VIP Membership content
Join me as I share with you a video recorded while trimming an Welsh Section D cob called Sandy, who has arthritis in his stifles and Equine Cushing Disease (PPID).
At the time of recording this video (winter 2022) Sandy was living out 24/7 in moorland conditions in Scotland, after snow and ice. Previously he was trimmed for many years in manner which resulted in a low palmar and plantar P3 angle.
This trim style, common throughout the UK includes trimming the heels back and down to the widest part of the frog and removing wall distortions (flare) thus weakening the capsule and leading to pathological hoof morphology, which means the morphology (form and function) of the hoof capsule is associated with the development of pathology (disease).
Pathological hoof morphology is also associated with the development of pathological posture (and visa versa).
Sandys hoof morphology before rehab could be described as having:
* a long toe, low heel appearance - which is more accurately a unhealthy base proportion of more than 60:40 toe:heel and this is more accurately identified as a low palmar (front hoof) and plantar (hind hoof) P3 (pedal bone) angle
* a lack of alignment of the phalanges (long pastern, short pastern and pedal bone, or P1, P2 and P3) which HoofmApp can help identify and can be confirmed by radiographs
* wall distortions (flare) which are often removed by trimming the capsule from the top. In this case they were both mechanical due to the unhealthy hoof morphology and low palmar and plantar P3 angle and metabolic (most likely caused by raised cortisol from pain arguably from compensatory posture/development and also the underlying PPID)
* bar and frog distortions
* chronic frog infections due to the atrophy of the frog from too much ground pressure and lack of healthy development of the frog, digital cushion and lack of depth overall
* unhealthy wall to sole connection and stretched white line
* bruises visible in the wall from trauma to the dermis
* chronic raised digital pulse and heat from chronic inflammation in the hooves
* a thin sole
* shelly, thin and unhealthy inner and outer wall
* a thick over developed periople and chronic hoof cracks
* lack of colour (pigmentation) in the sole from damage to the dermis
In this short video you will observe:
1. How I handle and trim a compromised horse with compensatory development and posture
2. How I use my trimming tools effectively compromising compromising the horses comfort
3. How I respond to the horses request for a rest
4. How I trim to promote healthy hoof morphology, and appropriate phalangeal alignment
Now (2023) Sandy has much healthier hooves and typically shows no evidence of arthritis or Equine Cushings disease and both his hoof morphology and posture are well above average and for horses we typically see in the UK. Needless to say, his owner is very happy!