Page 260 - The Veterinary Care of the Horse

VetBooks.ir

Figure 6.45 X-ray of a ‘sinker’. The pedal bone has dropped within the hoof capsule

The vet may place markers onto the hoof before taking the X-rays. A piece of wire is
positioned on the front of the hoof wall extending from the coronary band towards the

ground surface. This shows up on the X-ray and the vet can immediately see whether the
pedal bone has dropped in relation to the coronary band (this is known as the founder

distance), or if it has rotated so that it is no longer aligned with the anterior hoof wall. If gas
or fluid is trapped under the hoof wall, this will show up as a black shadow (Figures 6.45 and

6.46). A second marker is placed at or just behind the point of the trimmed frog.