Pictures posted in case history https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=82557

For the third year in a row my IR arabian has retained sole going into the fall months. Last year the trimmer took it all out and the poor guy was lame for a month. The year before I took out only a small part. What should I do this year? Is it better to remove sole down to the new sole or leave it be and let it wear out on it's own. He has some wall separation, but I don't think it's enough to be alarming. The summer was much to wet and made way too much green stuff IMHO.

Do horses cycle through their sole in much the same way as their coats along with the seasons? Should I be prepared for this every year?

Thanks for the thoughts and any guidance I can get on the pics.
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Amber, Calliber and now Marquise 
Upstate SC
Joined Jan 2019

https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=82557

Hi Amber,

Your horse pretty emphatically told you not to remove that sole so I suggest that you leave it alone. Horses will have varying amounts of sole throughout the year based on changing conditions. Most barefoot ones who move around do not need to have their soles thinned on a regular basis - they will accomplish this quite well on their own. Plus, once it has been thinned too much, it takes a LONG time to regrow AND re-callous properly.

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Lavinia

Moderator/ECIR Support

Thank you Lavinia

I wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing anything wrong by leaving it there. Of course I want to ride, but I didn’t want to put my wants above his needs if it was something that needed to be done.

Thank you for taking his side!

Amber


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Amber, Calliber and now Marquise
Upstate SC
Joined Jan 2019

Calliber https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=82557

In general, leaving some extra sole in place is always preferable to removing too much. Exfoliating sole protects the live sole beneath from being exposed before it is ready. It wears off bit by bit as new sole is put down in a regenerative cycle.

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Lavinia

Moderator/ECIR Support