Bugsy
Bugsy is a handsome 14.2hh traditional black cob. He has a lovely obliging and affectionate temperament, and his young rider is having huge amounts of fun with him.
His shoes came off in November 2008. 
We think Bugsy had only been shod in front and for about a year, but had significant changes to his feet as a result.
Bugsy's heels were tending to under run, his hooves were quite concave but with long weak frogs that have deviated medially. His heel bulbs were not in use, and his heels were a little high. There was quite a bit of weak horn below the clenches, and the wall had split and ravelled. Both fronts were steeper on the inside and a flare to outside. A number of ridges on the hooves were apparent.
Bugsy tended to land toe first in walk and trot on his right front, and somtimes stumbled on the right rein. He also plaited slightly.
Bugsy's owner started adding seaweed to his diet and removed molasses containing feeds 4 months ago and the effect on the hoof quality and his coat started to show quite quickly. New horn is growing in at steeper angle.
Initial Trim – did not do too much on first trim, or ask too much of him. Plan was to let him get comfortable with shoes off and then start to reduce the heels to bring frog down over next 4-6 weeks. Applied as good a roll as possible given state of wall below clenches. Removed sharp ravelled edges of the bars.
There were cracks extending from the bars into the heel buttress on the lateral side and from the heel towards the bars on the medial side
Nothing much done to the hinds – they were pretty good (they had been unshod) – just a tidy up needed.
March 2009
By March his hooves had improved significantly. He was going forward more readlly and the toe first landings had completely disappeared and become nice heel first landings. Also his tendency to slide into jumps had much reduced. I don't have a picture to show it, but Bugsy was also standing in a more relaxed stance with his feet much less tucked "under him"
March before trim - honestly, these are the same hooves!
There has been significant decontraction in the heels - about 15 to 20 mm - and each hoof is beginning to look more symetrical. The deviated frog is more centrally aligned in the hoof.
A nice hairy pair of cob feet! Hard to see the hoof/pastern angles with such "big hair"!
All of the wall ravel has grown out and the new dorsal hoof wall coming down is at a steeper toe angle.
Interestingly, the cracks in the heel butresses have gone completely.
April 2009
By April we are seeing most of the winter frog start to shed. These pictures are taken 10 days after his last trim and he has already thrown out some heel. His lateral cartilages and digital cushions are continuing to firm up and his heel bulbs are getting more pronounced and "blockier". Interestingly one heel crack has reappeared
The asymetrical hoof is almost symetrical and the frogs are growing in straight. He is more open at his elbows and has a more relaxed and even gait. There is not a lot to do at each trim - simply keep the heels down and tidy up the walls at the quarters - he looks after the toes very well himself.
There's no point showing the hind feet - they are almost perfect!
Bugsy is not overweight and is very fit as his young owner rides him almost every day.