Hoof Care Provider/ Farrier Services

Rotational Deformity

Denys Antonenko • Jan 21, 2023

One Minute Discussions #44


Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care 


ROTATIONAL DEFORMITY 


The more I work with horses the more I notice rotational deformity in the bony column of the leg. Not only does deformity affect the horse statically but also dynamically, while moving. 


Many times these crooked horses are trimmed so that the solar plain of the foot looks pretty and symmetrical while the bony column is even more out of balance. I’m my opinion, this is the worst thing you can do for these horses. If you’re not taking into consideration the alignment of the bones that are above the hoof, you’re failing the horse. 



You HAVE to look at these horses move and how they land, shift and breakover. Many times the hoof will show where the horse wants the breakover to be (even if it’s not at the center of the toe). In my opinion, the trim or shoeing should focus on adapting to the position of the bony column, even if it means the solar side of the foot is not symmetrical. 


Denys A. 

www.njhoof.com

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Click on the button below to download the free PDF step by step guide to building a dry lot or scroll to look at the guide below!

Leave or remove the lamellar wedge?

By Denys Antonenko • 21 Apr, 2023
One Minute Discussions #66 Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care LEAVE OR REMOVE THE LAMELLAR WEDGE? The lamellar wedge is the adaptation of the hoof to internal problems. And although it’s a sign of inflammation, it may still serve a purpose during rehab. It’s still responsible for “glueing together” the wall and sole, but that “glue” is not as strong as it’s supposed to be. So how do we address it in the trim. Everything depends on the horses comfort level and the condition of the lamellar wedge. It won’t be a wise decision to totally remove the lamellar wedge if it is soggy, weak and not fully keratinized. But in a lot of cases it is safe to remove most, if not all of it, if the lamellar wedge is keratinized, dry and sturdy (especially if we’re putting the horse in therapy boots). In some cases it is a good idea to trim the bottom, flared growth evenly with the well connected top growth in order to reduce leverage on the lamina as much as we can. Denys Antonenko

What causes lamina separation?

By Denys Antonenko • 21 Apr, 2023
One Minute Discussions #65 Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care WHAT CAUSES LAMINA SEPARATION Yesterday on my group I posted a question… what causes lamina separation? And although we’re used to hearing the most common things that separate the lamina, such as poor diet, metabolic problems, excessive toe leverage, etc, we don’t often hear about the less common things that can lead to a path of lamina failure without us noticing it. You’ve heard me say it many times before that lamina failure is not a result of just one thing. There’s always multiple factors contributing to the problem. As an example, bacterial and fungal infections weaken the foot, and that can result in lamina separation. Mental and physical stress can increase hormone levels which may result in poor hoof health. Many different problems happening elsewhere in the horses body (skin issues, allergies, dental problems) can be a factor that leads to a weak lamina. Denys Antonenko
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