| Website designed by Paula Hanes HoofSense Natural Hoofcare |
| Last updated March 8, 2008 |
Before Natural Hoofcare
The above and below pictures are my
mare's front (top) and back (bottom)
hooves. Look at the high heels, long toes
and divergent toe angles. I had just
started the natural trim in these pictures,
so they actually look better than they did
a month ago...but still...they are terrible!!
The above and below pictures are my
mare's front (top) and back (bottom)
hooves. Look at the high heels, long toes
and divergent toe angles. I had just
started the natural trim in these pictures,
so they actually look better than they did
a month ago...but still...they are terrible!!
| My Story |
To sum up years worth of searching and my daily battle with problem hooves, the pictures to the left are the
reason I found, and believe in, natural hoofcare. I have witnessed the amazing results with my own eyes. I only
wish I would have known about it earlier . I could have prevented my mare from having to go through such pain.
I was like every horse-owner and assumed...all equine need shoes. I mean...that's the way it has been since
the beginning of time and that is what everyone else that owns a horse does, too, right? And isn't it somewhat
"normal" or "expected" for a horse to be a little tender on big rocks or gravel roads?? You'll soon find out it's not!!
After seeing, for myself, a horse return to soundness with natural hoofcare, their own healing process, and
some changes in the way I was feeding & keeping them, I just cringe every time I hear people talk about
shoeing, totally uninformed of the damage it really causes. Most people believe that shoes protect the hoof
wall from chips, cracks and excess wear. Although this may appear to be true, shoes actually cause more
damage from restricting the natural hoof function than the little protection they provide for the hoof wall. With a
proper trim and more natural living conditions, the hoof wall will not deteriorate. And when a horse is barefoot,
wearing of the hoof stimulates it to grow more and become the protection it was designed to be. It can not do
that in shoes. It is a myth that excessive riding will "wear the hooves off."
Not only were shoes damaging my horses and mules hooves - but the typical "shoeing trim" was, too. The
most obvious damage was in the frogs. They became narrow and didn't come in contact with the ground. I had
thrush problems, which also caused deep splits in the cleft of the frog because it wasn't getting proper use. I
had gone through 6 farriers in 6 years and all 10 of my equine's hooves had something "abnormal" about them.
Even my 3 month old filly stepped off tender footed right after the second trim of her lifetime! My mules had
vertical cracks in the toes all the way to the hairline. Their frogs were an inch off the ground, wasting away, and I
always battled thrush. In the dry season, thrush was present but not as heavy as during the wet season. I
began to realize...the presence of thrush had to be something related to the hoof...not just the weather.
I became really bothered by the lack of concern I was getting from my farriers, as well as, vets. I was given all
kinds of "vague" answers but no solutions and no results. I began to search for solutions myself and first found
Lyle Bergeleen, who also teaches trimming based on the study of wild horse hooves. This began my interest in
the equine hoof.
I'm a firm believer in Mother Nature already, and I just knew that these animals should not have these hoof
problems. If it was something I was causing, I wanted to fix it, as every horse-owner should. I have also always
felt that nailing metal on an animal's hoof couldn't possibly be a very healthy practice! I then found out about the
American Association of Natural Hoofcare Practitioners (www.aanhcp.net) and ordered Jaime Jackson's
book, Horse Owners Guide to Natural Hoofcare and could not put it down. It just made so much sense.
It was so interesting reading about the Wild Mustangs and how they survived living on rocky terrain with sparse,
dry grasses. Their hooves never saw a farrier, yet they were perfect! They were never wormed or vaccinated or
had their teeth floated, yet they appeared amazingly healthy and sound. They travel 15-30 miles a day searching
for food, water and escaping anything suspected to be a predator. That is their natural environment. I have two
adopted BLM Mustangs and burros of my own, which is why this had me so fascinated. I started my journey with
the AANHCP certification program to learn to take care of my own horses hooves myself since nothing else
made sense to me.
I told my farriers and vets about this Natural Trim and going barefoot, and all I got was a roll of the eyes and they
all said this "natural horse stuff " was baloney because "our horses aren't wild". At first, they made me feel silly
for believing in it...but the more I thought about it....how silly were they??? "Our horses aren't wild???" Well...I
bet they sure wish they were!!! A horse is a horse. We have taken them from their NATURAL environment and
completely changed what is most natural for them in order to convenience ourselves. We are sending them to
an early grave by not understanding what is truly their nature. It's been proven by the BLM adoption program that
a horse is perfect in the wild. About 6-8 weeks after being captured and brought into human care....their hooves
develop cracks, splits, chips, from the lack of movement and it's usually downhill from there....Especially if they
have shoes put on, start getting fed sweet feeds, processed feed, and large amounts of feed only 2 or 3 times a
day. These things are NOT natural to a horse and wreak havoc on their health. Insulin Resistance, Cushings,
and many other "new" conditions are starting to become increasingly prevalent in today's horses because of
conventional horse keeping practices.
After talking with farriers that have switched to natural hoofcare, I now understand why I would get such "vague"
answers. Farriers are taught how to trim a hoof SO THAT A SHOE WILL FIT....NOT how to trim for the health
and natural function of the hoof as nature intended. They admit that almost every farrier textbook had very little
information about the hoof because most of what they learn is blacksmithing, applying the shoes, handling
horses, running their business, but...very little about the anatomy of the hoof in it's most natural state. Most
farriers knowledge of the hoof is based on tradition and out right myths, yet it keeps getting passed down to the
next generation! Farriers do know, however, that removing the shoes when the horse is not in use is a good
thing. So...that alone must tell you something!
The "natural movement" is far from a fad. It's only the beginning of a better way for domestic horses.
reason I found, and believe in, natural hoofcare. I have witnessed the amazing results with my own eyes. I only
wish I would have known about it earlier . I could have prevented my mare from having to go through such pain.
I was like every horse-owner and assumed...all equine need shoes. I mean...that's the way it has been since
the beginning of time and that is what everyone else that owns a horse does, too, right? And isn't it somewhat
"normal" or "expected" for a horse to be a little tender on big rocks or gravel roads?? You'll soon find out it's not!!
After seeing, for myself, a horse return to soundness with natural hoofcare, their own healing process, and
some changes in the way I was feeding & keeping them, I just cringe every time I hear people talk about
shoeing, totally uninformed of the damage it really causes. Most people believe that shoes protect the hoof
wall from chips, cracks and excess wear. Although this may appear to be true, shoes actually cause more
damage from restricting the natural hoof function than the little protection they provide for the hoof wall. With a
proper trim and more natural living conditions, the hoof wall will not deteriorate. And when a horse is barefoot,
wearing of the hoof stimulates it to grow more and become the protection it was designed to be. It can not do
that in shoes. It is a myth that excessive riding will "wear the hooves off."
Not only were shoes damaging my horses and mules hooves - but the typical "shoeing trim" was, too. The
most obvious damage was in the frogs. They became narrow and didn't come in contact with the ground. I had
thrush problems, which also caused deep splits in the cleft of the frog because it wasn't getting proper use. I
had gone through 6 farriers in 6 years and all 10 of my equine's hooves had something "abnormal" about them.
Even my 3 month old filly stepped off tender footed right after the second trim of her lifetime! My mules had
vertical cracks in the toes all the way to the hairline. Their frogs were an inch off the ground, wasting away, and I
always battled thrush. In the dry season, thrush was present but not as heavy as during the wet season. I
began to realize...the presence of thrush had to be something related to the hoof...not just the weather.
I became really bothered by the lack of concern I was getting from my farriers, as well as, vets. I was given all
kinds of "vague" answers but no solutions and no results. I began to search for solutions myself and first found
Lyle Bergeleen, who also teaches trimming based on the study of wild horse hooves. This began my interest in
the equine hoof.
I'm a firm believer in Mother Nature already, and I just knew that these animals should not have these hoof
problems. If it was something I was causing, I wanted to fix it, as every horse-owner should. I have also always
felt that nailing metal on an animal's hoof couldn't possibly be a very healthy practice! I then found out about the
American Association of Natural Hoofcare Practitioners (www.aanhcp.net) and ordered Jaime Jackson's
book, Horse Owners Guide to Natural Hoofcare and could not put it down. It just made so much sense.
It was so interesting reading about the Wild Mustangs and how they survived living on rocky terrain with sparse,
dry grasses. Their hooves never saw a farrier, yet they were perfect! They were never wormed or vaccinated or
had their teeth floated, yet they appeared amazingly healthy and sound. They travel 15-30 miles a day searching
for food, water and escaping anything suspected to be a predator. That is their natural environment. I have two
adopted BLM Mustangs and burros of my own, which is why this had me so fascinated. I started my journey with
the AANHCP certification program to learn to take care of my own horses hooves myself since nothing else
made sense to me.
I told my farriers and vets about this Natural Trim and going barefoot, and all I got was a roll of the eyes and they
all said this "natural horse stuff " was baloney because "our horses aren't wild". At first, they made me feel silly
for believing in it...but the more I thought about it....how silly were they??? "Our horses aren't wild???" Well...I
bet they sure wish they were!!! A horse is a horse. We have taken them from their NATURAL environment and
completely changed what is most natural for them in order to convenience ourselves. We are sending them to
an early grave by not understanding what is truly their nature. It's been proven by the BLM adoption program that
a horse is perfect in the wild. About 6-8 weeks after being captured and brought into human care....their hooves
develop cracks, splits, chips, from the lack of movement and it's usually downhill from there....Especially if they
have shoes put on, start getting fed sweet feeds, processed feed, and large amounts of feed only 2 or 3 times a
day. These things are NOT natural to a horse and wreak havoc on their health. Insulin Resistance, Cushings,
and many other "new" conditions are starting to become increasingly prevalent in today's horses because of
conventional horse keeping practices.
After talking with farriers that have switched to natural hoofcare, I now understand why I would get such "vague"
answers. Farriers are taught how to trim a hoof SO THAT A SHOE WILL FIT....NOT how to trim for the health
and natural function of the hoof as nature intended. They admit that almost every farrier textbook had very little
information about the hoof because most of what they learn is blacksmithing, applying the shoes, handling
horses, running their business, but...very little about the anatomy of the hoof in it's most natural state. Most
farriers knowledge of the hoof is based on tradition and out right myths, yet it keeps getting passed down to the
next generation! Farriers do know, however, that removing the shoes when the horse is not in use is a good
thing. So...that alone must tell you something!
The "natural movement" is far from a fad. It's only the beginning of a better way for domestic horses.
Welcome to HoofSense ... because natural hooves just make sense!!
| Why Natural Hoofcare? |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  |
AANHCP Oath - Cause No Harm -
Respect the Healing Powers of
Nature.
Respect the Healing Powers of
Nature.
This is a picture of the deep split in the
cleft of my mare's frog. You can see it
is split up through the heel bulbs. This
is NOT NATURAL and should be cause
for concern!!
cleft of my mare's frog. You can see it
is split up through the heel bulbs. This
is NOT NATURAL and should be cause
for concern!!
A thin, flat sole indicates coffin bone is
too close to the ground. It will start to
concave on it's own, over time, once
natural trimming is applied and the
sole is allowed to thicken.
too close to the ground. It will start to
concave on it's own, over time, once
natural trimming is applied and the
sole is allowed to thicken.
| ~ Is your horse tender on gravel roads? ~ Does your horse stumble frequently? ~ Do you see hoof cracks, thrush, or other hoof ailments? ~ Has your horse ever foundered, been diagnosed navicular or any other type of lameness? ~ Is your horse currently in shoes? IF YOU HAVE ANSWERED "YES" TO ANY OF THE ABOVE, YOUR HORSE IS TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING!! |
My mule's front hoof showing the
vertical toe cracks. They are almost
half-way grown out since applying
the natural trim! A farrier told me
they would never grow out if they
went all the way to the coronet
band. Not always true!!! The cause
was high heels & weakened back
of the foot -both caused him to walk
on his toes!!
vertical toe cracks. They are almost
half-way grown out since applying
the natural trim! A farrier told me
they would never grow out if they
went all the way to the coronet
band. Not always true!!! The cause
was high heels & weakened back
of the foot -both caused him to walk
on his toes!!
The equine hoof has the capabilities to function at it's best when completely bare. The horseshoe came
about because of domestic horsekeeping practices. With current research based on the Wild Horse,
their hooves and their natural environment, there is now a way we can allow our domestic equine
partners to have their bare hooves back! We can stop causing damage from unnatural trimming
practices and from nailing on metal shoes.
about because of domestic horsekeeping practices. With current research based on the Wild Horse,
their hooves and their natural environment, there is now a way we can allow our domestic equine
partners to have their bare hooves back! We can stop causing damage from unnatural trimming
practices and from nailing on metal shoes.
| No Shoes, No Nails, No Problems!! |
| NAME CHANGE!! |
The AANHCP has recently
changed its name to the
Association for the
Advancement of Natural
Horse Care Practices.
The name change is to
recognize that they are a
global organization for
Natural Horse Care
worldwide, as well as, make a
statement that their mission
focuses on the whole horse,
not only the hooves.
"Countless horses worldwide
live lives of extreme
psychological stress and
metabolic disorder.
Unnatural and harmful feeds,
laminitis pasture traps,
dangerous pharmaceuticals,
and highly questionable
riding and training practices
take an enormous toll. How
much of this is really
necessary and what can we,
as responsible and informed
owners and care providers do
about it?" -AANHCP
This is what the natural
movement is all about. If you
care about horses, get on
board!
changed its name to the
Association for the
Advancement of Natural
Horse Care Practices.
The name change is to
recognize that they are a
global organization for
Natural Horse Care
worldwide, as well as, make a
statement that their mission
focuses on the whole horse,
not only the hooves.
"Countless horses worldwide
live lives of extreme
psychological stress and
metabolic disorder.
Unnatural and harmful feeds,
laminitis pasture traps,
dangerous pharmaceuticals,
and highly questionable
riding and training practices
take an enormous toll. How
much of this is really
necessary and what can we,
as responsible and informed
owners and care providers do
about it?" -AANHCP
This is what the natural
movement is all about. If you
care about horses, get on
board!
| CLICK HERE to read an article on Problem Hooves and how they affect the whole horse! |
| Now, THIS is a Horse's Life!! |
| photo courtesy J Jackson/C Pollitt |
Wild Horse of the Brumby Plains. Most horse owners would think he is
too skinny, yet he is fit. Look at his hooves closely....not one chip, crack
or deformity - and he can gallop over terrain like this!!!
Domestic horses can be this healthy & sound, too, by providing a lifestyle
& hoof care that more closely resembles what is natural for equine.
Conventional horse-keeping is the cause of most hoof & health problems.
too skinny, yet he is fit. Look at his hooves closely....not one chip, crack
or deformity - and he can gallop over terrain like this!!!
Domestic horses can be this healthy & sound, too, by providing a lifestyle
& hoof care that more closely resembles what is natural for equine.
Conventional horse-keeping is the cause of most hoof & health problems.