09/05/2023
🦶🐴 I don’t profess to be an expert in equine feet/hooves/shoes... but what I do know is that correct foot balance is absolutely essential for balancing the rest of the body and preventing abnormal wear and tear. 🐴🦶
🤯🩰 Imagine trying to run the 100m hurdles in wellies, climb a mountain in stilettos, or run a marathon in ballet pumps! Not only would your feet, ankles, legs and back likely be injured afterwards, but you’d also likely have worn through or ruined the shoes you wore as they weren’t fit for the job! 🩰🤯
🥾 If we wear shoes that don’t fit our feet or are inappropriate for the task we’re doing, then our body weight becomes unbalanced and our joints are pulled out of alignment. This causes strain on soft tissues such as muscles and ligaments and will lead to chronic pain/discomfort. The same thing happens in horses when their hooves are incorrectly shaped/worn/shod/trimmed. In addition, we are asking horses not only to carry the weight of a rider and tack, but also to perform gymnastic manoeuvres such as dressage and jumping. If their feet are not balanced, these manoeuvres become much more difficult to perform, leading to compensations elsewhere in the body, and over time wear and tear will occur and could lead to injury. 🥾
🤠 Farriers are the experts when it comes to foot care and foot balance. This picture shows the effect that remedial shoeing has had on Marvel’s hind feet so far. The farrier is using supportive putty and pads to increase the concavity of the sole, to encourage correct horn growth, counteracting negative rotation of the pedal bone, and improving weight distribution and balance. 🤠
🐎 This will help to improve Marvel’s overall posture to better support his entire body. 🐎
