Managing White Line Disease

By Travis D. Burns, CJF, TE, EE, FWCF and Lauren Trager, DVM

White line disease (WLD) is a pathology that has long frustrated farriers, veterinarians, owners, and other members of the equine profession.

Fig. 1 – Cases of WLD are often first noticed by farriers during routine trimming/shoeing visits. An area of separation in the hoof wall that is filled with dirt/debris is noted.

WLD is described as a progressive hoof wall separation originating at the solar surface of the hoof and migrating proximally. It is thought to be the result of opportunistic keratinopathogenic organisms invading the non-pigmented stratum medium. The separation does not affect the stratum internum or dermal tissues.

Historically, WLD has been referred to by many other terms, including seedy toe, hollow hoof, hoof rot, onychomycosis, etc. Even though “white line disease” has become the commonly utilized term for this disease, it is a misnomer as the disease process does not actually affect the white line of the horse’s hoof capsule. Therefore it is this author’s opinion that the equine community should begin to use the term “white zone disease” or another term that describes the anatomy affected (non-pigmented stratum medium/white zone).

The cause of WLD has long been debated. Although several theories have been described, none have been proven. The current theory of WLD etiology as described by O’Grady, Moyer and others is that opportunistic, keratinopathogenic microorganisms invade the non-pigmented stratum medium of the hoof wall following an initial separation caused by a mechanical stress or weakness, trauma, abnormal or excessive moisture exposure, or some combination. 1,2 These organisms degrade the keratin in the hoof wall exacerbating the separation. Furthermore, dirt and debris typically fill the separation, acting as a mechanical wedge forcing the wall apart.

Although WLD has been reported all over the world in many different environments, the highest incidence of WLD appears to be in areas with exposure to high moisture/humidity. It affects horses of all ages, breeds, sex, and type. Many factors appear to predispose horses to WLD that include but are not limited to: poor environment, repetitive cycling of the hoof from wet to dry conditions, various hoof wall distortions, flexural limb deformities, chronic laminitis and weak/brittle hoof walls resulting from genetic or nutritional abnormalities.

Cases of WLD are often first noticed by farriers during routine trimming/shoeing visits. An area of separation in the hoof wall that is filled with dirt/debris is noted (Fig. 1). When removing the dirt/debris with a hoof knife or curette, an area of undermined hoof of varying degree is revealed. After the dirt/debris is removed, portions of white/grey powder like hoof wall are typically seen before reaching a healthy margin. There can be rather large areas of separation filled with dirt/debris despite maintaining a healthy appearance of the outer hoof wall (Fig. 2).

Lameness is usually only noted when extensive separation has occurred, resulting in an instability of the distal phalanx within the hoof capsule (Fig 3). Many cases of WLD are treated/managed by farriers during routine visits. Farriers should be encouraged to debride small areas of separation to a healthy margin whenever possible. If areas of separation are to be covered by a horse shoe they should first be packed with an antiseptic packing. The preferred packing of the Equine Podiatry Service (EPS) at the Virginia Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (VMCVM) is a mixture of oakum, venice turpentine and copper sulfate (Figs 4 & 5).

For barefoot horses with small separations, affected portions of hoof wall should be removed to prevent mechanical prying on the affected area as well as to prevent further packing of dirt/debris while allowing the owner to clean and treat the area (Fig 6).

Areas of separation that are extensive, expand, or do not resolve should be managed by a team consisting of a veterinarian and a farrier.

Radiographs, specifically 0° lateromedial and 0° dorsopalmar, should be used to identify the extent of the separation and to guide trimming/shoeing. The principles of treatment are to resect the affected hoof wall and debride to as healthy of a margin as possible (exposes the area to UV light and air), stabilize the hoof capsule, recruit the sole and frog for load sharing, and remove predisposing factors (environment, excess leverage, etc.).

To resect the hoof wall a combination of half round nippers, hoof knives, loop knives, and motorized rotary tools (Dremelb) are used. Carbide cross cut burrsc are useful to prevent dust and heat buildup (Fig 7).

Following resection many topical products can be applied to further disinfect and dry the hoof. The preferred topical treatment at the VMCVM is 7% tincture of iodine. It is important to note that all topical treatments are of little to no value when there is insufficient debridement. Figures 8, 9, & 10 show a sequence of debridement prior to topical treatment.

If there is enough healthy hoof wall remaining a shoe should be applied.

For areas of small resections a normal shoe can be applied. For larger more extensive resections, utilizing a shoe/setup to spread load away from the wall onto the sole and frog and to support the distal phalanx within the hoof capsule should be used. Such shoe/setups include but are not limited to heart bars, heel plates with impression material, Equi-Pakd, and frog pads. When there is not enough hoof wall to safely and securely attach a shoe with nails, a glue on shoe can be applied. It is important to note that affected areas should not be covered with adhesive (Fig. 11). Ultimately, if there is not enough healthy wall to attach a shoe the foot should be bandaged or placed into boots until there is sufficient wall to nail or glue to.

In conclusion, horses being treated for WLD should be kept in a clean and dry environment with minimal variations in moisture level. The hooves should be cleaned out and treated at least once daily. They should be rechecked by the vet/farrier team at 4 week intervals for continued debridement and to monitor the hooves for appropriate growth.


This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 16, Issue 4 . For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

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Tool Corner: Tips for More Efficient Creasing

by Roy Bloom, CJF APF-I

Is the shoe creased or fullered? I use the term crease if the bottom of the groove is sharp or V shaped. If the bottom is flat I consider it fullered. Call it what you want, there are two reasons to crease.

1.  To allow access to the nails for easy removal.
2.  To produce an area where dirt can collect and produce traction
.


A creaser replaces the forepunch that is used for plain stamped shoes. The crease follows the same positioning pattern of the forepunched nail holes (figure 1). The first nail hole is generally in the middle of the stock if you are using 3/4″ stock and gradually moves to the outside of center when it reaches the last nail hole.

There are many details to address when creasing.

The inside angle of the crease is more upright than the outside angle. The width of this crease should match the nail you are creasing for (figure 2). Because of the difference in inside and outside angles and the fact that the crease runs to the outside of center, there is a significant amount of distortion to the branch.

If the creaser is simply driven into the steel there is no way to fix the distortion (figure 3). As the creaser is driven in, the outside angle pushes the material down and away with little resistance. The inside angle is steeper, it cuts down but meets resistance from more stock and pushes material up and in. If you run the hammer down the outside edge to push the distortion in you simply close up the crease. If you run the crease again you end up with the same distortion. You must first put extra material where the crease will be. This is called hemming or knocking up the branch. The edge is hammered at the opposite angle of the outside angle of the creaser (figure 4). The outside angle of your creaser is the angle the edge should be hammered. Angle it all the way across the edge of the branch.

After hemming you will be ready to crease.

Before you start you need to look at your creaser. There should be no sharp edges on the creaser. Sharp edges cause coldshuts and cracking of the bottom of the crease. The creaser needs to flow when you are working it and sharp edges will cause the creaser to stick. Even the bottom edge of the creaser should have a slight radius (figure 5).

Once you’ve hemmed and made certain of your creaser edges you should be ready to crease. Starting from the heel or the toe, depending on the branch you start with, the creaser should be struck in the center of the head. Some have a tendency to lean the creaser away to be able to see better or to produce a straighter angle on the inside. If you do this you still need to make sure you strike the tool in the center. Striking the inside edge of the head will cause the inside edge to mushroom and even break. It can also cause the cutting edge of the tool to curl.

You can begin by making a marking run. You can then start the actual creasing. Once the creaser is struck, pick up the handle, pull and slide to the next position. Overlap your positions, pulling the creaser until the center of the tool is over the end of the previous impression. Continue until the desired length is reached. The depth of the crease will be determined by the nail you will be using.

You should now run your hammer down the back edge of the branch. Then take a good flattening run down the foot surface of the branch. You can now make another run through the crease to clean it up.

Summary

1. Prepare your creaser before you begin (no sharp edges).
2. Do your hemming of the branch.
3. Make a quick run to mark your crease.
4. Crease.
5. Lightly hammer back edge.
6. Make flattening run.
7. Do your clean up run through the crease.

This Tool Corner is from The Natural Angle Volume 2, Issue 1 – written by Roy Bloom, CJF APF-I. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.


PhotoELF Edits: 2013:10:30 --- Saved as: 24-Bit JPEG (EXIF) Format 98 % --- batch crop --- crop

Roy Bloom CJF APF-I has been shoeing horses since 1973. He has been a member of the American Farrier’s Team on two different occasions and for many years served as the manager of the team.Roy has always been willing to share the extensive knowledge he’s gained over the years with members of the farrier industry. In addition to his farrier background, he developed a strong interest in blacksmithing and tool making and for many years has been manufacturing a broad range of farrier and blacksmith tools. He also has a fully equipped shop and the ability to do a wide variety of ornamental and artistic work. Roy’s work as a clinician has earned him the Educator of the Year Award from the AFA and a position in the Horseshoer’s Hall of Fame.

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Venous Plexus Engagement with Frog Support Illustrated with CAD

By Austin Edens, CJF

Shoeing with frog support has gained traction in the past few years with its primary benefit for caudal support of the hoof capsule. We have many tools at our disposal to combat caudal failure in the hoof capsule, such as heart bars, frog-support pads, DIM, pour-ins, etc. Anecdotally, I often observe an extra amount of hoof growth after applying these measures. This accelerated growth can be explained by the additional frog support increasing engagement of the venous plexus in the caudal region of the hoof.

Horses evolved with the frog as a weight-bearing structure. On a barefoot hoof, the frog synchronously engages the ground with the heels during the loading phase of the stride. One negative effect of shoeing horses with a regular shoe is that the frog of a shod hoof bears less weight and has less ground contact than its barefoot counterpart. For the vast majority of horses, this slight decrease in frog function has a negligible effect on the health of the foot. However, there is a substantial portion of the sport horse population that experience caudal collapse of the structures that are vital for nurturing blood flow in the venous plexus. These compromised feet can benefit from the additional frog and caudal support by increasing blood flow via the venous plexus and its supporting structures of the hoof capsule.

PHOTO 1 – UNSHOD HOOF: The load of the bony column (red arrows) colliding with the ground reaction forces (green arrows), and creating outward pressure on the heels (yellow arrows) due to the increased hydraulic pressure of the caudal region. On a barefoot hoof, compression of the frog and digital cushion initiate simultaneously with the heels when contacting the ground, thus maximizing the hemodynamic function of the venous plexus.

PHOTO 2 – SHOD HOOF WITH A REGULAR SHOE: The load of the bony column (red arrows) shearing against the ground reaction forces (green arrows), and creating inward and forward pressure on the heels (yellow arrows) due to the higher GRF on the heels. There is a delayed and reduced GRF on the frog and digital cushion.

PHOTO 3 – SHOD HOOF WITH A WELD-IN FROG PLATE: A weld-in frog plate on a Kerckhaert DF with FootPro™ DIM 20 is one of my go-tos for increasing caudal support and optimizing venous plexus function.

PHOTO 4 – SHOD HOOF WITH FROG SUPPORT (HEART BAR): This is the best of both worlds. The foot has the protection and support of a shod foot and the hemodynamic function of the venous plexus of a barefoot hoof.

PHOTO 5 – CAUDAL CROSS-SECTION: Caudal cross-section view with digital cushion and collateral cartilages.

PHOTO 6 – LOADING FORCES ON AN UNSHOD FOOT: Caudal cross-section view of loading forces on an unshod foot. Compression of the frog and digital cushion push against the collateral cartilages to pump blood up through the venous plexus.

PHOTO 7 – LOADING FORCES ON FOOT WITH A REGULAR SHOE: Caudal cross-section view of loading forces of a foot with a regular shoe. Some frog and digital cushion compression is lost due to less GRF on its palmar structures.

PHOTO 8 – LOADING FORCES ON A FOOT WITH A HEART BAR SHOE: Caudal cross-section view of loading forces of a foot with a heart bar shoe. Frog and digital cushion compression is restored on a shod foot with the addition of frog support (heart bar).


This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 19, Issue 2. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

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PROPER INSTALLATION OF SOLID CARBIDE STUDS

FOLLOWING THESE SIMPLE TIPS WILL ENSURE SAFE INSTALLATION.


RECOMMENDED TOOLS:

  • Bloom C13 Stud Set Punch
  • FootPro 2 lb. Brass Hammer
  • Bellota Center Punch
  • Annealed Steel Hammer
  • Bloom C11 Stud Set Punch
  • C11 and C13 Studs
  • 17/64″ Drill Bit
  • FootPro 17/64″ Countersink Bit

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Sheared Heels or Heel Shear?

By Dave Farley, CF APF-I

In this article, I will show you how I shoe a horse with a mild heel shear. In future articles, we will deal with the two severe stages that I call sheared heels. I will not attempt to diagnose the cause of this condition, which is explained in several great textbooks. Instead, I will shoe the horse just as I do in my everyday practice.

Most textbooks describe this condition as one heel being higher than the other, when viewed from the back of the foot. If you are a farrier, you see this condition often and each of us have our own way of dealing with sheared heals. In my business, I try to deal with the heel shear before it becomes a sheared heel. I personally believe that there are three stages of this condition. I approach each stage of this foot fault a little differently.

This case is what I call a mild heel shear. Notice that the inside heel is higher than the outside (see photo above). I consider this mild because the frog is still attached. If you hold the foot with both hands the heels will not separate and move independently. Also, notice that the bulb has little deformity when the foot is bearing weight and viewed from the rear. Most feet with this mild condition will not show any lameness or gait fault. I believe that feet should be as close as possible to the center of the limb above it. Notice that the wall of the high heel is straighter and does not have a normal angle. I take this into consideration when I fit the shoe.

I trim to the highest, widest part of the frog. I use a #2 Kerckhaert Grand Prix shoe. This shoe has a wide outside branch that helps horses with stiff and/or rotating hocks that need more lateral support. Using this shoe, I hammer and/or grind the inside branch. This takes away more medial ground surface of the shoe allowing the affected heel to sink more than the outside or lateral heel.

Notice the inside (medial) fit of the shoe. If you have a horse with this mild condition, and your approach is similar, this heel shear probably will never become a sheared heel. This horse is sound, happy and a ten mover.


This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 11, Issue 3 . For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

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Getting the Sharper Edge

By Roy Bloom, CJF APF-I

The following is a method for knife sharpening that I have been using for some years. You may be able to use this method to improve your knife’s cutting ability.

It is important that you maintain a thin blade. The thicker the blade, the larger the bevel at the cutting edge. If the blade is thick, you have to use too much pressure to pull the blade through the cut; the thinner the better. A fine bevel is easier to maintain and offers less resistance, allowing the knife to cut easily. Pay attention to the size of the bevel on a brand new knife and try to maintain that size throughout the life of the knife. As you sharpen and use your knife, the width will decrease and as it decreases the edge will thicken. The blade will need to be thinned.

In the photo to the right, I am thinning the blade. I have taken a belt and cut it about 1/2″ in width. You can do this with any belt. Cut the back with a razor blade about 4″ and carefully

tear the rest. With the edge pointing up, so you can see the bevel and not get too thin, grind the knife to the desired thickness. Don’t let the blade get hot. If you see any color you have gone too far, too hot. Keep the blade cool by dipping in water after every couple passes. Use a new belt if possible, 100 or 120 grit. A new belt will cut quickly and the dipping of the knife in water will not allow the blade to heat up.

If your blade’s width gets down to 1/4″ throw it away. When the blade gets that thin it can break easily and that’s when you find it in your leg or wrist.

Now that I’ve thinned down the blade I need to establish the bevel. Photo (2) shows different makes of diamond hones. You want one that fits the hook size of your knife. Work the bevel into the hook (photo 3) and then the blade (photo 4). Some knives are made of a soft enough material that a small rat tail or triangle file can be used. Using files is good for serious roughing in but it produces a serrated edge, which is not desirable. If you start with a diamond hone you may never need a file.

Now that the bevel is established I go to the Scotchbrite wheel. This is a medium grit Scotchbrite. I have found this to be best for cutting quality. In photo (5) I am cutting a groove in the edge of the wheel. I have braced a rat tail file to cut the groove. The groove will allow me to thin and sharpen the hook. Using the Scotchbrite wheel, I can polish the whole blade and the bevel. You want to maintain the angle of the bevel through all the stages so pay particular attention to how you hold the blade to the wheel. Make sure the edge is down, otherwise your knife may become a permanent fixture in your forehead. Start with the hook (photo 6) and sweep through the blade (photo 7), always maintaining the angle of the bevel.

Now for the final polish. I use a medium felt wheel (photo 8) with the same groove cut in its edge as I put in the Scotchbrite. Apply green rouge to the groove edge and face of the wheel (photo 9). Use the same method as on the Scotchbrite so you can maintain the bevel angle and make as many passes as necessary to polish the edge (photos 10, 11).

Once you have achieved sharpness with the felt wheel the edge should last a long time, assuming you are using your knife carefully and cleaning the hoof. When your knife becomes the least bit dull, touch it up on the felt wheel. You should not have to go through all these steps again until the bevel gets too large. When it does just repeat these steps.

Many of the suppliers carry the various wheels, tools and materials you need for sharpening knives. If your supplier doesn’t carry them have them contact Bloom Forge or FPD for info on where to get them.

This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 5, Issue 4. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

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Static & Dynamic Assessment

by Tim Shannon CJF, APF, AWCF, GradDip ELR

Overview
I would like to go over a couple terms we hear a lot. Static and dynamic balance. What do they mean, why are they important to us? Is one more important than the other? Is this something we need to fix? What are they and what do we do with them? Many questions. I would like to use this article to give them some definitions, why they are important, and how an understanding of them can help us come up with a better shoeing plan.

The simple definition is that we are assessing how force courses down the leg and puts load into the hoof. First is static balance, what we are assessing is the direction of force going into the foot as load when a horse is standing. Dynamic balance is an assessment of the change of direction of force going into the hoof as load when the horse moves through the stance phase.

Let’s call this a static and dynamic assessment rather than balance. Static assessment for the most part, gives us information on assessing a trim. Dynamic assessment for the most part, gives us information on shoe placement and shoe mechanics. Let’s take a closer look at each and see what we can do with the information.

Static Assessment
Static assessment is done with the horse standing square. I’m going to use the term vector. A vector is simply a straight line. A force vector has both direction and magnitude. A load is force exerted on a surface or body or in this case, the hoof. When we look at a static horse, we want to visualize the force vector coming down the leg and to see where this vector goes into the hoof. This tells us where the load is. Ideally it should be centered into the foot, medial/laterally (M/L), and dorsal/palmar (D/P). But this will be complicated by various conformations, offset pastern (fig. 1a, b), and normal pastern (fig. 1c).

For M/L assessment look at the front of the leg, or dorsal view, and determine if the force vector is bisecting the hoof capsule. A T-square sighting method between the cannon bone and bottom of the hoof can also be used, although this will not work on the hind feet and is less accurate as conformational deviations of the limb increase.

fig. 2

For D/P assessment try to visualize the Hoof Pastern Alignment (HPA) (fig. 2). With this method we are trying to assess where P1, P2, and P3 are lined up. Our external markers of the pastern angle going into the hoof capsule can be helpful but are not always reliable. Flexor tension: contraction and laxity, and coffin bone shape can confound this assessment along with hoof capsule conformation/distortions.

When assessing the bony column look for toed-in toed-out, carpus valgus/varus. Base wide/narrow, cow-hocked, offset knees, fetlocks, and coffin joints. Along with various angular and rotational deviations in the long bones from the shoulder on down. This will help you to determine which direction the force vector is coming down the leg and entering the hoof capsule. We will use the information we gather from our static assessment to determine a trim plane. Think of these dotted lines as approximate force vectors, (fig. 3).

Evidence of a proper static load trim can be evaluated with radiographs. Equal joint spacing on the D/P view can be evidence of uniform load across the joints mediolaterally (fig. 4). It can also be subjectively assessed by looking at the hoof. The hoof is viscoelastic. This means it is resilient and shock absorbing, but it deforms over time. We see this in flares and dishing. We can use this information to assess how load goes into the foot over time. We can look at growth rings, the direction of the horn tubules, flaring, and heel growth and direction to help us fine tune our trim. Less distortion is usually letting you know you are on the right track to a proper trim for that particular hoof. Remember the most important trim is the next trim. Which is to say we use all the information we see to come up with a proper trim plane. Then we see how the hoof responds through the cycle. Then we reassess and do it all over again. That means when we come out to do the next trim in six weeks that will be the most important trim because we will be assessing the work we did today and fine tuning it to make it better the next time.

fig. 3

Dynamic Assessment
Dynamic assessment is done with the horse walking away and back towards yourself. What we are assessing is how the foot lands, which way the fetlock drops, and how the force vector courses through the joints during the stride. The variables that affect this assessment are angular deviations of the joints on flexion, rotational and angular deviations of the radius, cannon bone, pastern bones and the coffin bone. Assessed individually and taken as the whole limb (fig. 5 a,b,c).

Fetlock drop is one of the most important things to look at. The direction of the force vector is shown by the direction at which the fetlock drops to the ground. When this happens, it can be because at a D/P view the fetlock joint is not parallel to the ground. It is higher on one side than the other. This fetlock joint angle and/or offset between the cannon bone and P1 seems to be what gives the fetlock direction as to whether it is going to drop between the heel bulbs, or medially, or laterally to the heel bulbs (fig. 6a landing, 6b loaded). When this happens, it’s going to affect whether the foot is going to land flat or not. What happens as the leg is coming out of flexion and back into extension is that it is unfolding back into position. Evidence for this can be supported by radiographs that show even joint spacing even though the hoof is not landing flat. This uneven hoof landing can also be caused by a whole limb lateral rotation the whole leg is swinging back into place sideways, so it must land laterally first before the leg comes back underneath the body (fig. 5c). These are things we cannot change with a trim. Studies have shown chasing a flat landing on these types of limbs have not been beneficial for static loading even if they can get the horse to land flat. Some limbs line up well, and the hoof can land flat. If these feet are landing unevenly, we can trim them back to a flat landing. We always need to be aware of what we can and cannot change.

Turning static and dynamic assessment into a shoeing plan
Trim for alignment, shoe for mechanics. This is the best way I found to tie these two assessments together. We trim for alignment. Remember the hoof is viscoelastic, it is resilient but deforms over time. If we don’t have alignment correct the hoof will deform. We are not just shoeing for the hour or two a day the horse works or weekend rides. We must shoe for the whole cycle. If we can’t bring the foot in to good static alignment, we need to put something in the shoe to help it out. This usually comes in the form of a wedge for the D/P alignment, or low heel is what we commonly deal with. We can’t always leave enough heel to correct the HPA. We can also add a medial or lateral wedge as conditions warrant. We can make both these adjustments until the hoof capsule can hold a proper position on its own.

Now we need to build a shoe for mechanics. Here we combine our static and dynamic assessments. When a horse enters the stance phase, first contact with the ground, the direction of the force vector will enter the hoof going a direction, then move past its static position, then stay on this course until it reaches maximum load. It will then settle back into its static position as the horse stops moving. This track will range around its static position based on its conformation, weight, footing, and speed. This force vector can be vertical or oblique. This becomes more important as the stride cycles increase. This will be noticed in any type of performance horse that is working regularly. The more stride cycles there are, combined with a force vector producing load in the hoof at different angles will increase deformation.

Don’t forget that a shoe has two interfaces. One on the hoof side, one on the ground side. For the horses that are landing on the outside and rolling into static alignment, we can help them with a lateral roll. This lateral roll will help on the ground side. If we have a horse with a sheared heel, we can float the heel to help that out. This will help on the hoof side. For a horse with a long toe and a low heel where we need to shorten the lever in front of the toe within conformational limitations, we can set the shoe back or put a long roll into the shoe to get the break over point where we need in relation to the center of rotation of the coffin joint.

fig. 7

Practical application on an upright heel
Here is how both assessments will help me come up with a shoeing plan for an upright hoof. I look at the horse standing to determine if there’s any angular deviations that are going to cause load to not be centered in the hoof. Then I will walk the horse to see if there are any angular deviations in the joints that show up on flexion that would cause the force vector to course lateral to medial in the loading phase. Then I will walk the horse past me to see how much heel strike there is. I am using my dynamic assessment to help determine my D/P trim plane, I will trim enough heel so that the hoof is landing flat. When there is heel strike it indicates there is laxity in the flexor system, so I am safe taking the heel down to landing flat without putting tension in the flexor system while the horse is standing (fig. 7). I will use my static assessment to set my M/L trim plane. I will set my M/L trim so that the horn tubules in the dorsal section of the hoof wall are perpendicular to the ground. I have found this is a good starting point for this hoof conformation. I will now make and apply a shoe based on the center of rotation of the coffin joint with 50% in front and 50% behind the center of rotation (fig.8). This can be done with a rocker toe, rolled toe, or a set-back toe. Whatever is appropriate for the particular horse, ground surface, and usage. This will take the tension off the flexor system when the horse starts the break over period of the stance cycle. Too much tension at this point in the cycle can cause the toe of the hoof to dish.

fig. 8

What about when there is lameness or pathology?
When there is lameness or pathology the rules still apply. You just must adjust the weight given to each assessment. If protocol for a particular pathology includes stall-rest then more weight can be put in to changing static alignment to help without having to worry about harm caused by movement. For example, raising or lowering heels in a laminitis case or changing M/L alignment for a collateral ligament injury. Then once a horse moves into a rehab phase where there is more movement, the dynamic assessment comes back into play. The question that needs to be asked for each lameness, and shoeing cycle, during the lamness/rehab period is: will my adjustment of the static alignment cause more harm than benefit when this horse is moving? This of course will be a case-by-case assessment but by using this guideline each time will increase the chance of a proper recovery.

Summary
I have gone over the definitions of static and dynamic assessment. We know it is not static and dynamic balance, these are assessments used to find a trim plane and shoeing protocol. Static assessment mostly helps define trim plane. Dynamic assessment is mostly used to determine mechanics and placement of a horseshoe. We have gone over what a force vector is and how it differs from load. A force vector is a direction that force is going down the leg and is evidenced by the amount and direction of load going into the hoof.

Using these assessments appropriately we can determine a trim plane and a shoe protocol for a particular limb. The weight we give each assessment is going to be based on whether we’re working on a lame horse or a sound horse or a performance horse and the pathology, confirmation, and ground surface that are related.

Alignment is only achievable for a moment. What shoeing protocol we come up with is only good on the day we apply it. It starts changing immediately, leaving the parameters of alignment. How long it holds is limited by shoeing cycle, ground surface reaction, hoof growth, and the amount of loading cycles.

These assessments are something I use in my daily practice on every horse, on every limb, reassessing each time. I like to think of each shoeing protocol I come up with as a question that I’m asking the hoof. I’m going to come back in six weeks and see what answer the horse gives me. I will then come up with another question for the hoof, reassess and repeat. I will do this until the hoof tells me through minimal distortions, good sole depth, even growth, and a healthy frog, etc., that I asked the right question. Then, that becomes the trimming and shoeing protocol for that limb. Don’t forget that the hoof is the ultimate decision maker over what is correct.

This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 19, Issue 2. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

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FootPro Double Sided Bench Grinder Disc

If you do a lot of heel check grinds this is the attachment for you. It is also useful for notching pads for clips, beveling the inside web of shoes and touch up of clips. It has a 40-grit Ceramic abrasive that does an excellent and efficient job and is long lasting.

A couple quick notes important to mounting the disc properly. It has a 5/8″ arbor so it fits perfectly on grinder shafts of 5/8″. However, you need a spacer to keep it far enough from the housing to be able to tighten. That spacer will be ¾-1″ long for most grinders. Most importantly, it is directional, meaning you can only mount it properly going in one direction. There is an arrow on the label indicating the direction and it should match the direction your grinder shaft is turning. Be sure you check this before using it. If it is mounted in the wrong direction the disc will not work and will be damaged very quickly.

This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 18, Issue 4. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

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What Happens When Hoof Care is Neglected

In July of 2020, we had a horse come in the FootPro Shop that proved to be a good example of what can happen when hoof care is not done on a regular schedule.

Dave Farley, CF APF-I came to the shop to talk about the evaluation process he follows before shoeing his horses. It was obvious the feet had not been trimmed for some time, indicating no farrier had been scheduled to keep them in reasonable shape.


JULY 2020
Annabelle before trim.


Beyond the excessive growth, Dave could see immediately she had a problem with her right front that needed to be dealt with. The owner told Dave the horse had just popped an abscess a few days before coming to the shop. In examining the size of the break in the hoof wall, it seemed likely a considerable amount of wall undermined as the abscess worked its way up the wall. There were also indications the sole had been compromised, as well.

Dave was able to get the foot trimmed, treated with FootPro CS+ and a shoe applied, despite the discomfort the abscess caused. He recommended the owners ask their vet how to treat the open wound and to make sure to follow up with a local farrier. The abscess appeared to have been ongoing for some time to cause this amount of wall separation and the poor condition of the hooves indicated she had not had any recent farrier work done either. The question was whether that neglect would change.


JULY 2020


Fast forward to March of 2021. We contacted the owners to see if they would like to bring the horse back to the FootPro Shop to be shod by Hank Chisholm, CJF. We had no idea that she had not been done since July of 2020. You can imagine our surprise- and Hank’s- when she walked into the shop. You can see from the images that the wall had grown considerably in the months since she was in the shop but she had not received any farrier care and a large area of the lateral wall of the right foot was broken off. What was still there was undermined and significantly detached. The sole was also undermined and had cracks and separation that were going to require extra care. Hank wasn’t rattled, he just knew this was going to be a tedious shoeing job that was going to take some time to get things back on track.

We had no idea that she had not been done since July of 2020.

Have a look at the images from 2020 when the abscess first caused damage to the wall and the work Hank went through to get this horse back on a good path.

This may be a good article to share with your clients that don’t stick to a good schedule. Perhaps they’ll understand why it’s important for the health of the horse to work with you to get a reasonable schedule set up.


March 2021
Missing wall and lateral Toe quarter undermined.


We had Bobby Menker, CJF APF-I come to the shop for two follow-up shoeings on this horse after Hank got her on track for recovery. The hoof is almost completely grown back and in a cycle or two, she should be as good as new.

Let’s all hope the owners learned how important it is to keep a regular schedule for her hoof care, whether it’s just to be trimmed or to be shod.

The work that Dave, Hank and Bobby did is documented in video footage that you can see on our YouTube channel.


MARCH 2021


APRIL 2021
Hoof is growing down and a much smaller area requires the Adhere patch.


JUNE 2021
Very little patch needed to fill void in toe quarter.


This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 18, Issue 4. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.

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Clipping Shoes Using the Edge of the Anvil

by Roy Bloom, CJF APF-I

Let’s start with a few basic ideas on clips.

  1. In order for a clip to be effective it must have a stout base and taper to the tip.
  2. A rule of thumb; the clip should be proportionate to the stock. The width and height of the clip should be approximately the same as the width of the stock. This is not always true or necessary but it is a good target.
  3. The indentation made when producing the material for the clip should not go past the foot surface edge of the shoe.

The first step in drawing any clip is the production of the material for the clip, or making the bubble. There are a lot of different tools and methods to make the bubble, all a matter of personal preference. Ball peins, cross peins, custom ball peins or bobpunches are the most common. I’ve chosen a custom ball pein (clipping hammer) to use for this article.

The area chosen for the clip should be held over the edge of the anvil. There should be a small radius on the edge you choose, 1/8” or less, but be sure it is not a sharp edge. Hold the shoe at an angle over this edge with about 3/16” hanging over. If you hang less, you will not get enough material to draw the clip. If you hang more you will be getting too far into the branch and a lot of distortion to the branch or nail holes will result.

These photos were taken during a demonstration using a lead shoe. The lead is a good teaching device and acts very similar to hot steel.

Aim your hammer at the edge of the anvil and strike the shoe. Don’t glance the blow down the side of the anvil. This pulls the indentation too far down. Try to continue striking into the edge. Hammer control is necessary to achieve a clean indentation. If you hammer like lightning and never strike the same place twice, your shoe and indentation will look like some sort of storm took place. Continue the blows until the desired bubble is created. Your practice will indicate to you how much bubble you need for the clip you’re trying to draw.

Once you have your bubble, place the shoe on the anvil with the foot surface up and put the clip towards you. Hammer around the bubble to flatten the shoe. Having the bubble towards you allows you more control because you are using the area of the hammer face nearest you.

You are now ready to draw the clip, using the edge of the anvil. Position yourself at the heel of the anvil looking towards the horn. Position the shoe parallel with the edge and flat against the side of the anvil. The bubble area should be struck once or twice with the hammer parallel with the anvil face to set the clip. Then hold your hammer at a 45 degree angle so that the face is aiming at the edge. As the clip area is struck, the shoe is rotated away. This method leaves the face of the clip smooth and eliminates time cleaning up the outside surface of the clip.

Place the shoe on the anvil face and flatten. Flip the shoe and place the clip in the hardy hole. Pull the clip into the corner of the hardy hole and strike the shoe flat. Push the clip across to the opposite corner and strike a flat blow again. This sets your clip base.

Moving to the horn for your next step, place the shoe so that the area under the clip is solid against the horn and work the edge of the shoe. Make sure that the area you are working is always solid against the horn so that you don’t change the shape of the shoe. The final step would be to set the clip at the approximate angle of the hoof wall. This will make fitting much easier. You can dress the clip with a file or belt sander if you feel it necessary but your practice and hammer control will eventually minimize the need for any extra dressing of the clip.

This article is from The Natural Angle Volume 3, Issue 1. For more Natural Angle articles and tips, click here.


WATCH
“Drawing Clips Using a Bloom Cross Pein Hammer” with Roy Bloom, CJF APF-I

For more videos:
One More Method of Clipping Shoes
Clipping a Draft Shoe
Moving Clip Direction on Anvil

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