Applied Equine Podiatry - by Estella Ray, DAEP

01/15/2025

In June, this mare suffered an acute stone bruise that manifested into a subsolar abscess. It took 2 weeks for the infection to travel up and burst at the coronary band.
6.5 months later, that same hole has now grown all the way out, and finally reached the ground on her most recent trim.

Up until this point, the hole had been left open; a choice I made knowing that the hoof had keratanized the exposed area underneath, and that the horse had remained sound throughout the grow-out after the initial acute lameness. I treated it with Silvetrasol once a week, and left it alone to find its way to the bottom.

Last night, while trimming the sole, the hole through to the wall finally appeared, showing a keyhole window, not something you see every day! This also exposed the stretch and deviation of the golden line in the toe area, and showed how much the toe wall grew dorsal (forward) to accommodate the inflammation that had been present.

I have marked one of the pictures to show where the golden line should be in dotted orange, (mirroring the shape of the coffin bone in dotted purple) and where it deviated to in the toe in dotted red.

I have rebalanced the foot to its correct perimeters, and have applied a small SoleMate orthotic to fill the void left behind, and have then wrapped the foot with Perfect Hoof Wear to protect it from undue wear that might cause unnecessary chipping of the toe edge. These two materials will provide even stimulus up the wall for the next 2 trim cycles until the problem is fully gone.

09/18/2024

These aren’t staged photos in terms of his position. I just try to take photo records when I see them at their best and their worst in the ups and downs of life. There is just a hoof trim and 9 days between these images.
This is one of my personal horses, and the horse that brought me to AEP because of his very complicated feet. To this day, if I don’t keep up on his trims to the 3-4 week mark, he backslides and starts looking terrible in his body.
The balance of their foundation can make all the difference between a comfortable horse that can hold a better posture and one that can’t.

09/11/2024

Just 12 weeks (3 trim cycles) between this fully detached heel from an abscess blow out in the bars, that I excised down to the remaining attached healthy horn, and treated with a temporary Solemate orthotic to provide stimulus and ground contact under Perfect Hoof Wear wraps.
During this time, the horse was never lame on this foot, and continued in flat work and easy trails.

09/02/2024

One of my Perfect Hoof Wear applications “out in the field” as it were! Thanks to the owner for this great photo!
I’m loving the beautiful definition of the frog and collateral grooves receiving stimulus from this awesome product.
The 7 small anchors were placed to help slow down wear on this active eventing horse. They are in the material and barely scratch the hoof capsule.

09/02/2024

Little before and after from the other day!

08/16/2024

This product is revolutionary. Many horses under my care have already benefitted so much from it, with stabilized frogs filling in in the central sulcus, better cartilage development, increased wall and heel growth, etc.

PERFECT HOOF WEAR POLY HOOF WRAPS

The Non-Cast / No Glue Alternatives

Perfect Hoof Wear (PHW) is a non-cast, 100% polyester multidirectional fabric tape impregnated with a unique water activated polyurethane resin that remains slick allowing for a smooth application. Wraps measure 2"x 4 Yards (5cm x3.65m). Each comes in a hermetically sealed foil pouch stamped with a lot number and expiration date. PHW poly wraps have a 2 year shelf life, when stored following manufactures recommendations. Each wrap is supplied with (3) proprietary stainless steel anchors. Anchors eliminate the need for messy expensive glues. Set up time is about 4 minutes, giving you sufficient time to apply. It sets up without producing excessive heat, becoming only warm to the touch. Once the resin begins to set there is no need for gloves, making for a very clean application. Trimming of the wrap is easy, with no need to rasp the finished application. When used for added protection the application is as easy as trim, wrap, ride.

Proven Results

With tens of thousands of Perfect Hoof Wear being sold over the past 10 years, the results speak for themselves.

Performance
PHW unlike fiberglass or fiberglass composite type casting tapes, PHW remains flexible after curing and possesses elastic potential that closely mimics the hoof capsule. PHW essentially becomes an exoskeleton.
PHW Shortens Recovery Times, providing dynamic stability, while supporting correct circulation and lymphatic function.

PHW stimulates hoof wall growth by allowing for three dimensional distortion. As much as 200% increase over normal growth rate has been seen. We frequently receive testimonials stating complete dorsal wall growth in just 7 months.

PHW will not promote bacterial growth.

PHW Enhances Performance with its low rebound characteristics effectively dispersing the energies created upon impact protecting the internal foot.

PHW is impervious to mud and water. It is excellent for use in wet environments, where glue-on applications often fail.

PHW is applied using proprietary stainless-steel anchors, eliminating the need for expensive and often unreliable glues.

This system is time proven, having been used in the application of tens of thousands of poly wraps over the past 10 years.

PHW anchor system allows you to treat the hoof topically without having to worry about glue failure.

PHW is radiolucent. No need to remove PHW when taking x-rays.

PHW has excellent wear characteristics, often lasting 4 to 5 weeks when used for rehabilitation.

PHW is the perfect foundation for the application of performance horseshoes. A flexible horseshoe can be affixed by nailing or other means.

PHW is ideally suited to the creation of specialty orthotics and custom boots.

PHW is Economical eliminating the need to stock expensive glues, glue tips and glue guns.
PHW can effectively be used as a replacement for all glue-on applications.

PHW is excellent for protecting the hoof that has lost a shoe.

Keep a PHW in your saddle bag for emergencies.

08/06/2024

I call them hoof cookies! Did you know that exfoliation is a natural process in the equine foot that is governed by the same hormonal process that tells your horse’s keratin when it is time to shed their summer and winter coats? In feet with good balance, we will often see huge slabs of old exfoliated sole naturally shed out all at once after they stop receiving nourishment from their dermis.

08/02/2024

I really do love this work.
These transformations make me impossibly happy, especially when the horses just melt and their people say things like “she’s never released this much, ever” and “she sent one farrier jumping out of a window…what did you do? I’ve never seen her this calm.”
It’s such an honor when the horses feel better and want to work with me.