How To Recognize And Solve A Serious Problem Of A False Sole In A Horse's Hoof

[@StableHorseTraining]

Here's a great example of what a false sole looks like in a horse's hoof. I talk about how to recognize it and how to solve it. If you want to know more about horse hooves and trimming I have an online course here: myhorsecoach.com/courses/horse-hoof-trimming-101/

[@spit-n-shoot3511]

I have a horse given to me and it hadn't had a trim in over two years . Lots of things are wrong as you would think . The biggest thing so far is the rear hoof soles are as hard as the walls . I can barely scratch them with a knife . Do you know what this is and how to fix it .

[@micheletravers1723]

Definately founder i have the xrays almost lost him i work on his hooves every 2 weeks to try to keep him pain free but the sole builds like crazy judging from frog tip

[@StableHorseTraining]

Sorry Michele, you haven't defined what you think is founder (and commented on a completely different comment) and without pictures there is no concrete advice I can give. If you want help then you have to help the helper as much as you possibly can.

[@Conny226]

Good morning to everyone. Thank you for being so committed with bringing out information every day 👍🏻 I am looking forward for your videos every day .Thank you.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Good morning!

[@julianpavlock6943]

@@StableHorseTraining saying afternoon from Texas 😉

[@StableHorseTraining]

afternoon!

[@believeandseeranch]

Just going through this now. This was so helpful thank you.

[@StableHorseTraining]

You’re welcome

[@believeandseeranch]

@@StableHorseTraining I just read the description on your video about the ride at Golden Ears. It looks like we’re practically neighbors.🙃.

[@mingram008]

Once again, excellent information! A depth I haven’t seen anywhere else! Bought into your trimming program and excited to be diving in N thanks!

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thank you, I'm glad this was useful to you, and thanks for picking up the course! I'm positive it will help a lot.

[@AL-lz1hb]

Fascinating stuff. Looks so much better after.

[@KK-hq8jd]

I watched a short if a ferryier just loping off a Huge chunk, off a miniature horse, it just did Not seem right. However i must admit, without this upload, I (can watch them walk & understand its off, but really) have no idea, how to help or anything really until today. Thanks Graeme.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Plenty of times it's the wrong thing to do, the special cases we must examine and get just right because taking off any more sole than needed hurts a horse as much as it hurts us. Indiscriminate removal of sole is only too common and I expect your instinct of what you watched was correct.

[@KK-hq8jd]

@@StableHorseTraining many thanks

[@deanhoughton1491]

This is a great video. i've just started trimming my horses feet and this is an issue i believe I'm dealing with. Part confidence issue, not wanting to create more damage to the foot. These videos are confidence builders.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thank you! I have a whole course on the subject if you're interested where I trimmed three very different horses to show different problems and patterns, all starting from the basics. myhorsecoach.com/courses/horse-hoof-trimming-101/

[@donnasimonds4300]

Thank you for the information!!

[@StableHorseTraining]

You're welcome!

[@nikk-named]

Fascinating. I've been watching a bunch of videos about cow hoff-trimming a while ago. It's interesting how that differs from horses.

[@jules8299]

I found those videos too while searching for information on hoof care for horses. Very interesting topic. Who knew that cows had so many hoof issues.

[@martineinfrance]

Although when cleaning hooves I sometimes noticed strange things, I didn't know what it was. Thank you Graeme 👍 very interesting..

[@gailreske7111]

This was something I had no idea of. I enjoyed being informed. Very important to know these things.

[@marleneleroux]

Great video my mare had squashed into her sole for years traditional farriers never address

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks! I hope it helped

[@SFD-Horses]

I’m going to have to start doing my own feet, so I’m watching a lot more of your foot videos.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Well, as a former member you still get 50% off my trimming course too :)

[@SFD-Horses]

Oh? Really? I sent a message via the academy site.

[@StableHorseTraining]

@@SFD-Horses absolutely, I responded. Please let me know if you have any questions along the way and I'll be happy to help :)

[@Trapezius8oblique]

Great video thanks. I appreciate the effort you put into your videos. Question: Do you think Separatation of the hoof wall is somewhat exasperated by the filing the hoof wall in the direction of, inside to the outside as is done by almost every one who trims hooves ? My explanation is, if we as humans were to file our nails frequently, as we do with hooves, our nails would weaken eventually and slowly separate from our nail bed too. So if we were to file the hoof wall from outside to the inside all the way around would it slow down the separation?

[@StableHorseTraining]

You make a good point, but not in my experience has that happened. Separation happens primarily from late trims and bad form for trimming and the hoof itself. It takes a LOT to make separation happen, so if it's happening, how you file is the least of your issues for sure. It's leverage that causes separation.

[@GodisTruth914]

I just learned alot about a horses hoove. Very interesting. 😁

[@amycaine3860]

Amazing video

[@missys]

That was fascinating to watch. The first picture of the false sole I was, ok I think I see it. The side shot...ahhhh there it is, whoa that's mess! Literally said it out loud and the kids stopped and looked at me.... Lol 🤭 what a transformation though. My question though is, with regular trims and hoof care, will that prevent the return of the false sole or it's continued growth?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Yes, with proper trimming those feet cleaned up just fine and prevented further problems.

[@missys]

@@StableHorseTraining thank you! Good to know.

[@danflemmer1999]

Good sound advice and diagnosis from my experience. Draft teams can have trouble with this, but the cause is often different from this particular case. For them it’s most often caused by the stresses induced by competitive pulling and the prodigious loading that occurs when the horse hits the end of the chain/s on the sled. Main reason my old employer didn’t think much of owners who only had a team in order to try to drag the sled. My rant for the day; sorry.

[@gabrielace4023]

That was a clear explanation and good to follow. What builds that false sole? Overgrown bar or pounded old sole and how long does it takes to build like over the whole sole?

[@StableHorseTraining]

It takes a long time to build up that much, 6 months for sure, in this case, probably more. It's a combination of lack of proper trimming to bars and walls so that the sole just builds up and up. This is especially common in horses that live in too soft of conditions and don't get much movement.

[@gabrielace4023]

Thank you for respond. 6Month?! What people do with horses…or not in that case.😢

[@lkious]

When would you reevaluate this hoof knowing there's more sole to exfoliate and subsequentially more hoof wall to trim? Weekly or monthly? Also, if I'm not seeing a whole lot of sole depth at the Apex of the frog, but I am seeing chalky powder at the sole/wall junction, how much should I try to exfoliate that if it does not turn into a nice distinguishable layer with a hoof pick? I am literally seeing the same thing with my horse, just not the sole depth at the Apex of the frog. So I'm a bit nervous to explore his feet aggressively

[@StableHorseTraining]

Weekly for sure. I worry more about the bars and connection to the heels and the heel buttress. The build up or lack thereof is an indicator of health. Otherwise I will bring the walls back and just allow the horse to wear down the old stuff on their own. Chalky is good, it’s the super hard stuff that is left for too long the compresses down to not exfoliate.

[@jonvladimirtsev3002]

Thank you, super helpful 👍🙏

[@StableHorseTraining]

You're welcome!

[@wojewodskik2]

Love this video! Very informative and I’d love to see more like it! :)

[@StableHorseTraining]

Thanks! I have lots of hoof videos for free here if you check the playlist kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGrYqZp_ht-bqbs you may like this one too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXjXlJSknKiSbrM and then I have a whole course on hoof trimming here: myhorsecoach.com/courses/horse-hoof-trimming-101/

[@wojewodskik2]

@@StableHorseTraining Awesome, thank you!

[@paddlefoot5692]

TY! Video👍👍 The dark speckling near the end of the frog and slightly to the side of the now cleaned/finished sole...is that bruising? What is that? And should a healthy sole always look free of any speckling marks?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Yes and yes.

[@joniatoms9798]

False sole is like a scab? Thank you for this! I have neuralgia in my feet and plantar fasciitis. So I can relate to sore 👣🦶🏻 feet hooves

[@StableHorseTraining]

Not really. The false sole isn't covering up a wound like a scab does. This is just build up due to a lack of proper trimming. It's more like a callous that just doesn't stop getting thicker.

[@gailann226]

🌟🐴🌟 Excellent information !

[@nikkireigns]

I was recently given a pony with awful feet. He was kept in a pasture with beef cows and not trimmed for probably a few years. Plus he’s got a club foot with a blown abscess. Obviously they just sawed off the long, twisted toes. His heels are so long and his feet are so hard I can barely use a hoof knife. I’ve finally got the frogs sloughing off so I can see in there. His walls are grown down in a way that he’s only walking on them, not the whole foot. My question is, should I trim him as flat as possible right away or do as I have been and taking a 1/4 inch off at a time?

[@StableHorseTraining]

I would never trim a horse flat. Changes are best made a bit at a time unless you can take it down the same amount all around. It's hard giving advice over the internet as I can't see what you're saying and I don't know if you have any education about what you think you're looking at. Asking for medical advice on the internet is sketchy at best...

[@nikkireigns]

@@StableHorseTraining haha that is very true! I’ve been doing my full size horses for 15 years, just trying to figure out this pony. Thanks for the reply. Do you have a link to purchase the small hoof nippers through? In another video you used them on Lena

[@StableHorseTraining]

@nikkireigns there are a ton of "farriers" that have been working on their horses for 15 years or more and know next to nothing about the biology of a hoof or how to trim.. So, I make no assumptions anymore. As for the nippers, they're on amazon as bonsai nippers. Get the Japanese brand, not the Chinese ones.

[@micheletravers1723]

Should u leave false sole on horse with founder for more protection of coffin bone?

[@StableHorseTraining]

You would have to define founder in your case as the word "founder" or "laminitis" is used far too often for what is simply a poor trimming regime and schedule. If the coffin bone needs protection (not sure how you determined that but I'll take your word for it) then I would suggest a correct trim and then boots and maybe pads inside. Sometimes leaving false sole in place will force the foot at a worse angle and perpetuate a problem. Without clear pictures I just can't give solid advice.

[@danflemmer1999]

Ouch!! Someone stepped VERY hard on a rock; while running pretty hard?? Definitely needs some help; you’re right on about that.

[@Conny226]

What a difference looks so much better 🤮the horse will thank you 🙏

[@harlcc261]

That was very interesting. Did the hoof repair well over time ?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Yes, she did very well in my care and recovered fully.

[@harlcc261]

@@StableHorseTraining Great job !!

[@SuZryN]

How does this affect the horse? Does it hurt?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Yes, it hurts and generally causes them to step "short", so they don't get a full length of stride going and instead step quickly or short. Like if somebody filled your shoes with wet sand, it doesn't move, gets hard in certain spots and hits pressure points.

[@michellestrickland7613]

So is that what a false soul is then, a callous that developed to protect the soul for a while?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Not always, she didn't need this protection and in fact it was detrimental to her. On horses that have very thin soles we would leave the false sole in place for a while for sure.

[@michellestrickland7613]

@@StableHorseTraining I see. Thank You.

[@amberblyledge7859]

I have two horses that have an issue with the front part of the sole growing past where the hoof wall would touch the ground. One has shoes because she has sensitivity issues, the other may need shoes. He has bad bruising and blew a MASSIVE abscess out the top of his hood. Crack is like 3 inches. What could I do about that? Not the abscess, the sole growing so fast and the faster it grows, the more it hurts and the more it hurts, the faster it grows. After further research it just looks like the toe callus is just growing like crazy and gets bruised. I rarely mess with it, but today I trimmed it down so it was closer to the height of the hoof wall and my boy was so much more comfortable. I've seen it and studied it over many weeks of horse trims and I don't know what is happening. Most of the time I don't touch it and he just gets worse and worse.

[@StableHorseTraining]

I highly recommend watching this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/oXjXlJSknKiSbrM I believe I know what it a going wrong with your horse's feet but without pictures I'll never know for sure. Check out that video and let me know how you get on with it and if you're able to diagnose your horse's feet any better afterwards. Is your horse's feet the red, blue or green one?

[@amberblyledge7859]

@Stable Horse Training So, the mare that has shoes has always been shaped like the red. She used to be SO MUCH WORSE, and our farrier has gotten her to be mostly hoof shaped. The gelding with the bruising had very green hooves before his laminitis episode back in November I think, but now he is slightly more shaped like the red. He also hits the ground more Toe-heel now. Old video is on this channel, Pistol with the Bag and Pistol With the Mounting Block. I can probably get new video soon if you wanna take a small look so I can communicate better with my farrier.

[@StableHorseTraining]

Here is what I imagine has been happening for your horses. First, the trim cycle is likely very long, something like 6 to 8 weeks between trims (this would be farrier recommended for sure). This is 4 times the length that they need to recover and is the exact reason they have the feet that they have. You likely will never have them trimmed every 2 to 3 weeks due to cost and it's impossible to shoe a horse that often as their hooves would just crumble underneath them from the sheer amount of holes they'd have poked in them. Shoes are very bad for rehabbing horses for that reason alone. Second, I imagine somebody convinced you that "laminitis" caused their feet to go bad. It's never the farrier's fault of course, they're doing the best ever. As such, the above problems wouldn't occur to you as it's been preceded by the "medical issue" and "there's nothing anybody can do" kind of thing. I'd be here to tell you that laminitis is a thing that definitely happens to a few horses out there but it's 99% trim that causes feet like that. There is very solid scientific proof that even fat unhealthy horses can have healthy feet if cared for appropriately. I have no idea how to convince you of any of this though. I'm just some guy on the internet that makes videos and your farrier will never respect anything I have to say about, primarily because I'd fire the guy for utter incompetence.... The rule here is, trim small, trim with high quality and precision and trim often. Instead of taking inches off, you take millimetres. This is very very common in the rehab world and a shoe will never fix the problem as you're just masking the issue and making it worse while compromising the structural integrity of the hoof wall and raising the hoof off the ground that it needs to touch for strength growth. Frogs grow long, they pinch in along with the heel bulbs and cause intense pain to the horse so they walk "toe-heel" because stepping on the back of the foot just hurts too much. All caused by improper trimming. Not diet. I can spout all the science you need on why classical hoof care doesn't work, but I have no idea if it'll be effective for your situation and circumstance. I'd recommend learning to trim yourself if you can. Even if it's just very small maintenance trims. Here's a video where I talk about that a bit: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipSahn-ve5JjZ6M In the end, all of these choices are yours to make for the health of your horse, knowledge is power for sure and is the one thing that will help you talk to your farrier, although I don't know a single farrier that takes advice from owners... so I wish you the best with that one.

[@netty4]

Wow I did not realize how much there0 is to the hoof

[@amyschubach1997]

My TB is noticed recently has a false sole which is now a hard flap that I can hook under with a pick. She also apprear to have a crack in the corner of heal area? The other feet look a lot like this video with no bars a sole higher than edges and yes she’s starting pig to flare. I always thought she had flat hooves…. Anyway , My farrier comes in 2 weeks… should I have her come sooner due to flap and crack?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Based on your description I would say you're probably not bringing in the right person if your horse's feet look like that now. Yes, somebody should attend them.

[@staceylandfield5002]

do you know if a horse can get laminitis from false sole?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Horses do not get laminitis from false sole. What horses can get is flare, cracking and chipping by allowing the walls to grow too long due to not taking care of the sole effectively and in a timely manner.

[@helenelittmann8875]

That first hoof to me looks like the sole is growing callous because the white line is so stretched. Either laminitis or whire line disease or mechanical stress. I would suggests getting the walls and white line fixed over the course of several trims and let the sole exfoliate naturally after the hoof is rebalanced.

[@StableHorseTraining]

None of that is true for this horse nor was that method effective (as was sort of done by the previous person) and I wouldn't recommend it. Thanks for adding to the conversation though, there are cases where what you say would be effective and I tried to explain the difference in this video but I guess I failed at that part. Either way, I obviously wouldn't show a failed case study as a model of what to do, so I would say it's safe for you to assume that this was a very effective method of resolving this horse's issues :)

[@helenelittmann8875]

@@StableHorseTraining do you have an after photo? I'm really curious as have spent time fixing stretched waterlines. How do the white lines look now?

[@StableHorseTraining]

Hi Helene, I do have a set of pictures for this horse, in fact you actually know who she is :) A very special older girl of the Appaloosa variety. The white lines were never much of a problem other than a bit of a stretch on one of the quarters of the hind. Other than that, what you're seeing isn't what you think it is. It's simply massive overgrowth leftover from the last person that trimmed her (which was years ago now where she resided before here). This overgrowth caused massive bruising and leftover bar which was paining her daily. This clean out was truly needed and she stayed clean until the day she left here (no bruising I mean and the soles maintained that white-ish look). The walls were never an issue outside of lack of proper trimming. There is a problem in the hoof world where a particular person ran around telling people to not touch sole or bars and it made horses worse in the long run despite being healthy and good advice in the beginning. The problem was that he didn't provide quite enough literature to allow horse owners (self trimmers or observers of the trimmer) to objectively know when leaving it was detrimental.