Stepping Stone Equine Hoof Care - Angie Howard

16/01/2026

So many horse owners hear the word “navicular” and immediately panic - and honestly, I get it. Historically, it has been one of the scariest diagnoses in the horse world. But here’s the truth that doesn’t get said often enough: many horses labeled as “navicular” may not have true navicular disease at all, and many of them can become comfortable, sound, and stay that way for years.

Most of you know The Humble Hoof Podcast exists because of my mustang, Vinnie. He was given a navicular diagnosis early on, and like so many owners, I went down the rabbit hole searching for answers, options, and hope. Somewhere in that search, a blog post titled “The Persistence of Memory” by David Ramey, D.V.M. popped up and it touched upon what so many other hoofcare professionals were seeing in practice - that many of their "navicular" diagnosed horses seemed to become sound over time. The blog post challenged the way navicular is diagnosed, discussed how often it’s misapplied, and encouraged critical thinking instead of fear-based decisions. That post helped push me to look beyond the label and seek different ways to help Vinnie, and subsequently other horses in my hoofcare practice and my navicular-focused Facebook group, and it played a role in the path that ultimately led to this podcast.

Fast forward to meeting Dr. Ramey in person at AAEP, where I met him at a vendor booth and asked if he’d be willing to come on the podcast - and he said yes!

In this episode, we talk about: Why navicular diagnoses can often be wrong or oversimplified, the limitations of imaging and labeling, why time, management, and thoughtful rehab matter, and why a navicular diagnosis isn’t always the end of the story. If you or someone you love has a horse with this label, I really hope you’ll listen. This conversation is honest, humbling, and full of perspective.

You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app, or directly at this link:

https://thehumblehoof.com/2026/01/16/is-it-really-navicular/

You can learn more from Dr. Ramey at doctorramey.com !

06/01/2026

Why the healthy barefoot hoof almost never sits at 50/50 around CoR!?

One of the most interesting things to come out of this discussion is what it forces us to look at more honestly. The healthy barefoot hoof almost never maintains strict 50/50 proportions around the coffin joint centre of rotation (CoR).

Instead, when wear and growth are naturally matched, barefoot hooves tend to self-organise around what we describe as the Point of Balance (PoB) the position where forces are in equilibrium at midstance.

That isn’t an accident.

Nature is ruled by physics. Biological systems don’t guess at balance; they satisfy the laws of mechanics. Over time, the barefoot hoof is shaped by repeated loading such that
• internal moments about CoR are balanced,
• the ground reaction force resolves efficiently,
• and energy storage and return are optimised.

When you look at barefoot proportions through that lens, they make mechanical sense. They are not 50/50 around CoR because time is not a variable, there is no shoeing cycle, no imposed geometry, no artificial migration of the solar surface. The hoof simply maintains the proportions required to satisfy equilibrium.

There are notable exceptions. Club feet are one of them. And that’s important, because club feet are a clear example of a system failing to achieve equilibrium due to abnormal tendon forces. In other words, when the force environment is pathological, the proportions become pathological too. That actually reinforces the point rather than contradicting it.

Strict 50/50 balance around CoR becomes necessary only when we introduce unnatural conditions
• the application of a shoe,
• imposed hoof geometry over time,
• and the domestic environment that allows collapsed or pr*****ed caudal structures to develop.

In those situations, we use CoR as a stable reference to manage time and growth, not because it represents how nature organises the hoof in equilibrium, but because it is the most reliable anchor when natural self-regulation has been interrupted.

What the PoB concept does is not claim that we know better than nature. It does the opposite. It explains why nature arrives at the proportions it does, and why deviations from those proportions are a consequence of human intervention, not a change in the physics.

We don’t get to rewrite the laws of mechanics.
We can only choose whether our interventions work with them or against them.

That’s the lens PoB gives us.

06/01/2026

Worth a listen 💯

Before I was a hoofcare provider, I was a horse owner, and before that I leased horses, and before that, I mucked stalls to work off lessons. And in all that time, until my horse came up lame, which led to my journey into hoofcare, I knew very little about hooves. I didn't know what they "should" look like, what a healthy frog was, what hoof sensitivity could point to, or anything about "alignment" or "HPA." I didn't even realize that a huge portion of lameness originates in the foot.

Unfortunately, I don't think I was alone in that. So many of us entrust our horse's hooves to our farriers and veterinarians, but it is just as important to learn more about them ourselves.

Dr. Erica Lacher, of Straight from the Horse Doctor's Mouth podcast, hopped on a call with me recently about what your veterinarian wishes you knew about hoof health and soundness. We chat about everything from toe length, to radiographs, to nutrition and the hoof, and even exercise and hoof health.

You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2025/11/28/what-your-veterinarian-wishes-you-knew-about-hoof-health/

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 15% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

A special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.com

Also be sure to check out Hay Boss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

26/12/2025

And the winner is 🥁 🥁
Stepping Stone Equine Hoof Care - Angie Howard
The answers
1. Where can thrush be found in the hoof?
Central sulcus, collateral gooves
2. What's the name of my young riding horse?
Shari
3. What's the s*x of my 4 horses?
Mares
4. What year is 2026 in Chinese horoscope?
Horse (fire)
5. How many weeks cycle do I trim your horses?
5 weeks (mostly?
6. How many horses do I have on my books?
172
7. What are the 5 keys to strong healthy hooves?
Movement Diet Environment Hoof Care Knowledge
8. How old am I next year😱?
60
9. How many ribs did I crack?
5
10. Is saddlefit important to hoof balance & hoof balance to saddlefit?
Yes

Thankyou everyone who entered 💓

25/12/2025

Stepping Stone Equine Hoof Care - Angie Howard CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY draw was delayed due to the weather. Drawing after lunch today.
So if you have not entered its not too late!
Shari will be drawing the winner & would like more 🥕
to choose from!

15/12/2025

🐴 Vet in the Valley – Hoof Abscess Alert This Summer 🐴

Even though we’re heading into a Tasmanian summer, the recent stretch of wet weather means we’re seeing more hoof abscesses than usual. Soft, waterlogged hooves are more prone to cracks and bacterial entry—making abscesses a common and painful problem this time of year.

🔍 Signs Your Horse May Have a Hoof Abscess:
🔔Sudden, severe lameness (sometimes non–weight-bearing)
🔔Heat in the hoof
🔔Increased digital pulse
🔔Sensitivity to pressure or hoof testers
🔔Swelling around the pastern or coronary band

🩺 Possible Complications
While most abscesses resolve well, they can become serious if left untreated:
🩺 Tracking infection that bursts at the coronary band
🩺 Involvement of deeper structures such as the coffin bone
🩺 Secondary laminitis from shifting weight to the opposite limb
🩺 Recurrent abscessing if a foreign body or keratin track remains

🚨 When It Becomes an Emergency

Please contact Vet in the Valley promptly if you notice:
🚨Your horse won’t bear weight or is extremely reluctant to move
🚨Rapid or severe swelling extending up the limb
🚨Fever, lethargy, or loss of appetite
🚨Any puncture wound to the sole (these can escalate quickly)
🚨No improvement—or worsening pain—despite soaking and basic care

With the unusual mix of wet weather and warmer days, abscesses can develop quickly. Early assessment keeps your horse comfortable and helps prevent more serious complications.

If you’re worried your horse may have a hoof abscess, give Vet in the Valley a call. We’re here to help keep your horses sound and happy this summer. 💚

12/12/2025

11/12/2025

08/12/2025

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY 🎄 🤶🎄
A Mystery box of some of my fav hoof products valued at $150
Just answer the below questions to go into the draw ( you dont even have to get them right😂) pop them in Comments.
Winner will be announced on Christmas Eve.

1. Were can thrush be found in the hoof?
2. What's the name of my young riding horse?
3. What's the s*x of my 4 horses?
4. What year is 2026 in Chinese horoscope?
5. How many weeks cycle do I trim your horses?
6. How many horses do I have on my books?
7. What are the 5 keys to strong healthy hooves?
8. How old am I next year😱?
9. How many ribs did I crack?
10. Is saddlefit important to hoof balance & hoof balance to saddlefit?

07/12/2025

07/12/2025

04/12/2025