Laniah Heyd Equine Services

03/15/2026

Retracted soles.

A retracted sole is one of those deceptive conditions that can catch even an experienced horse owner off guard. It looks, at first glance, like a beautifully deep, concave foot, the kind we usually strive for. However, in this case, it’s actually a structural failure where the sole has "sucked up" into the hoof capsule.

Here is a brief overview into the mechanics, appearance, and management of this condition.

The Anatomy of the Collapse

Under normal circumstances, the sole should provide a rigid yet slightly flexible floor for the internal structures of the foot. In a retracted sole, the sole loses its structural integrity and begins to migrate superiorly (upward) toward the coffin bone (P3).

This isn't just a "thin sole." It is a functional displacement. As the sole retracts, it often pulls the hoof wall with it, creating a distinctive "shelf" or "dish" near the ground surface.

Visual and Tactile Indicators

Identifying a retracted sole requires a keen eye for the "too good to be true" hoof. Look for these specific markers:

Exaggerated Concavity: The sole appears unnaturally deep, often resembling a bowl.

The "V" or "Shelf" Appearance: A visible ridge or indentation in the outer hoof wall, usually around the lower third of the hoof, where the wall is being pulled inward by the retracting sole.

Thinness and Sensitivity: Despite the depth, if you apply hoof testers, the horse will likely be extremely reactive. The sole is often paper thin and lacks the callused density of a healthy foot.

Bruising: You will often see "hidden" bruising or a yellowish, waxy appearance to the horn as the live tissue is compressed against the distal border of P3.

Primary Causes

Retracted soles are rarely the result of a single event; they are typically the product of environmental and mechanical "perfect storms":

⭐️ Wet-to-Dry Cycles: Constant fluctuation between saturated ground and bone-dry conditions causes the hoof capsule to expand and contract aggressively, weakening the bond between the sole and the wall. This is the cause in around 90% of retracted sole cases.

⭐️ Excessive Trimming: Aggressive "cleaning up" of the sole or removing the peripheral "dead" wax that actually provides structural support.

⭐️ Chronic Low-Grade Laminitis: Changes in the laminar attachment can allow the bony column to settle, causing the sole to react by pulling upward.

⭐️ Inadequate Loading: If the hoof wall is too long and the frog/sole are never stimulated, the sole can lose its "callused" intent and atrophy upward.

Farriery Management Strategies

When we encounter a retracted sole, our goal is to stop the migration and encourage thickness.

Many horses respond well to daily spraying the sole with iodine to help harden up the sole.

Supportive stabling bedding such as wood pellets can help provide relief to the sole arch without compacting and creating direct pressure.

The use of hoof boots can help provide protection as the sole migrates into a more natural shape over time.

Alternatively, a therapeutic pad (leather or synthetic) combined with shoes can help prevent direct ground impact.

02/28/2026

This is a mare that I have been trimming every 2 weeks and these photos were taken exactly a year apart. Getting these fantastic changes have been a group effort, she went from inconsistent trims with her previous owner to very consistent trims, moving more regularly both riding and ground work and she has an amazing body working helping her as she is gaining muscle!

Im so excited to see how her feet will be in another year!

02/14/2026

Happy Valentine’s Day to all my amazing clients!

Spent some time in the sun going for a walk as a family, Cynder HAD to walk the horses. 🐴

How do you celebrate?

01/11/2026

This👇

The "Raincoat" Mistake: Why a Donkey is NOT a Small Horse.

We see it all the time: A horse and a donkey standing in a field during a cold rainstorm. The horse is grazing happily. The donkey looks miserable.

Many owners think: "If the horse is fine, the donkey is fine."

Wrong. Biologically, you are looking at two completely different animals.

🌵 1. The Desert DNA Horses (Equus ferus) evolved on windy, rainy temperate plains. They are built for bad weather. Donkeys (Equus africanus) evolved in the African Desert. They are built for dry heat, not wet cold.

🧽 2. The "Sponge" Effect Run your hand over a horse in the rain. The water beads up and rolls off. Why? Because horses produce sebum (natural grease) and have a dense undercoat that acts as a natural raincoat. Donkeys do not have this. Their hair is coarse and lacks that protective grease layer. When it rains, water doesn't roll off a donkey—it soaks in. A wet donkey is wearing a soaking wet wool sweater against its skin. It sucks the heat right out of their body.

⚠️ 3. The Danger Zone Because they lack this waterproofing, a donkey can enter hypothermia in temperatures where a horse would be perfectly comfortable. Without shelter, this leads to:

Pneumonia (a leading killer of donkeys).

"Rain Scald" (severe skin rot).

Immense stress (look for the "hunched" posture).

📚 The Science: According to The Donkey Sanctuary (UK), the world's leading authority on donkey welfare: "Donkeys do not have a waterproof coat like the horse."

The Rule: A horse can stand in the rain. A donkey MUST have a roof.

Be a pal. Build the barn. 🏠🫏

10/04/2025

One of my business goals this year was to work with more donkeys! I am lucky enough to do exactly that but with that I wanted to get more information on these equines. I am watching this symposium this weekend as one of the ways to further educate myself on these misunderstood equines! 🫏📝

I’m excited to share the information I learn with owners! 🗣️

Join us Oct 4–5, 2025 at UC Davis. The Donkey Welfare Symposium brings together veterinarians, researchers, and donkey lovers to improve donkey welfare through education, research & outreach.
🔗 https://iawti.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/donkeys-and-mules/symposium

08/06/2025

Teaching the next generation how to hold his feet up and what I will be doing to them to make sure he can be his spunkiest self! 🐎

07/16/2025

Interesting read!

🐴 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 — 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆? 🌱

In recent years, track systems, also commonly referred to as ‘Paddock Paradise’, have been popping up on more and more horse properties. These systems utilize a looping track or path, often around the perimeter of a field or property, instead of a traditional rectangular or square open paddock. Using 6’ to 20’ alleys, often with multiple feeding stations placed along the path, track systems are intentionally designed to keep horses moving and allow them to explore and interact with their surroundings in different ways.

But how do these setups actually stack up against the more familiar and traditional paddock system? Let’s explore what each setup brings to the table and what the evidence and experience are starting to tell us. 👇

⚖️ 𝐖𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Horses on a track system lost an average of 23.5 lbs (10.67 kg) between July and late September, while those in a traditional paddock gained an average of 15 lbs (6.8 kg). This suggests that the increased movement encouraged by the track design may help with managing body condition, an important consideration for good health, especially for horses with metabolic comditions.
📚Cameron et al., 2025

🧠 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫
Horses on a track moved more, traveled further, and engaged in fewer overt agonistic behaviors when compared to a horses on a strip grazing system
📚 Kirton et al., 2025

Another study found that horses on a track system were more likely to graze in close proximity, mimicking the collective foraging behavior observed in feral horse populations. These subtle social and behavioral differences may have meaningful implications for welfare.
📚 Greening et al., 2017

🦶 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡
When foot health, condition, and growth were assessed by a farrier, horses on the track system either maintained or improved hoof health, while those in the paddock system either maintained or showed a decline. However, the sample size was very small (six horses on the track and two in the paddock) so while these findings are interesting, they should be interpreted cautiously until more research evaluates this topic with a larger sample size.
📚 Cameron et al., 2025

🌍 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬
Track systems have been shown to decrease soil quality due to the concentrated traffic patterns they create. These changes were mainly limited to the top 8 inches (0.2 m) of soil, and could be reduced, but not entirely prevented, by using paddock grids
📚 Hiltebrand et al., 2025

Another study found reduced vegetative biomass and greater sediment deposition from runoff, both related to increased erosion. However, these differences compared a track system to pasture and did not evaluate changes in a conventional paddock system, which likely has similar traffic as a track.
📚 Farmer et al., 2023

More research is needed to further explore the environmental implications of tracks and paddocks with heavy traffic, however, providing footing with exceptional drainage, such as gravel or high traffic pads, may help reduce the rate of erosion.

🔍 𝐒𝐨, 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲?
Track systems appear to offer clear benefits in terms of movement, weight management, and behavior, with promising signs for hoof health, but they also come with trade-offs, particularly when it comes to environmental impact and maintenance needs.

For horses that cannot graze freely, especially those with metabolic conditions, track systems can be a valuable management tool. By restricting access to lush pasture while still promoting movement and enrichment, they provide a way to support these horses' physical and mental health without compromising their dietary needs.

Whether a track system or a traditional paddock is the better choice depends on your horses, your land, and your goals. What matters most is that the turnout environment supports natural behaviors, social needs, and overall health, whatever form that takes on your property.

💬 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎? 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒔? I’d love to hear your experiences below! 👇

📚 𝐀 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡
I was surprised by how limited the published research on track systems still is, especially given how widely they’re being adopted. I’ve recently been in discussions with a local barn about conducting a pilot study to evaluate track systems further, particularly their impact on movement and behavior. If you're passionate about evidence-based horse care, there will be opportunities to donate to support this research, follow this page to stay informed and updated as this project unfolds!

Cheers,
Dr. DeBoer

PC: I also have to thank my amazing horse friend, Terri Strandmo, for being willing to share beautiful pictures of her track system for me to use!

Cameron L, Challinor M, Armstrong S, Kennedy A, Hollister S, Fletcher K. Tracking the Track: The Impact of Different Grazing Strategies on Managing Equine Obesity. Animals. 2025 Mar 19;15(6):874.

Kirton R, Sandford I, Raffan E, Hallsworth S, Burman OH, Morgan R. The impact of restricted grazing systems on the behaviour and welfare of ponies. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2025 May;57(3):737-44.

Hiltebrand C, Keller T, Bachmann Rieder I, Doetterl S. Changes in soil quality on horse paddock trails and the influence of paddock grids. Soil Use and Management. 2025 Jan;41(1):e70028.

Greening L, Williams J, Mitson K. A preliminary investigation comparing the frequency of grazing and movement behaviour between a track paddock system and a conventional paddock system. In13th International Conference of the International Society of Equitation Science 2017 Nov.

Farmer J, Costin K, Duberstein J, Callaway T, Abrams A, Wassel B, Toal K, Duberstein K. Environmental Impacts and Daily Voluntary Movement of Horses Housed in Pasture Tracks as Compared to Conventional Pasture Housing. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2023. 124:104400.

03/14/2025

This!👇👇👇

03/05/2025

After having my daughter I am happy to be back trimming and applying composite shoes. The balance of motherhood and business owner has been interesting to say the least but I think I have it down!

With that being said, I have some availability in both the Powell River area and Shawnigan Lake area. I travel to these areas every 5 - 6 weeks.

I trim minis to drafts, donkeys and goats.

Please reach out if you would like to book a spot or have any questions.

09/24/2024

09/13/2024

This 👇👇👇

DVM Martina Neidhart mentioned in an online seminar for Equine Vet Rehab Therapists that "1 cm extra toe length equals 50 kg more pull on the deep flexor tendon for every step."

Now let that sink in for a minute...


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