Therapeutic Shoeing:
It
goes without saying that for any therapeutic bodywork to be effective,
the feet must be correct. They must be balanced dynamically (meaning
that when a horse moves, the feet land flat in a way that supports the
bony column of the leg and hence the entire horse). This is sometimes
difficult for even an experienced eye to see, and that is where the stop
frame video evaluation is so helpful.It gives us a tool to evaluate
movement at any given point in the stride to isolate where and which
muscle groups are causing the problem. Balance around the bio-mechanical
centers of rotation is also critical to prevent a cascade of other
deleterious changes to the horse structure (compensatory lameness').
Usually, I prefer to work with the existing farrier to correct foot
issues that are having an adverse impact on the structure and function
of the horse. Ongoing maintenance is usually easier and less costly with
your regular farrier.
Following are articles from various sources related to shoeing and trimming. Some are links to active websites, which you may reach by clicking on the title or website link; some are downloadable pdf documents you may print and use to help your horse. If you need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the document, you may download it for free at Adobe.
Landmarks for Evaluating, Trimming, and Shoeing the Equine Foot - From many horse owners' point of view, the farrier's profession throws out a lot of confusing terms and directives when it comes to balancing a foot... (a downloadable pdf document or an active website, TheHorse.com)
Hoof Care - The Hoof Point: A Simple Solution to a Crippling Problem
- Have you ever wondered why, in spite of bodywork, veterinarian visits, x-rays, other diagnostics, and regular hoof care, your horse still seems mysteriously lame, or lacks power, balance, and/or comfort in the front end and/or the hindquarters? ... (a downloadable pdf document or an active website, TheHorseMechanic.com)
Buzz Words and Brainstorms to Decode Duckett's Dot - The internal structures of the horse's foot enable it to function and maintain balance. If the foot is not trimmed according to a plan that will coordinate the external reference points as defined by Duckett, the internal structures cannot function properly...
(a downloadable pdf document or an active website, HorseShoes.com)