Hoof Trim Presentation and Trimming Session Nov. 6-8 at Eagle Bear Farm a SUCCESS!
Photo courtesy of Debbie Darling
We fortunately had perfect weather for two days and owners watched their horses getting proper trims! Here in a photo from the first day, Sandy explains the concept of tubule alignment to participants at Lauren Kahn's Eagle Bear Farm near Graham, NC.
For more information on how you can book a hoof care presentation, click on MORE and go to the CONTACT AND PRICING page.
For more information on how you can book a hoof care presentation, click on MORE and go to the CONTACT AND PRICING page.
See this case study from the Hoofcare program at Eagle Bear Farm on the Case Studies page
Pigeon-toed Before trim photo
Nov. 6-8 participants learned about Natural Hoofcare and Holistic rehabilitation. Reports and photos are on the Contact and Pricing page. Also, see this participant's horse's case study, both before and after photos, showing my trim to reverse heel shear, contraction and toed-in stance on my Case Sudy page, case #10.
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 that modern veterinary and farrier techniques can only cover up or make worse. Read my articles in The Horse's Hoof magazine and visit some of my case studies on www.superhoof.org or You Tube Hoofforeeya and Hosshoofho .
Contact phone 336-698-0784 or 336-380-5543 Email: sandra.judy@att.net
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.
Contact phone 336-698-0784 or 336-380-5543 Email: sandra.judy@att.net
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 in transition to barefoot is similar to a person's fingers recovering from frostbite!
I chose this photo because it exemplifies the damage caused by shoes and contraction similar to the frostbitten fingers above. You can see the black necrotic tissue, the bruising and abscess exits. All the damage done by years of shoeing is not a pretty picture is it? And you won't see this damage until circulation is returned to damaged tissue via a trim that allows the heels to expand upon weight-bearing. As 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 and can be seen mixed with horn. All of these factors, plus the hard work it takes on the horse's body must be considered. This is not a quick fix! If you chose a trim style which does not 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.
White foot with no necrosis in the frog tissue but toe crack from high heels and bars (Compare this hoof to the one above. Note the rounder shape of a healthier front foot.)
All horn is either white or black. When you see yellow, red or any other color, there is damaged tissue. The whitest horn will be next to the so-called white line which is actually a beige color. This is because it is the most dense horn. The less dense horn is more cream colored like the laminar horn, sole or frog horn. Damaged laminar horn on this foot can be seen as a brownish color. (the brownish color in the colateral grooves beside the bar is just dirt)
Healthy black horn appears bluish. Note the toe where there is damaged horn which is a 'dead' looking black. This hoof has some problems with toe cracks as a result of high heels and bars. But this photo is after trim to correct that imbalance. There is also a tiny abscess on the frog but these small abscesses should be thought of as small pimples.
A healthy foot with a normal trim
This is a good example of my normal healthy foot trim. As you can see, I trim the bars, heels and tip of the frog. I trim the caulky sole next to the tip of the frog to the dirtline which is between the ends of the bars to the tip of the frog. That is the point at which you would measure concavity. This is a draft cross with no contraction issues. As you can see, the hinds are asymetrical with the inside wall being a bit straighter. I rasp the walls just a few mms higher than the sole. I almost never trim any toe callous. So in years and years of trimming, most of my horses never ever get the toe callous trimmed. I trim very little sole at all and the only places you see what looks like trimmed sole is where I trimmed the bars off the sole. The sole in the heel/bar triangle is sometimes trimmed only slightly to lower the heels.
A bit about bars....
Some trim methods leave too much bar material and this can lead to impacted bars. Bars are like teenagers...give them and inch and they'll take a mile! Because the tubules can slide up and down, the bars are usually pushed up higher in the hoof capsule than can be seen easily. It is important to take the hook of the knife and pull the frog back so that the full length of the bar can be seen. In severely contracted feet, the bar can fuse with the sole and frog. Until the foot begins to expand, the amount of bar pushed into the hoof cannot be accurately determined. Also, in under-run heels, the bar tubules can fuse with the sole horn forming a mix of bar and sole horn which may fan out over the sole forming a "false sole". Specific trimming techniques are necessary to allow the bar to grow in it's proper position and porportion.
The bar should NOT be weight-bearing unless the horse is landing from a jump or gallop stride, in which case, the bars act a skid brakes, keeping the hoof capsule from over-expanding.
In rehab cases, there may be specific instances where the bar is trimmed very short to allow the hoof to de-contract. This is the precise condition in which my experience and education prepared me to handle.
What is the difference in what I do and the some other trims? Well wild horses can have a variety of bar height and length. If they have high bars, they can cut off the circulation to the frog and allow bacteria present in the horse's system, allowing thrush to infect the frog. In addition to trimming to allow blood to reach the frog corium, a regiment of soaking in a weak solution of apple cider vinegar and water
A bit about bars....
Some trim methods leave too much bar material and this can lead to impacted bars. Bars are like teenagers...give them and inch and they'll take a mile! Because the tubules can slide up and down, the bars are usually pushed up higher in the hoof capsule than can be seen easily. It is important to take the hook of the knife and pull the frog back so that the full length of the bar can be seen. In severely contracted feet, the bar can fuse with the sole and frog. Until the foot begins to expand, the amount of bar pushed into the hoof cannot be accurately determined. Also, in under-run heels, the bar tubules can fuse with the sole horn forming a mix of bar and sole horn which may fan out over the sole forming a "false sole". Specific trimming techniques are necessary to allow the bar to grow in it's proper position and porportion.
The bar should NOT be weight-bearing unless the horse is landing from a jump or gallop stride, in which case, the bars act a skid brakes, keeping the hoof capsule from over-expanding.
In rehab cases, there may be specific instances where the bar is trimmed very short to allow the hoof to de-contract. This is the precise condition in which my experience and education prepared me to handle.
What is the difference in what I do and the some other trims? Well wild horses can have a variety of bar height and length. If they have high bars, they can cut off the circulation to the frog and allow bacteria present in the horse's system, allowing thrush to infect the frog. In addition to trimming to allow blood to reach the frog corium, a regiment of soaking in a weak solution of apple cider vinegar and water
Well balanced hind foot in a draft cross
good angles in a healthy hoof
Observe angles in the legs to gain insight to the position of the coffin bone
Here is another draft cross which is starting to suffer the problems associated with high bars. Compare this hind foot to the one above. First look at the hairline which is not straight. The curved upwards hairline shows us that the bars have pushed the interior structures of the foot upwards and forwards. The pull of the coffin bone at the toe causes the hairline there to be dragged down.You can see this problem has existed for some time by looking at the growth lines in the hoof wall. This horse was being trimmed regularly by its owner but she wasn't getting part of the trim correct, specifically the bar height. Having the coffin bone tipped forward like this puts a small but significant amount of slack in the deep flexor tendon. That slack has to be taken up by the muscles of the flexor system going all the way to the croup and hip. Often horses with this mild muscle strain will seek relief by relaxing in the fetlock joint and eventually creating strain in the joint capsule of the fetlock. Chronic joint strain will lead to ossifications of the joint (arthritis). This is commonly called DSLD (deep suspensory ligament desmitis) disease. The common name for this is coon-foot. Bottom line is that this is caused by an incorrect trimming of the bars. Since bar pain supercedes all other pain in the foot, the horse will evade this pain anyway he can.
Diagnosed DSLD in a 20 yr. old Paso Fino
This horse is an example of the above description of what can happen when the joints adapt to that extra slack in the deep flexor tendon. In this Before photo, you can see many similarities to the horse's foot above. Read my article in The Horse's Hoof magazine issue 36 about DSLD.
Foundered horse being trimmed improperly
Horse was in pain from mechanical pain of high bars after laminitis caused by alfalfa and too much grain and grass. Owner was trimming using a trim method that was ineffective. It left the bars painfully high.
Same foot as above after my 3rd trim
Owner says horse is now galloping around! I trimmed painful bars and rasped toe back to appropriate breakover and coffin bone has begun reattachment at the coronet band due to healthier more effective trim methods. X-rays taken in first week showed horse had rotation with separation and ski-tipped coffin bone which means a loss of coffin bone due to pressure. See more on this case (#4) on my "Founder" page under "More..." at the top of any page.
Relatively healthy RH
Great angles for a hind foot! 95 degree toe/coronet angle; 55 degree toe angle and 30 degree hairline. This foot has good concavity and coffin bone suspension and attachment. Compare this foot to the one below and you'll see what I talk about when I say toe height! This foot has it and the one below does not. But you gain toe height by keeping the heels and bars low AND backing up the toe. If you just back up the toe, you loose toe height and end up getting a foot like the one that is starting to become a coon foot above.
Healthy Front foot before trim
Compare this foot to the one above (understand this is a front hoof and the one above is a hind)and note the angle of the hairline and height of the heel. In this photo we can see that the heel needs to be lowered by approx. 5/8" .to gain a 30 degree hairline The toe was rasped back approx. the same amount. In a normal growth cycle, the heel grows in height while the toe grows in length. This tips the coffin bone slightly forward. So when I trim, I trim heels, bars in length, and back up the toe. See the photos below to see how this foot was trimmed.
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 1/4" concavity, which is perfect for a front foot. 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.
Distal view Left Front showing thickness of bar pool BEFORE being trimmed completely. It is typical for the outside bar to pool (thicken) at the end. This probably feels like a rock in your shoe. The lump of bar is directly under the insertion of the deep flexor tendon. I trim the excess and trim the bar to be as straight as possible.
An Example of regular (every 6-8 weeks) farrier trims that caused this 7 yr old horse to founder!
This horse was trimmed regularly by a certifed farrier. In this photo, taken the day after the farrier trimmed him, you can see the inward quarter crack (dark line) which extended almost to the coronet under the hoof wall. The owner was concerned because she could tell the horse was not himself. He was depressed. Often horses with subclinical founder will not be noticebly lame...but they will be reluctant to move and depressed! Many people would think the horse was just lazy. You need to get a hoofcare professional like myself to determine what the problem might be.... even if your farrier or vet says everything is ok! The farrier told this owner that the horse was doing fine. Due to the farrier leaving the heels and bars high, the heel collapsed under the foot, tipping the coffin bone up and creating a significant amount of sidebone. Sidebone is when the stress on the ligaments from the pastern bones to the lateral cartilages are strained and begin to ossify (turn to bone).
Same hoof after 8 months of rehabilitative trims
As you can see, this hoof is much healthier with good quality horn, bone alignment and coffin bone suspension. The quarter crack is completely grown out with good connection and horn growth. Even so, I was working towards getting the toe/coronet angle better and the heel back more. The owner was astounded at how happy the horse was and how good he felt! You can see a complete case study on You Tube on my site: hoofforeeya. Look for the video There Is A Difference. Also see a video of this horse being ridden on my site on You Tube. Due to extensive side bone on the right side, he was reluctant to canter on his right lead. But this too would have worked out in time with consistant corrective movement.
Shoes can damage the feet
Not only the visible horn is damaged, but the bones, ligments, tendons, blood vessels, heart, liver and kidneys are damaged with shoes. The hoof is always growing. But the shoe doesn't grow. Hoof boots are more like the shoes we wear and remove after we get back in our house. The horse cannot easily come out of nailed-on metal shoes, 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. And an industry built around a shod sick horse is one that does not take kindly to people who want to change the status quo. If you really love your horse, would you intentionally cause him a lifetime of the pain and damage shoes inflict?
This horse is maintained by his owner now (same hoof as above)
Even though this horse's feet still have some issues, the owner has been riding and doing her own trimming for several years. I work with people who try to maintain or transition their own horses. This photo was taken at a group trim briefing and is the 'before' photo. In it you can see that the hairline is not straight and the toe is being dragged down by the coffin bone due to issues with excess bar. The open toe/coronet angle indicates poor suspension. This is actually a very difficult situation to correct by only owner trimming. Although I corrected her trim during the group trim meet, we were not able to take After photos due to the owner having an illness.
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. See an 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.
After 2nd trim
Although the foot is better balanced here, it is still recovering from the damage done inside and I would expect some abscessing and about 9 months of rehab and consistantly good trimming to help this horse recover. Getting owners to recognize damage done, even in very young horses, when trimmed improperly, not trimmed at all, or shod, is the most important aspect of helping to educate the public about the damages of shoes. If you want to another 4 yr. old with much worse problems, see my case study #12!
Extreme contraction in cadaver hoof
This photo exemplifies how contracted many horses are before they are trimmed. The excessive heel length; toe length and pinched bulbs are similar to some of the horses I have trimmed. One was a big grey Standardbred gelding owned by a friend of mine. When she first got me to trim him, it took all afternoon! She had been told by a top vet hospital that she should just destroy him due to his unexplained lameness. I'm happy to report that she still rides this horse after several years of good barefoot horsecare! (photo by Anne Coley or Gretchen Fathaur I think)
Same cadaver hoof trimmed
Its too late for this horse, but this is an example of how the above hoof would be trimmed by a Strasser-trained trimmer. (I think she would have also backed the toe up too) My mentor and friend Nancy Filbert trimmed this hoof at a group briefing. Nancy taught me a lot, even before I went through the SHP course. She learned directly from Dr. Strasser herself and has had a colorful career trimming. Compare this foot to one of my client's horse's healthy feet. below.
Healthy Hoof prior to regular trim
This horse has fairly healthy hooves. Nice and round; a little overgrown with the bars, but he's just about to get his trim..Compare this hoof to the one below of another horse just after I trimmed him. Both are young draft crosses that i have worked with. The one below is the same hoof shown on my Case Studies page. In this photo, he is still growing toe laminar connection as it was damaged by a trim that was too upright due to high bars.
Compare a hard-hoofed Paso Fino hoof to the above draft cross feet
This is my husband's Paso fino. He has very tight healthy feet. The white horn and yellowish sole clearly show the difference in sole horn and wall/bar horn. The so-called white line (laminar horn)is really a darker beige (not white) than the sole and can be seen as a thin line between the sole and wall/bar horn. The frog horn and the bulb are softer horn but all horn is essentially modified hair, different than deer antlers but similar to rhinoceros and cow horn. Hoof horn is made of of different types of horn depending on the density of the hairlike tubules. There is the hardest, which is wall and bar horn, (the bar is a continuation of the wall) Like your fingernails, wall horn grows in layers. The next hardest, sole horn, is flexible and is basically like your skin. The next softest horn is frog horn. It should be hard and rubbery. The softest horn is laminar and periople horn. Laminar horn is the feathery attachment between the wall horn and the laminar corium. It is like the glue that holds the hoof on the foot like your fingernail is held on by a similar laminar horn. The laminar horn can be seen on the bottom of the hoof and is called the white line but its only white when the hoof is dirty and you dig in it with a hoof pick. When it is damaged, it will often leave a space. It is damaged by inflammation of the laminar corium. It is this damaged horn and the space which allows bacteria and fungi to grow. If chronic, it is called "white line disease". The periople is the softest horn and is similar to your cuticle. When the hoof stays wet in the rain you will see this horn as white just at the coronet and around the bulbs. All horn needs moisture to stay healthy but more than anything, the hoof needs good blood flow from within. You can soak and soak a dried-out "dead" hoof with poor circulation and not get it to become as flexible as a healthy hoof with good circulation.
Horses genetically adapted to different environments early in their evolution. Paso Finos have a very tight hoof because their ancestors lived in rocky arid regions where a tight hoof has an advantage. Draft type horses lived in soft wet climates where a wide flatter hoof was better adapted. But even a softer hooved horse can adapt. to a hard ground given time. Feral horses adapt to areas like the outer banks of the eastern coast and the harsh western states. But just because they CAN adapt, doesn't mean that a particular environment is the most conducive to a healthy foot. The outer banks region is not the ideal environment for horses to live. They are stunted and their lifespan is short. Their hooves are flat with long bars and walls which chip and tear off. Horses in the American west have very hard hooves which are thick and well-worn. They live relatively longer lives even with harsh winter conditions and sparse grazing, but they are not immune to injury or situations where they suffer damage from laminits. A wild horse brought into captivity can suffer the same problems as domestic horses.
Our domestic horses must deal with captivity and limited movement. We must trim to simulate wear as well as condition their hooves to the various terrain we would like to ride on. If we haven't the time or ability to condition the feet, we can use hoof boots. Please read my blog concerning my opinon and experiences with hoof boots. I believe boots are that ounce of prevention that is worth a pound of cure!
Horses genetically adapted to different environments early in their evolution. Paso Finos have a very tight hoof because their ancestors lived in rocky arid regions where a tight hoof has an advantage. Draft type horses lived in soft wet climates where a wide flatter hoof was better adapted. But even a softer hooved horse can adapt. to a hard ground given time. Feral horses adapt to areas like the outer banks of the eastern coast and the harsh western states. But just because they CAN adapt, doesn't mean that a particular environment is the most conducive to a healthy foot. The outer banks region is not the ideal environment for horses to live. They are stunted and their lifespan is short. Their hooves are flat with long bars and walls which chip and tear off. Horses in the American west have very hard hooves which are thick and well-worn. They live relatively longer lives even with harsh winter conditions and sparse grazing, but they are not immune to injury or situations where they suffer damage from laminits. A wild horse brought into captivity can suffer the same problems as domestic horses.
Our domestic horses must deal with captivity and limited movement. We must trim to simulate wear as well as condition their hooves to the various terrain we would like to ride on. If we haven't the time or ability to condition the feet, we can use hoof boots. Please read my blog concerning my opinon and experiences with hoof boots. I believe boots are that ounce of prevention that is worth a pound of cure!
Before trim
This horse went 7 weeks between trims but his feet are pretty healthy and other than a little white line separation, looked really good. I don't recommend going longer than 5 to 6 weeks. 4 weeks is the ideal. If you trim yourself, you can trim a little every week or so and not have so much to trim.I trimmed approx. 1/2 inch off these heels and backed the toes up at least that much.
After trim
The separation in the white line can be seen here but it's pretty inconsequential. the horse has really healthy feet over-all with a nice coffin bone attachment and good suspension.
My mare's right hind foot.
This photo was taken after fox hunting 3 hours over varied terrain. Note the wide frog and smooth sole. Since this is the right hind, you see the inside half is straighter than the outside half. The sun was setting in the late evening and I held the foot right in the light when I took this photo. Although my mare's feet are white with black spots, the sun and staining from mud make the horn look yellowish. Compare this warmblood right hind foot to the left hind of the Paso Fino above. Note that the inside wall of each is straighter. This is because the horse uses his hind feet kind of like an ice skater so the inside wall is more like a blade. The hind foot is more spade-like than the fronts due to the job each has. The fronts bear 65 to 75% of the weight so they are rounder. The hinds must dig into the ground to push off so they are more spade-like.
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. In a contracted foot, you would see a pinched bulb with "kissing" lateral cartilages, pinched frog that would not be weight-bearing.
A little about my own conversion to barefoot...
I have been trimming my own and other people's horses since 2001. I was first introduced to barefoot horse keeping and trimming to rehabilitate horses when my son's pony foundered. After many episodes of laminitis and two years of egg bar shoes with stall rest, the pony would get better for a while, then worse. He also had a cresty neck but his ribs were clearly visable so I couldn't understand why the vet told me he was fat and THAT was causing the laminitis. (NOT!!) The vet said if he had another laminitic attack, he should be euthanized. I couldn't believe that death was the only alternative So I went to the internet for help and read Getchen Fathaur's Founder site about barefoot trimming to rehabilitate foundered horses. WOW!
A friend told me about the Strasser books and after I read them, I was astounded! I have had horses all my life and thought that they needed shoes. I had no idea how shoes deform and damage the horses' feet. I started going to hoof care clinics and seminars and ended up spending a year enrolled in the Strasser Hoofcare Professionals course (SHP) in 2005 with practicums in Port Angeles, Washington.
The more I learned, the more I realized that most vets' and farriers' education is just plain wrong about how a hoof is supposed to look and function. Not only do healthy feet absorb 80% of shock (metal shoes INCREASE shock!), they also metabolically function to support the kidneys, liver and heart. Heart attacks are common among horses that were stalled and shod most of their lives, especially performance stallions. I know of 3 stallions that died at the ages of around 14 yrs. from heart attacks. The majority of veterinarians have yet to make the connection that a stall kept stallion in shoes when taken barefoot and to the breeding shed is at risk of heart attack or stroke. The damage done to the heart by shoeing and stall-keeping is often irreversable. Many horses suffer from joint problems at an early age if they are shod. And shoeing before the age of 5 permanently deforms the bones of the feet similar to the effect foot binding has on Chinese children. Barefoot horses on average live 3 times as long as shod stall-kept horses!
Lameness is the number one loss-of-use reason for insurance claims. According to World Farrier's Assoc. president, 90 % of all domestic horses are lame! 80% of those are usable (as long as they are shod so that they can not feel their feet!). By the training I recieved and through my experience trimming my horses and others, I have learned what works and what doesn't in barefoot hooves. I have experimented with various trimming "styles" and ultimately, you have to factor in everything from the owner's attitude, to the horse's history. I will be honest and tell clients up front whether or not trimming for rehabilitation is even worth the effort and pain. And I think we are all still learning. The Barefoot Movement is still in its infancy and there are many things yet to learn. But one thing is for sure: natural horse-keeping methods and barefoot healthy horses is becoming more popular than it was just a few years ago.
With my background as a scientific illustrator, I have a way of explaining hoof form and function to others through art and models. I also have many cadaver feet showing examples of various pathologies. Please contact me for group or individual presentations about transitioning your horse to barefoot. I will consider a few new clients based on their individual needs and proximity to my home. I will also consult and help people who already trim their own horses.
For prices please call 336-698-0784 or 336-380-5543
email me at sandra.judy@att.net
A friend told me about the Strasser books and after I read them, I was astounded! I have had horses all my life and thought that they needed shoes. I had no idea how shoes deform and damage the horses' feet. I started going to hoof care clinics and seminars and ended up spending a year enrolled in the Strasser Hoofcare Professionals course (SHP) in 2005 with practicums in Port Angeles, Washington.
The more I learned, the more I realized that most vets' and farriers' education is just plain wrong about how a hoof is supposed to look and function. Not only do healthy feet absorb 80% of shock (metal shoes INCREASE shock!), they also metabolically function to support the kidneys, liver and heart. Heart attacks are common among horses that were stalled and shod most of their lives, especially performance stallions. I know of 3 stallions that died at the ages of around 14 yrs. from heart attacks. The majority of veterinarians have yet to make the connection that a stall kept stallion in shoes when taken barefoot and to the breeding shed is at risk of heart attack or stroke. The damage done to the heart by shoeing and stall-keeping is often irreversable. Many horses suffer from joint problems at an early age if they are shod. And shoeing before the age of 5 permanently deforms the bones of the feet similar to the effect foot binding has on Chinese children. Barefoot horses on average live 3 times as long as shod stall-kept horses!
Lameness is the number one loss-of-use reason for insurance claims. According to World Farrier's Assoc. president, 90 % of all domestic horses are lame! 80% of those are usable (as long as they are shod so that they can not feel their feet!). By the training I recieved and through my experience trimming my horses and others, I have learned what works and what doesn't in barefoot hooves. I have experimented with various trimming "styles" and ultimately, you have to factor in everything from the owner's attitude, to the horse's history. I will be honest and tell clients up front whether or not trimming for rehabilitation is even worth the effort and pain. And I think we are all still learning. The Barefoot Movement is still in its infancy and there are many things yet to learn. But one thing is for sure: natural horse-keeping methods and barefoot healthy horses is becoming more popular than it was just a few years ago.
With my background as a scientific illustrator, I have a way of explaining hoof form and function to others through art and models. I also have many cadaver feet showing examples of various pathologies. Please contact me for group or individual presentations about transitioning your horse to barefoot. I will consider a few new clients based on their individual needs and proximity to my home. I will also consult and help people who already trim their own horses.
For prices please call 336-698-0784 or 336-380-5543
email me at sandra.judy@att.net