09/14/2023
A follow up from the last post.. and probably one of the more “controversial” posts I may write.
I know I’ve written a lot on this page over the years about comfort versus appearance when it comes to hoofcare. In fact, I harp on it repeatedly- pretty much any time I feel frustrated that someone wants a certain appearance on a sound hoof. To heck with what it means for the horse’s comfort level! Yes, even if it means a lame horse, I’ve seen people want specific angles or ratios or symmetry in a hoof.. because it’s “right”.. “better”.. “correct.”
And I have written posts on how trimming is like having a conversation with the hoof, seeing how it responds, suggesting changes to the foot.
But I guess I have never really expanded on what that means. How do you know if comfort is trim related, or something else?
Well, to be fair, a lot of times it’s not super simple. If a horse has underlying inflammation in the hoof capsule, whether that’s from diet issues, undiagnosed metabolic concerns, illness, etc, ANY trim done can make the horse sore- even if it’s incredibly minimal. It seems that horses with underlying inflammation can be comfortable compensating with the feet they have prior to trim, but the second a trim is done that even slightly shifts their weightbearing on internal structures, it causes something like a “flare up” of pain as they are forced to change the way they move on those weak structures. Think of horses that can literally just have a light rasp done at a trim and come up sore.. there is likely something systemic going on that needs further investigation.
That being said, a “beautiful” trim can lame a horse that’s otherwise sound, and that’s what I harp on about - those trims prioritizing form over function. But how can we learn to make those smarter decisions when it comes to barefoot horses, or how as a horse owner can you determine if your horse may need some help hoof wise?
Side note- I HATE giving trim advice online and will rarely if ever do it. There are too many factors at play.
That being said, a few big points I can make about how to make trim decisions are:
⭐️WATCH THE HORSE MOVE: Note hoof landings, comfort level over various surfaces, and soundness before and after a trim. Sometimes changes can cause discomfort a day or two later and not immediately after- owners, keep track of how your horse feels and keep an open line of communication with your hoofcare provider. We WANT to know if something isn’t working, so we can adjust as needed!
⭐️LEARN TO IDENTIFY WEAK FEET: estimating sole depth with collateral groove depth, assessing the health of the white line connection, palpating the digital cushion to estimate strength of the frog and caudal hoof, learning the appearance and texture of a thin sole, identifying a stretched frog or melded frog suggesting P3 remodeling, identifying compensatory bar growth, etc.
These can all help point to a bigger issue that needs addressing. Diet changes, bloodwork, radiographs/diagnostics, etc, are possibly warranted depending on the health of the hoof. Any of these signs and symptoms of weak feet can also mean that the hoof may not be able to handle certain changes. I have horses with shallower collateral grooves who prefer more bar, a smidge more quarter height, or even (gasp!) a longer toe. Some I will simply pull the foot forward and roll the wall from the top to preserve their comfort until a healthier laminae connection hits the ground… and once that happens, suddenly it’s like they can handle a much “bigger“ trim.
⭐️DON’T CHANGE TOO MANY THINGS AT ONCE: Not just because changing everything all at once can cause soreness, which CAN happen, but by isolating the most “egregious” issue to work on at a time can help isolate what section of the foot the horse prefers to hang onto for compensation. Example: A horse with a medial flare due to a previous injury may actually move sounder with that deviation - so noting how they move before and after that one adjustment can tell a lot.
There are so many reasons why someone may choose to take or leave certain material from the hoof. Before you judge a photo on social media or even hooves in person, stop to think - is the horse sound? Is the foot functional? Is there a specific purpose for WHY the foot is trimmed the way it is?
Maybe not. But, then again, maybe it’s very intentional.
In my experience- functional is paramount, and often, form follows function.
