Namaste Barefoot Trimming

01/03/2025

Why is Surface Area Important to the Barefoot Horse?

Despite how we talk about heels and toes, a hoof is a singular digit which makes surface area and dorsal-palmar (front-to-back) balance extremely important.

While hoof-pastern axis or HPA is also something to be considered, a hyper focus on achieving a specific HPA or "aligning the bony column" can lead to imbalanced trimming. I am equally guilty of having made this error in judgment so it's important to note that I'm not shaming anyone. Let's normalize talking about and learning from each other's mistakes.

This horse was 6 weeks out from a trim and his heels, quarters and bars were much longer than his toes. This brings the heel further forward and drastically shortens the area that the horse is walking on.

The goal of a barefoot trim is to allow the horse to wear and grow relatively in balance. Of course that will vary case by case dependent on many factors including lifestyle, conformation and any lameness or restrictions higher up in the body. But if the growth rates are significantly imbalanced from the heel to the toe it is a good indicator that the trim hasn't been balanced.

Reduced surface area also interferes with the natural exfoliation of dead sole and can lead to retained and compacted material, further throwing off the trimmer's eye. I removed the excessive bar material which was causing debris entrapment and thrush problems, and was able to exfoliate some retained sole. More will be ready to let go by the next trim. He doesn't have a "low heel" despite removing the excess height and his HPA actually improved.

12/29/2024

Edward the little auction mule has been with his family and on my schedule for almost a year and is doing fantastic

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.