Paonia Paddock Paradise

08/15/2024

There is no “waiting” in a Paddock Paradise track system. And therefore, none of the anxiety and frustration that comes with being confined and isolated to a stall or small paddock. Increasingly, people are becoming aware that it is no more humane than keeping a child locked in a small room away from other children or worse, keeping a human in solitary confinement. Horses do not belong in storage.

Not only is this excruciatingly boring - and stressful - for all members of the species but simply unfair.

If they are not turned out with other equine pals in a species-appropriate environment when you are not around, it is only fair that you lose sleep worrying about them until you find a better solution. We have to do better for these animals by asking boarding facilities / livery yards to create a track or to allow you to create a track for your horses and those belonging to other like-minded people. Or lease property if you cannot become a land-owner. Share it with others so it costs less and you can take turns doing chores. Start as small as you your budget allows and let it grow/expand over time.

There is always a way. It may not happen overnight but it can happen. Best of luck! Jill

08/07/2024

When Paddock Paradise was first introduced as a new paradigm in horse keeping practices, many horse owners opposed the idea as a result of not understanding it, not liking the ‘inconvenience’ of changing and/or simply because people are often skeptical of ANY ideas that are new, different or foreign to their traditions or way of thinking.

Thankfully, the logic of this system resonated with some of us immediately and one by one, we gave it a try. Now, it continues to be a fast-growing model for healthy horse keeping around that world. When we speak of their health, we mean the physical, mental and emotional symptoms of good health for all domestic horses!

07/07/2024

Another sparkling review of Paonia Paddock Paradise, written in a thank you note, name cut our for privacy protection.

Horses and their humans alike feel a great sense of relief when they find us. Finally a boarding facility that honors ALL of horses’ needs! No nonsensical projection of human needs/wants onto the horses, for example fancy stables with glamorous stalls. At Paonia Paddock Paradise, we are educated on the species specific needs based on the research of Jaime Jackson and provide horses with those nonnegotiables.

06/25/2024

It’s Rainbow Season here at Paonia Paddock Paradise! The rainbow does indeed show you where the pot of gold that you have been searching for is! For a price that is extremely reasonable, compared to many species inappropriate board, (especially when you consider the vet bills that end up resulting from mismanagement), your horses could live the lives they deserve 24/7/365:
🐎turnout in a herd
🐎slow fed grass hay at a variety of hay stations
🐎freedom to choose what activity to pursue
🐎enriching footing and obstacles
🐎supervision of an ISNHCP practitioner and instructor

06/21/2024

We do not advise ‘strip-grazing’ or turning the horses into the center for ‘standing hay.’ Part of the formula for achieving safe grass hays is by having it cut and allowing it to cure, which begins the process of breaking down and reducing the sugar and starch stored in the plants (the process of respiration).

There is no safe way for horses to graze in grass pastures that are not located in or in similar biomes as their natural/adaptive habitat. The only time we suggest turnout in the center is for some playtime.

(Jaime Jackson addresses the herds of wild horses/ponies living in environments to which the species did not adapt 1.4 million years ago in his book The Natural Trim: Principles and Practice. These include but are not limited to the Kaimanawa horses of New Zealand, the Camargue ponies of France, the the Chincoteague ponies of Assateague Island, the Duelmener ponies of Germany and the Dartmoor ponies of southwestern England. NHC advocates have observed these herds and their hooves and found them to frequently be “overgrown, suffering from diseases, and badly in need of natural hoof care.” On page 37 is a photo of a Dartmoor mare whose hoof “is covered with stress rings, a telltale symptom of chronic laminitis.”

Photos by

06/14/2024

06/11/2024

Someone recently critiqued the set up of hay in hay nets within the Bale Barns or Hat Huts as unnatural.

Yes, haynets and manmade hay feeders are not natural to horses. If we are to argue over what is natural to horses-is man keeping horses natural? Is farming natural? Are humans natural?

Back on point: Nets slow down the pace in which the horse consumes their forage, making the act of eating *more naturally* paced.

Without the Bale Barn, horses tend to p**p and p*e on their *expensive* hay. Hay is by far our biggest expense for keeping these giant creatures. So we want to minimize waste to keep our costs down for ourselves and costs down for boarders.

Hay also most closely resembles the *natural* diet of free roaming horses in the US Great Basin, being that it is HIGH fiber. Horses’ primary nutrition need is fiber and I recently read that hay is much higher in fiber than fresh grass.

06/08/2024

Horses did not evolve to graze in grass pastures. This image is a ‘pasture’ in wild horse country. Photo shot in Nevada - in the U.S. Great Basin - an arid, high desert habitat that is the equine species’ adaptive biome. This is where research has shown us that healthy, sound and fit wild and free-roaming horses live and proliferate.

Photo taken by then-ISNHCP student Albert Villasevil.

06/07/2024

There would be no more grass pasture turnout if horse owners understood the species appropriate diet and environment. Look at the photo below for an example of a species appropriate environment.

06/04/2024

05/31/2024

A healthy, beautiful and naturally trimmed hoof such as this one is possible by providing species-appropriate management and care. The natural trim stimulates healthy, natural growth patterns that will allow the horse to grow its own best hoof but the trimming method's role is limited, and will be diminished or enhanced by the diet, lifestyle, environment and other management practices provided. It is not enough to simply have 'good footing.'

Photo by Dario Arcamone at the Aanhcp headquarters, August 2015. For more information, please take a look at the Paddock Paradise Track System page.

05/26/2024

While it is important to have a close companion or bonded partner, life is probably less exciting if you only have that one friend. And probably less interesting too. The same goes with horses. More so with domestic horses since they do not get to easily select their friends or companions.

The benefit of having more than two horses (as well as a mix of mares and geldings) is that it is simply more natural. The biggest complaint seen and heard from people with just two horses is that they don’t seem to move very much. We had a lot more movement during the years when there was a herd of five with an occasional visitor but even with three horses, they moved a lot because of the layout of the various destinations on the track.

In the wild, they must travel - to the water, to get food, etc. But for those horse owners seeking to find ways to inspire more movement through optimal natural behaviors, more horses are better for stimulating activity than fewer horses. So, if you are able to have a PP track system, why not allow a few boarders to join if the human(s) can also help with the work? The horses will likely benefit!

Photo by

05/23/2024

Happy 10th birthday Madhu!

05/23/2024

What could be more practical or healthy than a genuine, natural, species-appropriate domestic environment where horses live in a herd, outside, at all times? (In a Paddock Paradise track system, there is no need for hanging toys like plastic apples, no mirrors, no sugary, licking things, no snuffle matts or other products designed to lessen neurotic behaviors created by unnatural management practices.) This is the lower level that connects to the track on top of the hill.

Pic by

05/22/2024

"Aggressive" mustang roll

Uninformed trimming methods, even if well-intended, can alter hoof form and function to the detriment of the hoof capsule's integrity.

Founded upon the Second Guiding Principle of the Natural Trim, "Remove only that which is naturally worn away in the wild," trimming method should never remove the naturally forming callus at the bottom of the hoof. Correct application of the mustang roll is one of the most important aspects of genuine natural hoof care. How, you will discover in the following paragraphs.

The hoof is designed for peripheral loading, which could explain why shoeing a horse has historically prevailed. We could speculate that the metal shoe was originally inspired by nature to protect the wall from excessive wear. Natural horseshoes are so subtle to the human eye that their existence never entered the human mind. Not until the U.S. Great Basin wild horse research conducted by J. Jackson between 1982 and 1986. Following this research, Jackson discovered that the inner part of the hoof wall, the hardest and most distal part, serves as nature's horseshoe. It plays an important role in natural hoof balance, and when its growth is obstructed by invasive trimming, shoeing, or the application of composite materials, it retracts, causing mass changes to protect its delicate dermal structures.

The term "mustang roll" has been widely popularized among hoof care professionals. However, little attention is paid to the etymology of the term and how mustangs "roll" their wall in the wild. The natural bevel is created from underneath, meaning there is no excess growth or inadequate growth along the perimeter of the hoof wall. The equilibrium between growth patterns and wear patterns is possible not only due to movement and lifestyle but also to the adaptive habitat in which wild horses roam freely. This equilibrium ensures that the inner wall (stratum internum) always actively presses against the bearing surface. The formation of the mustang roll is a complex process, with mass changes occurring at different rates in different places. The hoof capsule transmits information to the supercorium and feeds it back to the autonomous nervous system. Feedback loops between the ground and mechanisms orchestrating mass changes define the biodynamic nature of the hoof. Little to no attention is given in the scientific literature to hoof biodynamics based on the wild horse model. NHC is truly pioneering better hoof care practices based on evidence garnered from nature.

An "aggressive" mustang roll can sometimes be applied to conceal pathology. Thinning the wall around the toe and "raising" the mustang roll beyond its natural boundary may fix the issue conceptually, but it compromises the hoof capsule's integrity. In the short term, the supercorium may subvert the "aggressive" mustang roll, but using it as a trimming strategy will have detrimental consequences.

How much horn is removed should be determined by a set of principles that evolve around the characteristics of naturally shaped hooves rather than mind-oriented theories removed from the natural world. This means that the natural thickness of the sole, frog, and most importantly, the hoof wall, including the mustang roll, is always intact.

Domestication brought upon the horse necessities of general care such as trimming, feeding, and boarding. With its arrival, domestication took away the adaptive environment. Without this environment, hooves are usually the first to descend into chaos. The "aggressive" mustang roll, at best, serves as a mechanical way of controlling disorganised mass, but it fails the horse because it cannot fix the problem at the level of symptoms. Instead we need to look into causality for solutions. Disorganised mass is an effect, not cause. Unnatural diet, boarding, hoof care, and riding practices affect the growth patterns of domesticated horses. Hooves do not grow astray in one day, and laminitis does not strike out of nowhere. Both concoctions are a result of unnatural lifestyle. This is why the U.S. Great Basin wild horse research plays a key role in natural horse care. By replicating adaptive environment we address hoof pathology not with aggression, but with kindness—not by concealing pathology, but by resolving it.

An "aggressive" mustang roll means solar loading; it means that the hoof wall no longer actively bears weight. It also means that the natural thickness of the hoof wall is gone, resulting in deformities. Peripheral loading means that the active bearing surface is always exerted on the wall, particularly in three distinct points along the perimeter of the stratum internum: two on the heel-buttresses and one around the medial toe wall. These three distinct points define natural hoof balance.

An "aggressive" mustang roll diminishes the natural thickness of the hoof wall. When viewed from the volar profile, thin walls blend into the landscape of wall separation and stretched lamellar attachment, with little to no wall touching the ground. Thinned walls can no longer support descending weight, often resulting in a dropped sole and other graphic sights.

Arresting these pathological changes requires knowledge on the level of the hoof, as well as practical application of the NHC principles.

In principle, correctly applied mustang roll will be a marker of natural hoof balance. You can check for natural hoof balance with a simple tool, the hoof balancer, and find additional information in a companion book The Hoof Balancer, developed by Jaime Jackson and available on his website www.jaimejackson.com Alternatively, reach out to us, or one of our practitioners. We train for competence.

Photograph credit: AANHCP

05/21/2024

Aug 5-9, 2024!

UPCOMING CLINIC

Delta Country, Colorado, USA

Join ISNHCP today and discover the practical application of the Natural Trim. This is a theory in practice, 5-day Step 2/3 Clinic experience with ISNHCP Instructor Morgan Herum on September 5-9 2024.

📖 What will you learn?

▶️ The characteristics of a naturally shaped hoof

▶️ Safe and humane trimming method rooted in equine biology

▶️ Navigate through hoof pathology

▶️ Proven protocols for healing and preventing laminitis

▶️ Practical applications of the U.S. Great Basin wild horse model

🤔 Why choose ISNHCP?

🧏‍♀️ Direct access to the first hand, authentic information pioneered by Jaime Jackson, the father of natural hoof care and the barefoot movement.

🔍 A holistic approach to hoof care through the Four Pillars of Natural Horse Care based upon the U.S. Great Basin wild horse model

🌟 A meaningful career that is rooted in solution-based protocols.


Learn the principles and practices of natural horse care and join us in pioneering the future of humane care for horses!

Sign up today and start your journey with us!


For more details, visit www.ISNHCP.net

05/18/2024

You could feel great knowing your horse lives in Paradise-we have availability for the right horse and owner!

Paddock PARADISE indeed. Paddock Paradise style of board is the way of the future for horse management, because it is based on the ancient way of horses. I gave a tour the other day and was told “if I were a horse, I’d want to live here.”

Keep it natural.

05/16/2024

Paddock PARADISE indeed. Paddock Paradise style of board is the way of the future for horse management, because it is based on the ancient way of horses. I gave a tour the other day and was told “if I were a horse, I’d want to live here.”

Keep it natural.

05/13/2024

Your horse has been through the storms of laminitis, stress from unnatural boarding, unnatural feeding programs, or unnatural horsemanship. And you were weathering those storms, stressing over the health and welfare of your horse.

You’ve learned that what your horse needs is as close to what is found in wild horse country. Natural horsemanship. A reasonably natural diet. The natural trim. Life in a herd out 24/7/365 on a paddock paradise.

So did we. We were horse owners whose horses struggled with lamenesses and stresses from unnatural diets and unnatural boarding environments. We got educated through the ISNHCP, Institute for the Study of Natural Horse Care Practitices. And since 2021, we are here to offer Natural Horse Boarding on a Paddock Paradise, with a reasonably natural diet of slow fed hay, and the natural trim to all the horses who board here.

We’re here for you, the enlightened horse owner seeking out the best for your horse. Your horse can live as naturally as domestically possible. There is sunshine after the storms.

05/07/2024

While we can’t always provide the equivalent (or, enough) activities for our domestic horses - compared to that of equines living naturally in the wild in a natural / adaptive habitat - to replicate their hooves, we can do our best to try. Our horses never self-trimmed in the manner of the Great Basin horses (Mustangs) living naturally but they were close. The beauty of the natural trim is that it impacts growth patterns from the coronary band down, in addition to adjustments made to the hoof wall or bars. The trim, the diet, the lifestyle and the environment all play a role in the health of the hooves and its characteristics or appearance. The hooves are constantly displaying ‘symptoms’ of health or of pathology.

The more we learn, the better we can do. Check out the website for a number of articles covering all the pillars of NHC.



Pic by

05/01/2024

Not sure how to grow a healthier hoof? The internet is full of conflicting, confusing info, while Jaime Jackson’s books are a straightforward set of instructions.

Paddock Paradise explains how to set up a species appropriate environment.

The Natural Trim Principles and Practices explains the trim in detail, as well as what a safe diet is for horses, and would give horse owners a thorough understanding of what a healthy foot is.

Laminitis An Equine Plague of Unconscionable Proportions explains what laminitis is, the cause, how to prevent and treat laminitis.

Or reach out to your local ISNHCP practitioner. We are passionate about growing the healthiest feet and are happy to consult!

04/30/2024

My goal with this magazine is to become a resource owners can turn to for a sense of community, support, inspiration and reassurance. It's important to me that the readers of my magazine gain something from their experience, be it another reason to set up a track system or to gain insight through confusing, often conflicting times in their horse's journey.

Whilst I hope to achieve this with time, I'm grateful for the community we have already built that offers all of the above. If you're looking for track, barefoot or species appropriate living focused resources, pages to follow or groups to join, here are a few of my personal favourites for various reasons:

PB Paddock Paradise Livery
Graveney Equine: Horse Track System
Horse Track System
Paddock Paradise Track System
Paddock Paradise Track System - Natural Enrichment for Horses
Paonia Paddock Paradise
Hoof Matters
AANHCP
Dressage in Hand by Josepha Guillaume
Isnhcp - Institute for the Study of Natural Horse Care Practices
Horse Matters
Calm Healthy Horses UK
Calm Healthy Horses
Three Ravens Natural Boarding Track System Livery
Laminitis-treating the natural way
K.R.H Natural horse care
Wakita Equine
Equine Soul
Meadow Track Livery
Ukie's Paddock Paradise
Harmony Equitation

04/28/2024

When I got my horse, Madhu, I thought the best environment was a grass pasture. I knew stalls were inhumane, and thought that horses were supposed to eat grass. That’s what I saw.

While Madhu lived 24/7/365 turned out on pasture, I saw many issues with his feet-abscesses, thrush, white line separation, and a crack. I saw issues in the hooves of the other horses in his herd. I didn’t know why.

Fortunately, Paige Wilfert, who would become one of my mentors, encouraged me to study in the ISNHCP, the Institute for the Study of Natural Horse Care Practices.

In my studies, I learned about the ideal diet, environment, movement and trim of horses as a species. I learned that grass hay is the ideal diet, fed in a slow trickle while the horse wanders between bites.

As I learned more, I wanted to improve Madhu’s quality of life and wellbeing, which is why I eventually built a Paddock Paradise. Paonia Paddock Paradise is here for your horse to get THE optimal and most natural care that can be provided.

04/21/2024

Save a horse, ride a lawnmower.

Horses did not evolve to eat this lush green grass. So when we throw them into a pasture environment like this, their bodies break down, perhaps not immediately, but over time.

Grass hay most closely resembles the diet horses evolved to eat. Feeding grass hays in a slow-trickle out of hay nets within a Paddock Paradise environment allows our domestic horses the pace of eating and movement that their guts require to digest the best.

04/11/2024

Check out this magazine exclusively about Paddock Paradise and Natural Horse Keeping!
The first issue even has an article about how Paonia Paddock Paradise came into existence.

As we support NHC practitioners, boarding facilities offering natural horse care/Paddock Paradise, and educational resources like Happy Trackin’ the cultural norms of equine management will evolve! I look forward to the day where laminitis, stalls, lush green pastures, shoes and conventional grains are a distant thing of the past, where horse owners stop and wonder why we ever thought that was okay.

The first and only magazine on paddock paradise track systems and species appropriate living. Digital and quarterly releases!

04/10/2024

A path in the U.S. Great Basin created and used by wild and free roaming horses (aka Mustangs) and other animals. Note the abrasive terrain and the absence of green grass growing in every direction! This is the footing that nature intended those hooves to move across easily!

Photo by Albert Villasevil

04/10/2024

AANHCP