ABOUT NATURAL HOOF CARE

I would like to attempt to clarify a little bit-

I am beginning to dislike the term “Natural Hoof Care”, I use it here because people seem to have lumped it with a particular trimming style.  I do not think of it as natural, it is properly trimming the hoof to help it grow healthier.  There are some that seem to think you must trim the hoof a certain way each and every time (cookie cutter trim).  Others trim the hoof and do not address toe length properly, and yet they are supposedly  trimming to “Natural Parameters”.  You must address toe length, heel height, medial/lateral balance, frog health, and other things to get the foot to function mechanically the way it was intended.  You cannot trim the hoof to a certain form and expect it to function correctly.  It takes patience and persistence to grow a healthy balanced hoof.  If you do not have this to start with, other tools should be used to help set the horse on the path to grow the healthy hoof.

There are people who think horses should perform barefoot at all times and do not believe in hoof protection of any form.  I do not find this to be the case, some horses can, and there are those that may always need some form of hoof protection.

There are individuals that learn a little bit and hang out a shingle without proper training and education to understand the equine hoof.  Just because they have read a book or attended a clinic does not make them an expert.  There are a few that started out learning in this manner, have continued to learn, and are now very good at what they do.  I feel this is the exception.  Often I have found, one vital part of the picture is neglected, and that is continuing to learn and striving to get better.  Continuing education is vital for any business.  If you are looking for a hoof care professional, check credentials, schooling/training, referrals, etc.  Do not take the individual’s word just because they say they know what they are doing.  Check them out before you hire them to work for you.

There is much more than just pulling the shoes, trimming the hoof and saying “I am doing Natural Hoof Care”.  A lot more must be considered than just the hoof.  All aspects of the equine must be taken into account along with proper hoof care.  Changes must be made in our thinking and equine keeping practices.

The diet in my opinion is the first area that must be considered.  Equines are a foraging creature, they are not designed to eat grain.  Each of us have our own opinion about what our horse should eat.  I am making suggestions in this article, not trying to be an equine nutritionist.  A horse should have a diet consisting mostly of free choice grass hay of different varieties.  Many people feed alfalfa hay.  This may not be a good choice for a horse.  Most horses do not need the high amount of protein that alfalfa contains.  Also you must pay very close attention to the calcium/phosphorus ratio.  If alfalfa is thought of more like grain than hay, and treated as such, there are fewer problems.  Grass hay is not always safe for horses either.  With today’s technology, some grasses have a high protein level and very high sugar content.  This type of grass is designed for fattening of cattle, NOT horses.  The reason cattle can handle this much sugar and protein is 4 stomachs instead of 1 like the horse.  Most horses will do fine on any type of grass hay.  Some on the other hand that are lamanitic or foundered, WILL NOT do well on high sugar grasses or just any grass hay.   I suggest you visit www.safergrass.org to find out more information.

Grain is the next area of the diet to talk about.  If a horse is not being used much, the amount of grain being fed should be very small or none at all.  The grain should not be sweet feed.  With the high amount of sugar contained in most sweet feeds, it is very much like us eating a box of Twinkies.  The more the horse is being ridden or used, grain may be necessary to maintain body weight, because more energy is being used due to exercise.  Many people think that obese horses are just easy keepers.  The truth of the matter is this type of horse has a very low metabolism and is not getting proper exercise.  The horse should be supplemented with proper free choice vitamins and minerals also.  The free choice allows the horse to eat what is needed, when it is needed.  If the horse had proper diet and exercise it would not be obese.  The diet should be balanced.  Testing for mineral content of hays and pastures is an integral part.  By adjusting minerals this way, you will know exactly what your equine needs.  This is a much better method than getting some supplement off the shelf that has what you or the next person thinks the horse needs.

Another area of the diet to consider is water.  The horse’s water should be fresh, clean and free of algae.  If you would not want to drink the water, why should you expect the horse to drink it?   Stagnate, dirty water can lead to the horse drinking less than they should, possibly causing colic and dehydration.  Bad water can also lead to negative effects on overall health if it is contaminated with nitrates, chemicals, algae, high levels of minerals or salts.  Fresh clean water is as important as anything else when it comes to good horse keeping.

Exercise should be a large part of the horse’s routine.  This is also necessary to make a very healthy hoof.  Actually this can be tied in with boarding/living conditions.  The wild horse travels an average of around 20 miles per day (24 hours), sometimes more  over varied terrain.  Most of our domestic horses move very little to none at all.  A horse should Not be kept in a box stall.  Unless you ride your horse 20 miles or more per day (24 hours), everyday of the week, something else must be done to obtain the exercise.  Riding 20 miles per day does not mean 20 miles in a few hours.  A lot of common sense needs to be used.

My wife and I used to feed grain and hay in the same area as our horse’s water was located.  Our horses didn’t move any further than was necessary.  Why should they, we were taking care of their every need, hay, grain, and water all located at the same end of the paddock.  After some investigation, study, and the help of Jaime Jackson’s book, “Paddock Paradise”, our horses are getting more exercise.  We are trying to improve the environment in which our horses live each day.  It does take time, money, and some work.  But the reward is tremendous.  The feet which I have seen develop on our horses are unbelievable.  This is due to more exercise and change in the living environment.

If your horse is going to be ridden on rock roads, ideally the animal should have an area of rock that is routinely walked on to toughen the foot and help build a properly callused sole.  Pea gravel works excellent to this.  The foot will adapt to the environment in which most time is spent.  The hoof will grow enough for the amount of wear it is accustomed to.  This is why the feet must be transitioned.  If you plan on riding on very rough terrain, the foot needs to be accustomed to it.  Also remember, just because the horse may be able to travel over this kind of harsh terrain with no one on it’s back, when weight is added, the wear increases, you must adapt the feet to this type of situation.  If in doubt, I always suggest using hoof protection.

We have our horses together; pecking order has been established, just like in the wild.  A horse should have a buddy, meaning another horse, or equine of some sort.  Not a goat, but a companion or its own kind.  The horse is a herd animal.  If a horse is kept alone with no companion, the mental state of the animal will start to diminish.  We have seen first hand what a small change can do, thinking we were helping the old gelding we have by keeping him from the other geldings.  He did have a mare that was with him but his morale was very low.  For him, one horse was not enough.  We did not want him to get hurt by the other horses because of his old age.  This was part of our change also; they went into the herd with the rest of the horses.  What we saw was amazing.  The mare protected him like he was her colt.  The other geldings would try to check him out and she would get between them.  It was neat to watch, wherever she went, he would not be far behind.

Proper hoof care is very important also but it is a very small part of the big picture.  You should have your horses feet cared for every 4-6 weeks.  In the spring and summer time, I like no more than a 4 week interval between trimming.  In the winter, I back this out to 6 weeks.  Contrary to what  some people think, the hoof does need care during the winter.  It continues to grow, the rate of growth may slow down a bit because movement of the animal decreases, and energy is spent keeping the hoof capsule at a constant temperature.  If you horse continues the same amount of exercise in the winter as in the other seasons of the year, you may need to be more on the summer trimming schedule.  With the natural trim, we try to simulate natural wear, as if the horse was running wild.  By trimming the hoof in this way, (providing the diet is correct), the wall will not chip, crack, flare, or have separation in the white line.  The wall will become straight from hairline to ground, the heel will become lower and the toe will become shorter; you cannot do a cookie cutter type trim and expect all feet to match after one trim.  These changes take time to happen;  the horse will end up with the foot that they want instead of the foot we think they need.  If the equine has a club foot for example, do not leave the club larger and the other smaller.  Each foot must be trimmed for what it is.  Body issues can cause what is seen in the hoof as well.  This must be taken into consideration.  The hoof we see can be a result of something else.

Transition from having shoes to going bare foot can be a trying time for some people.  Even some horses trimmed for the first time can have a transition period.  If the feet have very long walls, flares, cracks, etc., time will be needed to obtain a healthy hoof.  Each horse will have a different time frame for the transition period before a properly callused foot is achieved.  The length of time can vary .  The transition relates back to diet, living environment and where the horse is used or ridden.  Hoof protection is a must, there is no reason for a horse to have to suffer and be sore during this time.

Hoof boots are a very significant part of the transition period.  I will not remove shoes if the owner or care taker does not want the horse fitted for boots.  It is my theory that the horse should move at least as well after shoe removal and trimming if not better.  The boots help the owner to be able to continue riding the horse the same as if steel shoes were still in place.  If you ride your horse on terrain the hoof is not adapted to, hoof protection may always be needed.  Boots are also used for other lameness issues or medicinal purposes.  One other point about boots, they only take a minute longer to put on when you are tacking up.  I use boots and have become accustomed to this extra step.  To me it is worth an extra minute to have very healthy feet on my horses.  Your hoof care professional should be willing to help you properly fit the hoof boots, and show you how to apply and remove them.  With technological advancements, boots and other forms of hoof protection are getting better all the time.

We need to look at the whole horse and not just the foot.  Even horses with flat feet, thin soles, thin walls, founder, navicular, white line disease and other disorders can be rehabilitated to have a much healthier foot.

Everyone needs to remember; it takes all individuals involved with the horse’s well being to achieve a healthier hoof.  It has taken time for the feet to get to where they are; it will take time to become the foot the equine wants and needs.

This is a very brief description; if you want to learn more, check out the links page.