|
Natural
hoof
care
is
the
practice
of
keeping
horses
so
that
their
hooves
are
worn
down
naturally
and
so
do
not
suffer
overgrowth,
splitting
and
other
disorders.[1]
Horseshoes
are
not
used
but
domesticated
horses
may
still
require
trimming,
exercise
and
other
measures
to
maintain
a
natural
shape
and
degree
of
wear.[2]
Within
the
natural
hoof
care
philosophy,
the
term
Barefoot
horses
refers
to
horses
which
are
kept
barefoot
full
time,
as
opposed
to
horses
who
are
fitted
with
horse
shoes.
The
hooves
of
barefoot
horses
are
trimmed
with
special
consideration
to
a
barefoot
lifestyle.
The
barefoot
horse
movement
advocates
a
generalized
use
of
barefoot
horses,
both
in
non-competitive
and
competitive
riding,
often
coupled
with
a
more
natural
approach
to
horse
care.
Keeping
horses
barefoot
is
seen
in
many
parts
of
the
world,
including
South
America,
Mongolia
and
other
industrialized
and
non-industrialized
cultures.
Contents
|
Booted
horse
on
a
trail
ride.
(Horse
is
in
a
transition
period
where
it
cannot
be
ridden
barefoot
after
shoe
removal)
|
History
Horses
were
used
for
work
and
pleasure
by
man
for
thousands
of
years
prior
to
the
invention
of
horse
shoes.
Some
of
the
oldest
writings
about
the
care
of
hooves
are
found
in
the
works
of
Xenophon,
a
fourth
century
BC
Greek
cavalry
commander,
who
wrote
"naturally
sound
hooves
get
spoiled
in
most
stalls,"
and
included
the
instruction
that
their
hooves
should
be
toughened
by
putting
a
cobblestone
area
in
their
paddock,
(a
practice
still
in
use
today).
The
Ancient
Greeks
did
not
shoe
their
horses
and
Xenophon
wrote
of
measures
to
strengthen
horses'
feet
in
his
classic
work
on
horsemanship:[3]
|
|
"To
secure
the
best
type
of
stable-yard,
and
with
a
view
to
strengthening
the
horse's
feet,
I
would
suggest
to
take
and
throw
down
loosely
four
or
five
wagon
loads
of
pebbles,
each
as
large
as
can
be
grasped
in
the
hand,
and
about
a
pound
in
weight;
the
whole
to
be
fenced
round
with
a
skirting
of
iron
to
prevent
scattering.
The
mere
standing
on
these
will
come
to
precisely
the
same
thing
as
if
for
a
certain
portion
of
the
day
the
horse
were,
off
and
on,
stepping
along
a
stony
road;
whilst
being
curried
or
when
fidgeted
by
flies
he
will
be
forced
to
use
his
hoofs
just
as
much
as
if
he
were
walking.
Nor
is
it
the
hoofs
merely,
but
a
surface
so
strewn
with
stones
will
tend
to
harden
the
frog
of
the
foot
also." |
|
More
recently,
Jaime
Jackson,
who
studied
wild
and
domestic
horse
hooves,
promoted
the
modern
variant
of
natural
hoof
care
in
The
Natural
Horse:
Lessons
from
the
Wild
(1992).[4]
|
While
horses
have
been
used
without
shoes
throughout
history,
the
benefits
of
keeping
horses
barefoot
has
recently
enjoyed
increased
popularity.
Not
only
does
the
horse
benefit
with
a
healthier
hoof
in
some
cases,
it
can
be
less
expensive
to
keep
a
horse
barefoot,
and
many
owners
have
learned
to
trim
their
horses'
hooves
themselves.
As
the
health
and
movement
benefits
of barefooting
have
become
more
apparent
in
horses
that
have
completed
transition,
horses
are
being
competed
barefoot
in
various
sports
(including
dressage,
show
jumping,
flat
racing,
steeplechase
racing,
trail
riding
and
endurance
riding).
|
There
are
several
styles
of
barefoot
trim
in
use
today,
including
the
Wildhorse
Trim,
the
4-Point
Trim,
the
Strasser
Trim,
among
others.
Some
types,
such
as
the
4-Point
Trim
can
be
used
alone,
or
with
shoes.[5]
Barefoot
trims
are
marketed
to
the
public
as
something
different
from
the
"pasture"
or
"field"
trim
farriers
are
trained
to
provide,
taking
into
consideration
hoof
health
and
bony
column
angles,
though
each
branded
type
of
barefoot
trim
has
its
individual
differences
and
there
is
no
standardization
or
agreement
between
various
barefoot
advocacy
groups.
In
contrast
to
"farrier
trims"
which
have
served
the
needs
of
domestic
horses
for
millennia,
barefoot
trims
are
marketed
as
though
they
are
something
different,
designed
by
nature
itself
to
maintain
a
healthy,
sound
hoof
without
the
use
of
shoes,
and
aim
to
emulate
the
way
in
which
hooves
are
maintained
naturally
in
wild
horse
herds,
like
the
assorted
feral
horse
herds
such
as
the
American
Mustang
in
the
western
United
States,
or
the
Australian
Brumby,
as
well
as
of
wild
zebras
and
other
wild
equine
populations.
It
has
|
Hoof
nippers
are
used
to
begin
a
trim
of
the
hoof
wall
|
|
been
observed
in
wild
conditions,
the
hoof
tends
to
make
contact
with
the
ground
on
four
points,
and
the
hoof
wall
does
not
contact
the
ground
at
all.[6]
This
is
another
difference
between
the
barefoot
trim
and
the
pasture
trim,
where
the
hoof
wall
was
left
long
and
in
contact
with
the
ground.
Like
wild
horse
populations,
barefoot
domestic
horses
can
develop
calluses
on
the
soles
of
the
hooves,
allowing
them
to
travel
over
all
types
of
terrain
without
discomfort.
Important
to
the
success
of
the
barefoot
trim
is
consideration
for
the
domestic
horse's environment
and
use
and
the
effects
this
has
on
hoof
balance,
shape,
and
the
comfort
of
the
horse.
Included
in
the
objectives
are:
1)
shortening
the
hoof
wall
and
heel
to
the
outer
edge
of
the
concave
sole
for
best
hoof
conformation,
and
2)
applying
a
rounded
bevel
("mustang
roll")
to
the
bottom
edge
of
the
wall
to
allow
for
a
correct
breakover
(the
moment
when
the
foot
unloads
and
tips
forward
as
it
begins
to
lift
off
the
ground)
and
to
prevent
chipping
and
flaring
of
the
wall.[6]
There
is
some
research,
but
no
scientific
double
blind
studies,
which
indicates
removing
horseshoes
and
using
barefoot
trimming
techniques
can
reduce
or
in
some
cases
eliminate
founder
(laminitis)
in
horses
and
navicular
syndrome.[7]
|
|
The
Impact
Of
Horseshoes
|
|
|
|
Removable
iron
horseshoes
known
as
"hipposandals"
may
have
been
invented
by
the
Roman
legions.[8]
Nailed-on
shoes
were
certainly
used
in
Europe
by
the
Middle
Ages.
Horses
were
shod
with
nailed-on
horseshoes
from
the
Middle
Ages
to
the
present,
though
well
trained
farriers
also
performed
barefoot
trimming
for
horses
that
did
not
require
the
additional
protection
of
shoes.
It
has
become
standard
practice
to
shoe
most
horses
in
active
competition
or
work.
However,
there
is
a
growing
movement
to
eliminate
shoes
on
working
horses.
Advocates
of
barefooting
point
out
many
benefits
to
keeping
horses
barefoot
and
present
studies
showing
that
improper
shoeing
can
cause
or
exacerbate
certain
hoof
ailments
in
the
horse.
|
|
Damage
from
improperly
fitted
and
applied
horse
shoes
can
be
seen
in
a
gradual
distortion
of
hoof
shape,
along
with
other
ailments.
Hoof
soles
are
often
sensitive
when
going
barefoot
after
a
long
period
of
having
been
shod.
It
can
take
weeks
to
months
to
a
year
or
more,
depending
on
the
horse's
prior
condition,
before
a
horse
is
sound
and
usable
on
bare
feet.
During
this
transition
period,
the
horse
can
be
fitted
with
hoof
boots
which
protect
the
soles
of
the
feet
until
the
horse
has
time
to
heal
and
build
up
calluses,
though
hoof
boots,
especially
when
not
properly
fitted
and
used,
can
cause
hoof
damage
as
well. |
A
hoof
boot
may
help
protect
the
horse's
hooves
during
the
transition
period.
|
|
Hoof
Health
And
Overall
Care
Of
The
Horse
The
two
things
which
can
directly
affect
the
health
of
the
hoof
are
diet
and
exercise.
Observers
of
wild
horse
populations
note
that
the
equine
hoof
stays
in
notably
better
condition
when
horses
are
in
a
herd
situation
and
are
free
to
move
around
24
hours
a
day,
as
wild
horses
do,
permitting
good
circulation
inside
the
hoof.[9]
It
is
recommended
that
horses
be
allowed
to
walk
at
least
5
miles
per
day
for
optimum
hoof
health.
The
terrain
should
be
varied,
including
gravel
or
hard
surfaces
and
a
water
feature
where
the
hooves
can
be
wet
occasionally.
Diet
is
very
important
too,
as
changes
in
feed
can
directly
affect
hoof
health,
most
notably
seen
in
cases
of
laminitis.
Even
some
lots
of
hay
may
be
high
enough
in
sugar
to
cause
laminitis.
A
healthy
diet
for
horses
currently
with
or
prone
to
laminitis
is
based
on
free
access
to
hay
that
has
been
tested
for
carbohydrate
content
and
found
to
be
less
than
10%
WSC
+
starch,
some
mineral
supplementation,
with
no
grain.
Feeds
and
forage
with
high
levels
of
sugar
(carbohydrates)
correlate
with
higher
risk
of
clinical
or
subclinical
laminitis
and
with
other
hoof
ailments.[10][11]
Modern
research
by
individuals
such
as
Jaime
Jackson
and
Tia
Nelson
have
studied
feral
horses
to
observe
the
way
in
which
their
natural
foraging
and
roaming
affected
their
hooves.
They
noticed
that
the
hooves
of
these
horses
had
a
different
configuration
from
domestic
horses
kept
in
soft
pasture,
having
shorter
toes
and
thicker,
stronger
hoof
walls.[12]
|
|
The
issue
of
which
is
better
for
the
horse,
shoes
or
barefoot,
is
the
subject
of
some
controversy.
Opponents
of
the
barefoot
movement
argue
that
domesticated
horses
are
routinely
put
through
abnormal
levels
of
activity,
stress,
and
strain,
and
their
hooves
undergo
excessive
wear
and
shock.
Stable-kept
horses
are
not
exposed
to
the
same
environment
as
wild
horses,
which
can
affect
their
hoof
quality.
Additionally,
humans
sometimes
favor
certain
traits
over
hoof
quality
(such
as
speed),
and
will
breed
horses
with
poor
hoof
quality
if
they
are
exceptional
athletes.
This
can
lead
to
overall
decreased
hoof
quality
within
a
breed
and
in
riding
horses
in
general.
Advocates
of
traditional
hoof
care
suggest
that
shoeing
is
needed
to
protect
the
hoof
from
unnatural
destruction,
and
that
the
horseshoe
and
its
various
incarnations
has
been
necessary
to
maintain
the
horse's
usability
under
extreme
and
unnatural
conditions.
|
|
See
also
|
|
References |
|
1. |
^
T.Teskey
(2005),
"The
unfettered
foot:
A
paradigm
change
for
equine
podiatry",
Journal
of
Equine
Veterinary
Science
25
(2):
77–83,
doi:10.1016/j.jevs.2005.01.011,
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0737080605000274 |
|
2. |
^
Drew
Radford
(23
July
2007),
A
load
of
horses'
hooves,
ABC,
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/sa/content/2006/s1985777.htm |
|
3. |
^
Xenophon,
translated
by
H.
G.
Dakyns
(January
1998),
On
Horsemanship,
Project
Gutenberg,
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1176/1176.txt |
|
4. |
^
Reviewed,
"The
Natural
Hoof:
A
Sign
of
the
Times,"
The
Horse
(October
10
2001). |
|
5. |
^
Equine
Podiatry
|
Dr.
Stephen
O'Grady,
veterinarians,
farriers,
books,
articles |
|
6. |
^
a
b
Summary
Notes:
1998
Heumphreus
Memorial
Lecture |
|
7. |
^
Laminitis,
Navicular
Syndrome,
Coffin
Bone
Penetration
-
Natural
Hoof
Care,
Maple
Plain,
Minnesota |
|
8. |
^
British
Museum
Website:
hipposandal,
The
british
museum
-
iron
hipposandal
,
retrieved
2007-08-23 |
|
9. |
^
The
Natural
Horse:
Lessons
From
the
Wild,
Jaime
Jackson,
Northland
Publishing,
1992 |
|
10. |
^
Safergrass.org
Articles
on
grass
carbohydrates
and
laminitis |
|
11. |
^
The
Horse:
Laminitis:
New
Study
on
Sugar
and
Starch
as
a
Cause |
|
12. |
|
|
|
|
