Footloose Holistic Hoof Care

11/29/2023

11/27/2023

Progression of a trim, just because.

11/27/2023

In short, yes! Minerals need to be correctly supplemented in the diet of a domesticated horse.

Vermont Blend by Custom Equine Nutrition, LLC
California Trace PLUS
Mad Barn
K.I.S Trace

No mineral blocks or tubs please!

Supplements - are they necessary?

It's not uncommon to hear comments that horses don't really need supplements, or that someone has taken their horses off all extra supplements and that they are "doing great", so obviously didn't need them.

But is this true?

There are a million and one "it depends" variables for this one, but in general, most horse's diet will need some form of supplementation.

This is because the domestic horse generally has a base diet of a limited variety of forages, whether it's grass or hay. Most horses received 1 or 2 different types of hay only, and even if your horse lives on a large farm, they do not have access to freely roam the countryside picking up the variety of grasses, forbs, trees and shrubs they would "in the wild".

Add to that the fact that Australia is an old country with limited or imbalanced naturally occuring minerals in the soil, and not all farming practices support full uptake of those minerals into the plants themselves.

If your horse has a predominantly forage based diet (which I encourage!) it's diet WILL BE deficient in a number of trace minerals (copper, zinc, selenium, iodine) at least, and potentially macro minerals too (sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium). This is compounded with tropical oxalate species which bind up the available calcium.

So... at MINIMUM your horse needs additional trace minerals, and sodium added to its diet to meet it's basic requirements.

But, I hear you say - my horse and my friend's horse and my grandad's horses were all just fine without all this?

Well... genetically strong horses will get by (sometimes apparently very well) on poor diets, especially in the short term. It might take years for your horse to show obvious signs of deficiency or poor health, which might take any of the following forms

- chronic hoof quality problems (seedy toe, white line disease, poor horn quality, thin soles)
- chronic skin and hoof infections (greasy heel, rain scald etc)
- susceptibility to infections and worm burdens
- poor fertility
- abnormal development in young horses
- lack of muscle development despite work
- chronic dehydration (which can show up as recurring mild colic)
- poor feed efficiency
- excessively anxiety/spookiness
- poor quality hair coat
- big head (in the case of oxalates)

You might get lucky and never have these problems... but chances are at some point down the track you'll notice some, and you may be reducing your horse's optimal health, wellbeing and performance in the mean time.

This doesn't mean that you necessarily need to have a whole feed store in your shed full of differently brightly coloured buckets, but it's important to realise that grass and hay by themselves (or even with concentrates added in most cases) are not going to be enough to meet your horse's needs.

11/26/2023

Now it's a rehab case. lol

😂

11/26/2023

This weeks documentary expose at Helgstrand dressage has shocked the equestrian world, Except, it hasn’t really. Everyone knows this way of producing horses goes on everywhere in the horse industry. In dressage, in racing, in reining, in eventing.

It’s hidden in plain sight. And actually, half the time it’s not even hidden, it’s normalised. I often pass people hacking their horses in draw reins, martingales and gag bits, you can get them at the local tack shop. I don’t know why we’re surprised people use them, it’s all just there to buy.

This can all feel a bit depressing and leave you wondering what to do. Here are some ideas - you may have more of your own.

1. If you’re a coach or riding instructor set out your stand about your principles and celebrate them with your students. Help people understand what the vertical looks like and why it’s important for their horses. Be proud of saying, ‘Let’s take all this kit off this horse and learn a better language’, Be part of a vanguard of change and prioritise ethics over rosettes (although both are possible). The more people in our industry really do it (rather than just pay lip service to it) the less it will be considered the ‘alternative approach’.

2. Companies can change the images they use to sell us stuff. They could use horse models without nosebands, with their faces in front of the vertical, showing signs of what a happy athlete actually looks like. Many incredible vets, scientists and ethologists have long lists of indicators to help identify these attributes, these are freely available on your local social media page - you don’t have to look far.

3. Magazines, do the same as above. Put these horses on your front cover. People can be what they can see, Show riders without loads of equipment on their horses, demonstrating healthy posture, riding in a way that allows horses to see, breathe, move. Include articles about how horses need to move to stay sound and happy based on classical principles of biomechanics grafted to our modern understanding of their minds and body.

4. If you own a livery yard, along with the sign that says no smoking or heavy petting, include a list of welfare practices for how horses on your yard will live and be treated. Friends, freedom, forage. No need to lead in chifneys we can help you learn how to lead your horse well without one. No shouting at horses on your yard, please.

5. If you hire out a venue you can do similar to the above. As part of your contract outline how horses need to treated on your property. Encourage and celebrate teachers who have respect for the horse at the heart of what they do. Explain that as a visiting rider if you need draw reins there are coaches here who can help you find a better way, Be clear about what you welcome and don’t welcome at your venue.

6. If you run a riding club or pony club then focus on education~ there are plenty of amazing people who will come to talk to members about horse welfare, behaviour and how horses learn. People who can explain that when horses buck or rear or nap or spook they’re doing it for what they consider to be very good reasons, and require our support and compassion rather than punishment. They can help your members recognise pain and discomfort and be on the side of their horse. People want to do better when they know better, I believe.

7. We can all collectively not buy horses who’ve been started under saddle before they’re 4. We can push dealers to find horses who’ve been left to grow up and haven’t been sat on or loose jumped while their young bones are still maturing. We actually drive the market, if we say no to horses started too young and pushed too fast, things will change. We may need to pay more to ‘wait’, but we pay less in the long run.,

8. Those of us who ride can be braver about poking our heads above the parapet and demonstrating, ‘There is also this way of doing things’. Even though it may, in the first instance, open us up to criticism as it doesn’t ’look’ like what has become the norm. We can support and encourage our colleagues and peers who are trying to do things ethically with horses; even if it’s not exactly what we’re doing.

This is only a very small starter for ten. The call is also of course for judges to judge differently, but that is really the tip of the iceberg. If we, as a collective equine industry, don’t start to insist on change wherever we are then we may find the public taste for letting anyone ride a horse is significantly reduced.

Change is possible, you may have other ideas for where practical action can take place right where you are now. Please do share your own ideas. it’s amazing what individuals can do.

11/24/2023

A lot of times we hear about horses losing shoes or "trying barefoot" and the horse is just crippled. No one wants to see their horse uncomfortable! Fortunately, there are ways we can set horses up for success when transitioning to barefoot, and get the foot as healthy as possible beforehand, as well as support them and keep them comfortable after pulling shoes. It doesn't have to be just "cold turkey" barefoot.

So what can that look like?
Jen Rakas, Anna Drabble, Sara Hunt and I chat about ways to improve chances of success when an owner decides to take their horse barefoot. Ultimately, we talk about the horses comfort being paramount to all of us - and ways we can help make that happen.

You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2023/11/24/tips-for-a-successful-barefoot-transition/

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Equithrive offers supplements for everything from metabolic health to joint support – get 20% off your first order at equithrive.com with code HUMBLEHOOF

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 20% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

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

11/22/2023

Quite often I hear horses who are not freely forward described as “lazy.” There are a few problems with this :

1- lazy is an anthropomorphic description. Horses don’t care about our ideas of work ethic, or even know what those are. Their priorities are eat, be secure in a herd, look out for danger, and eat. Their priorities are not inside leg to outside rein, they don’t care about doing straight flying changes, and they certainly don’t care that you have a show coming up. The only way they can become invested in your work is if it makes them feel good, as in brings them mental and physical well-being. Otherwise, you can threaten with your leg all you want and inspire fear response, but they aren’t lazy - they just don’t share your priorities.

2- most sluggish horses are extremely tight. Moving forward with a rider on their back is actually double or triple the amount of work that it should or could be. They are moving with a tight back, tight shoulders and weak abs and haunches. Likely the rider is tight as well, and quite likely the rider is not balanced as well as they could be and using reprimanding or nagging aids. This horse is working FAR harder then they need to be.

If a horse’s shoulders are supple, back is free to lift, core is engaged and working without interference, hind legs swinging at optimum range of motion, movement is easy and enjoyable. So your “lazy” horse is far out working a horse with looseness and alignment, because they have to work much harder just to go forward.

Imagine being pulled off your couch, given a 70 lb pack to carry that slips around and isn’t stable, and being asked to move forward through a series of obstacles without being fit or knowing how to position yourself. You aren’t going to be moving very fast either, and someone nagging you to speed up incessantly will probably make you quite resentful.

Something to think about next time you whip out the “L” word; which in my barn is a very very dirty word, along with stubborn ;)

11/22/2023

This! It takes time and consistency. Be patient with the rehabs.

12 months of improvements....

11/18/2023

An important read!

11/17/2023

Bingo! 🤣

I was at the university a few days ago working on a draft horse who came out of sedation just long enough to kick me through a stall door. So, I’m taking today off to both feel sorry for myself and to draft out my experiences as a moving target.

Horse Kicks 101

Even when you work on very well trained and gentle horses, getting kicked is somewhat of an occupational hazard as a farrier. Sometimes it’s out of fear or pain, sometimes it’s by mistake, and on occasion even good horses have bad days. Whatever the reason, the resulting world of hurt for us comparatively soft and squishy monkeys is the same. However, just how badly one is injured can depend a lot on the conviction and breed of the offending (or offended) critter.

The breed voted most likely to knock you across the aisle way in high school would be the American thoroughbred. Like most things in Europe, the European thoroughbreds seem to have a more level head about them. Much like myself, the American TB (especially the on-track race horse) is a rather high strung critter whose environment has made them prone to both panicked flight and personal injury. When they kick it’s powerful, wildly unpredictable, but accurate, and always followed by the snapping of the cross ties as they gallop to perceived safety screaming “I’m a racehorse! I am a racehorse!” as they disappear down the driveway.

Next on the list of crazies is the Arabian horse, especially the Egyptians. It’s my theory that their small dished heads compress their brains, making them prone to hallucinations. The larger the dish, the more likely they are to mistake a blowing leaf for a horse-eating dragon. When they kick it’s completely unpredictable, light, but deadly fast. The Arab will also gallop to safety, but that’s likely 50 or more miles away. Also, one should be aware that when the leaf monster presents itself the Arabian has the ability to to teleport its way to safety.

The American Quarter Horse is the labrador of the equine industry. They are cool tempered and unexcitable. Snakes, rogue cows, or even that mounted migrant worker commonly known as a cowboy shooting off their backs rarely gets them to raise more than an eyebrow. If you do managed to get kicked by one of these guys you (or someone they felt very strongly about) likely deserved it. Unlike Arabs or thoroughbreds, when they kick something they meant to do it. While they might not be as fast as their caffeinated cousins their blows come down with the accuracy and might of Thor’s hammer. They always accompany their mighty blows with a inquisitive yet judgmental expression to suggest “did you learn something today?”

Draft horses are best described as gentle giants. They are kind, forgiving and dumb as a box of rocks. If you are unlucky enough to be walloped by one of these tanks it’s likely because they forgot you were there. What the draft horse lacks in conviction they make up for in brute force. Accuracy and speed doesn’t really matter that much when dropping nuclear warheads.

Ponies… I am convinced the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse will be charging in on the burning fury of pony hooves. It really doesn’t matter what you did or didn’t do, ponies will kick simply because they can. They are a weapon of equal opportunity. What they lack in brute force they make up for in quantity. So much quantity…

Donkeys/mules are not horses, and they will be sure to remind you of that fact should you forget. They are even tempered, but unforgiving. It doesn’t take a very big donkey to carry a grudge. When they feel you are deserving of capital punishment they have no qualms about dishing out. They are the ninja snipers of the equine world. One shot, one kill is the donkey’s motto. If one of Hell’s own minions fires a shot at you and misses it was only a warning. When they strike their hooves rip the very fabric of time and space to arrive faster than the speed of light.

(Please understand that not every Arabian is crazy and not every draft horse is dumb. These are lighthearted stereotypes that come from my personal observations and experiences gathered over my 20 years standing behind the anvil. I know they will not be true of every horse. )

Carry on.

11/14/2023

Notice to clients: If paying with check, please make payable to Carissa Inzerillo. Thank you!

11/14/2023

Well said.

I had such an amazing time at Equine Affaire MA, and met thousands (yes, literally thousands!) of awesome horse owners wanting to chat about hooves, track systems, pathologies and lameness, and even possible podcast guests. To all of you I was able to meet- thanks for stopping by! I enjoyed talking to each and every one of you; it’s always so fun to meet more hoof geeks ☺️

There was one thing I noticed, that irked me a little, when talking to some dealing with lameness issues, and I’ve been mulling on it a few days thinking about whether to write a post on it. Well here we are.

As people would come up to browse at the Doppelhoof or a cadaver limb or Paige Poss’ anatomy books, Vova or I would ask if they’re dealing with hoof issues. Most would say yes, some would say no. But some would say, “no, I’m dealing with farrier issues.”

When expanding on that comment, there seemed to be a lot of people convinced that 100% of their horse’s issues were due to the farrier’s [trim, shoe job, etc].

Now let’s get this out of the way - are there uneducated hoofcare pros out there? Sure. Are there people who need to do more continuing education and learn more latest research? Of course. Are there newer hoofcare pros who need more time and practice to hone their skill? Always.

Looking at pictures of my own trims from 8 years ago and I shake my head.

But for every comment made about “this farrier just ruined my lame horse’s feet,” I can only imagine the other side of the story… the hoofcare pro saying, “I tried for months with every tool in my toolbox to get this horse sound and we just couldn’t figure him out…” or “Even just a super conservative trim had this horse walking off sore,” or “the feet didn’t respond in any way they were supposed to when we did [XYZ].” Or even “that horse had a metabolic related founder that wasn’t being controlled and nothing I did could get the feet in line.”

There is not one person who wakes up in the morning and sets out to “ruin feet” or lame horses. We all set out to do the best job we can with the knowledge we have at the time. Most of us got into this profession because of a lame horse or a desire to help other horses, and there will always be a time that we come to a horse that doesn’t fit the textbook.

Now sometimes is that knowledge insufficient? Sure. Sometimes does a horse need someone with a different set of skills or experience? Of course. That’s true across the board. We all have our comfort zone and strengths and weaknesses. Some are more comfortable with certain disciplines of performances horses. Some thrive working on founder and laminitic cases. Others love navicular puzzles. Some are just happy doing maintenance work and keeping horses sound that way.

Not to mention that sometimes, it’s not anything the farrier is doing or not doing that is causing issue. A metabolic problem or incorrect diet can cause excessive toe growth. A founder/rotation case most often grows a ridiculous amount of heel. Foundered minis can grow literal Coke can stilts.

All of those issues are controlled with proper diagnosis, diet and management, but can sure make a hoofcare provider look silly when that management isn’t in place.

Now, I’m not trying to let hoofcare pros off the hook and I’m not trying to throw owners under the bus.

I just would love owners to open a dialogue with their hoofcare pro about what they see, but also be willing to listen if that pro is thinking there is something else going on.

The amount of pictures I saw this weekend where an issue like a long toe or high heel was blamed on a farrier but the pictures strongly suggested rotation, or metabolic issues, with chronic event lines, flare, and deviation from growth at the coronary band is just one example.

Now owners- this doesn’t invalidate your experience with your hoofcare pro. You should work with someone you are comfortable with (and believe me when I say, we only want to work with people who trust us and are comfortable with us. It limits our compassion fatigue and burn out and makes our job much more enjoyable!).

But just remember that we all have the same common goal. We want to help horses. We want to see our horses sound and comfortable. If you come at conversations that way, it will go better than the “blaming” route.

11/13/2023

🦄Straightness vs Bending🦄...a continuation from my last post on Stepping instead of Falling

Are we creating hyper-mobile horses by over bending, stretching and suppling when what we actually need is alignment and straightness for a supple horse? 🤔

Imagine you have a piece of wire and you want to bend it, but without making it weak. If you were to bend it at a sharp angle continuously, over time it would weaken and break⚠️. But if you were to bend it gradually and slowly till you created a nice even curve, the integrity of the wire would remain💪. The same applies to the horse, the more we exaggerate the bend, the more we weaken and destabilise the structure and what we can end up with in a weak noodle of a horse we then somehow need to straighten😟🪢!

When I say 'straighten' I don't mean literally, I mean in the sense of alignment. Think of the horses body as a set of train carriages🚂🚃🚃🚃, we want the body to follow the train tracks and not veer off so it doesn't derail! And don't forget about kinking the hose (see last post).

Whilst there may be horses who are stiff, suppling them doesn't need to involve these exercises where they are over bent (laterally) or asked to 'bend' through their body to a point where they are no longer in alignment. Not only are we at risk of throwing the horse off balance, we are more likely to cause the horse to brace and twist through their body to cope with the added pressures of having to bend them like a pipe cleaner🥨.

A good way to test your horses ability to stay on the train tracks🚂 is to simply ask them to walk in a straight line (from the ground) along the fence. As you walk backwards facing your horse, take notice of how easy or hard they find it to stay on those imaginary tracks🚃🚃🚃, the slower you go the more you will see🧐.

Smaller movements and spinal alignment, where the horse can find relaxation and strength, are a much better way of creating a supple horse. Less is more!
I will often incorporate these exercises into a session and can guide you through how to do them correctly with your horse🦄.

11/13/2023

Even horses not under saddle can benefit from calm, straight, and forward movement.

Six Weeks to Calm Forward and Straight FAQ

Does the horse need to be under saddle to participate?
No, this course is entirely on the ground on the lunge . The horse does not need to be very educated, however they should be gentle enough to be near you calmly, and ideally be able to go away from you without bolting or panicking.

Is this course going to include lots of circles?
No, the goal here is to create long straight lines with curved turning lines connecting.

What materials are needed?
A cavesson, lunge line, a lunge whip, and a flat, ideally enclosed place to work

How often do you need to work for best results?
Ideally 3-5 short sessions a week to create new movement patterns

What is the cost and what does it include?
$595 USD includes all course content with lifetime access, private Facebook group, video submission critiques, zoom call q and A’s with discussion of topics, and support marking up before and after’s for six weeks. Lifetime access to all material once six weeks of coaching has ended.

Who is this course for?
Anyone with a sincere desire to learn how to help their horse become more comfortable and beautiful. Anyone with a little work ethic and an open mind. You will be doing lots of walking so get your sneakers on!

This course is suitable for any horse who is sound enough to walk and trot. With the work we're going to be doing, we'll help develop a healthier range of motion to increase comfort and soundness.

It's not reccomended for horses currently recovering from tendon or ligament injury, as the likelihood of making accidental tight turns or small circles can create unsafe strain.

This course is not intended to diagnose, and it doesn't replace your vet, bodyworkers, trainers, or care team - but my aim is to support you and your horse along the path to healthy movement!

Please also understand that six weeks is a timeline for coaching: not a deadline. Every horse is going to be different, you may take much less time to get the desired result, or far more. Remember to compare yourself and your horse to yourself yesterday, not to everyone else, because you're all working from a different place. If you haven't at the end of six weeks accomplished what you desire, remember you have the material of this course for a lifetime! Six weeks is just the beginning of a new beautiful journey you're embarking! There is no deadline here!

11/13/2023

Calm, Forward and Straight is once again open for registration!

Simple, classically based work - not easy, but very simple methodology. Get tons of support, submit video for critique, join us for zooms, enjoy a supportive and friendly private Facebook group, and lifetime access to all material. Get realistic changes, no magic fixes. Find harmony and flow in a way that carries over well to riding and other facets of your life.

See how much creating rythm and alignment in your horse and yourself can affect the well-being of two bodies!

11/10/2023

Those of us who are interested in hooves often pay quite a bit of attention to the information that is shared about hoof pathologies.. sometimes to our dismay. When it comes to laminitis, I often see quite a bit of MISinformation swirling around - especially on social media. Comments on everything from diagnosis, to treatments, to future prevention or even prognosis can end up twisting the facts or even perpetuating outright incorrect information.

This past September, the NAEP held their Saratoga Vet & Farrier Conference, and much of it was focused on laminitis. Dr. Andrew Van Eps spent quite a bit of time presenting on updated research and things we have learned in the world of equine laminae within the last few years.

If you haven't heard Dr. Van Eps' previous episode discussing laminitis basics - definitely stop and review that (the last episode from two weeks ago). Then come back here and dive in to some myth-busting and fact-checking on laminitis!

The entire conversation can be heard on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2023/11/10/laminitis-myth-busting-and-fact-checking/

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Equithrive offers supplements for everything from metabolic health to joint support – get 20% off your first order at equithrive.com with code HUMBLEHOOF

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 20% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

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

11/09/2023

11/09/2023

Do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched?

11/06/2023

10/30/2023

How cool is this track system?!

10/27/2023

Get to know the internal structures of the hoof 🐎🤓

10/25/2023

10/25/2023

Agreed! Hoof care providers have lives too, and sometimes that interrupts a trim schedule unavoidably. Ask your provider to give you some pointers on how you can help hold your horse over should an appointment need to be pushed out.

Skills every horse owner should know:

I’m a big fan of promoting independence in my students. My hope is that you don’t NEED your trainer or other professionals, but that you can access them for growth and learning when you need it. This is not to say they should be eliminated- I have a team of professionals I benefit from in my barn, but I hope that if one can’t come, or in the case of emergency, I’m not up p**p creek, as the saying goes.

Feel free to add to this list in the comments!

So here’s a few things I think every horse owner should know how to do:

-Basic trim.
If your farrier can’t come or is delayed, every horse owner should have a basic handle of a rasp to maintain a hoof to keep their horse in good shape, or “good-ish” shape until their farrier comes.

-pull a shoe
Even if you don’t believe in shoeing, you never know when one needs to be pulled. You might be the person who can help out with that

-hook up, drive and back up a trailer
Don’t rely on others to haul- you never know what situations might come up. Fire, flood, middle of the night colic- if you’re gonna drive it you need to be able to back it up, too. Don’t wait for an emergency to practice this.
And obviously, the ability to LOAD the horse!

-basic saddle fit assessment
This is not to replace a qualified saddle fitter, but you should have an idea if your saddle is even in the ballpark of fit. You should have some grasp of what to look for to keep your horse comfortable

-some grasp of nutrition
Again, not to replace a qualified nutritionist, but don’t just read the tractor supply grain bag and follow the chart- know what your horses are eating and what they actually need given their lifestyle

-know how to assess and treat wounds
Obviously I’m not saying your vet shouldn’t come out, but if you can safely and adequately treat and dress small wounds, you can reduce a lot of your own anxiety and take better care of your horse

-know how to check vitals:
Temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, digital pulse, etc. Be your vet’s friend and know what the baseline for these things are

-a cursory understanding of anatomy and fitness;
Essentially knowing what’s under the hood so you can have realistic expectations, know how to leg up safely, prevent injury, and the ability to keep your horse sound.

What else do you guys think should be on every horse owners toolkit?