Ran into an old horse yesterday that made me rethink how I read hoof angles

I was out at a barn in Grafton last Wednesday and this 20 year old quarter horse had the weirdest foot shape. Owner said he's never had a lameness issue but I kept second guessing myself on the angles. Looked up some old notes from a clinic with Pete Ramey from 2019 and realized I've been overthinking sole depth on older horses for years now. Anyone else find themselves trusting the horse more than the textbook?

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jasons635mo ago

Bet on the old horse with 20 years of soundness over a textbook every time, though I guess the textbook never had to stand in a muddy paddock all winter.

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max_jones5mo ago

Bet on the old horse with 20 years of soundness over a textbook every time" - man, that hit home. I had a similar thing with a 22 year old arabian gelding last fall. Dude had the flattest soles I ever saw on a sound horse, and my trimmer brain was screaming "fix it." But the owner showed me 15 years of farrier records, horse never missed a day of work. So I just cleaned up the flares and left the angles alone. Six months later that old guy is still trotting around like a colt. Really made me chill out on trying to force every foot into some ideal number, especially on the old timers who've figured out their own way to go.

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