Footloose Holistic Hoof Care

08/08/2025

When it comes to hoofcare, many of us work with not only horses, but donkeys as well. Many of us realized fairly quickly in our hoofcare journey that donkey hooves are quite different than horse hooves! This makes it more difficult to get them comfortable when they deal with pathology, because most of the "horse" hoof boots on the market don't fit well on donkey feet. Donkey hooves are typically more narrow, with a more "robust" digital cushion and heel bulbs, and many hoof boots can cause rubs, spinning, or shifting. For a long time, we had to get a bit creative to get these guys sound.

Over the last few years, more and more attention has been given to donkeys and making sure they get good, quality hoofcare. This includes exploring better options for hoof boots - and Cavallo has been working on a new hoof boot, a "Long-Eared Boot," for just this purpose!

I reached out to Carole Herder, founder of Cavallo Hoof Boots, to see if she would chat with me about her journey into hoof boots, more about donkey hooves, and the creation of the new Long-Eared Boot. You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link:https://thehumblehoof.com/2025/08/08/hoof-considerations-for-the-long-ears/

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 15% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

A special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.com

Also be sure to check out Hay Boss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

08/07/2025

08/05/2025

Donkeys and mules need care just as much as horses do.

08/04/2025

I’m seeing more hurting horses right now. Stay on top of testing and treating PPID/Cushings.

THE SEASONAL RISE

In the northern hemisphere, starting in July/August horses experience the seasonal rise of a hormone called ACTH, which signals them to prepare for winter, grow a thicker coat, etc. This is completely normal for them.

Problems can arise, however, when this hormonal rise is exaggerated. Issues with improper ACTH levels can lead to hoof sensitivity, weight loss, topline loss, excessive drinking/peeing, udder swelling in mares and sheath swelling in geldings, changes in behavior, or even laminitis (often seeming to "come out of nowhere"). Horses with exaggerated ACTH levels are considered to have PPID/Cushing's Disease.

Many owners test their horses' ACTH levels in the spring to check for PPID issues. When these levels come back normal, they assume their horse is all set for the rest of the year. There is a problem with this assumption, however. During the spring, ACTH levels are naturally at their lowest, and horses with early PPID can have levels well under control at this time, and then "suddenly" founder in the fall when levels rise.

So what can we do to help prevent possible issues during the seasonal rise?

⭐️If your horse has been diagnosed with PPID in the past, consider checking their baseline ACTH levels in late July/early August to ensure their levels are well under control during the start of the seasonal rise. It is possible your PPID horse might need an adjustment in their medication dose to ensure ACTH levels stay within normal levels during this time, which in turn can lessen the risk of laminitis. PPID horses with "normal" ACTH levels the rest of the year can become laminitic during the seasonal rise if their ACTH isn't kept in check.
⭐️If you have a horse that has NOT been diagnosed with PPID but has had any of the subtle symptoms listed above - especially if you've noticed an increase in hoof sensitivity in the fall - ask your vet about testing their ACTH levels. Liphook in the UK has a handy chart for what the "normal" levels should be, on average, for each week in the seasonal rise. Older schools of thought avoided testing during this time of year as the assumption was that "all horses would have high ACTH in the fall," but now the lab ranges are able to differentiate between what is a normal response to the seasonal rise and what is not. Don't avoid testing for fear of a false positive!
⭐️In the future, consider testing yearly to catch any issues as soon as possible. Dr. Andrew Van Eps at New Bolton, a leading laminitis researcher, suggests testing ACTH levels yearly starting at age 10, with the TRH stim test (a more sensitive test used usually in the spring to catch early cases). The earlier we are able to notice these endocrinopathic issues, the more likely we are to prevent laminitis and permanent hoof damage from catching it too late.

This time of year can be nerve-wracking for owners with PPID horses, but with proper preparation and management, it doesn't have to be! Being aware of the potential issues can help owners to better prepare and keep a watchful eye on their horses.

08/04/2025

Hooves are the canary in the mine. Trimming alone won’t fix pathologies!

07/31/2025

Edited to show the third human toe is the equilivant to the horse foot. Also the horse splint bones are thought to be the equivalent of toes 2 and 4 in the human.

What a clever way to illustrate the foot of man and lower leg of the horse.

Drawing taken from “The horse its treatment in health and disease, 1909”.

They have similarities in the bone structure however the biomechanical are quite different.

I love it when I hear folks compare horses feet to human feet and I untangle in my head, what they describe, to see if what they are saying is actually correct. Flipper feet (long toes), stones in shoes (protruding bars) etc.

My journey of biomechanics is in its infancy but it’s a truly amazing topic. I had a great 2 hour conversation with a farrier from the US today, Jeremy V. He explained such a lot to me and helped me understand more about the biomechanics.

When you consider the fetlock on the horse and the cannon bone as one of the directions of force (perpendicular) then there is the pastern line of force at at angle, it’s quite complicated. At stance it’s ok. Start the limb moving then woah……🤯🤯🤯🤯.

07/30/2025

This week has consisted of a lot of education, and I absolutely love it. Be curious, be open, be observant, be eager to and willing to have what you think you know be questioned and maybe even disproven. The more we are willing to accept how much there is to learn, the better off the horse is.

07/30/2025

I am always humbled when a horse chooses to trust us even when they are in acute pain. This sweet little guy is getting some critical and long over due care. He will be getting tested and put on the necessary medications as we get his chronic laminitis and Cushings under control.

*Cushings is not the same as IR, although many horses end up with both. It is a dysfunction of the pituitary gland and must be managed by medication. It will not resolve on its own and once diagnosed, treatment will be for the remainder of the equine’s life. Adopting a forage based, anti-inflammatory diet is highly recommended. The correct dose of the medication is the one that controls the symptoms.*

07/29/2025

07/28/2025

This! Sometimes there is too much compromise in the hoof to deny it the protection it needs! This does NOT mean metal shoes, but boots, composites, casting, etc.

When Barefoot Just Doesn’t Cut It

(From a barefoot trimmer who believes the horse gets the final word)

I work barefoot.
It’s what I’m trained in. It’s what I specialise in. And I’ve seen it change lives—horses restored to soundness, movement returned, pathology reversed, quality of life improved.

But I’ve also seen horses suffer in silence under the banner of “natural is best.”

Let me be clear:
Barefoot is a powerful, often underused option. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
And when we start treating it like a belief system instead of a tool, we lose sight of the most important voice in the conversation: the horse’s.

Here’s the part we have to get comfortable saying—even in barefoot circles:

Sometimes, barefoot just isn’t enough.

Not forever.
Not as a condemnation of the method.
But as a recognition that some feet, in some horses, in some environments, at some points in time, need more protection than a hoof wall and a well-timed trim can provide.

I’m talking about:

The long-term laminitic with a compromised capsule and inadequate sole depth

The metabolic horse whose pain threshold is so altered that even minimal concussion creates a setback

The structurally collapsed hoof trying to bear weight on bone that no longer has a supportive foundation

The transitioning horse whose environment doesn’t allow for protection, movement, or control of stimulus

The chronically sore horse expected to just “work through it” because it’s “part of the healing process”

This isn’t failed barefoot.
This is a horse clearly communicating that it’s not coping—and continuing anyway isn’t noble. It’s painful.

“But what about hoof boots?”

A fair and important question.
Hoof boots have changed the game. They allow many horses to transition successfully, protect their feet on abrasive terrain, and move freely in comfort during healing phases. I recommend and use them often.

But they are not a silver bullet.
And when we promote them as a universal answer, we overlook reality.

Because some horses:

Can’t tolerate boots due to hoof shape, rubs, or behavioural stress

Lose boots repeatedly in mud, herd turnout, or deep going

Require 24/7 protection that a boot simply can’t provide (nor is it safe to expect it to)

Improve only when they receive consistent, structural support that boots don’t offer

And some owners:

Can’t afford multiple boot sets, pads, gaiters, and regular replacements

Don’t have the time, mobility, or support to remove, clean, reapply, and monitor boots daily

Are doing their best already, and being told “just boot it” oversimplifies what’s really needed

Hoof boots are a phenomenal tool. But they’re not a moral obligation.
And they’re not always enough.

So what happens when barefoot—with boots, with pads, with good trim, with good diet—still isn’t working?

Sometimes, the answer is a composite.
Sometimes, it’s a shoe.
Sometimes, it’s collaboration with a vet or farrier to protect the horse while we sort out the underlying causes.

This isn’t a betrayal of barefoot.
It’s hoof care that responds to what’s actually happening, not what we wish was happening.

As a barefoot trimmer, my job isn’t to make every horse conform to a method.
My job is to protect function, restore integrity, relieve pain, and serve the individual horse.

That sometimes means waiting.
Sometimes adapting.
And yes—sometimes stepping back and saying,
“This horse needs something I don’t provide.”

That’s not failure.
That’s professional ethics.

So if your barefoot horse is:

Still sore between trims

Moving tentatively or toe-first for months

Needing boots full-time without improvement

Unable to cope barefoot in turnout

Gradually losing quality of life instead of gaining it…

…it might be time to reassess.
Not because barefoot failed.
But because your horse’s reality matters more than your philosophy.

I’ve seen barefoot transform horses—and I will keep advocating for it where it fits.
But I’ve also seen barefoot misused as a badge of purity, where pain was reframed as “transition,” and suffering excused in the name of “natural.”

The real benchmark of good hoof care?
Not the method. Not the theory. Not the label.

Comfort. Function. Soundness. Stability.

Because your horse doesn’t care whether it’s barefoot, booted, or shod.
They care whether it hurts.

And that should always be the deciding factor.

07/26/2025