Not Only Barefoot Llc.

05/29/2024

Philip Himanka's Beginning Clinic this weekend was filled with 💡moments and laughs. Thank you to all of the talented owners and hoof care providers who attended!

01/28/2024

Hi,
This one is for Advanced and Glue-ons. (Check the requirements)
My clinics are posted on the PHCP website.
Sign up soon, previous years have filled fast. Only 12 students.

This three day clinic combines advanced anatomy and glue-on hoof protection for advanced students and professionals. Philip Himanka combines his extensive education and years of experience to bring…

01/28/2024

Hi,
My clinics are posted on the PHCP website.
Sign up soon, previous years have filled fast. Only 12 students.
I’ll post another link for the advanced and gluing one.

This three day clinic fulfills the PHCP beginning clinic requirement. Learn distal limb anatomy through exploration, trimming and dissection of cadaver hooves, along with shoe removal, hoof protect…

01/12/2024

Read more about appropriate diet for EMS/IR and/or PPID equines here: https://www.ecirhorse.org/DDT+E-diet.php

05/02/2023

Overwhelmingly, the majority (>90%) of respondents knew that iodized table salt contains more iodine than Himalayan salt. While there are trace amounts of iodine in white sea salt and Himalayan salt, there is not enough to meet the nutritional needs of a horse. If you choose to use alternative salts or blocks without added iodine, you should investigate other ways to provide adequate iodine.

Over half of the respondents did not answer the question (which has more iodine?) but listed what products they use. The majority mentioned were salt blocks, followed by sea salt, Redmond brand, a variety (let the horse pick), or a reliance on a ration balancer. Most of these answers centered on the type of salt provided, not whether iodine needs were met. However, at least 4 respondents said that they added kelp or seaweed for iodine.

Salt was first iodized in 1924 and was the first case of micronutrient intervention in the U.S., setting the stage for other vitamin and mineral fortification of foods. It was the high incidence of goiter and profound birth defects in iodine-poor regions that triggered efforts to eliminate iodine deficiency. Feeding 1 to 3 oz of iodized salt/day to an average 1,000 lb horse insures that the minimum RDA for iodine is met. Non-iodized salt, whether white, pink, in a block, loose, or on a rope, does not contain the same level of iodine.

As expected, there was lively discussion about the qualities of a particular salt with terms like “natural, organic” (assumed to be good) and “processed, bleached” (assumed to be bad -- the latter a false assertion.) Let’s take a look at how salt got to be so controversial.

In a word – marketing.

If you are selling something, it helps to point to something similar and declare it “bad.” How many commercials have you seen like the one with the guy hopelessly tangled in a garden hose? This horrible problem is instantly remedied by the flexible hose that they’re selling. But wait! There’s more!

With the advent of designer salts came the need to point to a bad salt, so after 75 years of plain old iodized table salt that prevented goiters and terrible birth defects, it suddenly became the “bad” salt. Why? Because it is “processed.” Or is it “purified?” Either way, the designer salt market blossomed and made its way to the equine world.

Truth be told, all salts are salt and you would be hard pressed to find any salt, designer or otherwise, that isn’t roughly 98% salt. Those in the business of selling designer salts claim that the minerals are beneficial and that those beneficial minerals in table salt have been removed. The latter is true – call it processed or purified, the minerals, metals and other elements have been removed from table salt. However, if you are relying on salt as a mineral supplement, forget it. There are more minerals in the hay your horse eats and that's where the focus should be.

There are minuscule amounts of minerals, metals, and other elements present in designer salts, but not in amounts that have been proven to provide a health benefit. The presence of some of the other metals and elements will give you pause (lead, arsenic, cadmium, tin) but these are also present in negligible amounts, hopefully. Salt for horses may not be as tightly regulated as that for human consumption.

The only exception to this is iron. Some brands of equine designer salt can provide from 10% to 25% of the minimum RDA for iron. Owners with horses who have iron overload need to know this.

The worst thing that has come out of this craze is the villainizing of iodized table salt. A concern of human nutritionists is the resurgence of iodine deficiency due to use of designer salts without adequate iodine. We realize that everyone has a belief or personal preference, but The ECIR group’s mission is to translate the evidenced-based science to specific recommendations. Our position has not changed and we continue to recommend the use of iodized loose salt as the most cost-effective way to meet sodium, chloride, and iodine needs of horses. There is inadequate evidence to suggest that designer salts provide any additional health benefit over iodized table salt. As a final word on the topic, please refer to Dr. Kellon’s Horse Sense article: https://drkhorsesense.wordpress.com/2017/…/16/designer-salt/

02/04/2023

Endocrinopathic Laminitis (which accounts for 80-90% of laminitis cases) is not inflammatory, which is why long-term use of NSAIDs (like bute) is not the best course of treatment. To learn how to best treat the most common type of laminitis, read the proceedings from Dr. Kellon's presentations ACUTE CARE FOR ENDOCRINOPATHIC LAMINITIS from the 2017 NO Laminitis! Conference. For further details on inflammation in EMS, read the proceedings from Dr. Kellon's presentation INFLAMATION IN EQUINE METABOLIC SYNDROME (also from the 2017 NO Laminitis! Conference). The above proceedings are also available in German. Downloads are free: https://bit.ly/2TOKozU

10/26/2022

Exercise vastly improves insulin sensitivity, but the acutely laminitic horse cannot tolerate exercise. However, with recovery, exercise is to be encouraged as long as the horse tolerates it. As the horse's condition improves, the level of exercise should increase. The importance of exercise in the EMS-prone equine cannot be understated. EMS/IR can be avoided completely with adequate exercise and diet management. Additional important details here: http://bit.ly/34xa60X

10/08/2022

Diabetes is defined as persistently elevated blood glucose. It is more likely to occur in horses with both EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome) and PPID (Equine Cushing's Disease). Learn more in the new proceedings from Dr. Kellon's presentations at the 2021 NO Laminitis! Conference. Downloads are free: https://www.e-junkie.com/i/11jjb

08/19/2017

Hope you enjoy my blog.

Hoof Care Practitioners share their experiences from the field.

08/19/2017

Check out this tool.

The ecirhorse.org website is complimentary to the Equine Cushing's and Insulin Resistance outreach group..

08/14/2016

08/19/2015

Just came back from an amazing exclusive clinic from Pete Ramey at Claire Cooper's ranch up in the mountains. It was just out of this world for me! Got to personally pick his brain! I am so ecstatic not only from what I learned but from the reinforced evidence. Talked a lot about nutrition, boots and glue on shoes! Brilliant day my friends.

07/16/2015

07/16/2015

WHAT IS LAMINITIS? Laminitis is inflammation of the coriums. In a healthy hoof the hoof wall is tightly attached to the bone inside. The bone and hoof wall both have structures call laminae attached to them and ...

05/05/2015

Great article in The American Farriers Journal : “Although some studies support biotin supplementation, research on other ingredients commonly included in hoof supplements is needed,” warns Bryan Waldridge, head veterinarian for Kentucky Equine Research. “It is important that owners realize that dietary supplements are not a quick fix, and imbalances in the mineral content of a horse’s diet can wreck havoc on hooves.”

A recent survey* of horse owners revealed that despite having a good overall knowledge of equine nutrition, there are some gaps when it comes to assessing body condition score (BCS). For example, 46% of the survey respondents said they routinely used BCS to monitor their horses’ weight, but used a w…

04/12/2015

Great talk about EasyShoes by Christoph Shork at Antelope Island Endurance Ride!

04/07/2015

For Sale. Gray Arabian Gelding. Great bloodlines. Sweepstakes nominated by anterior owner. Sweet William is a wonderful gelding who is in the best years of his life! He has a wonderful pedigree and has been in good care. Billy is barefoot, sound and I have taken lessons/shown him in Dressage training level for more than a year. He has been on the trail many times, and actually participated in a couple of endurance competitions. He would make an excellent choice for competitive trail or all around show horse. He is sweet and very sensitive. He has great disposition and lots of impulsion. Billy is great for a medium to an advance ridder. $2,000.00 usd. Please send me a PM with your e-mail if you want me to send you an actual video.

03/03/2015

This Blog is worth reading, specially the guidelines and the scientific research behind them.

http://blog.easycareinc.com/blog/hoof-love-not-war/is-your-horse-really-a-goat However, at the heart of those guidelines and the work I do with each horse's foot, is the consideration of circulation. The circulation of the horse's foot is critical to nourishing the tissues as well as being an integr…

01/27/2015

Has anyone tried the Dormosedan Gel? Any thoughts or recommendations.

Copyright © Zoetis 2013-. All rights reserved. The product information provided in this site is intended only for residents of the United States. The products discussed herein may have different product labeling in different countries.

01/24/2015

The EasyShoe it's so amazingly versatile!

Mick who is affectionately known as "Little Kick" for reasons soon to be described is a 12 year-old Thoroughbred Westphalian cross. He is the smallest horse in a herd of large warmbloods and tends to use his hind legs to prove he's one of the big boys. His owner is a dressage rider who was preparing…

01/21/2015

Horses with equine metabolic syndrome have a higher than normal risk of developing laminitis, a painful and crippling inflammation of tissues within the hoof. One of the factors that can trigger laminitis is an overly high level of insulin in the horse’s blood, a condition that is hard to normalize…

12/08/2014

I want to show a sequence of pictures of a heel injury and the healing proses. I did two trims to achieve medial lateral balance in between this set of pictures. Let me know your thoughts.

12/08/2014

Horses can recover from amazing injuries. Thank you Natalie Herman for sharing this.

Here is a case that many of you may be familiar with. A 9-year-old Quarter Horse stallion used for barrel racing and breeding that presented for complete avulsion (traumatic removal) of the right fore hoof resulting in complete exposure of the coffin bone. Options were limited: euthanasia or surgery and regenerative medicine with a non-guaranteed/uncertain outcome. Bone marrow was obtained allowing cultured stem cells to be grown in a laboratory setting. A transfixation cast (putting pins across the bottom portion of the cannon bone to eliminate a weightbearing surface on the exposed coffin bone) was applied to the horse while standing in a sling. The transfixation cast was removed 6 weeks later at which time stems cells were injected into the coronary band. The horse was managed in a cast for an additional 3 months before being transitioned to a bandage. A hoof wall, frog, and sole rapidly regenerated; a shoe was finally placed onto the new foot 7 months after the injury. There were many ups and downs, learning experiences, and hours dedicated to this case, but the horse is currently being used as a breeding stallion. Weems and Stephens Equine Hospital would like to thank the veterinarians, interns, owners, and the general public for their hard work and dedication to this exceptional horse. A special thank you to “Chuck” for hanging in there and being a first-rate patient.

12/07/2014

Had a great time yesterday at Lyndsey Fitch, clinic. Thanks!

12/04/2014

What do you think about this new material regarding hoofs that are in moisture all the time?

Car finish, to which no dirt particles adhere, house fronts, from which graffiti paints roll off, and shoes that remain clean on muddy paths – the material “fluoropore” might make all this possible. Both water and oil droplets roll off this new class of highly fluorinated super-repellent polymers.

10/01/2014

Horses competing in hoof boots have performed very well at the most difficult 100 mile event in the world. In 2014, ten of the horses in the top 15 places were wearing Easyboots. The 1st place horse in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 was wearing Easyboots. The Best Conditioned horse (Haggin Cup) in 201…

10/01/2014

Pictures are intense, but worths the reading.

In Part 1 of this blog, I discussed how hoof resection can be difficult to clearly define amongst hoof professionals because there are many opinions about what they involve.

09/10/2014

Great read! This is what you want for the long term.

Why Barefoot Doesn't Work for Horses: You need to consider the horse's entire lifestyle to ensure barefoot success.

08/10/2014

I want to congratulate all the Tevis riders for their amazing accomplishment. It is a lifetime experience! The volunteers and organizers are impressive! Way to go Tevis!

11/28/2012

The USEF Discipline Committee, the United States Equestrian Federation Executive Committee and the FEI have all approved our Desert Storm ride! :-)