Rock hard feet, how do you soften/ approach trimming them.

Those of you shoeing in exceptionally dry areas finding feet with no moisture at all, how do you approach trimming the sole, frog.We are getting a huge amount of sole cracks in the yearlings and some in the foals. Coming from the our beautiful Irish climate this is not a problem we ever have!

If you read my other thread on the contracted tendons you'l see the other problems we are having so sole depth under p3 is a major problem and not something i want to be touching with a knife unless I absolutely have to. But it is just infront of the point of the frog that this seems to happen.

Ive been trying to get the grooms to pack the feet with froshners two days a week but have only started this in the last week so have not seen results yet, if I will. They had been using plus vital every day with no results but the previous farrier changed them to Kevin Bacon hoof dressing which doesn't seem to be helping at all and is apparently costing a fortune but is being applied daily. Most of the horses go from shavings to sand paddocks! Also when I say dry I really mean it its 50 deg here most days with 15% or less humidity. The ones on irrigated grass paddocks are perfect they have agreed to put in 8 or 10 more grass paddocks for next season that should enable us to rotate so all horses would get time on grass which should help but thats a long time away.

So my main questions are 1)how do you trim the sole in these conditions.2) how can i get moisture into these feet if its possible.

http://www.centaurforge.com/GE-12-Half-Round-Hoof-Nipper/productinfo/12GEHRNIP/

I have a half round nippers and have been managing just about, I had seen on videos posted guys using a propane torches and have ordered one.
So Ray what is in the packing you use venice turpentine and?
Are thes cracks due to excessive sole? As I said when looking at xrays there is only a 3-6mm sole depth under p3 in most of these so I dont wanna touch it if possible or wilI have to to try to stop these cracks forming?

Plumbers torch

Il take a photo of one tomorrow ray!

Plumbers torch on the way!

Thank you for all help, much appreciated.

David,

With only 3-6 mm of sole depth, I wouldn't be worrying about how to remove any of that sole, even if there are some cracks in it, especially around the apex of the frog. That said, gently exploring the crack(s) with a very fine knife or dental pick to make sure there is no infection or the like in there is always a good idea. I too am interesting in seeing the photos of their soles and if you have access to the rads and can post them, that too would be helpful. Since the horses are out in sand paddocks, do you have very much foot to trim each cycle or is it more 'tweaking' than full bore trimming?

Ray suggested using a grinder and I think that concept is a reasonable one. However on feet that small, you might want to consider using an adjustable speed Dremel-type tool or a Roto-zip with one of several sanding/grinding attachments that are available. You might also want to look at this little gem: http://www.katools.com/shop/merlin-...-p-203.html?osCsid=r3qq8c8g8fp6q0382j4skm7ki0

Rick

That's what I've been thinking Rick, they need every bit they have under them in front of the point of the frog to protect the tip of those pedal bones, which are under severe pressure from being so upright. I've also been doing as you said and gently exploring with a tiny loop knife and apart from that ive just been removing some sole from apex back and trimming to the widest part of the frog, there is never any toe on them only heel. I'l put up a few more example x-rays this eve when I get home and will get a photo of a cracked sole tomorrow when im back in work, (Friday here is our Sunday so i'm off today.)

Rick

Do you have one of the Merlin trimming tools?? Ifso do you use it ? Been thinking bout getting one .


Sent from my phone

Layne,
I don't have a Merlin. Saw one demo'd at the Summit and played with it for a while. I liked the concept and it was fairly easy to use. I've often thought I should have bought one then, but I procrastinated. Now, my hands and wrists bother me enough to reconsider. I'm still leery of power tools with cords being used around horses. I do have a 4 1/2" battery opereated grinder that I use in certain instances but you really gotta know your horses and make sure of how they are going to react to the sound, smell, vibrations, etc from using any power tool, especially when its on their feet and you're underneath them. Best luck I've had is with show horses that are used to having their hooves sanded with an orbital sander or the like on a regular basis. Some of the 'backyard' horses can get real western when they hear/feel a power tool start up. 'Course, those are the ones you'd really like to be able to use the tool on.

Some x ray examples,
il post a photo of the cracks in the soles tomorrow

This is a mild one, sorry bout the photo only have a camera phone and turns out the yearling doesnt like the papperazi

Yea I have, prob ten out of the 70 yearlings have good sole depth, 15mm or so and they have had the cracks as well. The cracks seem to be a totally separate issue to the thin soles, in those ten i removed the hard outer layer when I trimmed them, I will see within the next week or so if they crack or stay good.
You would not know there was a sole depth problem in most of em til you look at an xray bar the very bad ones. They all have this rock hard sole that looks like its crying out to be pared I thankfully asked for them all to be x-rayed on my arrival when I saw how upright they were, and how many problems they had, otherwise i could have got knife happy which would have obviously been an absolute disaster.

What's the shoeing protocols? Meaning, are these stalled yearlins'? or out in desert paddocks/yards? Are they handled everyday? Trim shoe schedule? Poultice packing works at times a day before maintenance scheduled...

The torch will be used to char the soles then a sharp knife ASAP when the flame is removed. Had the same problem(s) in Dubai years ago.......

They are out on desert sand paddocks from 5pm til 8am, they are bedded on shavings. They have kevin bacon dressing applied every day "apparently" I have my doubts. I only took over this position a month ago, they had been done monthly by last farrier til he left. I will watch them all walk every second week and access them, will hopefully get 4-5 weeks between trims.

My main question was, are these cracks caused by the hard outer sole being left on the foot, which is what my assistant in stud thinks, because I have the other problem of no sole depth on most feet so the last thing I wanna do is touch under tip of p3 with knife or will I have to, to some extent, to try stop these cracks?

Do you know anything about breeds, their uses and phases of the stride of a horse? or just made your cert for a job in Arabia?

Haha yeah I just printed it off the net, I know a bit Jay but im posting here to try to learn more from you guys who have more experience. I said at the start ive never worked on feet with these problems before bar the very odd club foot.

OK, most left foot clubs are man made because of the RHFD. Goes w/ stride phases. You didn't pic the rads of the right fore. Thus man made or of FKED up stallion conformation....