"Corrective" Shoeing

  

I saw a horse today who's hooves looked like these. These aren't my pictures, they're from a farrier's website, but they really did look exactly like this. I felt really bad for him. He was a giant appy cross, so cute. They said that the farrier noticed that this horse had low heels so he needed corrective shoeing so that he wouldn't get navicular. Umm, whoa there. He doesn't have navicular? He has low heels? I've heard a couple people say that low heels can lead up to navicular, but most people (including vets) agree that it's the opposite that can predispose horses to laminitis. I mean for one, just look at all the barefoot horses that have "low heels," pretty sure they're doing fine. High heels and long toes will cause a horse to be more likely to get laminitis because it stresses the hooves/legs and decreases blood flow. "With poor hoof care (specifically high heels, overlaid bar, long toes or shoeing), the navicular bone becomes immobile which results in poor blood flow within the hoof." Which in turn can (though not always 100%) cause navicular because of the stress and poor blood flow around the navicular bone and the tendons that support it. This poor guy! I wanted to buy him and take his shoes off. It was obvious how unhealthy his hooves were, with the contracted heel, super soft soles and almost no frog to speak of. Which equals poor blood flow and will likely cause lameness issues in the future. Sad!

I guess I could understand if the horse was actually navicular and there was no one that was competent enough to do barefoot trimming or maybe it wasn't working but for that horse, but for a horse that isn't even navicular?!

This horse that I saw on craigslist looks almost exactly like him except his name was Oscar, not Midas, but they could be twins :) I want both of them! I just love spots and draft crosses. Well, make that I love pretty much anything with four hooves!