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For an enlarged view, just click on the respective picture.
Case history:
• Nike has been with his owner for about three years now. During two of these three years Nike was lame. He is being kept in a box stall and turned out during daytime all year.
• Hospitalization in spring 2003: X-rays were negative, and therefore a disorder of the navicular bursa was inferred. Therapy: Injection of Cortisone into the bursa podotrochlea. The injection alleviated the situation but only for a short time. For two years, Nike was shod with plastic wedges and iron horseshoes. The hospital explicitly praised the farrier for his good work.
Results:
• No improvement of the lameness.
• The veterinarian in charge didn’t know what else he could do.
• Calling up J. Biernat was more or less the last straw for the owner. Mr. Biernat advised hoof orthopaedic treatment.
Hoof orthopaedic treatment commences:
• During the hoof orthopaedist‘s first visit Nike was very nervous, because he had been moved to the new stable but only the previous day. For the same reason, the photographs could not be taken from an ideal perspective.
• Nike is a big and seemingly somewhat bony animal. His hooves are plainly in a disastrous condition.
• The iron horsehoes had been removed the previous day by the owner’s husband (who had accompanied a farrier for a while und who was very skeptical towards the hoof orthopaedist). This last shoeing had been done without the plastic wedges. The iron of the right hindleg had been lost a few days before, and one felt impelled to do something about it.
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The following pictures show the development of Nike’s hooves at the beginning of the hoof orthopaedic treatment, using the left fore as an example.
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Nike (left fore, dorsal view) – July 2003
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Nike’s left fore hoof before the first treatment. The toe and quarter walls of the hoof are clearly too slanted and strongly deformed ¬– the hoof has lost its physiological shape to a considerable extent. In trying to improve the bad situation, the toe wall has been rasped to a heavy bullnose shape. Consequently, the epidermal laminae of the stratum internum were partly laid bare and even completely removed in the mid-toe area. |
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Nike (left fore, lateral view) – July 2003
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Although the picture could not be taken near enough to the floor level, the full extent of the catastrophe shows: The hoof-pastern-axis is strongly broken towards the rear (caudad). If one prolongs the line of the heavily rasped toe wall in a straight line until it meets the floor, it becomes obvious how long and slanted it really is in relation to the ground. This highly unpleasant situation was alleviated just a little by heavily rasping the toe wall. As one consequence of this rather helpless effort to keep the painfully |
slanted toe at bay, the hoof became overloaded in the quarter and heel areas. The heels are strongly underrun, and the rear parts of the quarter walls show the characteristic unphysiological bends that have also pushed up the relevant coronet areas. The overload has also compressed and pushed the heel bulbs up and towards the rear (proximocaudad).
In the front quarters, i.e. in the areas in front of the wall bends, the wall edge shows serious break-outs and traces of heavy rasping. In this way the slanted and bent walls had been kept above the iron horseshoe.
The first upper (proximal) inch of the horn capsule indicates the actual angular positioning of the coffin bone within. The far too slanted horn tubules of the hoof wall unavoidably lever the wall away from the coffin bone at every loading. This implies not only heavy stress upon the structure of the intersection of the stratum medium and the stratum internum (the coffin bone carrier), it also means strongly painful sensations for the horse. |
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Nike (left fore, solar view) – July 2003
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The solar view confirms the above statements about the unsoundness of the hoof capsule: The heel walls are underrun and rolled in, the better part of the remaining wall edge has been rasped off and additionally destroyed by break-outs. The last remaining bits of prolonged and dished hoof wall cannot keep the sole clear off the ground. The sole is forced to help carry the weight and builds up callous bulges in the areas near the edges, thus revealing how far the dished hoof wall has moved away from the sole. The
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| bars lie flat and are drowned in crushed solar horn. The heel bulbs are compressed and pushed out towards the rear.
Excerpts from the notes of the hoof orthopaedist in charge:
„ August 2nd,
2003 |
Walks extremely sensitively. Padded bandages explained and horse boots recommended, because the walk to the pasture is painful but the newly gained freedom should be exploited (hardly any turnout in the previous stable). |
| September 17th, 2003 |
Horse boots very helpful, horse seems to feel well on favourable ground, first signs of improvement be coming apparent. |
| September 19th, 2003 |
Constant improvement of movement, soles very thin, as yet no bearing edge. |
October 11th,
2003 |
Hardly any sole treatment, is running well and joyously like he hasn’t in years, owner more than happy, husband’s friendly skepticism on the decline.“ |
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Nike – October 2003
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The hoof-pastern-axis has improved tremendously. The whole hoof capsule has straightened upwards and relaxed. Thin tension fissures and coronet horn that is transported downwards are typical at this stage. Red discolorations can be seen within
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the unphysiological bend of the quarter walls. Here, during horn production, haemoglobin has been pressed into the horn as a consequence of the strong jolting forces upon the coronal corium in this area. This discoloration developed at a time where the horse was particularly unwell (around April to June 2003). The coronet band is still visibly pushed up in this area.
The lateral (outer) half of the hoof is carrying the bigger part of the load, as can be seen in the steeper bar on this side. The angles of the bars are beginning to carry some of the load, the bars were „taken off the sole“ and shortened during treatment; their destructive effects can be seen in the discolorations where they merge into the horn of the sole and in the degenerated horn along the bar of the lateral half of the hoof. The „mouth“ of the bars has markedly opened away from the frog, leaving more space for it to grow. The whole area of the sole still shows considerable discolorations because it still has to carry load for want of a prolonged wall edge. Since the sole has no cushioning epidermis between the corium and the solar face of the coffin bone, the corium is being crushed upon the bone with every stronger pressure upon the horn of the sole; for the same reason, the sole is actually not suited to carrying any weight.
Excerpts from the notes of the hoof orthopaedist in charge:
„ November 8th,
2003 |
Positive development continued, exterior has also changed for the better, horse appears harmonious and whole, is friendly and curious. Ground work to be increased gradually. |
December 8th,
2003 |
Upon the smallest request Nike performs flying gallop changes at the longe and similar feats; he seems to enjoy his regained freedom of movement to the full. Sensitivity almost disappeared. Horse boots no longer needed to walk to the pasture. |
January 2nd,
2004 |
First trials at riding have proved as positive as all the rest. Today, the better part of the reddish discoloured sole came off during treatment. Eventually discovered the reason for the grated off bends in the hoof wall: clearly visible markings on both (white stone) side walls of the stable; at feeding time or when there is unrest in the stable he becomes so agitated with his hind legs that he pulls them along the side walls. Rubber mats recommended.“ |
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Nike – January 2004
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The demarkation line indicating the beginning of the hoof orthopaedic treatment has reached the lower (distal) half of the hoof. Very often and also in the case of Nike, this brings about another marked alleviation of movement in hooves where the center of
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gravity has shifted backwards and downwards (caudad-distad). The horn discoloration in the quarters is moving downwards, there is no newly emerging discoloration to be seen.
Since there is more load on the outer part of the hoof, the lateral half of the hoof and frog is narrow with a steeper bar and (unfortunately) ground off bearing edge (see also lateral view). The medial half is sporting a lever action hoof wall and visible putrefaction processes within the dilated and therefore weakened epidermal laminae. The „mouth“ of the angles has noticeably opened further. The bars are taking on load again – as is the bearing edge, apart from the quarter areas where the defects are still too serious. The epidermal laminae have quieted down and become narrower. The discoloration of the sole is merely yellowish instead of reddish, indicating a marked relief of the sole. The unphysiological pressure upon the frog and bars has also lessened.
Excerpts from the notes of the hoof orthopaedist in charge:
„February 2nd,
2004 |
Furthermore wonderful development, horse moves freely and fluently, changes lead foot during gallop upon a mere click of the tongue, veterinarian flabberghasted, horse is back to normal training routine. |
March 1st,
2004 |
Owner’s enthusiasm boundless. Horse has enormously changed in expression and shape. The edgy, bony animal has become a rounded, contented horse. Food rations had to be reduced considerably. |
March 29th,
2004 |
„Bell“ shape of hooves is noticeably receding downwards, followed by a slim, fitting hoof. |
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Nike (left fore, dorsal view) – April 2004
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The tension fissures are still marked in the middle area only, the lower end of the perople is still somewhat disturbed, but clean and not sticking to the horn tubules of the hoof wall any longer. The forthcoming horn wall is free from discolorations. A marked thatched roof structure has been applied in order to offset the lever action still effective in the lower (distal) parts of the horn wall and also in order to enable those parts to bear weight again. |
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Nike (left fore, lateral view) – April 2004
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The hoof-pastern-axis is improving further. The whole structure of the horn appears smoother, fit and shiny. As was to be expected, the unphysiological bend in the hoof wall is quite persistant. Due to the successful offsetting of the lever action in the hoof wall, there are no further discolorations to be seen there.
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Nike (left fore, solar view) – April 2004
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The hood halves still take on the load differently, but a good bearing edge has formed; the latter is well able to fulfil its function, and therefore there are no further reddish discolorations in the sole. The frog is almost free from all putrefaction. The bars have become erect and are now fit and able to perform their function as supporting walls to the lateral cartilage of the hoof. The shape of the hooves has altogether changed: the former „pear“ shape has now become a physiological, oval hoof. |
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