heart

So WHY do I say my friend is a meanie? Well, see, it kinda goes like this....

We're horseless. Working towards a Very Specific Goal (having a horse at this moment is not really in line with The Plan). My pal knows this. And still she emails me and says, "Have I got a critter for YOU!" This is a pal I trust entirely with her equine judgement.





Yep.
THAT is the reason my dear friend is a meanie head. This handsome chunk is a 3 year old Appaloosa / Hanoverian cross. The result of a nurse mare breeding. Roughly 15.2 to 15.3 hands.

Y'allllll.... let me tell you...... I love my friend dearly, but THIS is Dirty Pool!

Because THAT is the body I've been dreaming of. (Yes- the off side hock is thick- he took a hit to it However, that does not deter me all that much, as thanks to Sonny Bunz, we've had a good deal of education in dealing with hock issues.)

So y'all-- TALK ME OUT OF LOSING MY MIND OVER THIS HORSE.

PLEASE!!

Hoof 101 Review

Before I get into hooves though, I'm making a declaration. Get up. Go outside. Kiss your horses.
I woke up this morning seriously jonesing for horse- TLC, and there is none in sight for the immediate future. So everyone, go smooch your horses.


Now back to hooves. Today is going to be a review. There are a good number of new readers working hard to getter a better grasp on their horses hooves, so I thought a quick look at some things we have covered in the past is in order.

First thing is understanding that the hoof is not a solid object. It is made of a networked system of interlaced tubules (known as lamina). These tubules can be observed easily, and I refer to them as we talk about "orientation of growth". (Which means the basic angle the hoof is growing at.)
This horse has a tendency towards a *genetic* club foot.
With proper management, he is sound and moves quite well.
A good look at the arrows, and you can see what direction
his feet *want* to grow in. The one in the forefront is more up
and down. The one in the back is much more forward. Still not
under the bony column, and not the best direction to grow in.
Over time, that background foot came much more up under
the horse, and supported his body better.

Next, contained within the outer hoof wall and under the sole are some delicate structures. Wait- delicate might be misleading here. Let's say instead that the structures *can be compromised by improper hoof care, thus MAKING them more delicate and susceptible to injury*. Two of these structures are topics of great debate: the coffin bone and it's position relative to the ground, and the Navicular bone. The components inside the hoof capsule are what actually keep your horse sound- so keeping those healthy (with proper diet, exercise, and PROPER hoof care) is crucial.

Below are three feet. Each of those feet (sole view) is of a Thoroughbred. Look closely at the heels in particular. Two of them have beautiful heels. One *could*, but needs his heels addressed much differently than they have been in the recent past.





Two of these Thoroughbreds are off the track. (You know-- those off track Thoroughbreds can NEVER go barefoot....*snork*...)

What do you see?

Since this post is a bit of a review, but also geared towards folks with questions, take a look at the images and let me know what you see, and what you have questions about.

You Can WHAT?

During the course of the day yesterday, I was treated to a tidbit that had me flabergasted, flumoxed, poleaxed, and laughing my derriere off by turns.

I heard that there is a person with magical abilities. (Specifically, X-RAY VISION!!)

I heard that this magical person can look at a young horse, and tell if they are going to develop Navicular Disease or not later in life.

Dey wuz serious abouddat?

Yeah- they WUZ serious abouddat.

Very very basically here kids, Navicular Syndrome is heel pain.
Navicular Disease is changes in the Navicular Bone. Which starts as heel pain.

BOTH ARE MAN MADE.
(If your hoof care provider does a piss poor job of caring for your horse's hooves, and does NOT address the heels properly, YES-- There Will Be Heel Pain.)

Period.

So Oh Ye of Magical Abilities, if you can look at a two year old and tell whether or not the horse will develop either of these issues later in life, and whether or not they should reproduce because of your magical finding, you are missing a Golden Opportunity to make a shit load of cash.

Just imagine.... all those equine vets with years and years of service.. of study devoted to the health and well being of horses... And all those hoof care providers who study endlessly, striving to become as educated as they possibly can on the equine hoof and limbs... Why, they're missing out on your infinite wisdom. Why should we study and learn, when all we might need to do is consult with you for a two minute evaluation? Why glory me- just THINK of all the time that could be saved.

Bless your heart you Magical Person you!

Yes, SarcastaWench is alive and well today at The Asylum. Blame it on two sick children, mass quantities of vomit, a headache from Hades, and the fact that today is Monday in all it's dubious glory.

May the Force be with us all. If it's true, and the old adage of "So Goes Monday, So Goes The Rest Of The Week,"... well.... y'all, bend over and kiss your butts goodbye. It's going to be one hell of a ride.

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.....

September 11, 2001- You Forgot, Didn't You?

On September 10, 2010, I sat on my front porch under the shade of the live oak. The mighty branches spread over my favorite spot, making a cool and peaceful setting for memories to unfold. Birds sang, cicadas buzzed and hummed, and butterflies danced from flower to flower in the lantana bed. My sons played in the warm sunshine, their laughter and conversations a salve to my soul.

A seemingly peaceful setting that belied the dark memories I could not help but be drawn back into. I can not tell you what I was doing on September 10, 2001. But I darn sure remember September 11, 2001. I know exactly where I was and what I was doing. I vividly recall the expressions on the face of the Gulf War Vet who told me the news. I can still hear his voice, shouting to his wife and I that we were under attack.

We- as in AMERICA- were being attacked.

The pain, determination to protect his loved ones, anger, and worry that crossed his face and in the tone of his voice will forever be burned into my memory - into the very fabric of my being.

I watched the events of the day unfold. I bore witness to America being forever changed. It is something I hope and pray to never see again.

I fear however, that we will.

In the years since, I've watched America go from standing strong and united, to a growing and dangerous complacency. There is a divide among Americans that boggles the mind. This divide worries me most of all-

Together we stand
Divided we fall.

In just nine short years, people have *willingly* forgotten the pain and outright rage of losing 3,000 innocent lives. How dare you? How dare you forget?

I was going to talk about the mosque that has been proposed to be built (within a years time mind you) at Ground Zero. While I think it is thoroughly disgusting and uncalled for, now is not the time to delve into that particular subject.

Instead, now is the time to remember those we lost. Pray for them. Pray for those they left behind. Pray for FDNY, NYPD, the NY Port Authority, and our troops- who still stand between US- that would be you, sitting in front of your computer in your bathrobe- and The Bad Guys.

Never forget, America. You're slipping- many of you are slipping. Wake up. Before it is too late, I beg of you to wake up.

Let us rouse the sleeping giant once again, and stand tall, strong, and united against all foes from with out and within.


Live Free Or Die, fellow Americans.

And never, ever forget.
Mrs Mom
III

Thoroughbred Hooves

Before we begin today's post on hooves- I'm giving advance warning.
Tomorrow, as many of us have not forgotten, is the ninth anniversary
of 9/11.
I will be doing my traditional memorial post,
and I am sure it will contain things that will offend some people.
If you choose to read,
Be offended,
and leave a nasty comment,
Be ready for my defense.

Now onto hooves. Today, we are graced with the hooves of an off track Thoroughbred gelding, kindly sent in by a reader.


This unmarked hoof shows a couple of interesting things.


Green line at heel: Shows where heel WANTS to grow
Orange arrow at heel: Shows where the horse is actually landing when he moves.
Blue joined line: shows what the hoof is doing now
Red line: shows what the hoof WANTS to do.

Again- first photo of this hoof is unmarked, so you can get a good look at things.


Again- starting at heel:
Blue line: Shows where the heel is currently growing
Red Line: Shows where heel WANTS to grow
Green Arrow: Shows where horse is landing as he moves
Orange line: Shows where hoof WANTS to grow.


Sole views will be in the next post.

How we'd treat this:
Reduce flare, and most of all TRIM HEEL. Leaving the heel longer like this is encouraging leverage to continue pushing the heel forward, thus encouraging the horse to continue to move oddly and uncomfortably.

The solar views of these hooves are quite revealing, and offer up an excellent reason why so many people believe Thoroughbreds can NOT go barefoot. (Which they can- but we'll get into that more when I post the sole views.)

Happy Friday everyone. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this!

For a Little Non-Horse-Related Fun......

While catching up on Local News, I happened across this tidbit.
WTOC News- Monster Gator

Alligator hunter captures monster gator

Posted: Sep 07, 2010 10:54 AM EDT

Source: Michael Lacey

Click image to enlarge

"ALBANY, GA (WALB) – An alligator hunter encountered a huge alligator Saturday in the creek near Cleve Cox Landing.

He not only survived the experience, but managed to take the gator as a prize.

And this one was no baby. It measured 11.5 feet, and weighed an estimated 500 pounds.

The reptile nearly filled the Jon boat as seen in the accompanying photo. The animal was captured the gator on the first day of Georgia's alligator hunting season.

Albany's Michael Lacey was on hand to document the event, and allowed us to use his photograph."

Awesome photos, Mr. Micheal Lacey!

Gators are a hot topic around here. This big brute was caught a couple hours to the west of us. So you'd think, "Oh- right. It's all good then, creatures of that size are no where near us."

And you'd be WRONG.

See, a half mile from where I sit typing this, runs a big river. That river is home to some Dayum Big GA Gators as well. In the 14' to 16' plus range. Seeing that 11' 5" fellow in the boat put things into perspective. I don't believe I'd ever like to meet one anywhere near that size.... ever.

I still want to see some gators- don't get me wrong. And I'd jump at the chance to handle a couple smaller ones. (Yes, yes I know. My insanity.. it's showing badly...) But something like the one above? Dude-- there isn't enough money in the world to pay me to get near that sucker. Ooooohhhh Noooo. (See, I'm not *that* insane. Yet.)


And people wonder why we all giggle a very evil giggle when we talk about "Gator Bait" down here..... Now ya understand a bit, doncha?

I Truly Have Not Evaporated! (It's still too humid for that..)

September has started off with a bang (literally- I've spent some time on the range too,) and we're neck deep in things like Scuppernong Grapes (yay! JELLY! Juicing these puppies- of which we got roughly 15 gallons of- begins in the morning, with jelly production to follow soon after.)

Fetching teeny tiny ponies out of trucks... (Tiny Pony was neck deep in the truck, seeing if the kids dropped her a juice pack, cookies, or anything useful for chasing her owners around.)


I've gotten Donkey Love, goatie love, all kinds of pony love.... (This jenny? Is My Favorite. I hear she might be a Mommy next year.... Going to be mighty tough not to bring that little baby home!)

And remember these feet? From this past Spring? (No, I still have yet to take any sole views of him... )
Same foot, just the other day. Timely trimming, taking what the foot is willing to give, and exercise and turn out with careful dietary management by his owner have done wonders for this handsome horse.

The fun rolls on at The Asylum. Fall is getting closer each passing day, putting August well behind us. Which is wonderful, as it means we'll literally be able to breathe easier and not sweat buckets. (You know, cause HORSES Sweat, Men Perspire, and Ladie's Glisten... *snork* Yeeeaahhhh--- NOT!! Obviously whomever quipped that was not southern.)


There is more happening, but right now I'm out of time to fill you all in on the details. Rest easy though- it's all good. Not spotted horse coming to live here good (yet-- s/he is still to be found)- but good none the less! Soon as I have an extra ten minutes to scratch out a post, I'll let you know the skinny~!

Happy Hoofin, and Happy Labor Day!
~MM

Attack of a DAT

Something has taken over my home. Yes, yes, I know- we live in "The Asylum", so expecting peace for any length of time is pretty much out of the question.

But.

Kitty Biscuits, aka: DAT, has been on a serious roll lately.

First, the target was Jo the Wonder Nanny Dog. Jo the Chicken in a Dog Suit. The old girl will never be the same again. See, it *used* to be that when I was at the computer, Jo was under the desk, sleeping on my feet.

Apparently, DAT is not satisfied with Jo's position, and decided to chase her out from the relative safety of my desk, onto the couch. We all learned that Jo is NOT faster than DAT. (Of course, JO weighs in at a healthy 70+ pounds. DAT? All of maybe seven pounds. All Jo needs to do is sit on the DAT and that should take care of things, right?)

Since DAT removed Jo from her way, SHE decided to move in under the desk. I've spent the past few days, battling a little silky soft body with pointy parts randomly wrapping around my feet and legs, scaring the snot out of me.

Now that the oppressive heat of August has passed (please Lord let it be GONE,) DAT has become more.. lively. (That's a nice way of saying she is a total SPAZ.) Walking across the kitchen floor? Doing dishes or cooking? Staggering to the head in the middle of the night? Yep-- expect an ambush from a little fuzzy menace.

Last night, as I was headed to the bedroom to tuck in the Locust Brothers, DAT ambushed me from behind a curtain. Making me jump and yelp loudly.

I swear- she was laughing. She likes to see how high she can make me jump.



She's never been one for sleeping in the bedroom with us. Once in a great while, she'd come in and tuck in with the Locust Brothers, but she didn't stay the entire night. So I felt relatively safe in bed, thinking it would be OK to sleep. And not worry about little things like being smothered in the deep of the night. Or, you know... getting my throat ripped out just because she *can*.

However, LAST night, that changed.

I had just gotten to bed. It was quite late- I'd been on the phone with a very good friend of ours, making sure her mare was OK. After hearing the good news, I quietly crept into bed, around the sleeping gas bag of a dog, and slid between the covers.

Just as I was dozing off.. I heard it. A soft "thump" from the bedside table on MY side of the bed. I opened one eye, and listened... and learned my worst night mare was coming true. DAT was in the room. On MY side of the bed. Sitting there. Staring at me.

I rolled over, and tried not to worry over much about it. "Great." I thought to myself. "Next thing we know, she'll slip onto my pillow and rip my face off."

Sure enough, in that half awake, half asleep stage, I felt it. My pillow moved- depressing ever so slightly under the weight of one tiny (insane) kitty.

The DAT was on the bed. On MY pillow.

I. Was. Terrified.


OK so technically, at that point in time, I didn't *really* fear for my life. That came about ten minutes later, when I got up to adjust the speed of the ceiling fan. DAT took out her ire on me for disturbing her beauty rest by reaching out and smacking my thigh. Little snot used her claws too.

And *technically* I had booted her from my pillow to the foot of the bed, with growled threats of kitty DAT DEATH should she attempt to mess with me in the night. All night long though, I was acutely aware of her location. Every time I moved, in fact.

I'm walking with bit of a limp today, thanks to a sore right foot. Courtesy of DAT letting me know she did not appreciate my middle of the night movements.

Fricken cat. Which one of you guys said we were DOOMED? Funder? Shirley? Oh-- wait-- Funder said we had arrived, as we'd been CHOSEN by a cat. We have not been "chosen" so much as we've been TARGETED lately!!

Lord Above Save Us All, From The Insanity That Is A DAT!!