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A client of mine recently pointed me to the website of another “natural” hoof care practitioner. Always hoping to learn something new about the equine foot, I visited the site and did some reading about her trim philosophy. Wow! What a disappointment. Although what she describes definitely has some elements of proper trimming, her philosophy is marred by an incorrect understanding of the forces at work on the hoof. She builds a series of arguments in defense of her philosophy upon a flawed premise, throwing in bits and pieces of “scientific facts” that are anything but scientific in an attempt to rationalize a trim that’s anything but natural. Most amazingly, she offers up as “proof” a series of photographs of a hoof that, to me, clearly show an increase in hoof distortion because of her trimming! And so, at the end of the day, like countless others who’ve jumped on the “natural” bandwagon, she’s advocating a trim distinctly at odds with true natural hoof care and potentially harmful to her clients’ horses.

Unfortunately, I have neither the time nor the space here to address all of my concerns with her approach to trimming, but another client’s delay in getting her horses’ hooves trimmed ended up giving me a convenient way to describe what I see as the major flaw in this trimmer’s philosophy. This fault, which is shared by many others, centers on the notion that “natural” hoof care involves not trimming some particular part or parts of the hoof. For some, it’s the sole; for others, the bars or frog. In this person’s case, it’s the heels. She states: “While the advice of many is to trim the heels, my advice is to leave them alone.”

The role of the natural hoof trimmer is to provide the trim nature provides; specifically, to trim the hoof as nature would trim it given the right circumstances. We have very clear examples of the end results of nature’s trimming, and can see the effects of the abrasive forces at work on a consistent, whole-hoof basis. Yet, somehow, these folks manage to separate out various parts of the hoof to trim or not trim, based on criteria that are frankly beyond me. I’ve heard some very well-known trimmers make remarks like, “If I trim a hoof and part of it grows back quickly, then I figure the horse must need that part to be long, so I don’t trim it again.” Huh?

In this particular trimmer’s case, some of her comments lead me to believe her “no-heel-trim” philosophy is based on the fact that different environments produce different hoof forms. Take a look at the illustration below –

Given sufficient movement over suitably-abrasive terrain, every horse’s hoof will look like the bottom illustration, just as documented prior to Mr. Ovnicek’s efforts by Jaime Jackson. As the terrain gets softer, less and less abrasive forces are at work on the heels, and so they grow basically unchecked. But, as noted in the illustration, the hoof maintains the same functional angle because the heels penetrate the softer terrain. So one might conclude, as I suspect this trimmer did, that since many of our horses are kept on softer terrain, the heels should be left alone.

Examine the two photos at the start of this post. In the second photo, the red horizontal lines on the left half of the photo mark the ends of the toe and heel buttresses (“heels”). The red lines on the right are equidistant from the left-hand lines, and mark the trimmed position of the heels and an equivalent distance back from the untrimmed toe position. This helps illustrate the important concept that trimming isn’t just about shortening the hoof in the vertical direction; as you can see, the trimmed “footprint” of this hoof has actually moved towards the back of the horse approximately 10% of the length of the foot, correctly placing the weight of the horse forward over his heels. So excessive length of the entire hoof, even if it’s balanced front-to-back (A-P) and left-to-right (M-L), is ultimately harmful. For a better look, check out the accompanying illustration – a revision of the one that appeared in Hoof Angles – Part 3 from Dr. Deb Bennett’s Principles of Equine Orthopedics. Incidentally, note that the contact point of the toe, indicated by the green line, has actually moved even farther back, somewhat shortening the “footprint.” Most, if not all, of that decrease is due to the “mustang roll” around the outer hoof wall. You can also, by the way, get a pretty good idea from the photo about what would happen to the “footprint” if we trimmed the toe and didn’t trim the heels!

That’s enough about why we trim the hoof, but I need to say more about why we trim the entire hoof. There’s a reason why there aren’t, and shouldn’t be, region-specific “natural trims.” And the reason is quite simple –

Trimming the hoof as if the horse lived in the extremely abrasive environment of the U.S. Great Basin, traveling many miles per day, will always offer every horse the best chance at long-term comfort and soundness because the worst-case riding environments we subject our horses to most closely mimic those conditions.

To say it another way: when we ride our horses on pavement, hard ground, or even well-packed sand, the heels cannot adequately penetrate the surface. So if the hoof isn’t properly balanced for a flat landing on an unyielding surface at the walk, the foot will be subjected to the damaging forces of jerk and concussion, as described in Hoof Angles – Part 4. So the practical form of Mr. Ovnicek’s illustration should look like this –

We cannot – we must not – pick and choose what parts of the hoof to trim or not trim, because the U.S. Great Basin feral horse model, combined with a bit of common sense, shows that to be wholly improper. And deliberately unbalancing the hoof, as advocated by the aforementioned trimmer, can have very dire consequences for a horse unless the horse is always used in exactly the same environment the trimmer has catered to in his or her trim (highly unlikely, I might add!). The safest and healthiest trim for your horse will always entail removing all excess growth, and not a bit more, as demonstrated by the U.S. Great Basin feral horse model.

In closing, I want to share an excerpt from a video I’m working on. The first clip is of one of my clients’ horses, chosen only because of the wide concrete barn aisle. As you’ll see, the horse lands flat at the walk. The second clip, which I did not record, is of a horse whose trimmer had been mimicking the trim style he saw in a well-known book on natural hoof trimming – or so, at least, he and the owner believed. Note how the hooves, most notably the front ones, literally slam into the ground heel-first. Ouch!

More soon…

In the last installment, I introduced you to one of my clients with very mismatched front hooves, with a promise that I’d explain the “why” of her radically-different hoof angles in the next article. Well, it’s time to do exactly that!

One of my best early lessons on cause and effect with respect to hoof form came from Carol Brett, co-founder and co-owner of BALANCE saddles in the UK. In her saddle-fitting clinics, Carol pointed out that any restriction in a horse’s shoulders will cause a hoof to become more upright i.e. “clubby.”

That really struck home with me, because before that time, I (like most of the horse world) had fallen into the trap of believing that hoof form dictated movement, rather than the other way ’round. But what she said was logical; if the hoof spends more time “under the horse,” rather than experiencing its full range of motion, it makes sense that it’ll compensate by changing form into something better suited to supporting a smaller range of motion. The foal shown above, born just a few hours before this photo was taken, has a very upright hoof because she’s not yet moved enough to have the hoof start showing changes in form that optimize her movement. Form always follows function!

I’ve now seen examples of Carol’s statements countless times. That’s not to say it’s the only reason a hoof may be more upright, but it’s definitely one very common reason. The same idea applies to M/L (side-to-side) balance as well; the more a horse carries his or her hoof towards the mid-line of the body, the more upright the lateral (“outer”) wall will be and the more angled the medial (“inner”) wall will be.

In the case of my client’s horse, there are several forces at work that cause one hoof to be more upright. For one, she paws with that hoof, and pawing seems to promote an upright hoof capsule. She also grazes in the same position every day: the upright hoof behind and the other hoof in front. Again, that stance makes for mismatched feet. And, she has some stifle issues on one side, which probably cause some degree of asymmetry to her gait, and, therefore, to her hooves. Could there be other factors at work as well – maybe a congenital tendon and/or ligament condition causing a more upright hoof? It’s certainly possible, but since I haven’t known the horse since birth, I can’t really say.

Regardless of the causes, this horse’s feet are sound. And any attempt to “fix” what amounts to a cosmetic – not a functional – problem by trimming into live tissue  is only going to make her lame until she regrows exactly the same hoof again!

It’s not always the case, however, that a pair of hooves like this is supposed to be mismatched. That has to be sorted out over the course of several trims. I’ll give you an example of what I mean…

A few years ago, I started helping the trainer at an American Saddlebred farm transition all of their horses to barefoot. One horse in particular stood out because he had horribly mismatched hooves – probably worse than the horse we’ve been discussing. The trainer explained to me that it’s common for Saddlebreds to have radically different feet, and that he used a wedge pad to make the hooves match and the shoulders the same height. My only response was “uh huh,” which is short for “Steve doesn’t yet have enough data to either agree or disagree”! And so I proceeded to trim each hoof as an individual, just as I always do.

A few months and trims later, along with a lot of instruction, the trainer took over all of the trimming, which was the original goal. I visited him about 6 months after that, and he pulled out the same mismatched horse. Except now, the horse’s feet were obviously a matched set. “You know,” the trainer said, “there really wasn’t anything wrong with his feet after all! They’d just been mis-trimmed before you started doing him, and you got him straightened out!”

I just smiled.

Sorry for a bit more of a delay in getting this posted than I’d intended, but between managing clients, the end of the school Quarter, and attending the Berkshire International Film Festival with Annie last weekend, time has been tight. But hopefully you’ll find it was worth the wait!

I’ve discussed some of the effects of deliberately manipulating hoof angles before – particularly in Hoof Angles – Part 4, where I described some of the consequences of imbalance on bones and joints. And while I firmly believe proper balance and length are absolutely crucial to the long-term comfort and soundness of a horse, that doesn’t mean appearances can’t be deceiving. Take a look at the following photograph of a client’s horse –

At first glance, you might conclude this horse is out of balance. After all, a 10° difference in a pair of hooves is pretty significant! But in reality she’s not. Remember: hoof form is the consequence, and not the cause, of movement. So when we see this situation in a horse that’s properly trimmed, we have to look at what, in her stance or movement, might be causing this particular asymmetry between her hooves. Now, a logical question at this point would be to ask how I know this horse is properly trimmed. And the answer, at the clinical level, is because her hooves grow straight, without any flaring, thickening, or other distortions, and because she lands flat at the walk. That confirms proper balance; it’s not subjective, and it can’t be faked.

As further evidence of proper balance, let’s take a look at a radiograph of the upright hoof, which the veterinarian labeled a “club foot” –

It’s generally acknowledged that the plane defined by the bottom of the coffin bone should form a 3° – 5° angle with respect to the ground surface. As you can see on my protractor overlay, this angle appears to be just a bit higher than that – about 6°, or 1° higher than what’s considered correct. Not 10°. Not even close!

To be fair (to both the veterinarian and myself), we need to acknowledge several things about this radiograph and the conditions under which it was made. First and foremost, this hoof needs trimmed, and doing so will almost certainly drop the angle another degree or two. Second, note the very slight divergence in the toe angle; while the upper part of the wall is growing out nice and parallel to the dorsal surface of the coffin bone, the lower part still has some growing to do. Third, you can see where the tip of the coffin bone has deformed, taking on what’s usually called a “ski tip” appearance. More on that later. And fourth, I had to tip the image slightly because the horse wasn’t bearing weight on the foot when the radiograph was taken; the heels were off the ground. The implication of that is an almost certain decrease in the hoof angle, because the digital cushion (a shock-absorbing mass of fibro-fatty tissue – see below) at the back of the hoof compresses slightly as the hoof is loaded.

All of this adds up to a hoof angle that’s darned near perfect, regardless of how different it is from its mate!

So why is it steeper than the other hoof? Well, that’ll have to wait ’til next time. But let me just say that the veterinarian’s recommendation for this horse was to lower the heels on this foot – into living tissue, I might add – to make them match and “fix” the problem. No way was that going to happen!

More soon…

There doesn’t seem to be an end to what I can find to say about hoof angles! Several of my previous posts have mentioned the consequences of hoof imbalance, and it’s now time to start being more specific about the problems that can, and do, arise from an improper landing due to an out-of-balance hoof. This installment will touch on consequences involving bones and soft tissues.

The severity of any particular problem is directly related to a number of factors, including: the horse’s conformation, the type and degree of hoof imbalance, the length of time the hoof remains out of balance, the work the horse does while unbalanced, and the type of terrain the horse moves over while unbalanced.

First of all, most horses do not suffer immediate and catastrophic ill effects from hoof imbalance. If that were the case, there would be far more lame horses than sound ones, since, in my experience, more than 9 out of 10 horses have some degree of imbalance. Instead, the effects of imbalance are often not seen until later in life, similar to human health problems associated with things like smoking, poor diet, and exposure to loud sounds. But since my objective in hoof care is the long-term comfort and soundness of your horse, I believe it’s important to understand and address these issues before they become problems at the clinical level.

The immediate problems that do occur from extreme hoof imbalances are lamenesses due to strain on tendons and ligaments. These sorts of issues more often appear to be connected to large and sudden changes in hoof length and/or angle that can occur when the horse is trimmed, rather than to absolute balance. When a large amount of hoof wall is removed, the abrupt change in tendon and ligament tensions can leave a horse uncomfortable for a few days following trimming.

The more serious problems stemming from long-term imbalance are those related to jerk and concussion. Once again, Dr. Deb Bennett in Principles of Equine Orthopedics –

The dirty little secret of all connective-tissue cells is that they really “want” to become bony. This is because, like bone, their ultimate structure is strands of the protein collagen, which has a great affinity for calci-apatite, the mineral substance which makes bones hard. When they detect strain, connective-tissue cells respond by coating collagen strands with calci-apatite….To “talk” connective-tissue cells into depositing calci-apatite requires only a little stimulation. This normally comes from gene signals, but stimulation by electric impulses, chemical irritants, or allergens can also start it. More importantly for real horseshoeing situations, so can vibration. Vibration comes to horses in two forms: as jerk, which occurs when ligaments or tendons are sharply pulled on; and as concussion, which occurs when something pounds on them (or when they pound on something).

In other words, if a hoof is out of balance in the front-to-back direction (A/P balance), the weight of the horse will immediately force the foot flat to the ground at the onset of the stance phase, and the ligaments and tendons will undergo a sudden change in acceleration. This rapid change is called ‘third-order acceleration’ or ‘jerk,’ and, as Dr. Bennett states above, it stimulates the conversion of the connective tissue – ligaments and tendons – to bone. Check out A Ringbone Study above for a good look at what happens (this example shows what is usually called high ringbone, and is also a case of articular ringbone since it involves the joint), and think about the consequences of those pronounced heel-first landings so many farriers claim are ‘normal!’

On the other hand, if the hoof is out of balance in the side-to-side direction (M/L balance), it undergoes unilateral concussion when it lands, hastening the conversion to bone of the lateral cartilage i.e. sidebone. And remember: as I pointed out in What Makes it “Natural Hoof Care?”, unilateral concussion is practically synonymous with ‘corrective farriery.’ Deliberate imbalance can never fix a conformation “problem” at the ground level, because it originates much higher in the limb – in the shoulder or hip. It can only cause long-term (and sometimes short-term) damage.

Why am I mentioning imbalance in a post about hoof angles? Because, as the last post mentioned, the horse does not adjust the flight arc of his hooves based on what’s been done to the bottom of them. So if his heels are too long (high), they’re going to hit the ground first. Likewise with toes that are too long.

For now, I’m going to leave you with the following four points:

1. Hoof angle is not arbitrary; the only proper hoof angle is the one that properly aligns the bones/joints of the lower limb.
2. To minimize the forces of landing – jerk and concussion – the hoof must be properly balanced.
3.  You cannot see a bad landing, unless it’s really bad, without the proper equipment.
4. Given sufficient movement over suitably-abrasive terrain, the barefoot horse will quickly remove any minor hoof imbalances; however, a shod horse has 0% chance of fixing his own feet.

More later…

The clinics of the last two Saturdays are now behind me, and I’m very pleased with how things went. There were literal gasps “from the crowd” as I showed them slow-motion video of unbalanced landings and the consequent vibration in the hoof and lower limb.

They were long days, though; we spent from 9AM ’til 8PM yesterday, for example, talking and trimming. But I find the whole process very rewarding. With so much misinformation in the horse world, including about the hoof, I find the opportunity to help “set things right” through photographs, video, and just plain “common sense thinking” invaluable to both myself and (I hope!) the students. It’s always great seeing those light bulbs turn on!

But my real concern, of course, is with and for the horses. They, after all, have the most to win or lose in this.

I hope to be offering more clinics, and more advanced clinics, in the near future. Thanks again to everyone who participated in making these last two weekends a success!