Sunshine Coast, Qld Australia
Please note:
Since these two horses' hooves were rehabbed, Linda J Harris has continued to further develop ACT and it is now called TACT. (The Anatomically Correct Trim) Linda has discovered the iimportance of leaving the hoof buttress intact. Due to the erroneous 'research' made famous by Dr Hiltrud Strasser (http://www.strasserhoofcare.org/reading.html), Dr Chris Pollitt (https://hoofcare.blogspot.com/2013/03/chris-pollitt-brian-hampson-brumby-wild-horse-Australia-hoof-research.html) and others, most bare-foot trimmers and farriers deform the normal hoof by removing the heel buttresses from the hoof in order to supposedly 'keep P3, the coffin bone, parallel to the ground. Keeping P3 parallel to the ground is a fallacy and does not occur in the normal foot as the anatomical reseach by Linda clearly reveals. Linda's research with many, many cadavar hooves have established that P3 is slightly elevated in the rear of the hoof when supported correctly by the heel buttresses. The heel buttresses being removed, permit P3 to fall toward the ground assuming a parallel or even negative palmar angle. The barefoot trimmers, vets and farriers who advocate the P3 parallel to the ground position were misled when they put the isolated P3 bone from a cadavar hoof onto a flat surfaced table, instead of seeing the position inside the hoof capsule of a healthy, sound-footed horse.
As we gradually released the forces on the hoof capsule (the exterior foot), the inner foot of the OTTB was able to escape from its constricted space and the whole hoof capsule changed shape and open up. It was important to do this process slowly so as the tendons and muscles did not come under too much pressure at one time. It is thought that the club foot can be caused by both genetics or from environmental factors. The result in both cases is the shortening of the deep digital flexor muscle and tendon that are located on the rear of the limb. This shortening of the muscle and tendons prevents the coffin joint from extending. We massaged the muscles in the OTTB to try to help speed up the stretching of the muscles. In other more severe cases of club foot, we have seen damage to the coffin bone where the bone forms into a ski jump type of tip but we have not had opportunity to attempt rehabbing a case with that issue yet. This rehabe however was a balancing act of making the changes very gradual, supporting the hoof wall with casts. Too much off the heels would cause pain there but too much off the toe would cause the toe to inflame also. During the rehab, when the internal foot was 're-setting' especially after a trim, the owner told us that the mare was sore for about 2 days if asked to work during that time, but after those 2 days, she would be able to work well for longer periods of time, At the end of the rehab process, the mare was jumping at pony club events and successfully competing in dressage competitions without going lame throughout the programmes. We rehabbed this hoof without the development of any abscesses though recurrent abscesses in the sole are common in many club footed horses. We tried to work with the horse's body. When the muscles around the DDFT shorten, the heel will grow higher to make up for the lack of length in the muscles in order to keep the extreme tension off the DDFT. Farriers and trimmers who 'take down the heels' because they are 'too high' are working against the natural protective mechanism of the horse. The changes to the compromised hoof must be gradual so that the muscles and tendons of the horse are given time to adjust to the new pressures.
Since these two horses' hooves were rehabbed, Linda J Harris has continued to further develop ACT and it is now called TACT. (The Anatomically Correct Trim) Linda has discovered the iimportance of leaving the hoof buttress intact. Due to the erroneous 'research' made famous by Dr Hiltrud Strasser (http://www.strasserhoofcare.org/reading.html), Dr Chris Pollitt (https://hoofcare.blogspot.com/2013/03/chris-pollitt-brian-hampson-brumby-wild-horse-Australia-hoof-research.html) and others, most bare-foot trimmers and farriers deform the normal hoof by removing the heel buttresses from the hoof in order to supposedly 'keep P3, the coffin bone, parallel to the ground. Keeping P3 parallel to the ground is a fallacy and does not occur in the normal foot as the anatomical reseach by Linda clearly reveals. Linda's research with many, many cadavar hooves have established that P3 is slightly elevated in the rear of the hoof when supported correctly by the heel buttresses. The heel buttresses being removed, permit P3 to fall toward the ground assuming a parallel or even negative palmar angle. The barefoot trimmers, vets and farriers who advocate the P3 parallel to the ground position were misled when they put the isolated P3 bone from a cadavar hoof onto a flat surfaced table, instead of seeing the position inside the hoof capsule of a healthy, sound-footed horse.
As we gradually released the forces on the hoof capsule (the exterior foot), the inner foot of the OTTB was able to escape from its constricted space and the whole hoof capsule changed shape and open up. It was important to do this process slowly so as the tendons and muscles did not come under too much pressure at one time. It is thought that the club foot can be caused by both genetics or from environmental factors. The result in both cases is the shortening of the deep digital flexor muscle and tendon that are located on the rear of the limb. This shortening of the muscle and tendons prevents the coffin joint from extending. We massaged the muscles in the OTTB to try to help speed up the stretching of the muscles. In other more severe cases of club foot, we have seen damage to the coffin bone where the bone forms into a ski jump type of tip but we have not had opportunity to attempt rehabbing a case with that issue yet. This rehabe however was a balancing act of making the changes very gradual, supporting the hoof wall with casts. Too much off the heels would cause pain there but too much off the toe would cause the toe to inflame also. During the rehab, when the internal foot was 're-setting' especially after a trim, the owner told us that the mare was sore for about 2 days if asked to work during that time, but after those 2 days, she would be able to work well for longer periods of time, At the end of the rehab process, the mare was jumping at pony club events and successfully competing in dressage competitions without going lame throughout the programmes. We rehabbed this hoof without the development of any abscesses though recurrent abscesses in the sole are common in many club footed horses. We tried to work with the horse's body. When the muscles around the DDFT shorten, the heel will grow higher to make up for the lack of length in the muscles in order to keep the extreme tension off the DDFT. Farriers and trimmers who 'take down the heels' because they are 'too high' are working against the natural protective mechanism of the horse. The changes to the compromised hoof must be gradual so that the muscles and tendons of the horse are given time to adjust to the new pressures.
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