Lame Pony - Info Needed On Frog

[guylucy1]

Dear Farriers, I am a first time poster and have a question regarding a pon'y hoof. The pony has had its hooves clipped (not by a farrier) such that its frog is flat to the ground i.e. it is level with the hoof. Is this correct or would this be the cause of the pony's lameness?

hope you can help.

regards,

Lucy

[Forgewizard]

Lucy,
Welcome to the community!

regarding the frog flat on the ground issue. There is more to consider than just the frog's contact with the ground when assessing lameness issues.

While frog contact and compression is generally a good thing in order to keep a hoof healthy, there is such a thing as TOO much frog pressure.

In general if you look at the bottom of the hoof and you can see a slight cup tot eh overall shape then the hoof is relatively welll formed. If looking at the bottom (solar view) and the hoof appears flattened, then this is NOT a healthy hoof.

The frog itself should appear plump and have good depth to it. There should be a definite elongated dimple in the middle of it. This dimple should be just that - a dimple - not a crevice or a crease. If there is NO dimple then the frog is said to be prolapsed. The flattening comes from the frog being squashed from too much pressure - usually seen on hooves that are very flared or long toed with run forward heels.

If the center of the frog has a deep crease or crevice this usually means the frog is contracted because the hoof is contracted and is too narrow in the heels. A crevice usually indicates a long standing issue with thrush.

If you could post photos of the hoof in question we could better advise what we are seeing and offer some tips or helpful suggestions.

While a contracted frog is unhealthy because the frog isn't getting enough stimulation or compression to properly aid in internal circulation, a squashed frog can be just as unhealthy as well as painful.

While many people think that hoof work is not "rocket science" there is definitely FARRIER SCIENCE involved in properly maintianing a healthy hoof! This maintenance involves teamwork between the horse owner AND the farrier and the vet.

There is much more to trimming a hoof properly than just whacking off the extra growth.

[calshoer]

Pictures would help more.
The frog should be on the ground, level with the bottom of the heels of the foot. Not sticking out past the hoof, just level with it.

You say the hooves were trimmed by a non farrier, who? the owner, a seller, or a professional hoof trimmer?
If the pony was not lame before the trim,and got lame immediatly after, then something is wrong.
Or was the pony already lame and is just a little worse now? Is he lame in all 4 feet or just one?
Is he fat, cresty necked, or old? Does he have very curly hair ? (all possible signs of a syndrome that can cause laminitis /founder)
Have you owned him a long time or did you just get him?
Did it have some kind of hoof deformity before the trim which was agressively corrected in the trim ?

If the pony was fine before and is now lame just after the trim , it is possible the rest of the hoof was trimmed too short, or at the wrong angle, or there is some underlying problem that needed to be addressed differently and wasn't(like founder or a hoof abscess)
More is needed to help you better . More history and really close up pictures of the feet. Including a picture of the whole pony.
Patty