Zoe's Story

Tuesday 27 January 2015

8. Flicka's Journey - The Second Trim

  Flicka arrived at Windy Coulee in November 2014. She has a long journey of recovery ahead. She was fit and healthy in 2011 this is her story.

December 20th, 2014 - Bob Laye, our hoof care specialist, arrives in the afternoon to trim some of the horses; he works on Flicka first. Bob takes his time with this second trim, and explains everything he is doing and why.
Bob checking the angle of the hoof before getting to work.

I hope I can capture all of it.  He taps the outside of both front feet, the sound reverberates in the same way it would from tapping a hollow bowl.  It echoes the way it you would expect coming from unhealthy hooves with separated walls.  A much lighter sound than one coming from solid, healthy hooves. 
 
He continues and thoroughly removes dead material, projecting the angle the new hoof is growing in, and puts the bevel under the toe to match the angle of the new hoof. Check out the video with explanation, I have never seen an example so clearly demonstrated.





I ask Bob to walk Flicka, so I can video the progress.  Progress it is; I would not have dreamed she would be walking this way after only a month.  With the proper trim, the angle of the hoof aids in the restoration of a proper hoof.  Simply said, a properly trimmed hoof prevents the hoof from flaring, stop the flaring, the wall will stop separating and a new, healthy hoof can grow in. 

Bob notes “I never remove sole from a barefoot horse, however, this pony is an extreme case due to lack of trims in the past, and I was able to remove alot of dead, excess material.  You have to have a thorough understanding of the internal structure when you do this, because you still need to leave adequate protection under the coffin bone.  You have to start over with the foot when it is this overgrown.”  There is still enough thickness to protect the internal structure of the hoof.





 
Bob pointed out that one of the pony’s hips stays higher than the other when she is walking, her back is probably quite misaligned.  I make a mental note to call the horse chiropractor and get an appointment as soon as I can.

Flicka returns to the herd.  Happy and getting healthier, I swear her neck is not as thick and hard as it was a month ago. In 6 or so months, the entire new hoof, healthy with wall attached to the sole will have grown in. She will have lost excess fat, gained muscle and tone.  By then she should be in training with a bright future ahead of her.  I can not wait.

copyright 2015  Windy Coulee Canadian Horses - Heidi Eijgel

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