Balancing and Shoeing Trotting and Pacing Horses

The feet of the suckling foal should be properly fixed every four or five weeks. After the foal is eight or nine weeks old his feet need fixing regularly. To fix the feet on the young foal shorten the toes as much as the foot will stand without making the foot tender, and then rasp the quarters down to a level with the frog, or a little lower than the top of the frog will be better, then round the sharp edges of foot off so as the foal will not cut his legs with the sharp edges and the job is completed. Do not cut out the bars, or the sole, or the frog. Now if you have noticed that a foal stands toeing out, leave the inside of the toe of that foot a little the longest from the coronet, an eighth or three-sixteenths of an inch will be a benefit to the foot, also to the line of action later on, and if the foal toes in, leave the outside of the toe the longest, as it will help to straighten matters in the line of action.

In fixing the foal’s feet it is very good to rasp the quarters and heels low enough so as to give a slight frogpressure when the foot comes in contact with the ground. Frog pressure assists expansion and prevents contraction; a short natural foot with a slight frog pressure during the first and second year is one of the surest ways to prevent a bad gait or a ruptured tendon, in later years. Young foals should have their feet picked out two or three times a week to ventilate around the frog, because the filth that usually gets lodged around there will be almost sure to cause heat, and in consequence a diseased frog, which perishes away and allows the heels to contract. A contracted foot is a very bad thing and causes trouble in more ways than one. If the feet on foals are left to grow too long, the inside heels will cave in or become contracted from the position they rest on them while grazing. To prevent this keep them cut down, if not you will have to use hoof expanders to get the foot back to its natural position.

One of the most important factors in keeping the feet on sucklings, weanlings and yearlings in proper condition as is specified in this article is to see that you are keeping the leg in the middle of the foot, otherwise many a good horse suffers, as the concussion and strain is not equally distributed on both sides of the foot when in action. If the feet on sucklings, weanlings, yearlings and two-year-olds are kept properly fixed, quarters and heels kept low enough so as to receive a slight frog pressure, this means at the proper angle, you will not have any elbow hitters and very few knee-knockers. If you have a yearling that hits his knees you have not kept his legs in the middle of his feet by keeping his heels and quarters rasped down, which will make it easier to prevent winging into his knees than if he had a contracted inside quarter, which is the case when neglected.