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A Horses HeelsThe heels of a hoof seem to be one of the most problem prone areas of a horse's foot. In order to achieve a balanced trim, proper consideration of the heel has to be included or a true balanced state is unattainable. The determination of heel length, shape and condition and their effect on the resulting hoof angle is one that should be considered at each and every trimming. If you are unsure of or unfamiliar with what your horse's feet should look like, ask your farrier to explain it to you. It's your horse, you have the right to know this, and your horse is depending on you to see that the person trimming its feet knows what they are doing. If you don't want to ask, then wait until he/she is gone and take a picture of the feet. Make a drawing and/or use a tape measure to measure the toe lengths and length of heels from the bulbs to the ground. As always, approach any horse's feet only if you are comfortable in doing so. The heel of the hoof is just about the easiest part of the hoof to clip, nip or rasp off. Consequently, it is extremely easy to "trim" this part too short almost before you now it. The vast majority of horses need only be trimmed flat and level in order to reach their optimum comfort level. For those horses requiring further refinement, a trained individual should be called to assist the horse owner in determining how to bring the hoof into balance with the rest of the horse. Additionally, it should be understood that the heel portion of a hoof is just that . a portion . no more-no less important than the rest of the structure when it comes to a "sound" horse. The heel, by its very nature is susceptible to injury and abuse from humans as well as environmental factors. A couple of passes from a farrier's rasp can lame a horse to the point that it may be weeks or months before it fully recovers. Trimming the heels out of balance may produce contracted or sheared heels resulting in a seriously unbalanced state with far-reaching effects throughout the horse. While it is not always possible to do right by the horse with a flat and level trim, trimming to an altered state must be done with caution and a full understanding of the consequences and the desired results. Environmental factors that place the horse in an extremely wet or dry situation can have adverse effects on the heels. In both of these situations, it is imperative that the horse receive regular hoof care on a timely basis. Too wet and too long set the hoof up for run-under heels and too dry and too long may result in a brittle heel that snaps off leaving the owner/farrier to find a way to bring the hoof back into balance while the heel recovers from the damage it has incurred. The heel of a horse is usually narrower in width than the toe yet it bears the initial impact and concussive effect of every step. The resulting expansion of the hoof is greatest at the heels and is easily observed by measuring the heel width of a non-weight bearing hoof and comparing it to the width of a hoof-print made by the same barefoot hoof after it has been walked-off leaving a hoof print in the dirt. A more dramatic demonstration can be seen on a horse wearing horseshoes by examining a shoe once it has been removed from the hoof. Look on the hoof to shoe surface, toward the heels of the shoe. The shoe will most likely exhibit a worn area on both sides that is caused by the expansion of the hoof wearing off the steel forming a grooved area. This would seem to indicate that a tremendous amount of force is being exerted by the expanding hoof at the heels during the expansion phase of every step. You have to wonder how much heel it takes to wear down that much steel. Slippering the heels of a horseshoe is one way to relieve some of the stresses involved and prevent the loss of heel between shoeings. A barefoot horse is not immune from the wearing off of its heels, as some heel must be lost during the normal contact each hoof has with the ground surface during its expansion phase of a step. No matter if the horse is shod or barefoot, if the hoof is allowed to become overly long between trimmings, the inevitable result is almost always a long-toe-low-heel condition that puts a great deal of stress on all of the structures making up the hoof, leg and upper body of the entire horse. Additionally, this easily avoided, yet commonly occurring condition places abnormal weight-bearing stresses on the heels resulting in their deterioration, as they are unable to cope with the additional load placed upon them. Trimming a horse out of its natural balance just to alter its gait for show or the track is taking a shortsighted view of what is best for the horse's longevity and placing its well-being below that of the race or ribbon. The main cause of poor heels on a horse rests squarely with the people entrusted with its care. It is up to the owner to provide timely and quality hoof care. It is up to the farrier or the person actually trimming the hoof to see that the horse receives a proper trim. It does not matter what tools or technique are used, the charts, templates, or psychic phenomena that result in a plan of action, all that matters is that the horse's feet are trimmed to where they do the most good for the horse. There are a number of trimming techniques being used today that result in no one taking measurements of hoof lengths or hoof angles. Pretty much any professional farrier can trim a horse without using a tape measure and have all four feet trimmed to the same lengths and angles. It comes from trimming thousands of horses and tens of thousands of different feet. However, not many horse owners are able to look at their horse's feet and say with the same conviction, that they are trimmed to the same lengths and angles as the last trim or even the current one. Not everyone has the luxury of having a professional farrier at their disposal. Therefore, it only makes sense to have some way of communicating to a farrier, in terms easily understood within the profession, exactly how you want your horse trimmed. Asking for a Natural", "Barefoot", or "Wild Horse" trim is not going to guarantee consistent results. However, if you say you want the toe length to measure this and the heels to be that, unless someone's using inches and the other is using metrics, the results should be identical no matter who wield the tools. A foot encompasses all parts of the hoof structure including the sole, frog and hoof wall. How each of these parts are trimmed, pared or rasped depends not on any arbitrary set of numbers but on how the hoof relates to the overall conformation of the horse. There are a number of books available written specifically for the horse owner regarding the care of their horse's feet. Online websites like The Mane Street at: http://www.themanestreet.com/ offers a wealth of information and forums where horse owners can exchange ideas with likeminded individuals who willingly share their knowledge and experience. While the heel of a horse's hoof is a very small part of a very large animal, its importance to the overall health of the horse cannot be underestimated. Keeping it healthy, well-trimmed and comfortable within its environment will go a long way toward ensuring many years of enjoyment for both the horse and its owner. Buz Riley - 2004 © Back To Buz Riley's Articles Home Page |
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