Hazelrun Hoof Care

10/02/2023

Supplements, creams, and hoof treatments:

When I was still trimming for the public, people would often ask me if I recommended any supplements, creams, or hoof moisturizers. My standard response was "don't put crap on my feet!"

Now, proper nutrition is important and if you have tested your hay and your feed and had determined there is an important nutrient significantly deficient, obviously supplement! But as far as all the hoof supplements out there touted to give you better feet, don't waste your money. That is my humble opinion.

Most basic hoof problems follow a simple formula:
Not using the back of the foot = not fully pumping the blood = stale blood = not enough nutrients/oxygen getting to the tissues in the foot.

This creates a whole host of problems, not the least of which is the dry, cracked, crumbly hoof wall we see all too often in domestication.

There is an alternate formula:
Using the back of the foot = fresh blood with every step full of nutrients and oxygen = strong, waxy, good quality horn

If you are just starting a barefoot journey with your horse and either you or your farrier are prioritizing the full use of the back part of the foot, give it a year before you decide to supplement. I bet you will be surprised at the quality of hoof your horse can produce when the tissues are getting the proper circulation.

(pictured - wild horse foot)

08/02/2023

Q: Is barefoot right for my horse?

A: Shoes limit the natural flexion of the hoof and thereby compromise the circulation to the soft tissues of the foot. Over time, this can cause a dead, dry, crumbly hoof wall and an associated atrophy of the soft tissues inside.

The reduction in natural flexion by shoes is also what can cause a lame horse to go sound with shoes on. If the internal structures are weak, underdeveloped, or damaged, then less flexion makes it feel better.

Barefoot trimming is much like physical therapy. The goal is to challenge the weak and underdeveloped tissues just enough to cause them to strengthen and become functional, but not over-stress them and cause damage. Most people have experienced physical therapy at some point in their lives and it doesn't always feel good! Challenging weak tissues to become stronger is not fun! But over time, the tissues become stronger and functional.

This is by no means an excuse for a barefoot trimmer to make horses sore! It's very important that your practitioner understand the function of the foot on a deep level. An eighth of an inch makes a difference to a horse and that's equivalent to one rasp stroke with a sharp rasp!

The question above is better stated, is physical therapy right for my horse? That becomes a more clear question. If your horse has an acute injury of some kind (deep wire cut involving the soft tissues of the foot, puncture to the sole or frog with wire or nail, tear in the DDFT, etc.), then maybe barefoot isn't right for the horse right away. Perhaps limiting the flexion of the foot (think casting a broken bone) is the correct form of treatment in the acute stages. But almost every acute phase of injury is followed by a regimen of physical therapy to repair and build damaged and atrophied tissues. You don't just leave the cast on for the rest of your life!

Physical therapy of the foot is right for all horses at some point in their journey.
Where is your horse in his journey?

Pictured: Sound gelding with an old injury to the hoof wall. This was the most extreme example I had seen at the time. He was sound barefoot and was used on trails.

08/02/2023

David is coming to Oklahoma in March for a Hoof Building Clinic! This is an amazing opportunity to get information from one of the true masters. If you are trying to learn about feet, this is the perfect event for you!

23/06/2021

The first course is in the books! Thanks to everyone that attended and followed along with the lecture videos! For those that have taken the course, I will be holding open trim nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5-7pm. The cost is $40. You can come and practice on my horses and I will be there to guide you and answer questions. The hands-on tutorial videos will be next!

24/05/2021

The first class video is posted and the second class is being uploaded. Teaching these classes is lots of fun! Looking forward to this week's classes.

19/02/2021

Anatomy of the equine hoof:

Here is some internal anatomy and physiology of the hoof.

Coffin Bone: This bone is also referred to as P3. It is the bone that sits down inside the hoof capsule. When a veterinarian talks about a horse having "rotation" during a founder episode, this is the bone they are describing. I would like you to notice that the front third of the coffin bone does not have any soft tissue between it and the sole. This is an important observation for later installments and explanations.

The Short Pastern Bone: This bone is also referred to as P2 and forms part of the bony column that extends up the leg and creates the support structure for the horse. When farriers and vets refer to "there should be a straight line through the pastern and down the hoof wall" they are talking about the proper alignment of this bone relative to the coffin bone and the bone above it, the long pastern bone (which I did not mark in the photo)

Navicular Bone: This bone is a small sesamoid bone at the base of the juncture of the short pastern bone and the coffin bone. A sesamoid is a small bone that is embedded in a joint capsule or tendon. They function like pulleys, providing a smooth surface for the tendon to slide over and also helping regulate tension and stress on the tendon. The navicular bone is embedded in the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon (or DDFT).

Deep Digital Flexor Tendon: This tendon is attached to a muscle in the forearm and then inserts into the solar (bottom) surface of the coffin bone. It is responsible for flexing the coffin bone and aids in flexing both pastern bones.

Digital Cushion: This fibrous pad of soft tissue sits below the navicular bone and the back 2/3rds of the coffin bone. It is the primary means of absorbing/dissipating shock in the hoof. The digital cushion is this picture is fairly well developed. Many of our domestic horses have a much smaller/atrophied digital cushion which causes so many of our domestic hoof problems. More on that subject in future installments.

16/02/2021

Hazelrun Hoof Care was featured in a local horse magazine!

https://4legspublishing.com/magazines/OklahomaHorses-Magazine-January-2021/12/

This interactive publication is created with FlippingBook, a service for streaming PDFs online. No download, no waiting. Open and start reading right away!

23/09/2020

Bo (Quarter Horse)
Right Front
2018/2020 pre trim

28/10/2019

I am an experienced barefoot trimmer looking to take on new clients that are interested in developing their horse's to their full potential. Bring me your problem feet and let's fix them together. 4 week trim cycle. $45 per head. I work generally within OKC and surrounding areas. If I don't already come to your area, get some of your friends together. If you can provide me with 10 horses to trim, I will come to your area.

11/10/2019

11/10/2019

11/10/2019

08/10/2019

Welcome to my new Hoof Care page. I have been in horses nearly all my life. I am a full time barefoot trimmer, but I breed, raise, train, and sell old style Morgan horses for western performance events, ranch work, endurance, and english sports like dressage and eventing on the side (Hazelrun Morgans). I started trimming for myself in 2011. I had 40 head and decided to learn how to do it myself. I learned from Pete Ramey's books and videos. I officially started trimming for the public in 2015. I discovered David Landreville on Facebook and had him come to OKC for several private clinics. He revolutionized my trimming practice and I still use him as a mentor to this day. My trimming practice is a combination of technical skills, horsemanship skills, client education and consultation, and a deep and ever evolving knowledge of equine biomechanics, nutrition, and husbandry. My business is continuing to grow and I am looking to expand my ability to improve the welfare of the horse by adding more clients, more practitioners to my service and to move into some other research opportunities on barefoot conditioning and therapy for foot pathologies.

08/10/2019

Q: Why should I be interested in trying to make my domestic horse's feet like wild horse feet?

A: It is clear from the numerous studies and observations of wild horses that the hoof is amazingly adaptable. Wild or feral horses do not just exist in the dry, rocky conditions of the western United States. There are groups of unique wild or feral horses all over the world in many different types of environments and their feet are direct reflections of the available nutrition and the ground conditions. Not all wild horse feet fit the picture of the perfect bare foot! But what is clear is that by studying the horses in the arid, rocky areas, we see that it is possible for the horse to grow an amazing foot that is capable of withstanding extreme abuse! Wouldn't you like to have a horse whose feet could stand up to any kind of arena surface? Or any type of rocky trail? The study of wild and feral horses shows us that the blueprint for making that kind of foot is already in the equine DNA, it is just a matter of setting up the right conditions to allow those genes to turn on.

08/10/2019

Q:Why a 4 week trim cycle instead of the more common 6-8 week rotation?

A: Our goal with bare foot trimming is to simulate the natural wear that a horse's hoof would experience if they were living a more natural/nomadic lifestyle. That would mean small amounts of wear on a daily basis as the horse travels great distances in search of food and water. Since our domestic horses do not experience that same type of wear, their hooves become quickly over grown. When the hoof is over grown, this signals the walls to weaken, so they will "self trim" and break off. By the time chunks of hoof are breaking off, this weakening process has already been at work for some time. By using a 4 week rotation, we can trim the excess growth before the hoof wall begins to weaken thereby maintaining strong well connected growth at the quarters and the toe.