Thank you Patty. nm

[ Follow Ups ] [ Products and Services ]

Posted by Ken Russell on May 13, 2000 at 11:13:19:

In Reply to: Re: Base narrow gelding - help, please. (Patty?) posted by Patty Stiller on May 12, 2000 at 22:23:34:

: : Hello:

: : We own a gelding that is used for barrels and trail riding and he is base narrow and cow hocked from bad shoeing in the developing years. We now have a farrier who is willing to try and open the stance and get better action but doesn't have enough experience to know how to do it.

: : Can you please instruct us on how to do this and if the NB or EDSS methods would work. If not, what shoes should we use?

: You should not try to change the conformation of the leg by messing around with shoeing.Doing so will only stress the joints in the pastern, foot and hock. The best you can do is balance the foot so the coffin bone is level medially laterally to the ground. and shoe it so the breakover is in the correct place. Thuis is all described in the natural balance techniques availablr through this website, and even better in the clinics that Gene teaches.
: The foot should be prepared according to natural balance guildelines, to best insure the best balance for THAT particular horse. Most horses are naturally (and should be) a little bit cow hocked.it is the straight hocked horses that develop arthritis in those joints at an early age.
: When the foot is properly trimmed to the live sole plane, it will point in the direction of the front of the cannon bone...that is a bit outward in a cow hock horse. I usually find that the first time I shoe a new horse behind that the previous farrier(s) tried to "straighten" the hocks out on, I end up trimming more off the inside heels.That is because the farriers have all been lowering the outsidein a futile attemt to 'point the foot straight'. Trimming to the live sole plane after removing ONLY the chalky stuff at the heels will verify which side should be trimmed more .
: Flares which have often developed on these feet on the outside can be removed a bit. The flares (as well as the common "shoved up and bulging) wall on the inside will disappear with time with correct natural balance shoeing. Patty

Follow Ups:

Post a Followup

Name:
E-Mail:

Subject:

Comments:
: : : Hello: : : : We own a gelding that is used for barrels and trail riding and he is base narrow and cow hocked from bad shoeing in the developing years. We now have a farrier who is willing to try and open the stance and get better action but doesn't have enough experience to know how to do it. : : : Can you please instruct us on how to do this and if the NB or EDSS methods would work. If not, what shoes should we use? : : You should not try to change the conformation of the leg by messing around with shoeing.Doing so will only stress the joints in the pastern, foot and hock. The best you can do is balance the foot so the coffin bone is level medially laterally to the ground. and shoe it so the breakover is in the correct place. Thuis is all described in the natural balance techniques availablr through this website, and even better in the clinics that Gene teaches. : : The foot should be prepared according to natural balance guildelines, to best insure the best balance for THAT particular horse. Most horses are naturally (and should be) a little bit cow hocked.it is the straight hocked horses that develop arthritis in those joints at an early age. : : When the foot is properly trimmed to the live sole plane, it will point in the direction of the front of the cannon bone...that is a bit outward in a cow hock horse. I usually find that the first time I shoe a new horse behind that the previous farrier(s) tried to "straighten" the hocks out on, I end up trimming more off the inside heels.That is because the farriers have all been lowering the outsidein a futile attemt to 'point the foot straight'. Trimming to the live sole plane after removing ONLY the chalky stuff at the heels will verify which side should be trimmed more . : : Flares which have often developed on these feet on the outside can be removed a bit. The flares (as well as the common "shoved up and bulging) wall on the inside will disappear with time with correct natural balance shoeing. Patty

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Products and Services ]