Like you I've tried differant ways of measuring through the years with limbs,measured differance between heels and matched it to differance between knees,measured growth on heels between shoeings and checked with points on leg or shoulder and can honestly tell you I'm not sure. I do agree with you about trying to normalize the heels on these feet and using pads and equipac to stablize the foot and leg,I only do this when there is considerable differance between feet and or limbs. As for the shoes I do roll or rocker toes and here lately applied roller motion(banana) shoe on the clubby-oh excuse me-the up right limb:D with good results so far.I personally always support the low foot and most of the time more concerned about that foot as well.I've gone with a heartbar with equipac from tongue back on these feet(depending on how bad the heels are i float them sometimes so I like something a little more rigid under there).I'm still a big fan of getting the breakover as close as you can as i believe it helps the whole horse over the long run but thats just me.As for me i go at these horses with helping or making the horse better over time. I try to stay away from fix.

centexferrier wrote:
I find this amazing, two completly different researchers , separated by time and space, utilizing the same research tecniques have come up with the exactly the same conclusion. I see the hand of God in this and Gods telling me theres gotta be a way to make a buck out of it. Honestly, I've put a lot of time and effort into not being sure and would like some return on it.

We might colaborate on a book or pamplet on our lack of conclusive findings. I'm thinking of a tenative title, "I'm not sure" and if there is enough intrest for a second volume" I'm still not sure". I'm open to suggestions.

I like the idea of the roller motion on the more upright digit. (another good term for clubfoot) In the days that I didn't find anything extraordinary about a horse that wore a #1 and a #00 on the front I would speed up the breakover on the low side and paremiter fit or even extend the toe on the stumpy foot. The idea being to even the stride. At the shoeing cycles I would always see a lot of wear at the toe, sometimes wearing the shoe nearly through so I started rockering the toe which seemed to work just as well so far as evenness of stride or at least no one complained. I almost got the impression that the horse would work things out better on its own if I would stop trying to fix as much .

I been out of the loop for a few years and have only a passing aquaintance with the Banana shoe. Is it a shoe with a flat foot surface? I did a search and found out that you can polish your shoes with a banana but no discription. How does it differ from a roller motion shoe?

I have extensive knowledge and experience on the I DON'T KNOW,thats one thing I can garantee!!!! It's funny that through the years, every time I thought I had "The Thing to do" for these feet well,one would come along that changes everything.Very humbling for sure. What I was talking about earlier has been a main stay when working with feet like this for a while now in one way or another for me. Like you though, I am always open for suggestions or new ideas.

roller motion and banana shoes are the same.I started using them sometime back when I read an article about it. They take alot of the concussion out of the heel which as you know is problem with those high heeled clubby type fellas, have seen really good results from it on the feet as well as the joints.

centexferrier wrote:
Sounds good to me. Now I want to go try one.

As an aside, its odd to be conversing with someone who lives in a place I spent so much of my youth trying to stay out of.

cool, going to post on your homepage

Tony, isn't this the same type problem Myron McClane was working on at the TPFA Clinic last month?:cool:

I sure wanted to attend that clinic for that very reason. I heard it was cold and rainy, though. Less of a concern since I lived through Minnesota

Dutch, it was a cold day! Best spot was by the forge!

Yes I'm sure of it.I even mentioned it one one of these posts,I think? I've used a pair on a horse with crushed heels the other day(floated one side pretty aggressively) and really liked the outcome. It was quick,easy(specially if your used to heartbars)and best of all the horse loved it.Have'nt used them enough to say one way or another but so far there great!As far as the high lo thing,it's hard for me to change something when it's been working for me, so far.