New Photos & Marjorie Smith

Today I have taken new photos using my old video camera which has a data card in it. They are ok but not close enough or detailed enough for my liking. However at this stage I have no choice. They have a tendency to being a bit warped & fish eye lens like also. Comparing 2 or more photos of the same foot will give a better idea of it's true shape.

I have started also making sub-albums in my photobucket acount & in furture you will find a few shots here & the rest in a sub-album which I will link to in my post here. Today's full set of photos can be found at:-
 www.photobucket.com/BBB_May2012  I've confirmed that link so I hope it still works for you later.

Here are just a few shots from today while you can find the rest in the sub-album linked above. I will point out at this stage that last week I began using Marjorie Smith's founder trim which involves taking the toe back to the white line as a straight across rasping, then rounding the corners off. I did that on all 4 feet although maybe not to the extent that she might do it. I am inclined to be a bit tentative when rasping to the white line these days having so little hoof to work with. She also advises to let the heels grow a bit but I'm having real trouble with this as they still want to run under really bad. My thinking on this is that because the new hoof is still only grown down 1inch, there is still a lot of 'pull' on the heels from the upper front structures behind the coronet band. Not sure I can put that any clearer & probably doesn't make a lot of sense. She writes about that problem quite well in her Founder Chapter. http://www.barefoothorse.com/index.html

In one photo in the album you will notice the 'flare' that MS talks about which is the new hoof growing down from the coronet at a steeper angle because the structures behind that new part are properly connected which holds the front of the hoof in where it should be & not running forward filling with lamella wedge as can be seen on the old toes.

I have been able to get this new hoof growing in several times before but it gets half way down & disappears much to my dismay. I know I need to do something different regarding the trim at this point in the growth to prevent the structures falling apart as they grow down. That is the knowledge I down't have. Perhaps it's purely nutritional as Jenny Paterson says.

here are her details for your interest:-
Jenny Paterson B.Sc

Horsemanship NZ Ltd
P O Box 685, Rangiora 7440, North Canterbury NZ
Ph +64 3 312 0377
Fax +64 3 312 0371
Mob +64 27 241 7215
E-mail horsemanshipnz@xtra.co.nz
Horsemanship website: http://www.horsemanshipnz.com/
Nutrition Website: http://www.calmhealthyhorses.co.nz/

Today the weather was excellent with the grass dry, so halfway through his 6hr stall rest without boots, I took him walkies for a pee. Then I took his boots off(I put them on so he can go walkies)& took the photos of his feet then did a little play sesion with him. The grass in the photo of him above is growing over the same gravel as can be seen elsewhere & there is no fear of getting dirt in the hoof. Also it is a good footing for stimulating his feet. It was about 10-15mins worth which I would say is enough & won't happen every day for a while yet. I don't want to bruise the inside structures. But on good days such as this one I will try to walk him around a bit halfway through his 6hrs in his shelter. I will endeavour over time to extend the play time but it has to be only in this one area plus the driveway which you can see through the electric tape as the rest of the property is all dirt. Once the new hoof has grown right down & is sound without abscesses & holes he will be able to walk on dirt again unbooted according to the vet.