The above series is of a founder that has severe contraction, the commonly seen founder strap and a capsule that was
not sealing in the toe region. This is a series of views in just a couple of weeks after a couple of White Lightning treatments that removed
the barrier of bacteria and fungus that was living under the sole inside the capsule.
After a week from the first treatment, a hollow sound was coming in the sole at the front of the foot when tapped. Pushing just a bit,
the sole caved in and exposed a gap about the thickness of a credit card between the sole seen inside and the shell of one that was on the outside.
We pulled off the detached sole easily. The whole process seemed like a sort of hatching. What we ended up finding you can see in the 3rd picture
above, the real foot that had been under a barrier of disease. The surface was foot inside had the soft velvet of healthy growing sole.
In the last picture in the abvoe series you can see the entire sole is off and underneath is another foot. The size and proportion that a hoof
should be. The exciting thing was the laminar wedge was totally exposed. You can see it looks like skin that was smashed together like
clay dough. The wedge also shows how it runs down the side of the quarters, pushing the wall out at the front area of the capsule.
What the wedge does in the quarters is prevent the front capsule wall from rounding around the natural shape of the coffin bone.
The wedge in the quarters will keep the heels from de contracting, and maintaining the typical rectangle shaped foundered hoof.
Another interesting finding was how the founder strap that existed on the sole from the apex and attaching to the toe wall area had been removed.
When the sole came off the founder strap was now under the sole and also behind and under the laminar wedge instead of on top of the wedge as with
the upper picture.
The foot above is from has the bulbous toe from the laminar wedge. The 2nd hoof is after most of the wedge was removed.
The green dots are on the tubules to show growth patterns. The dots on this hoof show tubule growth patterns.
The dark stain on the capsule shows the typical founder fanning. There is still some wedge between the two vertical marks
The area just below the coronary was vertical. The hairline arched. The capsule began to grow a healthy connect in the top part
of the capsule. The horizontal lines are marked at 3/8 inch
from the capsule rim and then I divided in half this distance
to safely remove the capsule rim to continue the straightening
of tubule growth. We only needed to do this twice to get the
capsule to relax the push/pull against the lateral cartilage
This solar view has little dots on the left that show The foot above was in the beginning of developing a more natural shape
the natural shape of the foot without the laminar and skin covering. The heels are extremely contracted and working on
wedge pushing out the quarters. If you look at the the heel area with the above wall shortening help to expand the heels.
wall and the area to the dots and go back up and This foot is not one that benefits with aqua therapy walks for de contraction
look at the view without the old sole you can see Because this horse is not weight bearing enough to help push out the heels
the wedge that is doing this damage. The heels were that are softened in the soaker boot.
unable to open up. Once the wedge was removed
you can see in the next picture in just weeks the
distance and more natural comfort that returned to
the hoof.
Views of Capsules with the Laminar Wedge
The laminar wedge looks like a plastic You can see that disease that migrates
sort of translucent hard material. The into the damaged capsules thrives
capsule wall frames the wedge areas and eats through any of the new
exposed when rasping the toe back. growing tissues. The sole is never
Also you can see the swoop of the wall really attached and the laminar
that the bulging wedge drags the growing wedge becomes a host for boring holes
heels forward while the front of the of bacteria. see White Lightning
capsule wrinkles up all the new growth
that is stuck at the top of this wedge before
it pushes up and over. This is where the
saying only grows heel no toe comes from.
But, in reality the toe is growing the same
as the heel growth.
You can see the framed laminar wedge and the This sole was so diseased that the
disease in the sole and wall attachment. sole was eaten away. What you
The typical founder rings is created from the see with the nippers pulling a
wedge, fanning back to the heels growth. view of is the laminar wedge.
You can also see a rocket type
shape in the frog.see FOUNDER STRAP
You will discover when rasping back the bulbous toes from the laminar wedge that
vertical splits and diseased tunnels will be inside. You might see nothing but the
translucent wedge and then a pocket of dark area's show up. Not like an abscess more like dead tissue.
All the lines you are seeing was mapping out the growth, trying to estimate where a
normal placement of the coffin bone would be, just a study in progress. The lines
are part of a process of thought I need sometimes to help myself, and the owner.
The magic marker never hurts and gives you time to think before applying a rasp or knife.