ReBalance Expert

02/02/2025

Are short toes dangerous?
Have you ever considered how the foot pitches on soft ground and how that affects tendons and ligaments?

We discussed recently the effects of long toes on increasing the rotational force collapsing the limb and therefore increasing the strain in the flexor structures.

Many people assume from this that short toes are therefore good.
This is not accurate, the correct length of toe is good!
This becomes profound when looking at what happens to the hoof on a soft surface when the weight of the horse comes over it.

If the toe is too short, ground reaction forces will be concentrated on the toe and cause it to sink!! This will increase strain on the suspensory ligament at every step!

Our recent paper defining the point of balance gives us, for the very first time, a quantification of appropriate base proportions (toe length vs heel length of support) to create equilibrium at midstance so that neither the heels or toe sink in. This maintains appropriate load share between the suspensory ligament and the deep digital flexor, superficial digital flexor by maintaining a neutral hoof on a soft surface.
This point has been added to HoofmApp to enable measurement of this in practice!
Read here..

https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/the-quantification-and-definition-of-a-new-hoof-balance-paradigm

Join me for a webinar delving into hoof balance to reduce the risk of fetlock structure injury to learn more!. 6th Feb 2pm London time..

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/farrierypreventfetlockinjury

01/31/2025

01/29/2025

01/29/2025

THM asked Charles de Kunffy: What do you look for as a judge? “I am always looking for the same things. A horse that has become supple in the joints and elastic in the musculature, a horse that can demonstrate that athletic achievement by moving lightly and carrying the weight on the haunches with good engagement. A rhythmic cadence, which is a motion that comes off the ground - the horse doesn’t just move forward, he carries himself forward. All that comes from the proper relaxation which is preliminary to everything else.” Anne-Grethe Jensen and Marzog
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2021/05/guarding-the-classical-principles/

01/28/2025

Snowman, the "Cinderella Horse," was more than a champion - he was the embodiment of second chances and the magic that can happen when someone believes in you.

Rescued from a slaughterhouse for just $80, Snowman’s fate seemed sealed, destined for a life of hardship. But with love and care from his owner, Harry de Leyer, this humble plow horse soared to heights no one could have imagined.
He didn’t just win ribbons; he stole hearts. Against all odds, Snowman became a national show jumping champion, leaping over obstacles as if defying the very limitations the world had set for him. Each jump was a reminder that greatness can come from the most unlikely places, and every time he cleared the highest fences, it wasn’t just a victory in the ring - it was a triumph of spirit, of love, and of the unshakable bond between a man and his horse.

The journey of the snowman serves as a poignant reminder that regardless of one's origins, with faith and a measure of kindness, it is possible to transcend one's circumstances and reach great heights. He represented more than merely a horse; he embodied hope, resilience, and the remarkable potential of second chances. (Snowman could jump big jumps, but still calm enough for a little tot).
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01/26/2025

INDIVIDUAL STABLING FOUND TO ALTER IMMUNE RESPONSE

Research has found that horses moved from group housing to individual stabling showed changes in their white blood cell counts and plasma cortisol levels. These changes could mean they are at a higher risk of infectious disease.

Equine scientists at the University of Hohenheim in Germany studied 12 warmblood geldings aged 2-3 years old during several management changes, monitoring their behaviour and immune response.

The horses used were all living in a group, turned out at pasture. For the first part of the study the group was then split into two, each kept in a separate paddock so that the horses in one group could not see the others. After a trial period of eight days all the horses were returned to their original group, living together. They were then were left out at pasture for eight weeks.

For the second part of the study the horses were all moved into individual stables, where they could see and touch their neighbours through bars. During the first week of being stabled, the horses were given 30 minutes of turnout in an indoor area. From the second week onwards, the horses were lunged.

Throughout the study the research team collected blood samples from the horses to analyse their immune cell numbers and cortisol concentrations.

The results showed that moving the horses to individual stabling led to acute stress-induced immune changes. However, dividing the larger group into two smaller groups at pasture did not.

“The number of eosinophils, monocytes and T cells declined, whereas the number of neutrophils increased resulting in an increased N:L ratio. This pattern of change resembles the well-known picture of an immunomodulation induced by acute social stress."

The plasma cortisol concentrations didn’t change after dividing the group into the two smaller groups at pasture, but there was an increase in cortisol concentrations one day after stabling which then returned to the previous levels eight days later. However, the researchers reported that “Although cortisol concentrations returned to baseline level after 8 days, the alterations in most immune cell numbers persisted, pointing to a longer-lasting effect on the immune system of the horses."

The team also found that some of the horses started to perform stereotypical behaviours as soon as one week after stabling.

The team reported that the results “strongly indicate that social isolation is a chronic stressor with negative impact on welfare and health of horses and highlight the advantage of group housing systems in view of immunocompetence."

The researchers concluded that “relocation to individual stabling represented an intense stressor for the horses of the present study, leading to acute and lasting alterations in blood counts of various leukocyte types. In contrast, fission of the stable group did not result in behavioural, endocrine or immunological stress responses by the horses."

This sudden change from group turnout to individual stabling with training being introduced is a very common scenario for horses being started for the first time. This study gives us yet more evidence that stabling horses individually is stressful for them and detrimental to their physical and psychological wellbeing. The majority of the horses I see are stabled for the bulk of the day. I do wonder how much evidence is needed before horse owners, yard owners and professionals act on this information and change their management to increase turnout and group living...

The research is free to access and is a very interesting read: Schmucker S, Preisler V, Marr I, Krüger K, Stefanski V (2022) Single housing but not changes in group composition causes stress-related immunomodulations in horses. PLoS ONE 17(8): e0272445.

01/11/2025

Don’t Get Mad
Get Grid

The remedy for long toe/low heels is the same as for any hoof pathology: rebuild the hoof capsule to be properly aligned around the coffin bone.

This means you need to achieve growth/wear equilibrium by trimming to simulate the miles of natural wear a horse would get…if they could do it on their own.

Hoof health and alignment has more to do with proper weight distribution than diet, environment, or even movement. The hoof grows 1 mm every 3 days. You can use that to help the horse’s weight work for them ( the way it was designed ) or you can let it work against them.

The writing is on the wall. Read the grid.

You don’t need expensive technology to see the position of P3 within the hoof capsule. Learning to read the grid is a good place to start.

-The coronary band ( hairline ) should have a clean natural arch from an elevated digital cushion, lateral cartilages, and live sole.
-The growth rings should be parallel from the hairline to the ground contact points.
-The horn tubules should be undeviated and parallel to the dorsal wall - all the way to the heels.

Simply shortening the toes and flattening the heels to a height that establishes a preconceived favorable hoof pastern axis and palmar angle is an old farrier technique ( whether you’re leaving the horse shod or barefoot ) that only props up the DC on jammed up high heels and forces the horse to toe load ( think of wearing high heel shoes ). Every horse owner and hoof practitioner should have an understanding of this so they can keep each other accountable for their part of this fundamental responsibility…the structural and functional soundness of the horse.

Good or bad changes don’t always show up in a following trim or two so documenting long term progress is critical to learning.

01/10/2025

Following along Bob Wood Horses For Life perspective……
I have some questions for the general horse owner public.

“Why is it okay to tell me, an equine professional advising you how to help your horse with an issue; “I can’t do that, my back hurts.” ?

My inner response to you is, “Be proactive about healing and taking care of your back AND figure out how to get whatever your horse needs done!”

Love for your horse is not shown in the things you buy for her/him or the board you pay etc. Love is shown by you setting up your horse to be as healthy as possible.

01/02/2025

How riders’ bones change due to riding, especially ba****ck and/or without stirrups!

12/31/2024

Do owners have as much, if not more, influence on posture than farriers and physios?

Posture is influenced by what domestication creates, a lack of movement, confinement, diet and then what humans do with the horse. Essentially creating a situation of horses constantly living in their sympathetic nervous state!

Let’s start with diet.

Gellman and Shoemaker extensively discuss dentition, the TMJ joint, and the upper cervical area. These are huge proprioception input areas that are affected by domestication and influence the horse’s posture.

Domestication disrupts the horse’s natural relationship with food, significantly impacting dental health and compromising the integrity of the stomatognathic system. This issue is often further exacerbated by human intervention.

🔗 https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/Dentalandperform

Riding:

Seneque et al. (2018) found that inappropriate riding techniques can lead to spinal stiffness and abnormal postures, as the back muscles have constant opposition to the actions of the rider’s hands and legs. Similarly, Alvarez et al. (2008) noted that an elevated head and neck position during riding causes thoracic extension, lumbar flexion, and a reduced sagittal range of motion.

This leads us to the French studies by Feureix et al. and Lesimple et al., which examined the neck and head carriage angles associated with various domestic situations. Higher head carriage and a flatter neck, often linked to confinement and riding, were associated with back problems, ultimately resulting in abnormal compensatory postures.

After riding, we often stable horses, where they are subjected to constant postural modifications. Research has shown these influences can have a more significant impact on posture than aging itself.

These factors contribute to a life of heightened stress, leaving horses stuck in a sympathetic posture. The posture becomes both emotional and physical/structural.

Elbrond and Shultz’s dissections highlight viscerosomatic connections, revealing how deeply internal issues, driven by diet and stress, can influence a horse’s posture.

All these things have been discussed in our webinars…

🔗The farrier and physio team https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/team-approach-to-posture

🔗The implications of domestication.. https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/domestication-posture

🔗Applied neurology and the effects of the viscerosomatic-somatic system… https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/Applied-neurology-viscerosomatic-posture

🔗And a whole series on the studies of the horse natural state and how we can apply it to the domestic setting… https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/bundles/how-can-the-equine-industry-maintain-its-social-licence-to-operate

I’m not suggesting we should ban horse ownership unless they can live more natural lives.

However, we do need to educate ourselves on the unintended consequences of keeping horses and work together to mitigate them. This goes beyond farriers and physios managing the ongoing effects of domestication—it also requires owners to create species-appropriate management practices wherever possible.

Join us for an upcoming webinar (Jan 7th), where we’ll explore and discuss how to address these challenges through integrative hoof and body care.

📝Sign up here and grab your spot!

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/future-podiatry-farriery-neuromuscular-health