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TRIM
Start
with a correct and appropriate trim. Here are the basics:
Balance
the hooves - the heels should be even when viewed from the bottom.
Reduce
excess toe length and flares, but respect the white line of the hoof.
Trim heels no lower than
hard sole. When in doubt - leave it!! Don't try
to lower very high heels all the way in one trim - you'll have a sore
horse. A 30 degree hairline (viewed from the side while the hoof is fully
loaded) seems to work well, but it may take a few trims to get there. The
horse will appreciate it if you take your time.
Frogs
and bars should be slightly passive to the ground and taper
towards the frog apex. Avoid over trimming these structures!
Remove
only dead, flakey sole. You can't carve out concavity if it doesn't exist
yet! Avoid invasive trimming. On thinner soled horses it's best to leave
things alone. There is always the opportunity to trim
more in a few days if needed, but you can't put it back once it's gone.
Hint: take the horse for a walk on gravel if you aren't "sure".
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Nutrition
Horses
do best on a mineral balanced, high fiber diet containing adequate
protein. Avoid molasses and high fat, high starch commercial feeds.
Feed a grass hay based diet. Beet pulp is a safe way to add
more calories if grass hay isn't enough. Green pasture can be dangerous
for some horses due to the high sugar content. The closer you stick to what
nature intended a horse to eat, the healthier your horse will be. Whenever
possible, have your hay analyzed (or buy it from a source that does this)
and correct any mineral imbalances or deficiencies. If your horse's hooves
are in poor condition, take a close look at his diet. In northern
California our forages tend to run high in iron, but deficient in copper,
zinc, and selenium. In my own experience, putting horses on an appropriate
mineral supplement, such as
CA Trace Plus*, has yielded excellent
results in hoof strength and overall good health.
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Terrain
Horses evolved as herd animals covering considerable distances over varied
terrain. Their hooves will adapt to their living conditions. What does
this mean for a barefoot horse? If you horse lives in a soft paddock, then
that is what his hooves can handle when you go out to ride. Don't expect a
barefoot horse to trot down a gravel road if he hasn't been living on a
similar surface with plenty of room to exercise. Hooves need a
conditioning program just as much as muscles do. You can do something as
simple as moving the water trough as far away from the hay as possible and
placing a good layer of road base gravel in the commonly traveled areas of
your horse's environment. Provide as much formal exercise as you can if
your horse is confined to a small area. Hoof boots can allow your horse to
travel comfortably in conditions, such as gravel and rocks, which his hooves
are not conditioned for. I recommend Easy Care Epics, G-2s, Boa Boots, or Bares.
I custom fit and sell Renegade and Swiss Horse Boots.
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"A horse is that thing of beauty. None will tire of looking at him as
long as he displays himself in his splendor."
Xenophon
photos on this page taken by Sally Hugg
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