07/01/2024
Donkey trim all the way in the siskyous
The Happy Hoof
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Now serving southern Oregon as a barefoot trimmer.
15/12/2023
The big nip 😱
It's been a year with this donkey. Lots of ups and downs. I thought her back feet would always be really messed up but they came around.
16/11/2023
What am I doing?
My best.
This donkey has come a long way but still has some more to go. Her back feet still looked bad to me so I consulated some other professionals. Got some advice to help this donkey even more next time.
18/10/2023
Mustangs are incredible. This mare was overgrown and even with me not being able to complete the job, her feet bounced back immediately. Nip and light rasp on the fronts and only nipping on the hinds. But you probably couldn't tell that from her hooves!
16/08/2023
No shoes no problem for this back country mule!
16/08/2023
A good little mule
07/05/2023
Can you tell if your horse is affected by the sugars in the grass this spring?
Do you know the signs of mild laminitic issues?
They might not be what you think! Not every case will have heat and pulses, they may not react to hoof testers, and may not be leaning back in the “founder stance.” So what do we look for?
A GREAT summary can be found on safergrass.org, but I will paraphrase it here.
Early signs of hoof inflammation or laminitic pain can be VERY subtle.
🚩Your horse may be totally fine at the walk, but in turn out, may choose to trot when they would normally canter, or one who usually trots like a dressage horse may start jogging like a western pleasure horse.
🚩They may start “lagging behind” their herd mates in turn out or if ridden on a group ride.
🚩 Your horse is more comfortable on soft ground than hard ground, especially where a difference wasn’t noticeable before.
🚩Your horse may seemingly “not want to work” or seem more “lazy” than normal
🚩Your horse may only be slightly off at the trot in hand and only in one direction, usually with the more sore foot to the inside. And yes, they may only seem lame on one foot!
🚩Your horse may not bend inside as well under saddle to the side with the more sore front foot.
🚩 They are more careful about where they put their feet and may “notice the ground more.”
🚩They may turn a little slower, and instead of crossing one leg over another on a sharp turn (like in a barn aisle) may instead shuffle their feet sideways to make the turn.
🚩 They “just don’t move out like they normally do.”
Because of these subtle signs, mild laminitis is often mistaken for laziness, or blamed on arthritis. Many of these problems will disappear on good, soft footing.
Just because your horse is moving better on soft footing does not mean things are okay! Even with using a shoeing package or hoof protection for comfort, these alone do not stop the laminitic damage within the foot. With the pain masked without addressing the trigger, internal damage can be done without the owner realizing the extent.
If there is any chance that your horse is exhibiting even “just” mild laminitis, do not force exercise until the cause is addressed. Even in hand work can lead to further laminae damage.
90% of laminitis is endocrinopathic - meaning due to a metabolic concern- and this time of year the grass can lead to many problems for these horses. Removing the trigger should resolve the pain fairly quickly. If they are still painful, keep looking for the cause! Bloodwork, diet changes, and removal from grass is necessary in these active metabolic cases. When caught and managed well, these horses can recover to soundness and go on to lead healthy, sound, productive lives, with management to mitigate further issues in the future.
And as always, Ecirhorse.org is an amazing resource if you are in a laminitic crisis.
29/04/2023
Feeling more comfortable every trim
23/04/2023
First photo: trotting barefoot on rocky ground
Second photo: trotting barefoot on soft ground
Third photo: trotting with a full set of composite shoes on rocky ground.
A little protection can go a long way for the horse's comfort.
16/03/2023
Are you preparing for Spring?
- sugar rich green grass grows from April to as late as June sometimes. This time of the year is when laminitis and founder is at most high risk of occurring.
- The most high risk are ponies, donkeys, mini horses, insulin resistance (IR) horses, and Cushing/PPID horses.
- A horse can be IR without knowing it. Best to treat all horses as IR this time of the year.
- Sugar levels peak at 3pm in grass. Avoid letting horses on grass in the afternoon. Night or early morning is the most ideal time to graze a horse.
- Dry lot or stall during the time of day when sugar levels are at the highest (afternoon) is ideal.
- Grazing muzzles are great tool for this time of the year.
- shorter and heavily grazed grass is stressed. The sugar levels are higher than longer grass.
- Watch for early signs of laminitis or founder. This can be foot sore, fatty neck, heat in the hoof, horse standing parked out on the fronts, and an elevated digital pulse.
Keep your horses safe! Founder in extreme cases can be life threatening.
14/03/2023
Happy National Women's Day! 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼 Female Farriers ROCK! (the guys do too, but today we celebrate WOMEN!). If you are interested in a career as a farrier (regardless of gender!) reach out to learn about options!
13/03/2023
The more I work with hooves, the more I realize that one of the main issues that plagues feet is lack of movement.
Not genetics, not necessarily "the right trim," not a too wet environment, not a too dry environment, but lack of movement.
So how can we get our horses moving more - as they are designed to do - for their hoof health, as well as their mental, physical, and even social health too?
Amy Dell-Anthony of Abbotts View Livery: Barefoot and Back to Nature sat down with me and chatted about horse track systems, and the benefits she sees having run a track system boarding facility/livery. We talk about hoof benefits, but also overall benefits to this kind of set up.
You can hear the whole conversation on your favorite podcast app under "The Humble Hoof" or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2023/03/10/horse-track-systems/amp/
Also check out Amy's book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horse-Track-Systems-Guide-Healthier/dp/0993504833
Thank you to our sponsors:
Equithrive offers supplements for everything from metabolic health to joint support - get 20% off your first order at equithrive.com with code HUMBLEHOOF
Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 20% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN
13/03/2023
Bullnose on a large standard donkey.
First photo October
Recent photo March
I don't take full credit for this! Good movement is the key to getting rid of the negative plantar or palmar angel. Building a good digital cushion through the frog making contact with the ground.
07/03/2023
A full set of glue ons
26/02/2023
HOOFCARE ISN'T CARPENTRY
Listen, we need to talk about trim. I may get some heat for this, but I feel pretty passionate about it.
I see a lot of cult-style followings of various "gurus" and hoofcare providers and it makes me feel a bit ... "icky." To be clear, I think it's incredibly important to learn from others and have mentors in the field - especially learning from those that have seen more hooves and more cases than we have. There's always something to learn!
Now I am going to say this next statement with the utmost love possible: if you think one trim will work for every hoof and every horse, you likely haven't seen enough horses/hooves yet, or maybe haven't seen horses in different environments yet.
And the reason I say that I say that with love is - that was me. When I first started I thought I knew it all and had a trim for every horse and thought I would know what to do in every case I came to. I got humbled real quick (no pun intended!).
Not to mention, if you have years and years of experience and think one trim approach will work for every horse, it's possible you're ignoring soreness or discomfort post-trim.
You can't just apply the same trim to every hoof, and if you think you can, you likely aren't doing the best for each hoof.
There are all kinds of "camps" and methodologies when it comes to hoofcare, and some people get pretty zealous about a particular style or way of doing things. I assume if they are that passionate about it they've seen it work. But has it worked just for their horse? Just for one horse? Just for a group of horses in one spot? In one environment? Under similar management? And if not under similar management, are the feet looking the way they want - to the detriment of the comfort of the horse?
These are all questions I ask when I see specific trim "methods."
Ultimately, the horse is our final judge, and they will let us know if we are doing the right thing. If you are seeing comfort and soundness, then I applaud you! But if you're sticking to a vision or an ideal, despite discomfort, it might be time for a re-evaluation.
17/02/2023
Progress on a mini donkey with severe founder.
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