There are many things to consider when determining how long to go between trims. In this geographic area the standard trimming/shoeing cycle is approximately 6-8 weeks. My own scheduling is usually based around a 4-6 week cycle, though I have the odd horse or group of horses that go a little longer.

What I want to discuss in this blog is a much shorter trimming cycle that is favoured among some very successful and highly respected farriers/trimmers that I follow. What I am seeing and learning from them is that a shorter cycle is far better for the horse, and the overall health of the hooves and therefore the body and mind (My whole horse approach to health will be featured in an upcoming article) of the horse.

First lets think about the ultimate goal we have in trimming our horses hooves. For me it is to mimic the wear patterns that are demonstrated by the wild horses of the US Great Basin and other dry desert dwelling feral equines. These equines are clinically sounder then our domestic horses and have virtually no instances of founder, navicular disease and many other hoof pathologies we see so commonly in our domestic horses.

So if we can apply that principle to our trimming, our mandate would be to trim in order to mimic natural wear over varied terrain. So then the correct trim schedule would have to be based on each horse’s individual hoof wear. Because the hoof is in a perpetual state of growth, this means that immediately after trimming the hoof is already replacing that (worn) material that was removed. The goal then should be to allow the hoof to grow to the optimal length and thickness required for that individual horse. It should then be trimmed again just before it grows past optimal to a leveraging state. If it is allowed to grow too long the forces during impact and movement will start to distort the hoof. When trimming we will then have to perform what is called a rehab trim as opposed to a maintenance trim. A maintenance trim means we are just trimming excess length, and that excess has not caused the start of any breakdown or distortion of the hoof. A rehab trim means that we are correcting pathologies or distortion usually caused by excess length.

The hoof on the left shows a hoof that has grown excess length but is still balanced and not distorted. The overall length needs to come down and the break-over needs a new mustang roll, but otherwise this hoof is balanced, a maintenance trim. The hoof on the right is much longer, and has grown out of balance. The heels have moved forward and the toe is stretching forward. The frog is small and narrow and appears diseased in the central sulcus. Not an extremely distorted hoof but a rehab trim, not a maintenance trim.

The shorter trim cycle will prevent distortion and instead more closely mimic natural wear. For most horses the trimming cycle that these farriers/trimmers are finding works best is 2-4 weeks, 3 weeks being the average correct cycle for most horses. It is important to understand that because these trims are closer together there will be less material to remove. On a 3 week trim cycle there would be little need for nippers, it would really just be a rasp to maintain balance and remove the excess and possibly some knife work if the bars or frog needed addressing.

Where this interests me is with a select few horses I trim that are sensitive on hard or rocky ground immediately after a trim for about 3-5 days. Not sensitive in their paddocks or living environments, but sensitive being ridden on unforgiving ground where they otherwise would have been fine. What those horses need is for me to leave a little more material at the trim, but because I won’t be trimming them again for 4-6 weeks if I leave that extra material we are at a point of distortion before the next trim and then we are back to rehab trims as opposed to maintenance trims. However if I could trim less, and then trim the horse again in 3 weeks there would be less instances of sensitivity after the trim and less instances where the hoof gets to that distortion point before the next trim..

This is easy for me to process, however it becomes a challenge when trying to help horse owners to understand that trimming less more often is in the best interest of their horse. For the horse owner it means they are paying for trims twice as often, seeing much less of a difference in the before and after of the trims, and they are having to schedule me twice as often, taking up their valuable time.

My goal is to make this process easy and beneficial for everyone. I have started a pilot project with a few clients where I am trimming their horses every 3 weeks, and evaluating the horses’s comfort levels before the trim, immediately after and at the end of the 3 week cycle. I am also looking for any hoof distortion (if present) in order to determine the optimal length of cycle for each specific horse. I am working on a price structure that includes a reduced cost for horses that are on a maintenance trim schedule vs those that are in a constant cycle of rehab trims. This would make trimming at these shorter intervals more cost effective and because there is less material to be removed the trims would take less time. Ultimately the biggest advantage of the shorter cycle is for the horse. The closer we can mimic the natural wear pattern of the wild horse, the closer we can come to achieving the soundness seen in those wild herds and the virtually non existent hoof pathologies we so commonly see in our domestic horses.

If you are local to Kelowna, West Kelowna or Lake Country and surrounding area (I will travel farther for 10+ horses) and are interested in participating in my pilot project please contact me. For more information on this shorter trim cycle and the success others are having check out the Facebook pages of David Landreville of Landreville Hoof Care and Dave Mc Glynn and his Western Canada Barefoot Group.

The photo above shows Ruby when she arrived in late March, the video below was shot July 15, 2018.

Environment – A barefoot horse’s living environment plays a large role in strengthening their hooves. A horse that lives on soft pasture will have a hard time building the callous needed to ride on a rocky trail without some form of hoof protection. Whereas a horse that lives on hard rocky ground will have no trouble travelling on a rocky trail as his hooves would have already been conditioned to it. Even if all you have for your horse is soft pasture or dirt, adding some river rock around water troughs or in shelters or a favorite hangout spot can be a big help. Exposure to varying surfaces is important in conditioning the hoof and building strength.

Deciding to take your horse barefoot can be a complex decision. While it is greatly beneficial to them to restore natural hoof function, you must make sure you are ready to face the challenges involved with the transition. I suggest you speak with your hoof care provider about the factors mentioned above as well as discuss the overall health of your horses’ hooves and the expected length of the transition period.

Published in Saddle Up Magazine September 2015

Most horse owners cringe at hearing the words Navicular Syndrome. In the past it has often meant expensive corrective shoeing and just trying to keep your horse sound for one more season, inevitably resulting in putting them down. Unfortunately Navicular Syndrome is one of the hardest subjects for a farrier/trimmer to research. It seems that every old text contradicts the next, and every person you talk to has a different understanding of the condition. The good news is that tons of new research is being done, and hopefully the equine world will soon have a better understanding that the best way to treat Navicular Syndrome is to prevent it in the first place, and that it is easy to do so.
 
One of the doctors at the forefront of Navicular research is Dr. Robert Bowker of Michigan State University. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Bowker at the 2015 Equine Education Summit hosted by Horse Council BC this past spring. Dr. Bowker states that he has identified a heel first landing as the most important element of hoof function and more importantly hoof development. He has determined that as the hoof impacts the ground heel first, the hoof expands both laterally and from the back to the front, and the concave sole descends lower to the ground, thus dramatically increasing the volume of the hoof capsule. This sudden increase in volume creates a vacuum, which pulls blood into the hoof capsule. This pull of blood not only nourishes the living tissues in the hoof, but acts as a very important hydraulic shock absorber.
 

It has been documented over the years that some horses with navicular bone changes are perfectly sound, while others without bone damage can show severe lameness in the rear of the hoof. This is confusing though as it has long been taught in the veterinary and farrier communities that the bone damage happened first and the pain associated with Navicular Syndrome was caused by the deep digital flexor tendon sliding over the rough surface of the damaged navicular bone.
 
Dr. James R. Rooney of the American College of Veterinarian Pathologists specializes in post mortem studies of horses. In thousands of dead horses he has examined, Dr. Rooney found that the fibrocartilages surrounding the flexor tendon and navicular bone were always damaged if bone deterioration was present. He has not found one single case where the bone was damaged and the fibrocartilage was not. He has however found cases where the bone was not yet deteriorated and yet the fibrocartilage had started to break down. He has learned that the order in which damage occurs is: first the fibrocartilages surrounding the navicular bone, second the fibrocartilages surrounding the deep digital flexor tendon, third the flexor tendon itself, and finally the navicular bone itself is damaged by the rough surface of the damaged flexor tendon. Simulating a toe first landing with cadaver horse legs in test machines, Dr. Rooney was able to simulate this exact process of deterioration, proving the order in which tissues were damaged leading to Navicular Syndrome.
 
The main structure in the front half of the hoof is the coffin bone. The sole and hoof wall are attached to it via the lamina. The digital cushion and the lateral cartilages form the rear half of the hoof. It is the rear half of the hoof that is responsible for dissipating the impact energy of movement. The front of the hoof has no impact absorbing structures, they are all fairly rigid. The digital cushion at birth is made up of primarily fat and is filled with nerves. As the foal moves the pressure and release of the frog causes fibrocartilage to grow from the front of the digital cushion and spread toward the back. By the time the horse has grown to an adult the digital cushion should have transformed into a mass of fibrocartilage. This fibrocartilage is responsible for protecting and cushioning the nerves as well as dissipating the energy of a heel first landing. The lateral cartilages at birth are tiny, less than 1/16th of an inch thick, and don’t extend to the underside of the frog and digital cushion yet. As the foal grows, with movement, flexion, and the expansion and contraction of the hoof mechanism the lateral cartilages grow. They should eventually extend to create a floor underneath the frog and digital cushion and should have developed to about an inch thick.
 
So why are most horse’s uncomfortable landing heel first? Because in domestication we tend to keep our foals on soft ground. Deeply bedding the stalls that restricts their movement, and keeping them on soft terrain when they are turned out. The soft ground inhibits the flexion, expansion and contract and negates the hoof mechanism as it was designed to work. This results in very commonly, adult horses with lateral cartilages as thin as 1/8th of an inch thick instead of the inch they should be, and with digital cushions that are underdeveloped, thin and weak.

Dr. Bowker has also found that bone loss associated with Navicular Syndrome can also be attributed to a lack of natural pressure in the navicular region of the hoof. He specifically blames peripheral loading i.e. shoeing the hoof to remove sole pressure or allowing the hoof wall to grow too long so that the sole, frog, and bars of the hoof cannot share in the weight baring pressures of movement as they were designed.
 
When we learn the science behind Navicular Syndrome, and when this information becomes mainstream, only then can we start to prevent these changes from happening. While we cannot heal the bone deterioration once it has happened, we can bring strength back to the digital cushion and lateral cartilages. We must first bring them back into work, by removing the peripheral loading devices, keeping a low heel and allowing the digital cushion to strengthen again. The digital cushion is filled with myoxoid tissue which is similar to stem cell tissue and Dr. Deborah Taylor of Auburn University has published that the digital cushion can regenerate if given the opportunity. And as discussed previously, horses with bone deterioration to the navicular bone can be made comfortable if the rest of the hoof is allowed to strengthen to support it.
 
If your horse is suffering from Navicular Syndrome or you want to learn more I would direct you to study the research of Dr. Robert Bowker, Dr. James R. Rooney and Dr. Deborah Taylor. They are leading the research right now, and are coming up with amazing information that is helping horses that would have previously been put down.

Published in Saddle Up Magazine August 2015


In last month’s article I discussed the difference between Laminitis and Founder. I explained that laminitis by definition is inflammation of the lamina in the hoof. The lamina affected are the sensitive lamina (surrounding the front and sides of the coffin bone) as well as the solar corium (the underside of the coffin bone). I also discussed that low grade laminitis left untreated, or during acute laminitis, the coffin bone can rotate within the hoof capsule becoming foundered. Founder is simply the rotation of the coffin bone. There is no almost or partly foundered. Either the bone is rotated or it is not. However, the severity of the rotation can vary. This is dependent of the overall health of the hoof prior to the laminitis, the length and severity of the laminitic episode as well as the current trimming/shoeing protocol. In this issue I want to show you what a foundered hoof looks like both inside and out.

In order to demonstrate a foundered hoof, I will first show you a healthy one. The hoof wall is well connected all the way from the coronary band to the ground, it is not flared, pulled forward, or separated.

Published in Saddle Up Magazine July 2015

            The terms Laminitis and Founder are often used interchangeably by vets, farriers, trimmers and horse owners alike, however in my opinion they have two very different meanings. Laminitis is the inflammation of the sensitive lamina surrounding the coffin bone. This includes the sensitive lamina, found along the front and sides of the coffin bone, as well as the solar corium which is found on the bottom of the coffin bone. The sensitive lamina is the vasculature covering the coffin bone and it has nerves and a blood supply. The insensitive lamina is located on the inside of the hoof wall and has no blood supply or nerves and is semi-rigid in structure. The sensitive and insensitive lamina interlock like Velcro. This connection of the lamina supports the coffin bone’s position within the hoof.

Published in Saddle Up Magazine June 2015

 

            Time is precious and a healthy relationship with your hoofcare provider is crucial to your horse’s wellbeing. Here are a few tips of what you should expect from your provider and what he/she is hoping to see from you.

            Be on time. This works both ways as everyone’s time is valuable. If your appointment is scheduled for 1pm, arrive early to prepare your horse and his surroundings for the visit. Do not arrive at 12:59pm just ahead of the trimmer and rush to halter the horse and scramble to get him ready. Instead have your horse haltered and waiting calmly, perhaps lunged if they are in a particularly anxious mood or have trouble standing still. A trimmers schedule can change throughout the day, so please allow them a little bit of leeway. Perhaps a 15 minute window surrounding the appointment time. Anything more than that and they should call to touch base and see if your schedule is flexible. If you or your trimmer are unable to make the appointment at least 24 hours notice is necessary, 48-36 hours is better, but the situation might not always allow.

            Be prepared. Having the feet picked out is a nice treat and even having the horse lightly groomed should impress your trimmer. I am not stating that your horse be groomed as if they were to beshown immediately following the trim, simply if the legs and hooves are muddy, perhaps curry them off. Your provider likely has several other horses to see after you and would like to stay as presentable as possible. Have your horse on a clean, flat dry surface if possible. A barn isle way, a stall mat, or even just a flat packed dirt area or driveway. Being able to assess the hoof while on the ground is a key component formulating a trimming plan and will make your provider’s job easier. Trying to see hooves in tall grass or mud can be difficult. Your trimmer should also arrive prepared with all of the tools required, and ready to work.

            Stay in the moment. Be aware of your horses’ behaviour while being trimmed. Being firm and fair with your horse is important in keeping your trimmer safe while they are doing their job. Do talk to your trimmer, but also pay attention while holding your horse so that you can alert the trimmer to a potential spooking hazard or you can let them know if your horse is uncomfortable in a specific position. A horse that is moving around and distracted can be hard to trim, so keeping them focussed on the task at hand is important. If you are unsure how to handle the horse in a given situation, ask your trimmer how they would like you to handle the horse while they are working underneath him.

            Communication is key. Expressing any concerns or questions you have regarding the trim is very important. An open line of communication will ensure you are both working in the best interests of the horse. Your trimmer should be open to answer your questions, and also explain how or why they are doing things the way they are if you ask them to. The answer of “because that’s how it’s done”, is not acceptable.

            Payment is due when services are rendered. If you are hoping to pay at a later date or with a postdated check, please consider asking your trimmer if this is appropriate prior to the appointment. With technology today a lot of mobile services are set up to take credit or debit on the spot. However not all have these devices so please check at the time you book your appointment if that is how you intend to pay. Your trimmer should also be prepared to write you a receipt should you require one, and the amount owing should not be more than quoted to you when the appointment was booked unless it was discussed before or during the trim. This occasionally happens if the condition of the hooves require something extra that the trimmer couldn’t anticipate prior to the appointment.