I Wish I Understood

I wish I was rich enough to pay for all the xrays I could ever dream of to figure out what's going on with Chewie. I've been trying so terribly hard to get credit cards under control, and a huge vet bill based on curiosity just isn't in the plans.

I also wish I understood a heckuva lot more about the whole hoof problem(s). I am a scientist by trade - I study things in an attempt to understand not just how things happen, but why they happen the way they do. I don't settle for "just because I'm a farrier and I'm smarter than you about hooves.. this is how it is... the hoof told me it belongs there".

I'm going to add more Durasole tonight to the thrushy frogs. (That's a whole other debate worth discussing, by the way.) I will check the pulses. I did run my fingers down Romeo's legs to the hooves, and noticed not near the indent that exists on Chewie. Kind of surprising how different they are.

The thrush debate. Mr Don says that thrush is caused by bad hoof balance, not horse's environment. He says thrush is evident by a "crack" line where the heels meet up. I'm not 100% convinced thrush is only balance. My reason? If hoof balance is the cause of thrush, why did he point to a "crack" line on a rear hoof, saying it is thrush, and to treat it? I asked him as he trimmed each rear hoof, "How do they look?", and he thought they were in good condition. Good balance, good size & shape.