Natural Hoof & Horse

08/15/2024

a facebook memory from 5 years ago ... these girls were awesome to meet and be apart of their journey

01/08/2024

Wonderful job and well explained

11/27/2023

In not all cases, but a lot of cases it is man made

This is why ringbone is such a horrible diagnosis.

We know a hoof rehabilitation farrier who began her in depth studies and apprenticeships because she lost her mare to ringbone from a lifetime of improper trim set ups in the hooves.

Ringbone is an issue that is mainly occurring because of a lack of knowledgeable hoof care.

While conformation, genetics, and the horse's daily use are also factors, how the horse's foot lands is super important to the long term soundness of the animal.

“Severe ringbone and side bone”
- JB Hoof Care

Now that we got your attention look for more on the subject of foot and leg health next week.

https://enlightenedequine.com/2012/05/15/hoof-angles-part-4/

05/18/2023

Please share! Credit: V&T Equine Services

09/08/2022

😉 So you think domesticated horses cannot have incredible hooves like wild and feral ones?

Think again! Mother Nature created the perfect hoof for all equines, the problem is, domesticity is good at ruining them.

Not here though! This is the beautiful hoof of a horse who lives in Cornwall in the UK. One of the wettest and greenest counties in the whole of the UK... and yet, this horse's owner has his diet and his management spot on.

His owner is one of our HM trimmers - we know about diet and management - and we know how to help horses fashion the hooves Mother Nature intended.

Find out about the HMIS 3 day horse & hoof care workshops touring the UK in 2022 & 2023...
.. going to NORFOLK, IRELAND, DURHAM, CHESHIRE, SCOTLAND, WALES, ESSEX, CORNWALL.

👉 Find out more here: https://bit.ly/HMISWorkshop

HM

04/27/2022

02/26/2022

🤔 Are we getting confused between the horse's hoof and the human foot?

👉 We refer to the back of the hoof as the ‘HEEL’

👉 We refer to the front of the hoof as the ‘TOE’

But does this create an element of confusion by transposing the same terminology between hoof and foot? 🤷‍♀️

It looks like we might be doing just that… and even worse, transposing the movement of the human onto the horse.

We walk bipedally and of course horses walk quadrupedally...

… and this difference is reflected in the modifications to our hips, posture, and hind limb abductor mechanisms - to allow more orthograde (upright) movement.

The hoof clearly doesn’t look anything like the human foot.

And the human foot is positioned at the end of the limb in a completely different way to the hoof.

The hoof derives from one ‘digit’ - the human foot has many digits and many bones.

And yet when we talk about the way the horse puts the hoof down onto the ground, we say that the hoof ‘moves’ like the human foot.

Can this be right? 🧐

Surely the mechanism of foot/hoof placement cannot be the same?

Find out more by reading ‘Hoof & Foot Terminology’ in our latest Issue 33 - OUT NOW!

👉ORDER ISSUE 33 NOW: https://bit.ly/BHMIssue33

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In print & digital - shipped worldwide.

The BHM Team ❤️

01/26/2022

🤔 What should a barefoot trim look like? NOT like the ones in this post!

Well apparently LOTS of people who trim horses don’t really know what a bare natural hoof left alone in its own aboriginal environment should look like.

Because if they did, then there is NO WAY they would entertain trimming the hoof in these bizarre, less than natural, (but very common) ways!

Do you know what a natural foot in equilibrium with its environment looks like?

Well we do.🧐

If you observe the natural foot - then it is as plain as day how a horse wants to fashion their hoof.

When a horse’s hoof is in equilibrium with its surroundings - in other words needs no trimming as there is simply nothing to remove - it will ALWAYS fashion the hooves in a very particular way - the SAME WAY - EVERY TIME.

BUT this is becoming increasingly IGNORED by various barefoot organisations that are popping up all over the internet faster than an excited Tigger 🤦‍♀️

This is truly FRUSTRATING, because we here at the magazine are always in the pursuit of correct natural hoof care.

Too many hoof care professionals are being left alone to tinker, experiment, fiddle, sculpt and generally ‘do what they feel is right’ when faced with the hoof in front of them.

Common incorrect trimming techniques include:

❌ Removing too much wall - rasping (or cutting) straight through the inner and outer hoof wall

❌ Removing too much toe - rasping (or cutting) so far back on the toe that the horse is forced to walk on its white line, lamellar wedge (stretched white line) or sole - in fear of lever forces

❌ Unnaturally scooping quarters - cutting away sole and wall to artificially create more of an arch

❌ Scooping out the bars - BEYOND the hard sole plane

❌ Leaving too much bar - so that it folds over and traps debris

❌ Cutting away too much sole - continually thinning and removing valuable hard sole plane

❌ Overly keen and incorrect MEGA SUPER DUPER UNNATURAL mustang rolls - nothing like that which is natural

❌ Continually and unnecessarily paring away valuable frog at EVERY TRIM

❌ Allowing the heels to ‘grow taller’ - which basically means under run

And that 👆 is not even an exhaustive list 🥴

And what is worse with all the above? It isn’t always consistent.

They do a bit of this, then a bit of that, and it just depends ‘on the hoof in front of them’ - or how they feel at the moment 😳

NO… it really shouldn’t. If you understand what a horse’s hoof looks like in its aboriginal environment, then why would you entertain doing any of those things to ‘smarten up’ or 're-balance' or 'sculpt' the hoof? 🙈

WHY is this happening?

WHY are so many barefoot organisations so different from one another, and are beginning to stray so far away from the hoof that the horse simply needs?

In fact confusion is so rife, that amongst barefoot organisations themselves, trimmers cannot agree with each other… they are all out there looking up the latest faddy trim on the internet and ‘giving it a go’.

And yet the right trim is VERY, VERY SIMPLE.

You remove ONLY THAT that the horse would naturally remove.

No less, and absolutely NO MORE.

And you don't NEED to over SCOOP, SCOOP, SCOOP etc

Beyond this, there are even some barefooters who think that leaving ALL horses’ hooves to self trim is fine - irrespective of whether the horse is doing enough movement or not, and irrespective if the hoof chips, cracks or distorts.

This again is not correct.

Many of our horses owned by staff here at the mag don’t need trimming from month to month - some year to year - they are self trimming - because they live in an environment that mimics as far as possible the natural environment of the horse.

This is as optimum as they can get it for the domestic horse.

BUT - true self trimming is still the EXCEPTION to the rule.

The domestic equine world still struggles to stick to this kind of regime - so trimming is required by humans for those horses that are not able to remain in equilibrium with their environment.

But its about trimming away the excess - not sculpting and scooping quarters - or dumping the horse onto their white line because you feel ’the toe needs backing up’. 🤨

So what does this NON-NATURAL trimming mean for the horse?

It means that the great TRIM DEBATE still goes on and on.

With barefoot gurus here and there disagreeing and arguing on what is right and what is wrong.

“My trim is right - your trim is wrong” - and vice versa!

It SHOULD NOT BE what the human THINKS is right or wrong - that is what has got traditional hoof care in so much trouble already - often referred to as 'playing god'.

It SHOULD BE about what the HORSE NEEDS.

And the only way you KNOW what the horse needs, is to study how a horse fashions his feet in his aboriginal environment.

Too many barefoot organisations/trimmers want to be the next barefoot guru - with the next registered trademark trim - when all the horse needs is a natural foot - not a sculpted foot by a human who has totally lost sight of what is natural.

And so the debate goes on - sadly for the horse. And egos keep on taking over.

No wonder owners get confused 🤦‍♀️

👉Issue 32 OUT NOW - in print and digital👉 https://bit.ly/BHMIssue32

👉or SUBSCRIBE and never miss an issue: http://bit.ly/ANNUALsub

We have no egos here. Just sound horses who want their feet their way!

The BHM Team ❤️

11/22/2021

🤔 Shoes don’t harm horses? Let’s talk digital cushions…

So it’s common knowledge by now (or at least it should be) that nailing a metal shoe to a dynamic and organic hoof is going to go against the natural hoof mechanism.

That’s a given right?

But what does that really mean for the health of the hoof?

Well let’s focus down on a part of the hoof that rarely gets any limelight - the digital cushion.

‘Let’s celebrate you baby’ 🎶 🥳

Many people have heard of it, but not many people really give it much attention.

And that is SUCH A SHAME!

Perhaps people know it is important to the hoof, and that maybe it helps ‘cushion’? - after all that IS part of its name.

Well a hoof without a healthy digital cushion is seriously compromised - and so is the leg, joints, soft tissues and body above it.

But let’s just find out how important it really is to the horse first.

The digital cushion sits between the frog and the bones of the foot, protecting and cushioning.

When horses are young, the digital cushion is present, but it’s structure is more fatty - it’s called a fibro-fatty tissue.

Useful, but not fully developed.

As the horse grows in size and gets heavier, the digital cushion really starts to develop into a strong, incredibly important structure.

And becomes… a bit more than useful.

It goes from that fibro-fatty tissue when the horse is young, to a fibro-cartilaginous tissue towards adulthood.

Stronger. Tougher.

This change in the structure of the digital cushion is important because as the horse grows it needs to be tough enough to withstand a larger horse’s continuous compression by the pastern bones on one side, and the frog beneath.

It has to MAN UP! 💪

It is able to dissipate energy from compressional forces… and is essential for perfect shock absorption.

Working together with the frog, fetlock, lateral cartilages and bars… being compressed and squeezed on every stride, it is ‘elastic’ in its nature - bouncing back after each compression.

Pretty VITAL.👊

Pretty AWESOME.👊

BUT… and here it comes…

If the digital cushion doesn’t develop as it should, stays more fatty than cartilaginous… then it impedes the horse’s ability to EFFICIENTLY shock absorb.

OBVIOUS RIGHT? 👀

The back of the foot just isn’t up to the job anymore.

Even though the horse has now grown much bigger - the digital cushion stays underdeveloped.

And WHY would the digital cushion not develop?

Because like a muscle in your body, if you don’t use it, you lose it.😬

Many, many people may not want to hear this, but when a horse is shod, it prevents the digital cushion from developing as it should.

Drastic for the horse.

Never thought about by the human.🙈🙉

In fact, in that good old cognitive dissonance way that people have about them, what we are saying here is often generally thought of as propaganda.

“Rubbish - the digital cushion does develop with a shoe on…”

Well we’re sad to be the bearer of bad news…

but…

… the digital cushion in shoes stays immature, rudimentary, weak, feeble - COMPARED to what it should have been if the horse had been allowed to remain barefoot.

How do we know? 🧐

Because apart from the fact that when you palpate the digital cushion at the back of a long standing shod foot, you can feel the weakness…
. you can SEE it with your own eyes in this post, and we see it, and so do our students, every time we dissect a hoof.

EVERY TIME.

Not just on the odd occasion.

EVERY TIME.

WAIT ✋ And one more thing to know about the digital cushion.

It can become SCARRED.

And that scarring also impedes its ability to efficiently shock absorb too.

How? Through persistent infection in the central sulcus of the frog, that ‘eats’ its way deep into the digital cushion.

Nasty. And permanent.☹️

And one of the biggest culprits for deep central sulcus infections in the frog - is contraction and atrophy at the back of the foot.

Caused by… yep you guessed it - SHOES.

SHOES are the biggest culprit for pain, disease, contraction and atrophy, at the back of the foot.

So, in answer to the ‘shoes don’t harm horses’ at the top of this post - they irrefutably do.

It’s a fact. No nonsense. No propaganda.

A FACT.

But can a weak digital cushion ever become stronger again?

Yes - it seems all is not totally lost for that amazing digital cushion.

Because take your horse barefoot, and it can begin to develop once more.

“To how it should have been if your horse had never been shod?”

No probably not - but it WILL BE ‘good enough’.

**********

Find out more about keeping your horse barefoot by joining the BHM Fam! 🤩

Barefoot Magazine. Barefoot Live Members Group. Horse & Hoof Care Workshops. Active social media presence.

AND COMING SOON… Video courses and books.

Stay with us, stay tuned, and stay barefoot!

Your horse deserves it!

Issue 32 OUT NOW - go buy it, you’ll not regret it 👉 https://bit.ly/BHMIssue32

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AND, AND, AND…

JOIN BAREFOOT LIVE - the ONLY place on the net to get LIVE info about keeping your horse barefoot!

Go here for the BAREFOOT LIVE group 👉bit.ly/BarefootLive

We don’t mess about - we’re in this for the horse - are you?

The BHM Team ❤️

11/14/2021

exactly

🤔 Wearing a shoe thin in 6 weeks… my horse would wear his feet off barefoot!

This is a common misconception we hear a lot.

People assume that if their horse is wearing down their shoes in just a few weeks, then if those shoes came off…

… their hooves wouldn’t cope.

The hooves would be worn off 😳

Agonising. Cruel. Impossible.

But the truth is - horses NEVER wear their hooves off when they go barefoot.

Show us those bloody nubs!

Well of course those bloody nubs don’t exist 🙄

This is because horses’ hooves REGENERATE and respond to their environment.

Hooves are dynamic and organic.

A shoe is neither of those things.

A shoe is metal and wears away - once it’s gone it’s gone.

A hoof will just keep growing.

The more those hooves are used, the stronger and harder they should become.

And if your horse is struggling barefoot - a bit footsore even over the smoothest of surfaces - then you need to SERIOUSLY look at the diet…

… not nail another shoe on.

Surely it is your responsibility to find out WHY your horse is footsore? 🧐

Shoes are not protecting your horse’s hooves from wearing away.

They are stopping your horse’s hooves from wearing naturally.

A hoof in contact with the ground, flexes, expands and contracts, naturally.

A hoof in a shoe is prevented from any natural movement or wear.

And hooves need natural wear. This stimulates horn growth, and helps the horse to have good proprioception.

They can ‘feel’ the ground.

Horses that struggle barefoot, are struggling with their diet… not weak hooves.

It is the incorrect, high sugar, low fibre diet that is causing them to fail barefoot.

Too much grass… not enough hay.

And not just any old hay… they need mixed meadow hays.

Not rye. Never rye.

That coupled with a non species specific way of being kept, such as long hours stood in a stable.

And you’ve just cooked up a recipe for a footsore horse.

And that’s why shoes are ‘needed’.

But shoeing has always been a false economy.

Because all the while they keep on causing more problems - always more than they prevent.

And this is FACT… we all know this now.

So why keep doing it 🙃?

Find out about going barefoot with your horse, and let their hooves naturally feel the ground.

👉Latest Issue 32 out now 👉 https://bit.ly/BHMIssue32

👉or Go here to SUBSCRIBE and never miss an issue 👉http://bit.ly/ANNUALsub

Horses don’t need nailed on shoes… because hooves CAN COPE bare.

The BHM Team ❤️

10/27/2021