01/29/2020
Excellent explanation!!
This is a great example of something I'm often explaining to clients.
When you hear "your horse has long toes" what do you think? What do you assume the solution would be?
Before I started my hoofcare education, I would have thought - okay, if they're too long, then just trim them back to where they should be! Problem solved.
But it doesn't quite work that way when you have a neglected or poorly trimmed/shod hoof.
Notice the length of the wall on this foot. It is months overdue for a trim.
Now look at the distance from the apex of the frog to the edge of the sole.
Even if I trimmed most of the wall back (which I did), you'd still have an extremely long toe.
That's because horse's internal structures adapt to their external structures. So when you leave a horse's toe too long, over time, the whole hoof capsule changes.
This is one of the main reasons I suggest a short trim cycle for any horse who looks like this. Your hoofcare provider can only trim away what is unnecessary at that appointment. It's a slow process when you have this long of a toe. You need to back the toe up as often as possible without trimming too far into the white line or sole, for the horse's comfort.
Owners who do touch up trims are very helpful in these situations as well.
The good news is, with frequent trimming and hoof care, this hoof will look so much healthier within a year.
