| TRAINING |
RIGHT: Every foal needs the best hoof care to give it every chance of a successful racing career
Transitioning to the Track
Dewey says, “Most farriers on the farms have got the feet in decent shape by the time I see these young horses at the track. The most problematic situation for me is that sales horses are shod to correct their limbs, to straighten them out. When I get them, I go back the other way and put their feet back in line with their limbs. The farriers on the farm are trying to make them as straight as possible for sale, but that approach is not conducive to soundness down the line. If the horse has turned out knees then they need to have their feet turned out.” Christian concurs with Dewey’s summation, saying, “I shoe for a completely different purpose than Mark. My purpose is to prepare young horses for sale, and for that purpose, the focus is on conformation.” He adds, “I give 100% to getting a nice foot on the foal and giving each and every foal the best chance at a racing career.” Christian examines foals for the first time anywhere between five days and two weeks of age. Right away, he watches them walk and identifies what problem(s) need addressing. Toeing in, for example, is a relatively common condition Christian sees and immediately takes steps to correct. “I examine each foal every two weeks. It is amazing how quickly foals change and how quickly they can get away from you if you don’t assess them frequently. The greatest chance we have at correcting them is when they are young,” Christian explains.
82
TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 58
Addressing Underslung Heels
Once they get to the racecourse, a major problem facing young thoroughbreds in training is the heel. An underslung heel (referred to as underrun heel in some areas) is defined as a foot in which the angle of the horse’s heel is at least five degrees less than the angle of the toe. In a healthy hoof, the toe and heel angles should be very close. In other words, the heels are low and the horse often appears as if he is standing on the bulbs of his heels. “Farriers are frequently accused of cutting the heels off, contributing to the underslung heel, which is not true. We actually try to leave as much heel on as we can,” Dewey explains. Recall that horses, like most humans, land heel first. Day in and day out during training, the heel takes a bit of a beating, which is only amplified during breezing and racing. “It is hard to keep heel on horses when a thousand pounds keeps pounding down on such a small object,” summarises Dewey, adding, “The reason horses get crush and underslung heel is because as it grows, the heel tends to roll in, then crushes. If that happens then we see lameness and heel abscesses.” The goal, says Dewey, is to cut the toe, pull the shoe back, and actually grow the heel. “As a blacksmith you need to find a balance between too much and too little heel, and it can be hard to recognise when a heel is going to roll over and crush,” Dewey admits.
In a he healthy hoof, of, tthe toe and heel angles should hee be very close
The “Thin” Thoroughbred Foot
Another factor causing strife for some trainers and farriers is the inherent “thin” nature of the thoroughbred foot. Their thin walls and soles combined with standard hazards of their profession put them at risk for bruises, quarter cracks, lameness, and lost training days. Dewey notes, however, that this isn’t a new problem. “The thoroughbred industry has long been faulted for breeding horses with bad feet, and I don’t feel like this statement is true. I see the same feet today that I saw 40 years ago,” Dewey says. After decades of dealing with so-called thin thoroughbred feet, farriers have amassed an armamentarium to better trim, shoe, and balance, including glue-on shoes. “As these young horses get going, we like to use glue-on shoes to avoid the nails. These shoes provide the benefits of a bar shoe without the actual bar,” notes Dewey.