article
gives me confidence to continue to promote
➲
the dorsal wall lifting concept. If pain was
actually caused by direct systemic insult to
the laminae then grooving would not reduce
pain levels. So the fact that pain is reduced
by grooving must undermine the direct insult
model.
Shoeing
I then shoe the foot with an aluminium heart
bar shoe, with ‘Playdoh’ placed in the toe
(one-third of the foot) and Equi-Pac soft sole
in the palmar two-thirds of the foot (Fig 2), the
Playdoh is removed once the Equi-Pac has set.
The Equi-Pac provides complete support the
palmar portion of the hoof while the dorsal one-
third is left empty to avoid pressure on to the
distal border of the distal phalanx, and to retain
visibility of this vulnerable area.
Fig 5
Until recently I replaced the support shoes
every four weeks, but I have changed to every
Fig 4
three weeks in more severe cases to ensure
authors claim good results from what seems to
that the rapidly growing heels don’t lift the shoe
be very invasive, pain-inducing procedures.
and the support pad from the solar surface of
laminitic feet. It’s worth trying grooving as it
Viewed in isolation it is hard to understand
the foot. The use of Equi-Pac support material
can still be helpful but I don’t raise the owners’
how these procedures could be helpful to the
is not withdrawn until I am confident that the
expectations. Chronic cases are a good starting
laminitic horse, but from the viewpoint of hoof
distal phalanx has stabilised within the hoof
place to develop the grooving technique, if you
capsule distortion being a major contributor
capsule. Early withdrawal can be disastrous.
want to try it (Figs. 3,4 and 5).
to pain, these procedures intervene in the
If support shoes and Equi-Pac are used
distortion process by isolating sections of hoof
without grooving then I believe the hoof
Other grooving procedures
from other areas of the hoof capsule, disrupting
would continue to distort unchecked, and the Hoof wall grooving has a poor history,
the distortion process and thus reducing pain.
destructive distortion process would continue particularly with cases of navicular disease.
Advanced modern procedures like dorsal
unabated leading the condition within the hoof Many older farriers will have been asked by a
wall resection and ‘sole releases’ are not that
to deteriorate. vet to groove the heels of a horse with navicular
dissimilar to these early procedures, as they
In actively distorting hooves, the grooves will
disease and found that the procedure was
also remove sections of hoof wall and allow
become visibly narrower at the distal border
futile, with no signs of improvement in the
drainage of exudate. Burney Chapman is well-
after about one month. Groove closure
horse. The grooving procedure was intended
known for the dorsal wall resection, but he also
illustrates how quickly the hoof changes shape,
to help the contracted hoof to expand but the
pioneered the sole release procedure which is
and demonstrates that the groove is performing
hoof remained contracted and the horse lame.
used after the hoof resection, when a horizontal
its intended function (Fig 2).
In cases of laminitis where the grooves are
incision is made at the upper border of the sole
placed in the dorsal hoof wall I have found the
to facilitate drainage of sub-solar exudate.
It seems the existing hoof capsule influences
results to be much more positive and a simple
how the new hoof grows in laminitics,
Could it be that 326 years ago we almost had
procedure with few disadvantages.
procedures like coronary grooving and high
an effective treatment for laminitis and again
dorsal wall resections have been employed
A literature search has so far found two
103 years ago H. Coulton Reeks suggested an
to encourage better re-growth after an acute
examples of grooving the hoof wall for what
effective treatment, which was disregarded until,
episode. Vertical grooves also act in a similar
has been loosely called ‘founder’ or laminitis.
perhaps, Burney Chapman read the account
way, are simpler and can be implemented at a
In Andrew Snapes, ‘Anatomy of an Horse’,
and developed the dorsal wall resection and
much earlier stage, they are also inexpensive,
published in 1683, he describes a crude
sole release?
as the grooving procedure in experienced
method of filing five or six deep grooves with a Vertical grooving has overshadowed the more
hands takes minutes.
rasp until the hoof bleeds and claims it to ‘have important dorsal wall lifting theory, which
made thofe Horfes found, whom the drawing provides a comprehensive explanation for
Experiences with grooving
out of their Soals would not cure’, that is, he what is seen in laminitis. At the present time
As the hoof grows the proximal portion of claims to have ‘made those horses sound, there is no consensus as to the true aetiology
the grooves are gradually carried down the whom the drawing out of their soles would of laminitis, even when it is fully understood it
hoof wall and their effectiveness diminishes. not cure’. It is easy to dismiss this frightening will still remain a very serious life threatening
At this stage, some animals have gradually account but the author has included it in his disease.
become lame again, which is a predictable book because he believes it has merit.
By acknowledging that hoof capsule distortion
outcome and is resolved by extending the
In ‘Diseases of the Horses Foot’, by H. Coulton takes place much earlier than previously
groove back upwards to the original position. I
Reeks, published in 1906, he describes placing thought and understanding the effect this
have perpetually kept grooves in one pony for
three vertical grooves, which extend from the would have on the laminal bond, a better
seven years until they were dispensed with and
coronary band to ground surface to create two understanding of equine laminitis is possible.
another is presently working in a riding school
isolated sections of dorsal wall, a fourth groove A mechanical process induced by the hoof
having been kept grooved since 2006. One
in the white line is then used to isolate the wall changing shape being responsible for the
show cob proved sound enough to be shown,
segments from the solar surface, the procedure destruction of the laminal bond. The reason why
his front grooves were filled with Blu Tack and
being designed to allow the ‘expansion’ of the the normal pattern of hoof growth is disrupted
hoof oiled over. Without the grooves he was
hoof capsule and ‘so relieving the pressure on in the developmental phase will require levels
‘pottery’ and slightly lame. He unfortunately
the sensitive structures within it . . . Almost of research that a farrier canít undertake. As
died about three years later of an unrelated
immediate relief is afforded the patient.’ It is the effects of differential hoof growth have not
condition.
my belief that this account inspired Burney previously been considered to have a causal
Chronic cases are less predictable, this is due Chapman, and was the forerunner of dorsal role, its importance has been overlooked
to the many changes that have taken place, wall resection, as it also states that ‘incidentally, and the necessity for research has not been
and the multiple pain sources found in chronic the inflammatory exudate is given exit’. Both considered.
For further information on this topic, visit www.equinehoof.co.uk
Forge | October 2009 11
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