Welcome to my web site!
Last Updated 7/14/2010
Jan 2010 photo courtesy of Caroline Young
HI! I am a horse owner, hoofcare professional and I really love horses. Since I created this site myself, it contains my own thoughts and conclusions based on my education and experience. I am a hoof trimmer that really rides so I can tell you from experience that barefoot can work for you and your horse. Please look through my website for lots of information on hoof stuff. I frequently update it with new information.
I ride my mare barefoot and bitless. Right now I have 5 horses! (click here to read about my horses)
If you are a fellow horse lover, I hope you will find this web site useful.
Some of you might remember that I also work with problem horses and teach owners how to overcome difficulties with their horses. I am still available for this service. click here
I also love to paint pet portraits, especially horses! To see some of my art, click here.
I have just started writing for Suite101. If you would like to read one of my articles click here
If you have questions about your horse's particular problems. I am happy to help with photo consults too.
Thanks, Sandy
I ride my mare barefoot and bitless. Right now I have 5 horses! (click here to read about my horses)
If you are a fellow horse lover, I hope you will find this web site useful.
Some of you might remember that I also work with problem horses and teach owners how to overcome difficulties with their horses. I am still available for this service. click here
I also love to paint pet portraits, especially horses! To see some of my art, click here.
I have just started writing for Suite101. If you would like to read one of my articles click here
If you have questions about your horse's particular problems. I am happy to help with photo consults too.
Thanks, Sandy
Hoof Trimming
Most horses love to have their feet trimmed! They will lick and chew or yawn when trimmed correctly. Once they realize how much better their feet feel, they look forward to being trimmed! With serious pathology, it may be necessary to trim often and with great precision. I have the skills and ability to perform trimming of this kind and the education to explain what the owner should expect and do to help the horse recover from serious problems such as founder, navicular disease, white line disease, and other hoof ailments. Because I also ride my barefoot horses in a variety of terrain and conditions, I can attest to the performance of my barefoot trims. Read my articles in The Horse's Hoof magazine and visit some of my case studies on my Case Studies Page.
Contact phone 336-698-0784 or 336-380-5543 Email: sandra.judy@att.net
Contact phone 336-698-0784 or 336-380-5543 Email: sandra.judy@att.net
"Sandy introduced me to barefoot 7 years ago and I am forever grateful! Sandy has spent numerous hours studying and practicing the ART of barefoot trimming (and it IS an art!) She knows the hoof both inside and out and how proper trimming of the hoof affects the health and comfort of the entire horse. Sandy is not only knowledgable but willing to take the time to explain what she does and why, so that the owner is well informed. Not only is she a great trimmer but a geat teacher! She is honest, hard-working and knowledgable about her craft. I think she is an asset to barefoot and she also lives what she teaches." ~ Lynn K.
READ MORE TESTIMONIALS BY CLICKING HERE
READ MORE TESTIMONIALS BY CLICKING HERE
CONTACT ME ABOUT TRIMMING YOUR HORSE
Conformation Changes in Before and After Trimming
When a horse has untrimmed or incorrectly trimmed hooves, it will usually stand in an uncomfortable posture like this. The front and hind legs will be well under the horse. The shoulders will look too straight while the butt is tucked under. The neck will look "ewed" with under-side muscles developed.
After trimming, conformation changes!
After trimming, the horse is much more relaxed and can stand with its legs perpendicular to the ground.
About Balanced Conformation & Head-low position...
This is an illustration I did to show people the balanced skeleton of the horse in the most natural position: with the head low. This posture is so important! Horses should be eating and drinking from ground-level because that is the most natural posture for the teeth alignment and for the soft tissues of the throat to be able to swallow and breath properly. It is also important when riding the horse so that breathing and bone alignment can best cope with the rider's weight. As you see, the coffin bone (P3) is ground parallel and the joints of the limbs are in harmonic alignment. This combined with the ligaments which run forward from the withers and the ligaments which run back over the spine carry the horse much like a suspension bridge. This is all part of the "stay apparatus" which allows the horse to sleep standing up with little to no muscle tension as the extensor and flexor tendons are in balance.
This is an extreme example of a horse that is standing with a great amount of muscle tension! It is unfortunate that many halter Quarter horses are raised in stalls and shod with high heels. This 3 yr old stallion was being advertised for breeding. If you can't see the things that are wrong, please let me point them out to you. He has straight pasterns, buck knees, straight hocks and stifles, his shoulder eclipses his withers and every muscle in his flexor and extensor system is working hard to balance him above the tips of coffin bones turned up at almost a 90 degree angle.
Various Barefoot Trim parameters
Strasser Trim Parameters
(as I was taught them)
Diagram A. The Strasser Trim
My Healthy Foot Trim Parameters
Diagram B. My Trim
The Wild Horse Trim
Diagram C The Wild Horse Trim
Diagram A. Strasser Trim:
1.ground parallel (coffin bone (the determining factor is a 30 degree hairline)
2. Front feet; toe angle of 45 degrees (can range to 50) Hinds: 55 degrees
3. heel height 3 cms (approx. 1 and 1/8 inches) from hairline to ground
4. concavity, measured from the tip of the frog at the dirt line, 1 cm (approx. 3/8 inch) in fronts and 1 and 1/2 cms (5/8 inch) in hinds.
5. the bar height 1 cm (3/8 inch) in the middle of the bar.
6. sole is smoothed to the dirt line in the collateral grooves
Over the years in my own experience, I have found that this trim designed for rehabilitation, can destabilize the coffin bone within the hoof capsule and cause more pain and a different kind of damage than it may fix. Please read my thoughts on the Strasser trim on my FAQs page.
My Trim parameters for a healthy front foot (Diagram B My Trim):
1. closer to 50 degree toe angle on a quarter horse or other hard-hoofed horse, varying to 48 on a draft cross or TB.
2. heel height of 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch, I generally do not roll the heels and quarters but may in some horses
3. concavity of 5/8 to 3/4 inch
4. bar height of 5/8 to 3/4 inch
5. only the caulky sole is trimmed (when the hoof has been soaked, this caulky sole will flake off with a hoof pick!)
6. hairline close to 30 degrees (coffin bone only slightly less than ground parallel)
7. I like to roll the wall (breakover) from 10 to 2 (basically, the toe) I will angle the wall at whatever direction is needed to achieve my goals or leave it flat to the ground but it depends on the horse, the use and the owner. Each horse varies individually and I have learned what works! If I need to trim for rehabilitation, I will use whatever trim techniques that work effectively.
Wild Horse Trim (Diagram C)
1. close to ground parallel coffin bone, (only slightly less)
3. rolled edge all the way around, even the heels
4. the bars are passive in that they are only trimmed to the "live" sole, which is to say that they are not weight-bearing; the toe is rolled back to the "waterline" of the wall horn, which is very white and dense
5. concavity can be up to 3/4 inch as sole in the toe callous area thickens.
1.ground parallel (coffin bone (the determining factor is a 30 degree hairline)
2. Front feet; toe angle of 45 degrees (can range to 50) Hinds: 55 degrees
3. heel height 3 cms (approx. 1 and 1/8 inches) from hairline to ground
4. concavity, measured from the tip of the frog at the dirt line, 1 cm (approx. 3/8 inch) in fronts and 1 and 1/2 cms (5/8 inch) in hinds.
5. the bar height 1 cm (3/8 inch) in the middle of the bar.
6. sole is smoothed to the dirt line in the collateral grooves
Over the years in my own experience, I have found that this trim designed for rehabilitation, can destabilize the coffin bone within the hoof capsule and cause more pain and a different kind of damage than it may fix. Please read my thoughts on the Strasser trim on my FAQs page.
My Trim parameters for a healthy front foot (Diagram B My Trim):
1. closer to 50 degree toe angle on a quarter horse or other hard-hoofed horse, varying to 48 on a draft cross or TB.
2. heel height of 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch, I generally do not roll the heels and quarters but may in some horses
3. concavity of 5/8 to 3/4 inch
4. bar height of 5/8 to 3/4 inch
5. only the caulky sole is trimmed (when the hoof has been soaked, this caulky sole will flake off with a hoof pick!)
6. hairline close to 30 degrees (coffin bone only slightly less than ground parallel)
7. I like to roll the wall (breakover) from 10 to 2 (basically, the toe) I will angle the wall at whatever direction is needed to achieve my goals or leave it flat to the ground but it depends on the horse, the use and the owner. Each horse varies individually and I have learned what works! If I need to trim for rehabilitation, I will use whatever trim techniques that work effectively.
Wild Horse Trim (Diagram C)
1. close to ground parallel coffin bone, (only slightly less)
3. rolled edge all the way around, even the heels
4. the bars are passive in that they are only trimmed to the "live" sole, which is to say that they are not weight-bearing; the toe is rolled back to the "waterline" of the wall horn, which is very white and dense
5. concavity can be up to 3/4 inch as sole in the toe callous area thickens.
Example of Front foot with correct measurements
The red line shows a 30 degree hairline and the blue line shows a 45 degree toe. (This is a 5 year old draft cross that I trim) If this was a Quarter Horse, I would look for a 50 degree toe. Drafts and draft crosses as well as some warmbloods have wider flatter feet while ponies, quarter horses, Arabs, Paso Finos, etc, have tighter and slightly steeper feet. Also I will be trimming this foot to achieve greater toe height over time. The main thing to understand about angles is you need to have a good attachment with good suspension, concavity, and healthy horn. If the coffin bone has been damaged, sometimes the best you can do is make the best of what you've got! Coffin bones come come in a variety of sizes and shapes but generally have about a 45 degree profile so I base my angles on the attachment and if I have xrays, they can help to see both how much coffin bone is left on a damaged foot and how well it is attached.
Front foot of a hard-hooved horse
The harder hooved horses like this Paso Fino can have a 50 degree toe angle. Still, he should have a 30 degree heel and this is prior to getting a small amount of heel trimmed, which will make the hairline 30 degrees.
Warmblood Front Foot
This is a recent photo of my warmblood mare. You can see how this image compares with my diagram of my healthy hoof trim parameters. Approx 50 degree toe angle with good attachment. (To see a historical perspective on her feet, please visit my case study of this mare click here.)
Good conformation on a hind hoof
The hind hoof should be steeper in the toe angle of 55 degrees but the hairline angle (shown in yellow) should still be 30 degrees.
Bulb of Front foot sits on the ground
This is my mare's left front foot. As you can see, she is weight-bearing on the bulb; the foot has a bell-shape and the lateral cartilages ( indicated by the highlite on the hair-bearing skin above the hoof on either side) have good distance between them.
Overgrown hoof experiencing damage
Before my first trim
This hoof is what I see when a hoof has gone a long time without trimming (or improperly trimmed). You can see that the bar has gotten way overgrown and the toe has gotten long. The coffin bone is tipped up and this shears the attachment as well as pushes it against the toe wall reducing circulation and building up pressure within the vessels of the coffin bone and navicular bone. Continued pressure in these blood vessels will cause bone erosion. Also the tip of the coffin bone will become "ski-tipped" when viewed on X-ray. A horse that stays in this position for a long time is prone to founder. There is the possibility that the extensor process can be fractured due to the force put upon it by the short pastern. Note the angle of the coffin joint. This puts extra wear and tear on the cartilage in the joints from improper alignment. A small amount of slack is put in the flexor tendon which is taken up by the flexor muscles in the shoulder. These muscles are continuously flexed, keeping the shoulders hunched and the butt tucked.
The long toes pull on the attachment and contribute to the coffin bone's laminar horn damage by stretching. The quarter cracks, flared toe and hairline dragging down show that this hoof has high bars, heels and poor coffin bone suspension.
The long toes pull on the attachment and contribute to the coffin bone's laminar horn damage by stretching. The quarter cracks, flared toe and hairline dragging down show that this hoof has high bars, heels and poor coffin bone suspension.
The photo below shows a person with black necrotic fingers due to frostbite. It is important for horse owners to realize that this is what shoes and incorrect trims can do to their horses feet. Damage like this is not easily remedied.
A hoof with severe damage is similar to a person's fingers recovering from frostbite!
This photo exemplifies the damage caused by a lifetime of shoes. It causes damage similar to the frostbitten fingers above. Even though the shoes were removed and this horse was turned out to retirement, the damage done from shoeing caused CONTRACTION. Contraction is the number one reason for most lameness diseases. This is one of the cadaver feet from my Strasser Hoofcare Professional's course practicums in Port Angeles, Washington. Note the pinched heels and overgrown wall and bar horn.
You can see the black necrotic tissue. This is the damage done by years of shoeing! In this photo, excess dead horn has not been trimmed away.
In a live horse that was trimmed correctly, even with feet this bad, circulation returns to a damaged hoof, toxins from dead tissue are released into the horse's bloodstream. The kidneys and liver have to process these toxins and the heart has to work extra hard as the painful rehabilitation returns the foot to a healthy state. The body walls off dead tissue and dissolves it in the form of abscesses. As the hoof is trimmed to help the heels de-contract, there is bruising of the corium which grows out.
All of these factors, plus the hard work it takes must be considered. This is not a quick fix! It takes about 9 months to grow a new hoof capsule.
If there is significant bone damage, there may not be enough bone to grow in enough of a healthy attachment sufficient for performance. If there are laminitis triggers which are not controllable, it is difficult to maintain steady progress in rehabilitation through trimming alone.
If you chose a trim "style" which does not allow the hoof to function and allow healing, you might as well keep the shoes on! But the decision to return healthy function to the foot should not be made lightly. Consider the age of the horse, when he was first shod, what his lifestyle has been, how often he was reshod, the amount of time and effort YOU are willing to put into rehab...all of these factors are very important to consider before you make the decision to transition your horse. Some horses have an easy transition, some do not. There is no real way to know but all factors must be considered.
You can see the black necrotic tissue. This is the damage done by years of shoeing! In this photo, excess dead horn has not been trimmed away.
In a live horse that was trimmed correctly, even with feet this bad, circulation returns to a damaged hoof, toxins from dead tissue are released into the horse's bloodstream. The kidneys and liver have to process these toxins and the heart has to work extra hard as the painful rehabilitation returns the foot to a healthy state. The body walls off dead tissue and dissolves it in the form of abscesses. As the hoof is trimmed to help the heels de-contract, there is bruising of the corium which grows out.
All of these factors, plus the hard work it takes must be considered. This is not a quick fix! It takes about 9 months to grow a new hoof capsule.
If there is significant bone damage, there may not be enough bone to grow in enough of a healthy attachment sufficient for performance. If there are laminitis triggers which are not controllable, it is difficult to maintain steady progress in rehabilitation through trimming alone.
If you chose a trim "style" which does not allow the hoof to function and allow healing, you might as well keep the shoes on! But the decision to return healthy function to the foot should not be made lightly. Consider the age of the horse, when he was first shod, what his lifestyle has been, how often he was reshod, the amount of time and effort YOU are willing to put into rehab...all of these factors are very important to consider before you make the decision to transition your horse. Some horses have an easy transition, some do not. There is no real way to know but all factors must be considered.
Example of my trim on a healthy foot
This owner has me trim this horse every 4 weeks. He grows about 5/8" of heel and almost a full inch of bar at the ends. he has about 1/2" concavity, which is perfect for a front foot on a draft cross. As you can see here, I have trimmed the heels; lateral and medial walls from about halfway; the tip of the frog and smoothed the sole on either side of the frog; and trimmed the bars back to about halfway up the frog. Since this is a Right Front, there is some bar pooling on the outside bar which I trim to level with the sole. I rasp the toe as seen in the photo below. This owner does rasp the toes and heels a bit in between my 4 week cycle which is the perfect scenario for having me trim every 4 weeks. If an owner chooses to learn to trim their horse, they can save money and keep their horse's feet balanced by trimming every few days. The most common mistake in owner trimming I see is not trimming the bars enough. Since this requires significant skill with hoof knives, learning how to handle the knives must be learned in a trim clinic with cadavers. I only recommend owner trimming when their horse has relatively healthy feet. Owners can make mistakes so it is important to periodically have me check to see if their trimming is correct.
Dorsal view. I rasp straight down the wall of the hoof rolling only the toe from 10 to 2. Rasping only 1 inch or less up the hoof wall is acceptable in a normal healthy hoof. Excessive rasping of the hoof wall is not recommended. Only in pathological cases would there be significant rasping done.
Bulb view
Above healthy foot During trim
This foot has very healthy horn and normal growth for 4 weeks. See Bulb view below for foot during trim to see difference in untrimmed and trimmed side. Also see the close-up of the outside bar of the Left Front foot (this one is the Right Front) partially trimmed. I have found bars tend to pool more often on the outside bars. Please also read my article in The Horse's Hoof magazine, "Bruises By Bars and Imbalances" Issue 33.
Trimmed so the frog has ground contact shown on the right. the left side has not been trimmed yet.
Shoes can damage the feet
80 to 90% of shock is absorbed at the point of impact. How much shock absorption do you think a steel shoe absorbs? NONE! In fact, the shoe INCREASES the effect of shock. Shock damages the capillaries (capillary walls have single cell thick walls), not only in the foot, but can break vessels in the nose causing nose bleeds! Not only are the blood vessels damaged, but the bones, ligaments, tendons, nerves, heart, liver and kidneys are damaged with shoes.
The hoof is always growing. But the shoe doesn't grow. As the hoof grows, the shoe restricts growth and causes the hoof to contract. Removable hoof boots are more like the shoes we wear. The horse cannot easily come out of nailed-on metal shoes, especially with clips, and the damage metal shoes and nail inflict on the hoof may be irrepairable. There is just no excuse for humans to inflict this type of damage on an animal and yet people do it every day without thinking that there could be an alternative.
The horse industry is built around a shod horse. Even farriers and vets will admit that shoes are damaging but they still think there are horses that benefit by having them applied.
Transitioning and the true function of the hoof is not understood by most conventional professionals, which makes owners less likely to try taking their horse barefoot against their professional's recommendations. Also, there is a shortage of trained hoofcare professionals.
The hoof is always growing. But the shoe doesn't grow. As the hoof grows, the shoe restricts growth and causes the hoof to contract. Removable hoof boots are more like the shoes we wear. The horse cannot easily come out of nailed-on metal shoes, especially with clips, and the damage metal shoes and nail inflict on the hoof may be irrepairable. There is just no excuse for humans to inflict this type of damage on an animal and yet people do it every day without thinking that there could be an alternative.
The horse industry is built around a shod horse. Even farriers and vets will admit that shoes are damaging but they still think there are horses that benefit by having them applied.
Transitioning and the true function of the hoof is not understood by most conventional professionals, which makes owners less likely to try taking their horse barefoot against their professional's recommendations. Also, there is a shortage of trained hoofcare professionals.
Even young horses can have serious problems after a few years in shoes!
This 4 yr. old has contraction, coffin bone rotation and separation issues as well as a serious vertical INWARD toe crack in the hoof capsule that goes from the coronary band to the toe. The flattened surface of the front of the hoof wall indicates pressure on the front surface of the coffin bone which, by having been pushed forward and tipped up against the front wall, has seriously damaged the laminar corium and horn. Rings indicate inflammation from shock of impact as well as trauma from the coffin bone being tipped downward. One other thing about young hooves is that the coffin bone's palmar processes are not fully formed and can be seriously deformed when shod before the age of 5. Even if the horse was trimmed properly all it's life and had not been shod, shoes would still do some damage for the length of time they were on. When shoes are left on longer than 4 -6 weeks, damage can be exacerbated as the foot continues to grow but the shoe does not. This is the kind of foot I like to see x-rays on before trimming. (Please see the x-ray of a 6 year old on my Founder page that had already suffered major damage that was life-threatening as the vet expected to euthanize the horse even after much veterinary and farrier treatment.)
Best use of horse shoes I've ever seen!
This is a sculpture in downtown Port Angeles, WA. where I stayed during my Strasser Hoofcare course. The city had art all around and this one was perfect!