Hometown Hoofcare

11/15/2025

Another desert creature I get along with.

Deluxe 💚.

11/13/2025

Just a nice footed RMSH.

(The other foot is not trimmed yet).

Sweet Candy is one of the Rockies on my books. They all have great feet and are sound horses with nice temperaments.

11/12/2025

When it comes to our horses’ hooves and soundness, sometimes we don’t notice right away that something might be “not quite right.” This is something so many owners quietly experience, and it takes a lot of awareness and humility to say, “I thought I was doing what was right, and now I’m learning more.” That’s excellent horsemanship in action.

It’s also incredibly common to not realize there’s room for improvement until you see positive results after a hoofcare change, such as increased stride length, improved comfort, or a healthier hoof shape developing. Horses don’t always show lameness until they’re fairly uncomfortable, and some horses can look “sound” while quietly struggling with issues.

So in that regard, how can amateurs know what to look for in good hoof care? A few guiding principles can help build confidence over time:

A helpful way to evaluate hoof care is to start by watching how the horse moves. A good trim or shoeing cycle should support a clear, confident heel first landing at a forward walk on a flat surface, a stride that shows fluidity throughout the horse’s back and upper body, and easy, balanced turns. You want to see movement that stays the same or improves after each appointment, and ideally does not slowly decline throughout the cycle. If your horse looks looser, more fluid, and more confident both in hand and under saddle, that is valuable feedback that the approach is working. The horse is the ultimate judge, and every horse is an individual – they are the best ones to show you what they prefer.

It’s also useful to observe the hoof itself between appointments. Healthy hooves will typically show strong frog development, and hoof walls that don’t flare, break, or separate before the next appointment, and if shod, you’re not seeing overly worn shoes or excessive shoe loss. A properly functioning frog will have the consistency of a firm rubber eraser when palpated, and should not have any splits, deep crevices or pockets. A hoof that is contracted often has a tight split between the heel bulbs and even in the center of the frog, showing that the hoof isn’t actively engaging with the ground.

A hoof that still looks fairly balanced towards the end of the cycle is a sign of skill and good hoof mechanics; if the hoof starts to fall apart within a week or two, or if the hoof begins to look overdue before the hoofcare provider comes back, it’s worth asking why. A hoof should never “look due,” and a good trim or shoeing approach will keep the hoof in balance throughout the cycle, and not chase after excessive length or distortion at every appointment.

Communication with your farrier is another key piece, and good professionals welcome thoughtful questions. Asking what they are prioritizing in each trim or shoeing, how the horse’s landings look that day, how the hoof health and frogs are progressing, and what their long term goals are for the feet helps you understand their approach. Farriers who are confident in their work generally enjoy discussing their reasoning and sharing a plan.

Tracking progress over time is extremely helpful, even for amateurs. Simple tools like photos mid-cycle and after shoeing, slow-motion landing videos on straight lines and on a flat surface at a walk, and notes about stride length, comfort, and performance recovery build a clear picture of what the horse is experiencing. No single moment tells the whole story, but patterns over time can help establish what works and what doesn’t for each individual horse.

Finally, trust your instincts. When something feels off, exploring alternatives is good horsemanship, not second-guessing. Horses do best when their people stay curious, observant, and willing to learn. Keep asking questions, keep collaborating with your team, and keep advocating. Your horses are lucky to have someone who keeps growing on their behalf.

📎 Save & share this article by Alicia Harlov at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2025/11/12/how-to-tell-if-your-horses-hoof-care-is-working/
📸 © The Plaid Horse

11/07/2025

ONE BAD APPLE SPOILS THE WHOLE BUNCH…

I have people ask me time and time again WHY I dress the foot, why I don’t just deal with distortion at the ground surface…

Well, first of all, I’m obviously not doing it just for the heck of it. A set-up trim addressing distortion is a LOT of work. It would be so much easier to just work from the bottom.

It’s also not thrifty… do you know how many rasps I go through? 🤦‍♀️

The real answer is, one, no matter how well things are functioning at the ground surface the day of the trim, within a week, distorted tubules are going to be on the ground again, leveraging the capsule.

This is why many trimmers have to trim on such short cycles, and this is why trimmers who trim every week or so, or who have horses on a track system, CAN make progress, albeit over months and years. I know this because I used to trim exactly like that.

ONE DISTORTED TUBULE DISTORTS THE WHOLE BUNCH…
Two, all tubules are bound to each other and influence each other, so if a cluster of tubules at the toe is distorted, it will pull every tubule in the capsule in that direction as well, until we sever the connection, and how we do that is by dressing the foot and disconnecting the distorted tubules from new growth.

WHAT ABOUT ADAPTIVE ASYMMETRY?
An educated farrier can tell the difference between capsular distortion and natural capsular asymmetry, so I’m not even going to address that.
The hoof capsule does not ‘adapt’ once the coffin bone has stopped growing, but it can distort.

And for those who say you can’t ‘read’ the foot if you dress the wall, that’s not true…
We can read pigmentation to see where dressing has happened in the past, and evaluate distortion that way, we can see color changes due to serum leaking, we can see bruising, and we can judge distortion by the white line junction, wall thickness, and tubule angle at the ground surface.

CAN YOU GET AWAY WITH LEAVING DISTORTION?

Absolutely. For a while.

But keep in mind the collapse of the solar vault is a direct result of unaddressed capsular distortion.

Keep in mind damage over the long-term is insidious, and by the time we realize joint or soft tissue damage is occurring, it may be too late.

A capsule may hold itself together, flaws and all, until it quite literally folds in on itself and we see a quarter crack or the like ‘spring out of nowhere.’

The cry to ‘never dress the wall’ or ‘never trim the frog’ has probably lamed more horses than we’d care to know…

“But dressing the foot weakens the capsule.”

A distorted capsule is already weak, it’s already compromised.

Dressing the foot merely weakens the connection between distorted and healthy new tubules.

Yes, you may see crumbling until new growth hits the ground, but rest assured, it’s temporary, and the lesser of two evils.

A full thickness distorted wall isn’t strong, it’s just strongly sabotaging new growth.

(I do want to add, at the ground surface, I’m still leaving wall height and not going past what I would take with a mustang roll, and once the distortion is grown out, my mustang roll replaces top dressing…)

11/07/2025

It's not about you.

I know that we all do this horse thing because it's fun or romantic or an obsession. That's all fine. Just be aware that if you are actually trying to do right by the horse, or train the horse, or get anything done, then that time isn't about you.

I can enjoy spending time with my kids, but serve their needs above my own at the same time. Does your horse really enjoy being petted on the face? Really? Some do, but most don't.

This applies to the consent stuff as well. My horse doesn't have to actively want to load in the trailer, go to the vet, or have the farrier around. I'd prefer that he be ok about it. I'd prefer that he not fight or get stressed, but loving those things isn't required. It's normal and fine if "tolerates" is as far as some things go.

If I asked my son everyday if he wants to go to school today, and abided by his feelings, he'd never go to school. Putting them first doesn't always mean doing what they want or abiding by their feelings. Don't be so worried about their feelings or your feelings that you throw your responsibilities as a steward out the window. It's not about you. It's about serving and that means sometimes doing the thing that nobody wants to do, because it's the right thing.

11/04/2025

Another vote for Mad Barn 🩵.

Equine diet review reveals common deficiencies and excesses in horse nutrition. Learn how to balance energy, protein, and minerals for optimal equine health.

11/02/2025

10/31/2025

It was such an amazing experience to be a volunteer at this clinic. I learned so much from top notch clinicians, saw dear friends I don't get to see often, made new ones, and enjoyed New England in the fall.

10/31/2025

🙌 Laminitis is experienced in feral horses who don’t receive hoof care 🙌

Another reminder NOT to believe what you hear or read without FIRST examining all objective evidence which can be externally verified.

Laminitis, resulting in failure of the suspensory apparatus of the hoof, with phalangeal and or capsular rotation of P3 has many causes, and laminitis is experienced by feral horses who don’t receive hoof care.

In one published scientific article ‘Histopathological examination of chronic laminitis in Kaimanawa feral horses of New Zealand’ it stated:

“Of the horses examined, 25 (45%) were diagnosed with chronic laminitis”.

The findings in the article also “suggests that horses are vulnerable to laminitis whether in domestic care or in a feral habitat”.

In another published scientific article: ‘Histological comparison of the lamellar tissue of Iberian origin breed horses created in semi-feral conditions or in an intensive system’, it was stated that:

“Results from these studies suggested that feral or wild horses have natural balance and ideal hoof conformation owing to natural wearing that could be followed for domestic horses. However, recent studies conducted on feral horses in New Zealand and Australia have revealed numerous abnormalities in the hoof capsule, including histological changes consistent with laminitis. Such findings raised suspicion that even in the wild, these animals were
subjected to developing endocrinopathic laminitis from ingestion of plants rich in non-structural carbohydrates.

There are more, and they also indicate the “wild hoof” model should not be used as a model for domestic horses given the prevalance of pathology present in wild/feral populations of horses and reduced welfare states this represents.

Despite the overwhelming evidence to suggest endocrinopathic (hormone driven) laminitis and therefore diet can trigger laminitis, there will be individuals who will continue to defend incorrect statements and dangerous and libellous behaviour.

The image is a radiograph of a horse with confirmed endocrinopathic disease which recovered with the aid of vet prescribed medication to help control the hormone imbalance.

This horse had capsular rotation with a degree of phalangeal rotation and distal descent. Before the laminitis episode this horse had a broken back hoof pastern axis, low dorsal wall angle, high, long toe and short, under run heel. During the acute phase, P3 ‘rotated’ into a straighter phalangeal alignment, but due to the disease process, the suspensory apparatus was negatively impacted meaning the bone and hoof are not well connected, and hoof capsular rotation occurred which is why the coffin bone and dorsal wall angle are not the same. Note also the disparity between the top of the coronet band and top of the extensor process of P3. These should be at the same level in healthy horses, however a distance of up to 1cm is considered ‘normal’ *but it is actually common, and we mustn’t confuse common with healthy!*

The palmar P3 angle (angle at which the bottom of the pedal bone sits in relation to the ground is actually considered within healthy ‘ideals’ which according to my understanding and observations of welfare states in horses within this ideal, is between 5 and 8 degrees typically.

To learn more about diagnosis and treatment of horses with endicrinopathic laminitis, read the blog article by Daisy Bicking in the comments.

Link to the scientific articles mentioned are also in the comments.

Www.holisticequine.co.uk - supporting and promoting compassionate equestrianism for the benefit of all 💚🙏🐴

10/26/2025

"A healthy horse should have an insulin value of 20 or less."

Amen, Dr. Alltop.

20

Or

Less

Period.

10/26/2025