Trimming

Step 3: Finding the Live Sole Plane

Ruth and I feel that finding the live sole plane and addressing flares are two of the most important details of trimming, so hopefully we can more clearly show how we determine live sole verses old dead sole.

All hooves are different. We reach the live sole on some, a clean white line on others, and some have a mix.

After getting proper heel height and trimming the frog, we balance the solar plane of the foot.  Using the rasp across the bottom of the hoof, we use the sole and the white line to obtain balance.  We rasp until we begin to remove live, viable, healthy sole or we see the white line clean up.

using the tools

We rasp from the inside of the hoof towards the outside.  This involves turning the rasp in various directions.  Sometimes we pull it towards us, sometimes we are pushing it.  In the toe region, we do rasp from the inside out or side to side.  The object is to follow the live sole plane, not make the whole surface flat like is done when a shoe is going to be applied.

The rasp only cuts in one direction.  The biggest surprise when learning to use the rasp is that you need little to no pressure on the rasp.  If it is pushed too hard, it will "bite" too deeply and won't move.  If you find the rasp is very hard to push, then use less pressure instead of more.

Push and pull the rasp.  Notice the rasp has been turned around to do the different directions.  (The handle is on different sides)

Make sure to keep the rasp flat.  The flares and rolling the edges should be done after the live sole plane has been found.  This ensures that the walls aren't lowered too much.

Here is a picture that shows the sole and walls are the same height.  They both share weight bearing responsibilities.

Here I am removing hoof wall to the live sole with the nippers.  I am making sure to stay flat with the sole.  It is much easier to remove this much wall with nippers, but the same thing can be done with a rasp.

dead vs. live sole

Notice the different consistency of the sole.  The dead sole can be flaked with only a hoof pick.  It is soft, whereas, the healthy sole is much harder.  This consistency is much more apparent in wetter climates.  That is almost all that we have had the last year and a half, so I do not have many photos of dead, dry soles.  I hope to add more examples if and when it ever gets dry again.

Usually, we can look at the sole without even touching it and know whether it is dead or live.  There is often a clear difference.  It becomes more obvious with experience.  Until then, rely on tools to determine live sole.  If the sole cuts extremely easily and flakes off, then it is most likely dead.

It is better to leave a thin layer of dead sole than to take too much live sole.  If you question, then leave it for a few days and see what is worn off.  Usually all the dead sole will be gone on its own.

There are times that I do not go to the live sole on the first trim.  One example is a horse that has just had shoes removed (usually really flat footed, thinned walled feet).  Often, the sole is crushed and unrecognizable, I feel that it is easier to remove the shoe, roll the walls and give it a few days.  This way I do not remove too much.

Another situation is the horse that has really tall feet.  Often finding the live sole involves lowering the foot too dramatically.  I lower the foot until I feel uncomfortable going further.

I did lower the other foot, too, this was just to show the extreme a difference in before and after.

The finished solar view actually was still very mealy, but I felt going further would be too far.  After his trim, this gelding bolted out of the barn running and bucking.  He was clearly more comfortable after his trim.  A couple of weeks later, he received a nice normal trim to the live sole.

Quarter scooping-  We find that it either occurs or doesn't.  Ruth and I do not purposefully add quarter scooping.  In our experience, hooves change constantly for reasons that we may not understand, but we trust.  If finding the live sole plane does not result in quarter scooping, then we trust the foot.