mproving not just the hoof, but the whole horse - Case studies of just some hoof problems we have resolved

CASE STUDIES

A 10 year-old pony with severe founder. Full rotation/penetration of the coffin bone on his fores and rotation on his hinds. He couldn´t walk. A farrier had reverse shod his fronts, soldering bars across to raise the sole from the ground, thus disguising the pain of walking on bone, but not resolving it!

The following sequence shows the change in his hooves over 4 trims, in 4 weeks. You can see the red colouration from bruising and broken capillaries. With this kind of severity things always look worse before they look better. The second time I trimmed, you could almost hear the hooves breath a deep sigh of relief as all the backed up wall (which appeared like abscesses at the coronet band) began to find a way down, and out, thus relieving a lot of pain for this pony.

He has been receiving a special diet, consisting in the beginning of all fibre (forage) with just a handful of hard feed to medicate him with natural supplements and natural pain-killers. Bute was not an option due to the time he would need to be taking pain killers and the poor condition in general of the pony.

At the time of posting these photos he had been with us 5 weeks and trimmed 5 times. The day before, of his own free will, he trotted across the arena and on to the gravel path. You can only imagine the joy on our faces!

Every single one of my horses, those of clients, or those we rescue, take a piece of my heart, so the day Chance (because this pony now had one), of his own accord ´popped´ over some jumps in the arena and then strutted on out for a short trek across the harsh mountainous terrain that is our countryside I cried. I cried, sniffled, snorted and cried some more. These angels without wings deserve all the best we can give. What I have done is little. What we can all do together is move mountains. Way to go Chance

QUARTER CRACKS

For nearly two years the owner of this gelding couldn´t ride her horse as he constantly threw shoes and stumbled due to quarter cracks and imbalance in his hooves.

Two months after arriving at our clinic she was riding him in the sand arena and two months later out on the trail over every kind of terrain.

It took just over a year for his hooves to be completely physiologically correct as this boy was suffering a lot of internal damage due to long term hoof imbalance and very high and contracted heels and frogs. But thanks to our whole horse protocol, which includes his living situation and a healthy natural high-fibre diet, he was sound barefoot after only two months.

The photos show his hooves on arrival and again after only 3 months at our installations.

One year on this horse became more physically athletic and his heart stronger. His paces and balance improved enormously, become more fluid with a proper heel/toe movement which causes less stress to his shoulders and back. To look at the ´old´ and the ´new´ you would never believe it to be the same horse!

FLARES

Quite often people very proudly show me their barefoot horse! Then they realise how much better their horse moves and how much more comfortable they are after just a few professional trims at our facilities. You can see very clearly the flare and long toe. What the untrained eye doesn´t see is the internal damage this very wrong shape was causing. The ´after´ photos are just 5 trims, over 7 weeks, later. Still a little way to go to bring the heels back and shorten the toes to the correct breakover point. But the owner of this 6 year-old Hispaonárabe couldn´t believe the difference already in the gaits of his horse.

5 trims over 7 weeks turned unshod hooves to barefoot soundness

FOLDED TOES

This charming little Cross Arab came with lots of issues, not least being very neglected hooves. Surprisingly, given he had been living in a stall with no movement, pathologies were few. Body issues took longer to resolve, one of which had caused him to walk toed out on the hinds. Resolving the biomechanics of his rider, along with his imbalances, had him stepping out so much more freely with a much needed heel/toe movement, in no time

GENERAL NEGLECT

A 9 year-old ex bullfighting horse (Rejoneo) came to us with far more than hoof issues. He was quite wired after his previous career and his new owner also needed help with bringing this lovely Portuguese horse back down to earth (Hence the rather crazy head-shot - when he was learning how to enjoy life again and relax). His hooves had grown over his shoes from being left so long and the nails had rusted off, or in, to his walls. The series of photos show the changes in his first 5 months with us. His transition could have been greatly enhanced and speeded up, had he had more exercise. But not everything is in our control.

CONTRACTED HEELS

A 6 year-old stallion, shod from aged 3. His new owner wanted to take him barefoot and generally down a more natural route. Upon removal of his shoes he came up lame on his left fore, and I don´t refer to the understandably sensitive soles a horse will have when you first take his shoes off - A simple example of just how much shoes can disguise! His heels were not just contracted, as you can clearly see, but they had lost their balance. The photo on the right is 4 months later.

The heels have nearly regained their correct width and balance. His lameness would have been resolved a lot quicker than the 4 months it took had he been in full transition at our installations, but it was owner assisted and work obligations hindered his progress. His coat also went lighter from not being shut in a box all the time!

BOXED HOOVES

Incorrect trimming and lack of movement caused the hooves of this yearling filly to become very upright and boxed. Just a matter of a few corrective trims, and lots of movement and her hooves were returned to the natural beauties she was born with. Had the owner not been vigilant when she purchased this filly, and allowed this vicious circle to continue, the subsequent tendon problems that would have ensued would have been so much more serious and lead to far greater problems for this young horse. The highlighted hoof section on the left is to show the striping (I hope you can see that!), to confirm it is the same hoof. I realise the difference is so great you would have reason to doubt

CORPORAL CORRECTION IN CONJUNCTION WITH HOOF WORK
Chicken and egg - We will never know if it is/was conformation or lack of correct movement that caused this fillies very bad posture, upright distal limbs, subsequent excessive wear on the medial side of all four hooves, which were extremely contracted to the point of sheered heels. She spent 7 months with us, and her treatment is on-going, but now definitely going down the right road. Her hooves are expanding, she has already developed lateral cartilage and useful/working digital cushion in all four hooves .

Upon arrival - necrotic frog, sheered heels, no development of internal structures

Gaining "substance" these hooves have strength and integrity, despite still having a road ahead

As "square" as she could possibly stand on arrival, you can clearly see on the left, duck feet & pigeon chest. You can´t see the pain in the entire lumbar region of her spine caused by this bad stance. On the right a much happier filly. No back pain and hooves that will soon be BFB´s.

FLARE & COLLAPSED HEELS

This gentleman, as stoic as they come, had been performing as an eventer to the best of his ability for years on these hooves (and it was a great ability). But time took its toll, his heels could cope no more and they all went south, including the P3 with a negative palmer angle Already benefiting from a healthy diet it was a case of going back to basics, removing the iron and trimming for the healthy correct angle of the hoof, permitting it to grow correctly, with healthy attachment between the outer wall, laminae and inner structures.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

This is a "work in progress". Whilst this horse is trekking out sound over all surfaces now, there is still some road ahead to get the hooves physiologically correct. It is quite usual for two or three complete new capsule growths, with this kind of deformity, before a hoof looks to be functioning healthily.

No need for alarm. The crack is nothing to be scared of. I can´t emphasis enough how things can get ugly before they get pretty. Just take into account the overall improvement in heel alignment, frog integrity, wall thickness - and what you can´t see!

The photo on the right is the same hoof as above in the header, before I dissected it down the middle. I have turned it slightly and drawn in lines to show you a ´healthy´ hoof comparison. This horse could have received the correct Whole Horse Protocol care that would have re-suspended the coffin bone and resolved the laminitis, instead of being sent to the meat wagon.

There is rarely a deformed hoof that does not have a healthy one inside it, just crying to get out. With the right management, which includes diet, environmental changes and of course the correct natural balanced trim, we can help nature and that hoof along it´s way to become whole and healthy again.

EV Georgie, won Best Condition in his second only Endurance competition. What makes that incredible is that he did that aged 15!

He came to us one year earlier with a jointed pelham, curb chain, rounders, martingale and strict instructions he was not for the weak or nervous. He also had a very sway back and fist-sized dip in his sacral vertebra, along with very tall and contracted hooves.

Horse yoga and equine massage therapy improved his back, part of the WHOLE HORSE PROTOCOL that improved his general health both physically and mentally. Along with remedial hoof work, the photo on the left shows his feet immediately after shoe removal and just 5 trims later. He was already sound on all surfaces by then

Right is the hind sole of a horse that was shod for 14 years. Since becoming sound barefoot this mare, now 20 years-old gives horses half her age a run for their money.

Still in transition this hoof shows the toe slightly to long and the frog still somewhat contracted, yet this gelding can happily perform on all types of terrain. He was shod for 18 years and is enjoying a new lease of life with his healthy naked hooves.

To the right is a healthy heel. The height is correct. The frog is in contact with the floor, so the hoof enjoys proper function. This is the hoof of a horse who treks out over rocky mountainous terrain every week and has been barefoot for 4 years now.

Immediately before taking this photo on the left this stallion had completed a 42km endurance competition over unforgiving terrain at trot and canter. This is a Barefoot Beauty.