Julie’s Trimming and Composite Shoeing

30/09/2024

15/07/2024

I’d like to weigh-in on the notion currently being discussed which states that there is no relationship between the length of the toe and the force on the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon (DDFT). In the figure below a widely accepted model of the coffin joint mechanics is presented. The image below is shows the lever and pulley relationship between the length of toe moment arm, and the force on the DDFT.

The red circle represents the Center of Rotation of the Coffin joint, located at the distal end of P2.

The smaller blue circle depicts the Center of Rotation of the navicular bone. The DDFT rides over the navicular bone, which acts like a pulley.

The length of the Lever arm of the Toe, is depicted as a blue line marked Lt.

This relationship of lever to pulley, becomes critical for the foot to achieve breakover. Breakover is described as the moment when the stance phase has ended, and the heel just lifts off the ground. To achieve this, the DDFT muscle must contract, which creates torque around the Center of Rotation of the Coffin Joint. The longer the Length of the Toe arm (blue line marked Lt), the harder the muscle of the DDFT must work, to flex the coffin joint forward, and achieve breakover.

Neglecting to trim the toe appropriately, creates extra work for the DDFT and its muscle. A shorter toed horse will have less tension on the DDFT than a long-toed horse.

Something worth noting is that this is the model for a normal horse with healthy wall attachment. The failure to remove the excess toe on a horse with laminitis, has serious repercussions for the recovery of wall attachment during the healing phase. More on this in another post to follow.

References:
1. Evaluating Radiographs for Equine Foot Management, by Pete Healey, APFI
2. Rooney J.R., Functional Anatomy of the Foot. In: Floy A., Mansmann R.A., ed. Equine Podiatry
3. A Modern Look At the Hoof by M. Craig

16/06/2024

Harry wearing his EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear Versa Grips
PC Times Five Photography LLC

13/06/2024

Who is ready for the Bay Area polocrosse tournament this weekend?!?! Forrest is!!

13/06/2024

Storm got some classy camouflage colors for show season


composite horseshoes

04/03/2024

Ritz, Ottb cheese and crackers, 7 weeks in her first set

02/03/2024

Poster boy Banks! August to today

28/02/2024

Top of the morning to you from Algebraic, showing off his razzle dazzle and bling, ready for St. Patrick’s Day ☘️

After The Races
Duplo Composite Horseshoes
rbCarbon
GluShu ultra Air impression material

10/02/2024

✔️ Endocrinopathic laminitis is a disease of prevention and is prevented by strict management. 90% of laminitis cases are endocrinopathic.

💡 If your equine has a history of metabolic laminitis or has foundered in the past, what are you doing to prevent it from happening again? It will…

👀 What laminitis symptoms are you going to look for before it turns into an emergency crisis? These metabolic horses don’t just founder out of the blue, the warning signs have been there.

🐴 Thrifty breeds are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance, the hormone behind 90% of laminitis cases. Since there is a genetic component, even crosses of these breeds are at risk. This includes but not limited to Spanish breeds, Arabians, Morgans, gaited breeds and “mountain” horses, ponies, minis, saddlebreds, mustangs and donkeys. Be particularly careful if you own these breeds, but know that any breed can suffer from insulin resistance. Consider if you can properly manage this before you buy one of these at risk breeds! Most people don’t realize what they’ve signed themselves up for until a crisis occurs.

❤️‍🩹 Once the laminae have been damaged by laminitis they will always be compromised to some degree. But with a diagnosis, correct diet, exercise and good hoof care most horses can make an excellent recovery!

✅ Knowledge and prevention is the best answer. Refer to ecirhorse.org for a gold standard approach to management.

📺 PHCP is hosting a webinar with the latest on diagnosis/managing insulin resistance and PPID
https://progressivehoofcare.org/2024/01/ems-ir-and-ppid-diagnosis-and-management-part-1/

📺 And one of my favorite webinars on laminitis here: https://youtu.be/5KOS_GUIJs4?si=HhIa0G7I9nVO5cNw

07/02/2024

EasyCare offers a wide selection hoof boots and composite horseshoes for therapy and performance.

06/02/2024

One of my clients is moving to Canada after almost exactly a year of my hoof care. Good luck Josie and Shannon!

29/01/2024

Change is possible! 4 months progress for this late teenage TB mare to realign her hoof pastern axis. Use of corrective trimming, caudal support, advanced breakover, with Easycare and Duplo products with super glue and dental impression material
EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear
Duplo Verbundbeschläge / H. Frank Kunststofftechnik GmbH

20/12/2023

Perfectly Pink for the Princess Monster!

rbCarbon
Duplo Verbundbeschläge / H. Frank Kunststofftechnik GmbH

06/12/2023

Any Maryland hoof trimmers want to learn the glue-on shoe techniques that I use? I’m happy so share! So many horses in need 🥵

27/11/2023

rbCarbon look what I got!

26/11/2023

Did you know that correct base proportions reduce the risk of injury?

It’s widely documented by many papers that creating equivalence of base proportions is optimal for biomechanics.

But more so, that biomechanics is responsible for the correct load share between the tendons and suspensory.

What does that mean, basically creating 50% toe support to 50% heel support. However, this is where the debate begins. 50/50 around what point?

It’s widely taught that we should create 50/50 around the point at which the hoof capsule rotates around. The centre of rotation (CoR). The small red notch on our coronet template in the pic.
However the theory has never been supported by biomechanics or physics.

Recently Yxklinten and Sharp published a paper using a mathematical model to explain the physics. They establish a point, the point of balance (PoB), at which 50/50 balance around would create equilibrium at midstance. Meaning neither the toe or the heel of the hoof will sink into soft ground when the horse loads that limb during midstance. This will maintain even load share between the flexor tendons and suspensory ligament. This is the larger red notch.

However, this is only true for the very moment of shoeing, any hoof growth from that point will mean the heels sinking, increasing load in the deep digital flexor tendon.

At 50/50 around CoR the toe will sink in slightly. Increasing strain in the suspensory.

Therefore an area of suitable positions for 50/50 emerges between the CoR and the PoB depending on the length of the shoeing cycle and expected forward migration of the hoof capsule. This will maintain a working tolerance of strains within all the soft tissue structures.

You can read the full paper at this link…

https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/the-quantification-and-definition-of-a-new-hoof-balance-paradigm

And watch a webinar on it here….

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/how-to-balance-a-hoof

Let’s make farriery objective 😉

04/11/2023

Look at this beauty! 6yo Ottb mare Charlotte in her first set with me.
Thanks to rbCarbon for the teal tabs!
We have one foot in Duplo and the other in Easycare flex heartbar with a wedge, both filled with mustad soft DIM.

24/10/2023

Banks is my new poster child for improving npa and hpa with wedges, dim, advanced breakover.

6yo ottb, just did this 3rd set. He’s been in work the whole time.

8/11 - 5 degree wedge,
9/19 - so much change, down to 2.5 degree,
10/23 - sticking with 2.5 degree.

02/10/2023

23/09/2023

Negative plantar angle. The angle of the bottom of the coffin bone to the ground in a hind foot. Extra stress placed on these 18yo tendons and ligaments all the way up the hind end, having to stand with toes lifted and heels dropped, base of support far out in front of the cannon bone. Horses tend to stand with their hind legs stepped too far forward and under. Beginning to heal with a massive trim, left barefoot for self correction.

23/09/2023

Ooooo I like these tan colored tabs from rbCarbon on these light colored hooves! Plastic welded onto Easycare versa grips.

17/09/2023

Looky looky!
Thanks so much for shipping to the USA and throwing in a few pretty extras rbCarbon! So excited to have more material and color options.

08/09/2023

Please volunteer!! It’s so fun and we make awesome snack bags!

We are looking for volunteers from September 15th, 2023 to September 16th, 2023 near Upper Marlboro, MD.