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Farriery Faux Pas
I'm not so sure this plan was thought through so well

To get an idea of where I'm coming from, you can check out a different 'article:' 08/08/14 My Opinions on Farriery and Where They Came From

The Long Toe

So, again, lifting photos off the internet, these can be used as a spring board for ideas but allowances need to be made so that what is done is appropriate to the horse at hand.  This is a guideline only. This horse actually has a toe that has been 'pulled forward' and may be at risk for underslung heels.  

What's going on	What's going on II	Vectors to Bring Ends Together
	put a wedge under the foot that lifts it the distance from the top yellow line to the green line.	the red arrows indicate where you might 'bring the ends together' if you want to do it that way.

the horizontal yellow line is 'ground'  it's whatever the bottom of the foot/hoof/sole is doing.
the lifted yellow line is the 'bottom' of the bone.
the angle between the two yellow lines is the horse's 'preference.'  The length of the heel is what the horse's body has figured out it needs to have in order for the contraction in the body to be 'calm enough.'  Obviously, it would be better if there were no contractions, but since there are, putting hoof under it helps alleviate some of the stress involved.  By allowing the heel to be 'tall,' the foot isn't floating somewhere off the ground and the tendons, ligaments, and muscles on the back side of the leg aren't getting traumatized every time the foot is put down.  All the stuff that is out of alignment is at least supported when the heel is allowed to get tall.

Specifically - the tall heel is the horse's body's solution.  It's not the cause of the problem.

Something has pulled the leg back.  (What? is the million dollar question and needs to be investigated for a complete solution!)

In any even, there is now a foot with a tall hell and a long toe that sits behind where the leg needs to be for the horse to be balanced.

This results in a mechanical problem in the hoof.  The long toe perpetuates the creation of a long toe.  But does it make sense to only take off the long toe?  The long toe is being created because the horse needs something underneath that corner of it's table.  It is growing the long toe forward so it's doesn't fall on its face.

It's growing the heel because for some reason the heel doesn't make it down to the ground.

You've now got problems which probably started with something contracted on the back side of the leg that is now leading to strains near the fetlock and pasterns, concussive problems on the front near the coronary band, pasterns, fetlock, and maybe knee, and pulls up near the throat.  The musculature has probably gotten off as the horse is perpetually catching itself from falling on its face and perhaps the horse's whole way of going has changed to accommodate the original pattern.   

It may have all started with the toe being left a little too long.

This is an example of where the natural solution isn't necessarily resulting in a good outcome.

Idea 1

If you know Ortho-bionomy, you can 'bring the ends together' of the contracted places in the hoof, leg, and torso of the horse.  The red arrows give examples of how this might be done.

In the picture, you can kind of see how the coffin bone is jammed backward and running into the short pastern and the short pastern is angled kind of odd w/ the long pastern also.  I would suspect there is deep tensor contraction - so that would be compress the heel into the back of the fetlock kind of thing.

This is may be eight to sixteen 'bringing the ends together.'  So you're maybe spending thirty to forty minutes allowing for finding the correct vectors and for the responses to travel through the system.

There are also check ligaments and several other mechanisms at work and all of those would benefit from attending to as well.   So add on another twenty minutes.  For folks who've been to the mini clinics, you may remember that the hoof can be tilted or twirled as well.  That would for sure help.  Add on some time for that.  Also, look to see how the heel bulbs are doing.  

Once the foot has been released, in this case, I think it's important to attend to the whole leg and how it's attaching itself to the horse's body.  From there, you might also consider an overall pattern.   (more on this elsewhere...)  If the leg was pulled back due to something going on in the horse's body, you cannot fix the long toe only in the foot.  You have to find out what is going on in the body.  (Or the training or the person riding the horse or what have you.) 

If the problem is the farrier, you may need to have a long talk.

Once the patterns creating the long toe have been addressed, in the foot, in the body, *then* go ahead and trim up the foot.  Or let the horses natural movement take care of the excess heel and toe that the horse can safely wear off.  (The danger of leaving it be is that the toe may be so built up it just needs to come off.) (like squared off.)

At this point, the bones are better aligned and the muscles are better released.   The coffin bone will be landing more properly because it doesn't have forces on it that prevent it from doing so, and the leg will most likely not need all of that tall heel or long toe.

Idea 2

If you have no idea what's happening in the tendons, joints, or muscles, then the safest ortho-bionomy thing to do is increase the angle (green line) just a little bit more - that way you're pushing into what ever is already contracting.  by supporting the contraction, it will hopefully give it up.

In real life, the angle of 'pushing into the contraction' could either be straight up or around the pivot point - who knows until you put your hands on it!

By putting a wedge under the foot you've covered both bases.

The foot looks a worse for a few moments, but you just do this for a few moments and then assess the benefit.  The wedge and the weight of the horse is doing all the work.  Physically and mentally.

You can have the horse stand on a slanted board, for instance, for a few minutes and the weight of the horse coupled with the slant will begin to release the contractions.  You can then walk the horse a little bit (like a circle in the barn aisle kind of thing) to integrate the changes then do a few more minutes on the board.  Repeat the walk.  Assess what has been accomplished.  

At this time, the horse will most likely be landing more solidly on the heel.

You can do this a few more times.  Be judicious - don't overdo it.

This allows for the natural movement of the horse to begin wearing down the toe, or, if it makes sense to do it, now go ahead and take off some of the toe.  (With long toes, I get a little radical and have not had problems, but don't go out of *your* comfort zone.)

Bear in Mind 

This is one component of the big picture.  

The forces which created the long toe may still be at work and what was released through working with the foot and leg and body may not have addressed those.  Or may not be able to mitigate those forces.  

For instance, an unbalanced rider, over time, can create an imbalance in the horse which results in the horse falling forward.  (Think of all the upside down horses you've seen!) If this is what is going on, a key element that needs to be addressed, is also the rider.

The point is, where the long toe came from needs to be investigated to make sure all factors contributing to it are addressed.

And then there's more!

There's more about the rest of the horse and there's more about what to do with all that extra hoof that's going to be hanging off the front of the foot.  But not today.

Books: Amazon Assoc. / Old Favs

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