Brown (dbL)
I am using EasyCare's Performance EasyShoes to try and correct the effects of compensation caused by what I believe to be issues of laterality. "The human equivalent of right-handed or left-handed. In the equine, it is better described as right or left fore-limb dominant, or as the Germans have described it for centuries: "the naturally crooked horse." What this means is that horses are crooked in their bodies, and the hoof capsules change in response to that crookedness." - Dr Kerry Ridgway, chapter 23, Low Heel/ High Heel Syndrome, Care and Rehabilitation of the Equine Foot by Pete Ramey. I believe that the hind limbs play an equal or even more significant role in the problem. I've created this album to record the process of trying to make some positive changes in Browns stance/movement and hoof capsule form.
These photos were taken on 3/12/15, pre trim and EasyShoes. (Top) Right Front (Bottom) Left Hind.
Pre trim (left) and post trim (right) photos of Brown's feet (view as if he were standing on a sheet of glass overhead) both sets were taken on 4/9/15, after removing the first set of EasyShoes. The fronts stayed on for the 4 week duration. The hinds fell off during a 15 minute galloping romp at two weeks.
Right front before and after 4 weeks in EasyShoes.
Right hind: before and after 4 week interval. (two weeks were spent in EasyShoes) I trimmed at the time of shoeing and once more two weeks later when shoes came off.
Left: 1st set of EasyShoes applied 3/12/15 Right: 2nd set applied 4/9/15
Left: 3/11/15, before EasyShoe application. Right: 4/9/15, after 4 weeks in EasyShoes on the front and 2 weeks of EasyShoes on the hinds.
Straightening legs with proper trimming and EasyShoes Left: before trim and applying EasyShoes. Middle: 4 weeks after first EasyShoe application Right: 1 week after trim and 2nd set of EasyShoes. (5 weeks total)
Left: 3/11/15, before EasyShoes Middle: 4/16/15, 1 week after 2nd set of EasyShoes Right: 4/27/15, 2weeks into 2nd set of Easy shoes. Pulled hinds and trimmed.
4/27/15: left hind, before and after trim. Shoeing cycle: 2 weeks in shoes/ 2 weeks bare, then 10 days in shoes.
You can see in this photo how not only the stance is straighter but the front right foot is supporting his weight more evenly. Photos are 6 weeks apart.
Left photo: 3/11/2015-right photo: 5/29/2015 Left fore, 3rd application of EasyShoes. Averaging 2-4 weeks in shoes with 1-2 weeks bare in between.
I'm going with N/G's for a cycle. (5/29/2015)
3/3/2015 - 5/29/2025
6/12/2015
Left 3/11/15 - before EasySoes Right 6/14/15 - 4th cycle of EasyShoes (averaging 2 week intervals with 1 week off in-between)
6/14/15 - Fronts, a couple of days after 4th application.
6/14/15
3/2015 - 6/2015
3 months of corrective trimming and shoeing with EasyShoes
9/4/15
Left -3/2015 After 2 years of corrective bare foot corrective trimming. | Center -6/2015 After 3 months of corrective trimming and using EasyShoes at 2-4 week intervals with 1-2 weeks off in-between. | Right - 11/2015 After 5 months of corrective trims at 2-4 week intervals without using EasyShoes.
September 2017 - Brown has maintained much of the corrective work that is documented earlier in this album with out resorting to EasyShoes for over 2 years now. He's lived in a stall bedded with shavings for 2 years since the corrective work using EasyShoes and frequent trimming. He's still on a 3 week corrective trim schedule.
April 2020 - Brown is 30 now. It’s been 5 years since I used EasyShoes on short cycles to straighten him back up after years of compensating for severe limb dominance. The corrections have held and he’s been bare foot on a 2-4 week trim schedule ever since. He’s been boarded at 4 different facilities since his rehab, including 3.5 years in a stall and almost 1 year on an irrigated grass pasture. His feet have slowly but steadily improved in spite of all the other changes.
RF 2015 - 2021
2015 - 2021
LH 2015 - 2021
RH 2015 - 2021
Left - 2015 (pre EasyShoes) Right - 2021
RF Top - pre trim/post trim 2015 Bottom - pre trim/post trim 2021
August 2022
The red line is where the hairline is now. The green line is where it wants to be.
May 2024
Brown is now 35 years old
