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Shoes mask weaknesses, barefoot highlights strengths
Showing posts with label Equine corns. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Equine corns. Show all posts

Friday, 2 December 2011

Corns

There are corns and corns.  Grace had multiple corns, only found when she was deshod.  But none of them were quite as deep as this one.
LF April 2010















If you compare the two photos below you can see how this foot has come along. Not only is the corn now just a memory, but the heel bulbs have bulked up nicely, the digital cushion has plumped up and the whole foot is more solid. Since the corn the horse has worked through the Endurance ranks and is now competing at Advanced level.
LF April 2010
LF Sept 2011

Monday, 6 September 2010

Equine corns

I did read an equine professional website which declared that the prognosis for corns was guarded.  I also read several which suggested that poor shoeing is a leading cause.

I am going to stick my neck out here and disagree with both.  A corn is a bruise caused by inappropriate/too much pressure.  I've seen corns in both shod and barefoot horses.

Mostly the bars have overlaid onto the sole and the resulting pressure has caused a bruise which is often not spotted until the offending bar is removed or wears off.

I have also seen a very tall foot where the bar hasn't overlaid as such, there are layers of false sole in the way. But the bar has also grown equally tall and pressed against the sole in the vertical as well as the horizontal planes.
Corn day one
4/5 months later
Ok, now it is obvious from the photos that this foot still has some healing to do even with the corn gone.  But on the plus side the horse is now completely sound over all sorts of terrain and competing fairly frequently sans boots.

Note the improved quality of the frog.

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