Namaste Barefoot Trimming

12/23/2024

This guy has been making progress since May on healthier hooves. Now that those heels aren't so crushed we are working on getting them back where they belong and he is also letting go of layers of retained sole that caused further distortion and pain.

12/18/2024

12/16/2024

Beautiful Mustang hinds from today. If you zoom in, you can see how the tubules grow in at slightly different angles at the heel, quarter and toe. This has been studied in wild horses that maintain their own hooves and a barefoot trim should simulate the natural wear patterns in healthy wild hooves.

12/02/2024

Happy December! I will be working on scheduling for January in the coming days so keep an eye out for those messages.

As an additional heads up, I have become aware that I am occasionally not receiving texts/not getting voicemail notifications. I will be the first to admit that remembering to check voicemails is not my strong suit and it doesn't help when the notifications don't show up or disappear. It seems to be completely random and only occasionally an issue. All that being said, if you do text or call and don't hear back, please call again or send another message! I promise I am not ignoring you, it is either ADHD or technology working against me if I don't answer.

11/27/2024

A look back at Woody's hooves a little over a year ago compared to now. Woody is on a 4-5 week trim cycle. It's very helpful for older or limited mobility horses to be maintained on a shorter cycle so their hooves never get a chance to develop distortion. They stay more comfortable and it also makes the trimming process faster and easier on them.

11/25/2024

Trims today during the first snow of the winter and Poncho thought this hoofprint was for him 😆

11/23/2024

Levi wore composites up front for the entire riding season and this past cycle we added hinds. He gets lots of trail miles and enjoys going in the water, so he really tested his shoes and they worked very well for him. I thought I would show the set of shoes at the start and end of the cycle as well as his hooves post-trim.

11/20/2024

11/15/2024

2 trim cycles for this big Thoroughbred

11/13/2024

Resting posture before and after a maintenance trim on a senior gelding. He doesn't have a "job" due to some old injuries but still benefits from regular hoof care.

11/06/2024

Brownie pony continuing to make improvements! From barely mobile and nearly standing on the sides of her hooves when we started, she has come a long way. She definitely has some arthritic changes in her RF, but gets around happily and is living her best life.

10/24/2024

The natural arch of bare hooves

10/14/2024

Almost 2 years of trimming this Thoroughbred mare who runs speed and trail rides barefoot. A good diet and movement have contributed the most to these changes. Healthy hooves are grown from the inside out.

10/02/2024

This horse had sole pe*******on of P3 and is being rehabbed to soundness with this method, without invasive trims or pricey therapeutic shoe packages.

I find it interesting that I most often see professionals trying to discredit this approach with "horses that rehab with movement and diet and keeping the long toe are the ones that were going to be fine no matter what". With that logic we could just as easily say that the horses that successfully rehab with their toes chopped would have been fine regardless. So what is the answer?

If a method has any sort of failure rate or appears to cause stress or harm in any circumstances, it needs to be reevaluated.

Today's information can be tomorrow's misinformation, and when we know better, we must do better.

Making great progress with Wex’s feet, the new growth is really making its way down the hoof capsule and pushing that lamina wedge really fast now.

Another 3 maybe 4 months and I reckon the wedge will be fully gone 😍

10/01/2024

Some takeaways from the whole horse dissection clinic I attended last weekend:

The body is designed to function optimally with minimum effort

The body has an innate ability to heal and repair itself, if allowed and given the TIME to do so

Pain is the enemy of proper function and healing and we must take action to relieve pain for healing to occur

Everything we do must allow and encourage the horse to use its own power, rather than fight against it

Everything we learn, every technique and theory we use MUST be applied to the horse. We must seek knowledge of the internal structures and work to optimize their natural function rather than attempt to bend them to our will.

The industry is changing for the better but there is still a lot of deep healing to do within the industry, both in how we relate to horses and each other.

09/23/2024

You never know when those glue on shoe skills will come in handy! The Pegasus wings needed a few repairs after last years blustery Fall Phantasm. I have been mainly using acrylic glue for shoes and this black urethane glue was just what I needed for the wings. Now they are ready for more magic!

P.S. come out and support the arts at Fall Phantasm: Journey Through The Underworld October 5th at Lakenenland