MotorQueue Natural Hoof Care

09/04/2025

Here's an interesting comparison between human and equine anatomy from our friends at Barrow Veterinary Service:

"Did you know that horses are actually walking on the tips of their fingers and toes? 🐎👣

This diagram shows how the horse’s leg bones compare to ours. What looks like a single strong hoof is really the distal phalanx (or coffin bone) – the same bone that makes up the tip of your finger! The long and short pastern bones above it help absorb concussion, while the cannon bone provides strength and support.

Over time, horses evolved to lose most of their “extra toes” (shown in gray on the left). What remains is a highly efficient structure designed for speed, weight-bearing, and shock absorption.

Understanding this anatomy is one reason hoof care and regular farrier/veterinary visits are so important. Any imbalance or injury in these bones can affect the entire limb and your horse’s comfort.

So next time you watch your horse gallop, remember – they’re essentially running on a single finger, protected by a hoof! 💨🐴"

08/31/2025

Hey everyone!
We are still looking for the perfect home for Harvey, the kitten I found running on the side of the highway. She is about 3 months old now and she is amazing, but I have cats coming out my ears and I just can not keep one more! She is maybe the sweetest kitten I've ever found, and she gets along with dogs, cats, everybody! She loves people and sleeps on your head at night 😆 so we are looking for an indoor only home, because she is just too awesome to simply be a barn cat and she wants to be in bed with the people.

She does not have to stay in Texas, she can go anywhere, although I'd prefer to go to people I personally know. I am happy to help facilitate that in any way that I can. Let's find this amazing girl the perfect home!!

08/31/2025

Many equestrians used to think of pulling shoes as just for a horse’s retirement or time off work, but that is no longer the case. More and more owners are interested to see if their horses would do well barefoot, but might not know where to start to ensure a smooth transition out of shoes. Some horses walk out of metal shoes as if they never had them in the first place, while others struggle to handle the adjustment without a bit of help. When the horse does not transition well, many people are quick to assume their horse “can’t be barefoot” and that their horse absolutely needs shoes. While it’s true that the horse might need additional protection to be comfortable, a horse who remains sore once out of shoes is raising a red flag that something beyond the feet may need to be addressed.

There are a few fairly simple actions to take before pulling your horse’s shoes that can make a huge difference in their comfort level during the transition and beyond. Incorporating these changes will ensure a more successful and comfortable adjustment.

A diet sensitivity and/or mineral imbalance are the two main causes of hoof sensitivity, weak hoof wall quality, thin or flat soles, weak frogs, and an overall weak laminae connection. It’s not hard to believe that diet alone can affect a horse’s comfort level; if you have tried an elimination diet for yourself, you likely experienced a marked improvement in your overall body soreness, relief from aches and pains, headache relief, and an improvement in your level of fatigue.

Feeding a horse a diet overloaded with starch and sugars or one with an imbalance of proper nutrients and minerals can lead to systemic inflammation, which can show up as problems within the hoof capsule. Too much iron or manganese, for example, competes with the absorption of copper and zinc in the diet. Copper and zinc are needed for healthy hoof wall quality, tight white lines, healthy frogs, keeping thrush at bay, and helping build a better laminae connection, which allows the horse to grow the best sole depth possible.

Adjusting to a forage-based, mineral balanced diet 10-12 weeks, or 2-3 farrier cycles, before pulling shoes can kick start healthier hoof growth and improve comfort levels when it comes time to pull the shoes.

🔗 Continue reading the article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2021/08/03/going-from-shod-to-bare-a-hoof-care-pros-tips-for-success/
📸 © Andrew Ryback Photography

08/27/2025

We all know the heartbreaking sight of a horse with ribs showing and a dull coat. Emaciation screams “neglect.” But the truth is obesity is just as much a welfare issue.
An obese horse isn’t “well-loved” or “spoiled.” Extra weight is a silent killer. It stresses joints, damages internal organs, and increases the risk of laminitis, metabolic disorders, and heat intolerance. Many obese horses live in chronic, low-grade pain every single day. Pain their owners may not even recognize.
Horses evolved to roam and graze sparse forage, not stand in a small pen eating rich feed all day. Overfeeding, lack of exercise, and ignoring body condition scores is no different from underfeeding. It’s still failing to meet the animal’s needs.
Neglect isn’t only about what we don’t give. Sometimes, it’s about what we give too much of, for too long, without considering the consequences. Caring for a horse means keeping them at a healthy weight…not just feeding them until they “look good” to human eyes, but until they feel good and can move, breathe, and live without excess burden.
REMEMBER
A healthy horse is a happy horse. Anything else is neglect, no matter which end of the scale it’s on.

08/15/2025

It's been a month and a half now, and I am only just able to write this post out. My heart is broken into a million pieces. My best dog, my ride or die dog, my perfect angel dog, my soulmate dog, my wonderful Moo, is gone. And I was in Michigan at the time and could not be there by her side to see her through to the next life. I never thought when I said goodbye to her before my flight that I would never see her again. The only thing she ever wanted in life was to be near me, and at the very end, I was not there. It will take me a long time to process this. I was on FaceTime with her at least, so I hope she knows I was there as best that I could be. At almost 14 years of age, she had an unknown brain tumor, and she passed very abruptly and thankfully without much pain.

Everyone who knew her will be heartbroken to hear this news. All my clients loved her. They all knew her and looked forward to seeing her. Everyone loved to hear her stories. How I rode with her for miles and miles by my side. How she went everywhere with me for her entire life. How she cried whenever she was separated from me by just a single door. How I'll ever get by without you Moo, I don't know. I wish I could have been there at the end. I'll always regret that I couldn't be. My perfect, wonderful, chaotic, trash eating, trail riding, noise making Monster Dog. There will never be another You.

08/06/2025

PPID season is starting once again!

The classic coat changes associated with PPID are actually an ADVANCED symptom. Besides laminitis in the fall, there are other early signs that are often missed. Learn what to watch out for here: http://bit.ly/2XyUkyJ

07/29/2025

The horse doesn’t care what method you use. He cares how you make him feel while using it.

The war between training methods is exhausting, and it’s hurting the very animals we claim to love.

The industry is drowning in egos.

Scroll any comment section and you’ll see it: accusations, sarcasm, name-calling, and dogmatic preaching, from every side.

Positive reinforcement trainers slam negative reinforcement as cruel and abusive. Traditional trainers mock positive reinforcement as fluffy tree hugging nonsense.

And meanwhile… the horse is stuck in the middle of a war he never asked to be in.

Let’s get one thing straight:
Every single method we use is man-made.

It might’ve been created based on observations of horse behavior. But at the end of the day, they’re still man-made.

Natural horsemanship, liberty, traditional horsemanship, connection based training, positive reinforcement, science based horsemanship, it’s all human-created.

All of it is an attempt to build a bridge between two species. None of it is flawless. They’re tools, approaches and philosophies.

The problem isn’t the method.
The problem is the human.

It’s the person who cares more about being right than being kind, fair and ethical. The trainer who preaches compassion online, but explodes behind closed doors.

The influencer who publicly shames others to boost their own platform.

And it’s all of us watching silently, afraid to speak up because the backlash is that toxic.

This isn’t a game. This is about living beings with fragile nervous systems and beating hearts. The obsession of with being part of the “right camp” has gone so far that we’ve forgotten the point: to help horses live more peaceful, and empowered lives with us.

You can be ethical and use pressure.
You can be ethical and use food rewards.
Any method can be unethical in the wrong hands.

It’s not “R+ vs R-.” It’s not about followers or applause. It’s about doing better. For the horse. For the next generation of trainers and horseman.

For the future of an industry that will collapse under the weight of its own arrogance if we don’t wake up.

Put the horse first. Always. Everything else is just noise.

07/28/2025

When Barefoot Just Doesn’t Cut It

(From a barefoot trimmer who believes the horse gets the final word)

I work barefoot.
It’s what I’m trained in. It’s what I specialise in. And I’ve seen it change lives—horses restored to soundness, movement returned, pathology reversed, quality of life improved.

But I’ve also seen horses suffer in silence under the banner of “natural is best.”

Let me be clear:
Barefoot is a powerful, often underused option. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
And when we start treating it like a belief system instead of a tool, we lose sight of the most important voice in the conversation: the horse’s.

Here’s the part we have to get comfortable saying—even in barefoot circles:

Sometimes, barefoot just isn’t enough.

Not forever.
Not as a condemnation of the method.
But as a recognition that some feet, in some horses, in some environments, at some points in time, need more protection than a hoof wall and a well-timed trim can provide.

I’m talking about:

The long-term laminitic with a compromised capsule and inadequate sole depth

The metabolic horse whose pain threshold is so altered that even minimal concussion creates a setback

The structurally collapsed hoof trying to bear weight on bone that no longer has a supportive foundation

The transitioning horse whose environment doesn’t allow for protection, movement, or control of stimulus

The chronically sore horse expected to just “work through it” because it’s “part of the healing process”

This isn’t failed barefoot.
This is a horse clearly communicating that it’s not coping—and continuing anyway isn’t noble. It’s painful.

“But what about hoof boots?”

A fair and important question.
Hoof boots have changed the game. They allow many horses to transition successfully, protect their feet on abrasive terrain, and move freely in comfort during healing phases. I recommend and use them often.

But they are not a silver bullet.
And when we promote them as a universal answer, we overlook reality.

Because some horses:

Can’t tolerate boots due to hoof shape, rubs, or behavioural stress

Lose boots repeatedly in mud, herd turnout, or deep going

Require 24/7 protection that a boot simply can’t provide (nor is it safe to expect it to)

Improve only when they receive consistent, structural support that boots don’t offer

And some owners:

Can’t afford multiple boot sets, pads, gaiters, and regular replacements

Don’t have the time, mobility, or support to remove, clean, reapply, and monitor boots daily

Are doing their best already, and being told “just boot it” oversimplifies what’s really needed

Hoof boots are a phenomenal tool. But they’re not a moral obligation.
And they’re not always enough.

So what happens when barefoot—with boots, with pads, with good trim, with good diet—still isn’t working?

Sometimes, the answer is a composite.
Sometimes, it’s a shoe.
Sometimes, it’s collaboration with a vet or farrier to protect the horse while we sort out the underlying causes.

This isn’t a betrayal of barefoot.
It’s hoof care that responds to what’s actually happening, not what we wish was happening.

As a barefoot trimmer, my job isn’t to make every horse conform to a method.
My job is to protect function, restore integrity, relieve pain, and serve the individual horse.

That sometimes means waiting.
Sometimes adapting.
And yes—sometimes stepping back and saying,
“This horse needs something I don’t provide.”

That’s not failure.
That’s professional ethics.

So if your barefoot horse is:

Still sore between trims

Moving tentatively or toe-first for months

Needing boots full-time without improvement

Unable to cope barefoot in turnout

Gradually losing quality of life instead of gaining it…

…it might be time to reassess.
Not because barefoot failed.
But because your horse’s reality matters more than your philosophy.

I’ve seen barefoot transform horses—and I will keep advocating for it where it fits.
But I’ve also seen barefoot misused as a badge of purity, where pain was reframed as “transition,” and suffering excused in the name of “natural.”

The real benchmark of good hoof care?
Not the method. Not the theory. Not the label.

Comfort. Function. Soundness. Stability.

Because your horse doesn’t care whether it’s barefoot, booted, or shod.
They care whether it hurts.

And that should always be the deciding factor.

06/18/2025

Puncture wounds in the foot qualify as medical emergencies, due to the amount of vital structures just beneath the sole that can be physically damaged and/or contaminated with bacteria when they are penetrated by a sharp object.

If your horse steps on a nail or other sharp object and it remains embedded in the hoof, resist the temptation to pull the nail out and consult with your veterinarian first. Leaving the nail in place will allow the vet to take x-rays of the foot before removal, which helps to identify exactly what structures have been penetrated, and to plan the most appropriate strategy for dealing with the situation.

If your veterinarian advises, carefully remove the nail to prevent the horse from stepping on it and driving it deeper into the hoof cavity. As you remove it, be sure to mark the exact point and depth of entry with tape and/or a marker so the veterinarian can assess the extent of damage. Apply antiseptic to the wound, and wrap to prevent additional contamination while you wait for your appointment.

Penetrating hoof wounds can be extremely serious and shouldn’t be underestimated. The prognosis for successful recovery depends on quick action to identify the path of the nail, treatment of potential infection and mechanical damage to the foot, and proper aftercare. As always, consult your horse doctor for more information and advice!

06/17/2025

As the temperatures rise and the sun stays out longer, make sure your equine friends are adequately protected from harmful UV rays. ☀️

Hot summer weather puts horses at risk not only for dehydration and heat stress but also the skin damage and discomfort that accompany a sunburn— just like humans.

A lot of equestrians love some chrome on a horse, but it's important to remember that those beautiful white markings and the non-pigmented pink skin underneath are more likely to suffer from sunburn, especially in areas where the skin is more sensitive — like around the eyes and the nostrils.

In addition to the pain and discomfort, horses that are prone to recurrent sunburn may also face other long-term consequences, like the increased likelihood of developing squamous cell carcinoma (a common cancer).

If your horse is susceptible to sunburn, contact your veterinarian for more information about sun damage and recommendations to keep your equine protected this summer.

06/13/2025

"Hoofcare isn't rocket science," I have often heard people say. The implication being that it isn't hard to do.

They are right. It isn't rocket science.

It's biomechanical engineering.
It's trigonometry.
It's physics.
It's advanced biology.
It's living sculpture.
It's geometry.
It's psychology.
And, above all else, it is art... because sometimes all the mathematics in the world aren't enough for the horse. And it is our job to hear them speak when they tell us they need something different. Something more than what we expected.

They are right. It isn't rocket science. We aren't sending anyone to the moon, or to space.

Instead, we are improving the lives of those here on earth, right now. Those without a common tongue to tell us what they need. Those who suffer at our hands more often than we want to admit. Those who we try our best for. Those who try their best for us, always.

No, it isn't rocket science. It is so, so much more.

06/11/2025