On 28/11/2007, Judy Ryder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > What impact do the shoes have on the hoof that would make the horse manifest > problems without them?
Contracted heels. Because of the contracted heel, the frog isn't able to work at it's optimum job which is a shock absorber and a pump for blood. Because the blood flow is constricted, often hoof growth is extremely slow, so it's difficult to actually get the heels to spread properly in the normal three month off period. Also, if the blood flow continues to be constricted, the hoof quality can suffer, and over time become chalky and weak. (Hreggur had pockets in his hoof wall that gradually grew out, but they were caused from the odd bits of laminae giving way here and there throughout his foot.) Since the frog isn't allowed to act as a shock absorber, all kinds of trouble can develop from the hoof on up. It would be like running on a hard surface in your running shoes one day and having to run the same course the next day in your tightest hard soled shoes. The frog and hoof rim also provide secure footing. Once last summer, one of the members of the driving club had his team shod and when he went down a grassy slope, the team slipped on the grass. All the other horses breezed over that hill....the ones that had an easy time of it were all barefoot that day. Wanda
