This is terrible. Those feet look six to 8 weeks long! Ditch this farrier quick!
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Horrible shoe job,i wouldn’t be happy with that at all.
I agree, your pics were not at all what I pictured based on the first post. That’s not high/low, that’s a club foot and a terrible trim job on both feet. Please consult a vet and get a different farrier.
I agree that I would get a 2nd (3rd?) opinion on these feet. They are definitely too long and the bullnosing is obvious even to those of us that are not experts.
Luvmyhackney - I want to ask about the wedge crushing the heel - from what picture are you seeing this? I’m not a hoof expert so I’m not challenging your opinion, but trying to understand what crushed heels look like.
My hi/low horse wears a wedge and her feet look very different. My farrier tried to keep her balanced for years without wedges but decided to try it a few years ago and she was much more sound. Even though she is retired, we could see the difference in her overall balance. But people mention wedges = crushed heels on this board a lot and now I wonder.
Agree that a new farrier is needed. OP, I’m curious, where did each farrier go to school and what certifications do they hold?
I had a high- low horse for many years. It is a tricky management issue.
I would take him to a good clinic and get radiographs. It is extremely important that everyone knows the bone orientation. The trimming is informed by this.
With mine, keeping the toes back and , trimming each foot individually was key. We did use a wedge while floating the heel for a while to correct angles but eventually moved out of them.
IME, going to the best (high priced ) help was cheaper and way more effective in the long run. Wish I had done it earlier. Oh, and make sure you get a farrier who can work with your vet. I got mine through a recommendation from my vet.
Cause your farrier is most likely floating the heel which is the right way for it to be done. the heel in the pic isn’t being floated but adding pressure on the heel, especially 6 days out from trim. Most farriers don’t have the knowledge and experience to do it effectively. Wedges are a great tool if used effectively, but from reading the OP’s first post and the opinion of the 2nd farrier, you can read between the lines. If horse was going well and no issues, they wouldn’t be posting.
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My mare has always been high/low and my farrier has always handled each front as an individual. She has never had any issues and has been shod since she was 4. I can’t see the pictures so I can’t comment.
Good luck and get a skilled vet involved.
Yikes, I agree. Find a new farrier. That wedge is NOT doing you any favors.
Also agree to do x-rays so you know what you are dealing with inside. A good farrier is going to want to see the x-rays.
I don’t claim to be an expert, but here’s my experience. My horse has high/low and I’ve been dealing with that for 4 years now (since he first started wearing shoes). Like the OP’s horse, he also was mechanically unsound without a pad on the low foot. My farrier keeps the toe back on the clubby foot and uses a pad on the low foot to even my horse out. He uses the point of the knee as a visual reference to make his legs even.
Although he is even at his knees, his shoulders are totally different from a lifetime of grazing stance. For this reason, I need to use a shim under the saddle on his “low foot” side because the bigger shoulder (on the “high foot” side) will push the saddle over. As he progresses in his training this is less of an issue. Mostly something I just feel at the beginning of a ride before he is warmed up and using himself. Watch your saddle fit as you make shoeing changes. This can be another source of “choppiness” or resistance.
My horse grows a lot of foot. We keep him on a 4-week shoeing cycle to catch him before the heel on the club foot gets any bigger or it develops that concave flare. Good luck to the OP.
