12/08/2021
A lovely sentiment for what its like to deal with the hooves of this entire animal
https://www.facebook.com/203015913908622/posts/846150099595197/?sfnsn=mo
When it comes to horses, I am always in awe at how complex they are. Yes, I mostly stare at their feet, and make decisions based on how I see their feet interacting with the ground and the wear patterns I notice. But it's incredible how so much is involved to take you to that place.
The math can be a bit overwhelming- every ligament, tendon, bone, joint, muscle, coupled with the pathology within the body, added to the horse's age, conformation, workload, environment, and health considerations, all affect what we see as we watch them move and pick up their feet.
We might see the horse moving and wearing its feet a certain way and know exactly how we would approach it to help compensate for that- but we don't always think about the intricate design and equation that led to that point. Parts of it are probably unable to be fully known without looking inside the horse's limbs- literally!
Think of caudal hoof failure, for example. There are fatty tissues, blood supply, ligaments, tendons, and structures we can only see on a microscopic level that all work together (or not!) when we see the back half of the foot in disrepair. Yet we do something simple to stimulate those structures, and internally they can all work together to strengthen. A simple approach to an infinitely complex problem.
It's humbling to remember that while we play a large role in a horse's hoof health and soundness, it's just one cog in a massive infrastructure.
Share a complex case in the comments- show us some wonky limbs, weird movement, odd pathology, etc!
