We rode Tuesday, and I got there early to meet my hoof trimmer, Eddie Drabek (http://www.drabekhoofcare.com/) Eddie is no typical farrier, he's a natural hoof care practitioner. I'm a firm believer in bare feet and the natural trim. I used to trim my own horses, but when I became pregnant, I began searching for a trimmer. I was doing research online and stumbled across Jaime Jackson's website. His research of wild horse behavior, habitat, and physiology built the foundation for the natural "wild horse" trim. Pete Ramey is another well respected natural hoof care practitioner (http://www.hoofrehab.com/). I have been a horse person all my life, read tons of stuff, and majored in equine science in college, but I learned more about the horses hoof than I ever knew after reading Pete's book Making Natural Hoof Care Work for You. I have literally read this book cover to cover at least 20 times, it is so great! It will enlighten you! After reading it, I was determined to find a trimmer near me, and eventually found Eddie. These guys have great websites with tons of information-check them out...
So how does the natural trim differ from a regular trim? I'll try to give you the highlights:
Wild horses travel many miles throughout the day, wearing down and "self trimming" their own feet. But before you pull your horses shoes and vow to never trim again, take note! Domestic horses don't have the environment & uninhibited movement to keep their feet in a naturally perfect state on their own. The goal of natural hoof care is to trim the hoof in a way that mimics the wear of a wild horse hoof. Shoes are a no-no! A horseshoe inhibits the hoof from working the way it was designed-expanding and contracting with contact. Even horseshoers agree that horses benefit from a "break" from shoes. It is important to note that natural hoof care is about a natural lifestyle, not just the way the feet are trimmed. Horses need movement for healthy feet-24 hour turnout is key. The way most people have been trained to feed and care for their horses can be a detriment to their health. Eddie has some great info on natural horsekeeping on his website http://www.drabekhoofcare.com/, and also has lots of links to other sites.
The sole is meant to be thick, hard, and calloused. It is the protection between your horses coffin bone and the earth. With a traditional trim, the old dead sole is pared away each time the horses hoof is trimmed. With the natural trim, there is no old dead sole to pare away. When a horse is maintained barefoot with natural hoof care, the sole, especially the outer band of sole near the hoof wall, will actually pack into denser, calloused material, and the sole becomes thicker and harder. As the sole becomes thicker, it also becomes more concave. No more ouchy, sore, flat footed horses!
The natural trim does not attempt to manipulate hoof angles. Each horse is individual and the hoof is your guide. Heels are meant to be low! Toes are meant to be short! The profile of the hoofwall should be straight (indicating a good connection with the coffin bone) not "dished" which is a tell-tale sign of the the separation of the hoofwall and internal structures and could indicate coffin bone rotation and impending founder. A stretched white line, seedy toe, etc. also are indicative of hoof wall separation. Natural hoof care supports and encourages the integrity of this connection. One of the greatest things being accomplished by natural hoof care is the treatment of laminitis. Horses that traditional medicine had given up on, about to be put down, are being rehabilitated fully to normal use through natural horsekeeping & hoof care. And I mean as USING horses, not pasture ornaments!
One of the hallmarks of the wild hoof is the "mustang roll"-the outer perimeter of the foot is beveled (in contrast to the sharp edge left on a horse that is traditionally trimmed). This bevel keeps the foot from splitting, cracking, etc. The best analogy I have to explain it is from Pete's book. If you imagine stabbing the smooth rounded end of a broomstick into a gravel driveway, the gravel will just wear the broomstick smoother. But if you were to cut the rounded edge off, you have sharp corners. If you stab this repeatedly eventually the wood will start splintering and splitting. The mustang roll does for the hoof what the rounded edge does for the broomstick, preventing the hoof from splitting and chipping.
Here's an interesting fact. Hoof growth is inversely related to hoof wear. If you let your horses hoofs get overgrown before you call the farrier, you have just slowed down his hoof growth AND sent the signal to his hoof to produce a thinner hoof wall. The hoof will try to help itself trim by putting out weaker growth. Conversely, if you keep your horses feet trimmed on a regular schedule and give them lots of exercise and natural wear, they will have stronger, faster hoof growth in order to "keep up" with wear. One of the finishing touches Eddie gives the horses is that he abrades the hoof wall with fine sandpaper-it "tricks" the hoof in to thinking it's being worn away by rocky, wild horse country! And don't waste your money on any kind of hoof dressings. If you have a pond in your pasture, or let the water trough run over a little, their feet will get all the moisture they need when they come for water.
A lot of skeptics are probably saying right now "some horses just need shoes". There is a transition period for horses that have been shod and this is where hoof boots come in. These horses may need to be booted until the hoof starts remodeling itself. The more you ride and stimulate hoof wear, the faster the transition will be. If your horse was already barefoot, he probably won't have any issues transitioning to natural hoof care. And yes, PERFORMANCE horses can go barefoot. Eddie has clients that are Barrel Racers, Cutters, Reiners and even Racehorses! And Clinton Anderson keeps his Reiners bare in front and only shoes the rear (for sliding stops).
So how does the natural trim differ from a regular trim? I'll try to give you the highlights:
Wild horses travel many miles throughout the day, wearing down and "self trimming" their own feet. But before you pull your horses shoes and vow to never trim again, take note! Domestic horses don't have the environment & uninhibited movement to keep their feet in a naturally perfect state on their own. The goal of natural hoof care is to trim the hoof in a way that mimics the wear of a wild horse hoof. Shoes are a no-no! A horseshoe inhibits the hoof from working the way it was designed-expanding and contracting with contact. Even horseshoers agree that horses benefit from a "break" from shoes. It is important to note that natural hoof care is about a natural lifestyle, not just the way the feet are trimmed. Horses need movement for healthy feet-24 hour turnout is key. The way most people have been trained to feed and care for their horses can be a detriment to their health. Eddie has some great info on natural horsekeeping on his website http://www.drabekhoofcare.com/, and also has lots of links to other sites.
The sole is meant to be thick, hard, and calloused. It is the protection between your horses coffin bone and the earth. With a traditional trim, the old dead sole is pared away each time the horses hoof is trimmed. With the natural trim, there is no old dead sole to pare away. When a horse is maintained barefoot with natural hoof care, the sole, especially the outer band of sole near the hoof wall, will actually pack into denser, calloused material, and the sole becomes thicker and harder. As the sole becomes thicker, it also becomes more concave. No more ouchy, sore, flat footed horses!
The natural trim does not attempt to manipulate hoof angles. Each horse is individual and the hoof is your guide. Heels are meant to be low! Toes are meant to be short! The profile of the hoofwall should be straight (indicating a good connection with the coffin bone) not "dished" which is a tell-tale sign of the the separation of the hoofwall and internal structures and could indicate coffin bone rotation and impending founder. A stretched white line, seedy toe, etc. also are indicative of hoof wall separation. Natural hoof care supports and encourages the integrity of this connection. One of the greatest things being accomplished by natural hoof care is the treatment of laminitis. Horses that traditional medicine had given up on, about to be put down, are being rehabilitated fully to normal use through natural horsekeeping & hoof care. And I mean as USING horses, not pasture ornaments!
One of the hallmarks of the wild hoof is the "mustang roll"-the outer perimeter of the foot is beveled (in contrast to the sharp edge left on a horse that is traditionally trimmed). This bevel keeps the foot from splitting, cracking, etc. The best analogy I have to explain it is from Pete's book. If you imagine stabbing the smooth rounded end of a broomstick into a gravel driveway, the gravel will just wear the broomstick smoother. But if you were to cut the rounded edge off, you have sharp corners. If you stab this repeatedly eventually the wood will start splintering and splitting. The mustang roll does for the hoof what the rounded edge does for the broomstick, preventing the hoof from splitting and chipping.
Here's an interesting fact. Hoof growth is inversely related to hoof wear. If you let your horses hoofs get overgrown before you call the farrier, you have just slowed down his hoof growth AND sent the signal to his hoof to produce a thinner hoof wall. The hoof will try to help itself trim by putting out weaker growth. Conversely, if you keep your horses feet trimmed on a regular schedule and give them lots of exercise and natural wear, they will have stronger, faster hoof growth in order to "keep up" with wear. One of the finishing touches Eddie gives the horses is that he abrades the hoof wall with fine sandpaper-it "tricks" the hoof in to thinking it's being worn away by rocky, wild horse country! And don't waste your money on any kind of hoof dressings. If you have a pond in your pasture, or let the water trough run over a little, their feet will get all the moisture they need when they come for water.
A lot of skeptics are probably saying right now "some horses just need shoes". There is a transition period for horses that have been shod and this is where hoof boots come in. These horses may need to be booted until the hoof starts remodeling itself. The more you ride and stimulate hoof wear, the faster the transition will be. If your horse was already barefoot, he probably won't have any issues transitioning to natural hoof care. And yes, PERFORMANCE horses can go barefoot. Eddie has clients that are Barrel Racers, Cutters, Reiners and even Racehorses! And Clinton Anderson keeps his Reiners bare in front and only shoes the rear (for sliding stops).
If I sparked some interest in natural horsekeeping & hoof care with any readers, Eddie & Pete's websites are a good source to learn more. If you have any comments or personal experience with natural hoof care, I would love you hear from you!
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