03/08/2026
Can we recognise pathology for what it is if we've lost sight of what healthy really looks like?
Pathology in hoof care: wall thickness, lamellar attachment, and distal phalanx.
Is pathology always found in the hoof... or can pathology also exist in hoof care itself?
Over the years we have become very good at recognising pathology in the hoof and treating signs of pathology. White line disease. Laminitis. Stretched lamellar attachment. Deformed hoof capsules. But how often do we stop and ask whether some of the hoof care practices used to manage pathology may themselves contribute to more pathology?
One of the subjects I will be discussing during the PB Paddock Paradise Open Day is the relationship between pathology and hoof care through the lens of the Wild Horse Model.
To understand pathology and not get caught in it, we first need a point of reference. We need to understand the characteristics of a naturally shaped hoof, because without understanding anatomy of healthy, sound hooves it becomes very difficult to recognise when the hoof structures become compromised through human meddling.
Lets take the natural thickness of the wall.
One of the characteristics of a naturally shaped hoof is that the hoof wall possesses a natural thickness. Wall thickness in naturally shaped hoof appears uniform across the entire perimeter of the hoof wall.
When pathology develops, it is common to see the toe wall rasped away under the pretence of breakover, consistent toe angle, or broken hoof-pastern axis. In some cases the toe wall is rasped until it becomes paper thin. What is being exposed in the process, is not a healthy hoof wall, but stretched lamellar attachment forming a lamellar wedge.
Lamellar attachment is not a weight-bearing structure. We can think of it as a stabilising structure. If it were designed to transfer the horse's weight, the hoof capsule would collapse in advanced white line disease cases, where as much as 80% of the lamellar attachment has been devoured.
One of the greatest assaults on the equine foot is the excessive removal of the toe wall together with an aggressive Mustang Roll. This mechanistic approach to an organic structure we call the hoof capsule further compromises a foot that is already struggling because of the long-term effects of a non-adaptive environment (and an unnatural diet). Result? Viewed from the volar profile, we often observe paper-thin toe wall and reduced sole depth. In between stretched lamellar attachment.
While establishing the precise position of the distal phalanx is important in prevention and treatment, hoof care practices omit the dangers of removing sole callus, often wrongly interpreted as retained sole.
When we defend the natural thickness of the toe wall, preserve the natural thickness of the sole, and recognise stretched lamellar attachment for what it is, we allow the hoof capsule to develop protective callus right around the tip of P3.
The Reasonably Natural Diet, one of the Four Guiding Principles, emerged from the U.S. Great Basin Wild Horse Model–horse's adaptive environment. The framework implies that hoof health is always a reflection of a horse's gut health.
Despite many advances in equine care the stretch of the LAM still remains a debatable subject. There is a good amount of evidence through the research of Dr. Chris Pollit to explain LAM failure. The underlying cause? Chronic inflammation.
Today we know we can create conditions conducive to healing. We can create an environment that allows the hoof to recover. The U.S. Great Basin happens to represent this type of environment, where pathology has never set foot. Paddock Paradise, as a natural boarding system (and another pillar of NHC), is a vehicle that brings us closer to the horse's adaptive environment.
But can we say the same about hoof care?
In parallel, hoof care practices reflect our collective understanding of the natural world. Right now, domesticated hooves are riddled with pathology, often well camouflaged.
When pathology alters the anatomy of the hoof and loss of integrity follows, there is a strong temptation to prioritise appearance above function. Many people who naturally have an eye for aesthetics find it difficult to navigate pathology because there is always a desire to make the hoof look visually appealing.
But does the hoof care industry actually understand hoof anatomy? And has it solved the issue of hoof pathology?
Some say that science has moved on from the wild horse model. I would argue that the truth doesn't move. We either move closer to it, or further away from it.
These are some of the subjects I will be exploring during my presentation at the PB Paddock Paradise Livery Open Day on 15 August.
Link: https://www.pb-paddockparadiselivery.com/event-details/7th-annual-open-day-pb-paddock-paradise-livery
Where do you think the biggest pathology exists today... in the hoof, or in the mind of the beholder?
