Evan Bonner Horsemanship & Farrier Services

Evan Bonner Horsemanship & Farrier Services Natural Horsemanship Clinician and Horse Trainer—Certified Barefoot Trimmer and Certified Farrier with the Equine Lameness Prevention Organization (ELPO)

I have spent the last decade studying the principles of horsemanship and have worked hard to share what I have learned with others. I have been influenced by dozens of brilliant horsemen and horsewomen and I've had the privilege to have ridden with some of the best in the world including: Peter Campbell, Pat Parelli and Dennis Reis. My goal in both my horse training program and my clinics is to le

ave the horse more at peace around people, around his environment and within himself and to leave you with a better understanding of how to communicate, how to build confidence and how to have purpose. I don't teach a specific "discipline", but rather encourage students to develop problem-solving skills, consider the horse's point of view and take his expression and feelings into consideration. To me"Horsemanship" is the habits that humans and horses need to become partners. We define a habit as the crossroads between knowledge (the what and the why), skill (the how to do) and desire (the want for a change). It is based on principles of effectiveness. When you value the principles of good horsemanship you will develop the ability to know where the horse is at and the skill to do what needs to be done. Good horsemanship is not about breaking or training horses, it's about working on yourself and playing with horses nature. You have to allow the horse the time it takes to learn something and when that happens you'll never have to redo it - because you didn't take the horse hostage.

Here is an example of the ELPO Distortion Grading Scale applied to frog distortions. The frog is a good window to how th...
12/23/2025

Here is an example of the ELPO Distortion Grading Scale applied to frog distortions. The frog is a good window to how the overall health of the foot. Here is a good evaluation tool for determining the health of your horses frogs.

#0 – Optimal Frog
Wide, well-developed frog with healthy buttresses and good ground contact. Normal shock absorption capacity and stability.

#1 – Mild Distortion
Mostly functional frog with slight narrowing, or stretching. Mild dirt traps. Changes resolve with routine trimming and hygiene.

#2 – Moderate Distortion
Clear narrowing and loss of mass with deeper sulci and reduced ground contact. Frog and digital cushion function begin to decline; performance may be subtly affected.

#3 – Compromised Frog
Significant atrophy or chronic sulcus infection. Minimal ground contact, reduced caudal support, altered landing patterns, and increased stress to the caudal foot and DIP joint.

#4 – Severe Distortion
Severe contraction, recession, or even necrosis of the frog with poor caudal support. Lameness can be common and long-term pathology is could be likely. Corrective trimming, shoeing, and frog support are usually required.

#5 – End-Stage Pathology
Severely degraded or nonfunctional frog with digital cushion and deeper structure involvement. Horses are often lame; advanced therapeutic intervention may be needed.

I still come across posts criticizing certain shoeing styles and calling them “bad” or “harmful,” but often the issue is...
12/20/2025

I still come across posts criticizing certain shoeing styles and calling them “bad” or “harmful,” but often the issue isn’t the shoe itself — it’s how the shoe is applied correctly for the individual horse.

This photo shows the mechanics behind a properly fit Centrefit shoe. It isn’t about ripping the toe back or ‘natural balance’ or anything dogmatic. It’s about ratios around the coffin joint and shoeing to reduce torque on the soft tissues and to reduce tension on the deep flexor tendon during movement.

Like any shoeing option—success comes down to correct placement and fit. No single method works for every horse. Good shoeing means applying general principles to the horse in front of you rather than making every foot look the same.

Heres a follow up to a post I made a couple months back that seemed to drive a lot of controversy—specifically regarding...
12/16/2025

Heres a follow up to a post I made a couple months back that seemed to drive a lot of controversy—specifically regarding setting shoes back and trimming long toes. Heres that same horse and that same foot a couple of cycles later. As you can see there is significantly less distortion in the toe than before. In reality the shoe is applied exactly in the same manner as it was before—same position relative to the internal structures (centered around the coffin joint and breakover just ahead of the tip of P3). When you remove leverage and create equilibrium at around the joint the foot can gradually remodel itself—in some cases faster than it would if it were barefoot.

Much of the controversy also came from the specific shoe that I applied which was a Centrefit shoe. Here is an Avanti. In truth the specific shoe isn’t that relevant. What matters is how the foot is prepared and how the shoe has been modified to meet the biomechanical needs of the horse is being applied to.

Here is an example of the ELPO Distortion Grading Scale applied to toe distortions. This grading system is both useful t...
12/13/2025

Here is an example of the ELPO Distortion Grading Scale applied to toe distortions. This grading system is both useful to horse owners and hoof care providers to better evaluate the conditions of hooves.

#0 – Ideal Toe: Perfect length and alignment. Breakover is efficient and foot functions optimally around the widest point of the foot.

#1 – Mild Toe Growth: Slight elongation from normal growth. Breakover minimally delayed but easily corrected with routine trimming.

#2 – Noticeable Distortion: Toe length begins to affect breakover and leverage more significantly. Subtle strain on the hoof and limb may impact performance.

#3 – Function Compromised: Significant toe elongation delaying breakover. Toe-first landings, stumbling, and mild lameness are common if left unchecked. Can be improved over time through trimming and/or shoeing to reduce leverage.

#4 – Severe Distortion: Chronic toe overload causing clear lameness and joint/hoof stress. Corrective trimming and but therapeutic shoeing is often a more effective solution.

#5 – Critical Toe: Extreme, long-term distortion often associated with serious soft tissue or bone damage and often moderate to severe lameness is seen—advanced therapy may improve function.

Lately I’ve been using frog support padding more often, and it’s made a big difference for horses that need extra help. ...
12/11/2025

Lately I’ve been using frog support padding more often, and it’s made a big difference for horses that need extra help. Instead of only supporting the hoof from the outside, frog support helps the foot function from the inside out.

Here’s why it’s worth considering:

• Better Blood Flow – Engaging the frog helps the foot’s natural “pump” work, improving circulation in the back of the hoof.
• Improved Proprioception – The frog is full of sensory receptors; supporting it helps the horse feel the ground better and move with more balance.
• Load Sharing – Instead of the wall and toe taking all the stress, the frog helps spread impact across the whole foot, reducing strain on tendons and the navicular area.
• Healthier Sole – The right packing materials can keep the sole nourished and supported, helping thin or sensitive soles strengthen.
• Stronger Caudal Hoof – Consistent frog engagement encourages healthier heel depth, digital cushion strength, and overall hoof stability.

In short: frog support padding helps the foot work the way it was designed—absorbing shock, pumping blood, and sharing load more efficiently. For horses with thin soles, heel pain, long-toe/low-heel issues, or just needing extra stability, it’s a great option to keep in mind.

One thing I see all the time is how much a long toe can change the way the whole limb functions. When the toe runs forwa...
12/08/2025

One thing I see all the time is how much a long toe can change the way the whole limb functions. When the toe runs forward, it creates a longer lever the horse has to pull over every stride. That extra leverage doesn’t just slow breakover—it increases strain on the structures in the back of the foot, especially the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), the suspensory ligament to the navicular bone and the navicular apparatus. Every extra millimeter of toe adds more tension the horse has to overcome before the foot can leave the ground.

This is why proper breakover placement matters so much. According to evidence based guidelines, the point of breakover should sit roughly ¼” ahead of the tip of P3 (the coffin bone), not way out in front of the hoof capsule. When breakover is set in this zone, the limb can unload smoothly, the toe lever is shortened, and the strain on the flexor tendons and the navicular region is significantly reduced.

A balanced foot with an appropriate breakover isn’t just about looks—it’s about protecting the soft tissues, improving stride efficiency, and keeping the horse comfortable for the long haul.

Before & After from This Week: This new client horse has had a consistent issue with growing out of his shoes—so for thi...
12/05/2025

Before & After from This Week:

This new client horse has had a consistent issue with growing out of his shoes—so for this shoeing I opened the branches a bit to give him more width and help keep him on top of the shoes throughout the cycle.

The previous shoeing was also slightly out of balance in relation to the coffin joint—too much toe length creating a lever arm up front, and not enough support behind. That combination can start a cycle of collapsed heels, frog atrophy, and general failure in the back half of the foot. Excess toe also increases leverage on the tendons and adds unnecessary stress to the joints.

He was right around 7 weeks, but ideally the foot should stay in balance for the full cycle. In this case, he was probably out of dorsal–palmar balance from the start.

Here is a fully mapped foot showing some anatomical landmarks and reference points to better understand the foot. Red Li...
12/01/2025

Here is a fully mapped foot showing some anatomical landmarks and reference points to better understand the foot.

Red Line = Widest point of the foot (WPOTF). This is approximately 1” back from the true apex of the frog/lines up with the widest point of the sole/and where the bars terminate. This also corresponds with the insertion of the DDFT into the coffin bone and always falls under the articulating surface of the coffin joint and thus acts as a good reference point for building mechanics around.

Purple Line = Point of Breakover (POB). This is the pivot point the foot rotates around during the breakover phase of the stride just as the heels leave the ground.

Green Line = Approximate tip of the coffin bone

Orange Line = True apex of the frog

Pink Line = Length of the Central Sulkus. We use this length to help determine the true apex of the frog and the location of the tip of P3 by taking this length and running forward from the WPOTF which in most horses is between 1.5”-1.75”

Blue Line = Dimple Line and the most caudal weight bearing

Yellow Lines = Dorsal/Palmar Balance. The goal here is to have more ground bearing surface behind than in front. In this case we have an approximately 43/57 split.

Understanding Toe Distortion & Why Long Toes Are So HarmfulHere’s a great example of what happens when the hoof capsule ...
11/27/2025

Understanding Toe Distortion & Why Long Toes Are So Harmful

Here’s a great example of what happens when the hoof capsule begins to creep forward. In the photo, you can see the toe migrating ahead of the widest point of the foot (black line), the distorted heels (blue arrow), the ideal postion for the heels (red arrow) and the “dimple” or most caudal weight bearing aspect of the foot.

When the toe gets too long:

- Breakover is delayed, which increases strain on the tendons, joints, and the navicular area.
-The laminae get pulled and stretched, weakening the white line.
-The heels are dragged forward and collapse, reducing frog and digital cushion support.
-The foot loses its natural shock absorption and starts landing inconsistently and often toe first.

Regular, balanced trimming keep the hoof balanced with the internal structures—so the whole limb can function the way it’s meant to.

Here is an example of how forward distortion takes place over times. This occurs generally due to infrequent trimming, l...
11/23/2025

Here is an example of how forward distortion takes place over times. This occurs generally due to infrequent trimming, lack of natural wear, or conformation stress. Poorly balanced shoeing can make this worse—if a shoe doesn’t account for the hoof’s internal structure, the toe can’t wear back to its proper position naturally and distortion is exaggerated.

This extra leverage causes a resistance in breakover and adds strain to tendons, joints, and the hoof wall. Regular balanced trims as well as shoeing that respect the hoof’s internal structure help prevent hoof distortion and keep the feet functioning properly.

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1013 N Mallard Lane
Camano Island, WA
98282

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+13605513736

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