22/10/2024
🙌CAN YOU RECOGNISE A HEALTHY HOOF? AND SHOULD YOU?🙌
And therefore can you recognise the signs your horse is at risk of developing pathology, pain and lameness?
Join me in a live webinar on 28th October at 7pm for a deep dive into signs your horse may be at risk of developing hind limb lameness. Tickets and full description here: https://www.holisticequine.co.uk/event-details/recognising-signs-your-horse-may-be-at-risk-of-hind-limb-lameness-how-to-prevent-it
Lets play "spot the difference" between these two drawings representing two radiographs highlighting the phalangeal alignment, hoof-pastern axis and base proportions around the centre of rotation of the coffin joint. Also highlighted is the capsule outline and deep digital flexor tendon.
By modern podiatry and farriery standards, studying hoof morphology (form and function), as well as the relationship this holds to the rest of the limb and body, the hoof on the left is considered ‘ideal’ or healthy. In a nutshell, there is bony column alignment, with space for healthy development of the caudal hoof, sole and the tendons and ligaments in and above the digit too.
Long toes and low heels = lack of ideal phalangeal (bony column) alignment. The science, and my own studies (and gut instincts) tell me this is directly related to pathological posture and development as well as pathology in the hoof, limb and body. So why do so many horses have hooves like the one on the right?
My post (BSc Equine Technology) graduate career with horses started with teaching riding, then training horses, then rehabilitation of horses. After realising this was not working, I studied the healing arts including body work and shortly after this, advanced podiatry, while observing our own herd of 8 on a track and equicentral system we created (before these were popular).
I documented both body and hooves before and after hoof care, biody work and changes in stimulus, and noticing how different trimming approaches or interventions would lend itself with different resting posture, and development, as well as the incidence of other diseases. I tested many trimming techniques, and realised helping horse find neutral posture through bony column alignment was key to helping horses find healthy posture and symmetry.
In January 2023, I met a compassionate equine healer and educator Yasmin Stuart Equine Physio, and this resulted in me studying with Celeste-Leilani Lazaris to become a Lazaris nerve release practitioner, and alongside the human well-being coherence techniques I learned and practice, this evolved my work greatly and my integrative approach is successful in helping horses find safety and comfort in a world where bracing, tension, and pathology has become the norm.
I want you to know what I know so you dont have to study and sacrifice for decades to help horses find safety in their own bodies.
Harm is being done to horses through practices which create the very diseases we all fight so hard to treat. So let’s prevent them, and start working towards healing in horses already compromised, usually by mans intervention.
Join me in a live webinar on 28th October at 7pm for a deep dive into signs your horse may be at risk of developing hind limb lameness. Info on how to purchase the 2 hour recording here: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1077914097645418&id=100062805141815
www.holisticequine.co.uk - promoting and supporting compassionate equestrianism for the benefit of all 🙏💚🐴
