Daybreak Hoof Care

27/04/2024

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04/04/2024

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14/11/2023

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I want to talk about something that is not only near and dear to me, but also something I see weekly with clients… compromised hooves as one of the main root causes of pain in your horse.

You don't need to have the desire to trim or shoe your own horse, but I feel it is critical for you as an owner to understand some basics and be an Advocate for Your Horse. I want to empower you with knowledge to ask questions and work with your wellness team to do the very best you can for your horse.

I’m not a hoof care professional, so I want this to come from an equine integrated body worker’s perspective. The long and the short of it is, if the angles of the hooves are not correct, it effects the horse’s WHOLE BODY.

For now, let’s talk about what “out of balance” means. For this post, we are referring to the medial/lateral balance of the hoof as well as the bony alignment of the hoof. A happy hoof will land either flat, or in a heel first manner when moving more forward. The horse’s foot was designed to dissipate energy through the back of the hoof. If they are consistently landing toe/heel instead of heel/toe, damage to plantar bones (bones of the hoof and lower/distal part of the leg), ligaments, tendons, and more can occur.

Here’s a tip: video your horse with the Slo-Mo feature on your phone. Have someone lead your horse (gravel or concrete is ideal) at a pretty forward walk and take the video from the side. When you replay it, how is your horse landing? If they’re landing toe/heel, their body is not functioning properly.

Front Hooves: What parts of the horse’s body are being negatively impacted when the front hooves aren’t balanced???

Let’s review, when the hoof is not consistently landing heel/toe, damage to bones of the hoof and lower/distal part of the leg), ligaments, tendons, and more can occur.

If the improper balance is causing heel pain, your horse’s body will naturally determine a better way to move to avoid the pain. For the front end, we are primary talking about the thoracic cavity including the shoulders, sternum, and ribcage. If your horse has under run heels, or a Negative Palmar Angle, the lower leg will be slightly caudal (back). This will cause your horse to lean forward to rebalance their body. This leaning forward action creates excessive tension in all the muscles throughout the entire thoracic sling. It causes the ribcage to drop, which makes is really hard to lift their back, and encourages the back to hollow out. This also causes incorrect use of the tendons and ligaments in the leg which can lead to tears and strains. Not to mention the havoc it wrecks on the fascial system (which can also affect the visceral system!)!

So, what are some performance issues you might see or feel from this?
- Limited range of motion in the front end
- Intermittent lameness
- Difficulty collecting to round the back
- Reluctance to make tight turns or spins
- Consistent muscle soreness (especially in the back) or tightness in the shoulders
- Uncomfortable and unsquared neutral posture when standing

If your horse continues to perform in an unbalanced state, their body will develop a strong compensation pattern. When this occurs, it is important to have a team of professionals working together. This will involve your vet, hoof care professional, neuromuscular dentist, and body worker. With teamwork, your horse can become healthy and whole again.

It is important to recognize that you must address ALL the systems of your horse effected. Just doing one piece will not fully bring your horse back to balance and wholeness.

What should you do if you suspect your horse has a compromised hoof? Speak with your vet and hoof care professional. Request x-rays be taken, have your horse's tooth balance evaluated by a neuromuscular dentist, work with a certified body worker who address the whole horse, and collaborate with the team to develop a plan.

This is a great resource to learn more about what a healthy hoof is and options for correction:

https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/

Stay tuned for:

No Hoof = No Horse, Hind Hooves!

Would you like to receive articles like this sent directly to your inbox? Please visit my website to sign-up:
http://www.horseandriderhealing.com

23/06/2023

Why do ‘cresty’ necks suddenly go rock hard?

This information is relevant and useful to people who own horses with Equine Metabolic Syndrome and are in danger of laminitis or whose horses are intermittently ‘footy’. Understanding this has helped with rehabilitating, not only all the ponies at Jen Heperi’s Mini-HaHa Rescue Haven but many more horses and ponies all around the world.

We learned from Dr Deb Bennett PhD (who has conducted many dissections), that “the horse's "crest" is made of fibro-fatty sub-cutaneous (adipose) tissue similar in texture to high-density foam”.

Have you ever wondered how it is that the ‘crest’ of the neck can harden so rapidly? Sometimes overnight?

The actual reason is because it goes ‘turgid’ (it fills with fluid). Like foam, the crest tissue can take up water like a sponge; so it swells and hardens because fluid ‘leaks’ into it, filling the interstitial spaces until it is hard as a rock, and ‘softens’ when electrolyte balances are corrected thereby allowing fluid to be resorbed.

When the crest swells with edema, other parts of the horse's body like the abdomen and the hooves (significantly the digital cushion is made of similar material, it is a thick wedge of fibro-fatty subcutaneous tissue) -- are liable to be in trouble, too.

Hardening of the ‘crest’ coincides with not only spring and autumn growth spurts but also potassium and nitrogen spikes in autumn and winter grasses. It coincides with early signs of laminitis which are ‘stiffening’ of gait and being ‘footy’.

It is a sure indication that one cause of ‘pasture related laminitis’ is as much to do with mineral imbalances, (particularly potassium and nitrogen excesses concurrent with salt deficit) as sugars and starches. It explains why short Autumn grass can cause laminitis when analysis shows soluble sugars + starch content is only 7.5% while potassium is 3.4%, sodium only 0.154%, nitrogen 5.8%, nitrates 2290mgs/kg (far too high, in mature grass/hay they are undetectable).
It is one of the many reasons clover is such a ‘no-no’ for EMS/laminitis equines and a likely explanation why there are some insulin resistant/elevated insulin horses that can't tolerate Lucerne (alfalfa) and is why Lucerne can perpetuate laminitis when everything else is being done ‘right’.

People who own horses with EMS are aware they need to pay attention to this vital sign: that just before a horse has a bout of laminitis, the normally soft and spongy crest stands up firm and hard. Then they can immediately reduce potassium/nitrogen intake by eliminating short, green grass replacing it with soaked hay and make sure they add salt to feeds and not rely on a salt lick. If action is taken quickly enough in these early stages, laminitis can be averted, you can ‘dodge a bullet’.

Soaking hay for about an hour not only reduces sugars but also reduces potassium levels by 50%.

Therefore a very important aspect of EMS and laminitis is that identifying and addressing mineral imbalances (particularly high potassium/nitrogen & low salt) are equally as important as sugar and starch content when rehabilitating individuals and assessing suitability of forage for these compromised equines.

20/06/2023

This is so important!

28/04/2023

Grass season is here

Please don't let your ponies, donkeys and at risk horses experience this painful consequence. If grass is the only option, consider a grazing muzzle or sectioning it off with temporary fencing.

Edit: photo is showing the result of repeated laminitis causing inflammation and separation of the lamina (the attachment of the wall to the coffin bone within the hoof capsule) and subsequent founder. There are several causes of laminitis, high sugar content in grass is one of the main ones. Certain equines are more at risk than others.

26/03/2023

Once, a client remarked how good their horse was standing for me because she had bit and kicked the last farrier. I was on the third hoof.

Once, a client told me their horse had "gone through a few farriers." Another farrier told me later that horse kicked their tools halfway down the barn aisle.

Once, I finished trimming and the owner said "wow, I didn't want to tell you this until we were done, but he kicks."

Once, I had a horse kick out while I was working on their front feet. Owner was upset I wouldn't trim the hinds. I told them to go pick up a hind and show me how they do it. They got kicked in the process.

Once, or twice, or ten times, I asked a potential client upfront if their horse stood well for the farrier, scheduled a first appointment, and then found out that is a lie.

These are the stories that flash through my head when people complain about farrier prices or difficulty in finding farriers.

Our job entails a lot of work - administrative work, continuing education, hoofcare, communication, our own inner work to remain present and soft in the presence of horses....

I place my safety in the hands of other people to a certain degree every time someone holds a horse for me. The horse(s) and owner are a package deal. If you don't have your farrier's safety and best interest at heart, you should understand what really goes into this career.

It is never, ever worth it to work in conditions that give you a bad feeling. I have made mistakes and nearly gotten seriously injured a few times when I ignored my gut instinct and kept on going.

If your horse is struggling to stand safely for your hoofcare provider, ask them for suggestions. Have the vet out. Hire a trainer. Handle their feet regularly yourself. Offer pain meds or sedation for appts if needed.

Farriers need to work smarter, not harder, for our work to be sustainable and we can only do that if the client is interested in being a part of the team.

~Corrie

16/07/2022

21/12/2021

I know many of us horse owners and hoofcare providers have seen the conversations about iron in a horse's diet, and the potential effect on hooves. Before we get too into the nitty gritty of diet and the hoof, I want to back up and look at a horse’s needs, based on the NRC Requirements. Hooves are so often a reflection of the health of the animal, and to make sure a horse can grow the healthiest hoof possible, we need to make sure they are meeting all their nutrient and mineral requirements. Thank you to Dr. Gustafson for helping me understand this a bit better myself!

MINERALS IN FORAGE- are they sufficient?
From Dr. Gustafson’s database of hay testing, she found that out of 250+ samples of forages tested, 97.8% were deficient in zinc, 95.2% were deficient in copper, 12% were deficient in manganese, and 0% were deficient in iron. That means that just from hay, a horse could consume the daily requirement for iron, or sometimes far exceed it. On the other hand, horses rarely if ever meet their requirements for copper and zinc from their forage. That alone is a problem - one that grains and feeds rarely correct well, since so many horses can't handle or aren't fed the recommended daily amount of grains, often due to lower calorie needs or hoof issues preventing owners from feeding grains with sugar and starch above 10% combined. So horses are often walking around with frank deficiencies of minor minerals- copper and zinc to be exact.
But, many feed companies make a ration balancer to handle the caloric issue and they have a much more concentrated nutrients at a much lower feeding rate, you say! Sounds great, right? But here’s the catch: they often add iron, and sometimes a lot of it. We will talk about the issue with this in a second.

IRON AFFECTING COPPER AND ZINC ABSORPTION
On top of the fact that horses are walking around with copper and zinc deficiencies, the frank deficiency is worsened with a relative deficiency from iron - since we know that iron inhibits the uptake of copper and zinc. Dr. Piper Klemm has studied iron chelation extensively for her dissertation, and actually chatted with me on her podcast about why excess iron inhibits the uptake of copper and zinc in the body, and the horse has no natural way to chelate iron (other than bloodletting). Iron competes with copper and zinc absorption in the body, and copper and zinc are needed for healthy hooves.

BUT IS IRON REALLY ABSORBED?
Now, there are some groups that tend to say that iron isn't absorbed well or isn't bioavailable in various forms. While this would be wonderful- it just doesn't seem to work out well in practice. Aside from the fact that many hoofcare providers can show bloodwork on personal or client horses with high serum iron, TIBC, and ferritin, and have horses with diagnosed iron overload, article after article online shows how horses rarely if ever have an iron deficiency (in fact, iron deficiency anemia is almost unheard of in horses). So they are clearly getting their dietary iron from somewhere. One study linked below shows 22 equines on a property with high iron in the water, and each horse was found to have excessive iron stores and liver issues.

BUT ISN'T IRON REGULATED IN THE BODY?
Yes, hepcidin does regulate iron in the body, but unfortunately this can go awry if it is overwhelmed with excessive iron supply (Equine Applied and Clinical Nutrition, 2013). Couple that with the fact that horses with metabolic issues may also have problems with hepcidin and iron regulation, we can assume that not all horses are regulating iron properly.

DOES IRON CAUSE METABOLIC ISSUES?
In short- we can't claim that. And no one is trying to claim that. Let me explain.
Dr. Kellon and Dr. Gustafson published a study last year of hyperinsulinemia and hyperferritinemia in horses. They found that every single horse in their study, all hyperinsulemic horses, had serum ferritin that exceeded the reference range. They did NOT say that iron causes metabolic issues, or laminitis, though.
There is a CORRELATION between high iron and hyperinsulemic horses. I want to be clear that correlation does not mean causation so I’m not saying that high iron CAUSES metabolic issues, but it seems that metabolic horses may sequester iron, which can lead to a host of issues.
Another study in 2012 using horses (actually hoping to compare to rhinos) found the same correlation - high ferritin levels at peak insulin concentrations after dextrose administration. They even mention captive rhino diets are higher in iron, that the captive rhinos have more fat stores, and they are moving less. I’d say that is similar in domesticated horses compared to feral/wild. The issue here is hay is often high in iron, or at least not deficient in iron as Dr. Gustafson’s database mentioned, and some places also have high iron water, and then people will sometimes feed iron supplements or grain that has iron added. There is no "shortage" of iron in the equine diet. And we know that iron inhibits the uptake of copper and zinc, which is needed for healthy hooves.

SO WHAT CAN DO ABOUT THIS?
So what do we do for horses to ensure that they are getting all the minerals they need for a healthy hoof? Well, we know that feeding at least the NRC amounts of minerals is important for whole horse health and therefore hoof health, and often it can be a minefield, since feeding an excess of one mineral can affect absorption of another mineral. Dr. Kellon has a running field study (over 2 decades now) cataloguing owners practicing tight mineral balancing on metabolic horses, tracked on the ECIR online database of case histories. From there, we have seen that this mineral balancing over time, for example keeping an iron:copper:zinc:manganese ratio of 4:1:3:3, helps to balance for possible dietary iron excesses or at least meet mineral deficiencies, observed through hoof changes, bloodwork, and comfort over time. Many of us have seen a direct result of healthier feet, tighter white line, increased comfort, when doing this. I’m sure many of us could talk for hours about the improvements we have seen in feet when mineral balancing- anecdotally of course! And interestingly enough, there was a study in 1999 that even suggested that supplementing copper and zinc can help with the susceptibility to white line disease (Pollitt quoted this study in 2005).

Since the safe upper tolerable limits of copper and zinc are much higher than we would ever supplement, and since some hays almost hit the safe upper limits for iron, I'd say it's fairly cheap, easy, and safe to avoid added dietary iron and try testing hay (I use EquiAnalytical), and balancing copper and zinc in the diet. You just might be surprised at the results you see in the body, coat, and feet 😊

A few things to explore:

Iron issues in metabolic horses: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32042647/

The rhino study, using an equine model: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23156707/

Iron overload in horses: https://forageplustalk.co.uk/iron-overload-in-horses-by-dr-kellon/

Iron issues in water and liver issues:
https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evj.13029

Balancing copper and zinc to iron: https://www.hoofrehab.com/Diet.html

Podcast episode where Piper Klemm and I discuss iron and copper and zinc here: https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2021/10/22/plaidcast-252-michael-tokaruk-alicia-harlov-by-taylor-harris-insurance-services/

Podcast episode with nutritionist Scott Cieslar discussing iron and mineral balancing here: https://madbarn.com/videos/mad-about-hooves-scott-cieslar-on-nutrition-for-hoof-health-the-humble-hoof/

Podcast episode with Sally Hugg here, for more basic information: https://thehumblehoof.com/2023/08/08/nutrition-and-the-hoof/

I also have a webinar which spends 40 min on nutrition and the hoof here: https://youtu.be/RUKjGgoKnyw

This webinar includes case studies/pictures.

29/11/2021

Love this

Whenever we’re faced with our first weeks of minus temperatures, the questions start rolling in about whether—or not—to blanket horses. I don’t have all the answers but I can tell you this: I trust a great deal in common sense.

I blanket: cold horses… wet or shivery horses… clipped or slicked-off horses… those that are losing condition or who are hard-keepers… those who do not have enough room in their turnout pens to stay warm… horses who are feeling ‘off’ or are recovering from sickness… those who have been newly turned out to pasture after years of being stabled... those kept in strenuous work.

Many times, these horses only need blanketing for a spell of bad weather, before returning to their natural state.

I do not blanket: overweight horses or native breeds of ponies, as dealing with cold gives them a much-needed metabolic reset… or those who are hairy, healthy and in good flesh, no matter their ages.

I watch my horses and pay attention. I do not colour my decisions by the size of the cheques that purchased them, or the fact that I do not particularly enjoy winter. Their comfort is my guide.

I find that previously stabled horses will come to me in the yard, tucked up and shivering, for their blankets. I help them, of course but find that over the next few years, they will acclimatize, growing fat and hairy and eventually, wanting nothing to do with being rugged up. This is good news and proves again that it can take three years for horses to fully adapt to ‘turned out’ life. Being turned out is a far different scenario than having ‘turnout’, a point that many of us don’t yet understand.

Common sense can tell us when our harder doers are needing help. Older horses who are beginning to outlive their teeth require us to be watchful. Once they start losing condition, it is an extremely hard trend to reverse. A warm horse needs far less feed to stay in shape.

Many hard keepers, it seems to me, are dealing with either ulcers or nervous digestive upset. So, what do we tend to do? We bring them in and feed the dickens out of them with hot, commercial feeds. Their bowels turn watery and despite our best efforts, they grow fretful. Their weight continues to fall off. I’ve learned that if I can keep these horses warm and turned out with the greater herd, they will happily thrive with free-choice grass and hay on which to pick.

I don’t leave my horses blanketed for long periods. The pressure most heavy blankets exert on the top of the withers—whether or not they are high-necked (which is best) or cut-back—paired with the pressure on the points of the shoulders, will actually shorten their free range of movement over time. If and when I have rugged up horses, I am committing to spending a certain amount of time checking and resetting these blankets, daily. I do not wrap them up and then, forget about them.

Horses always appreciate a chance to roll and stretch without their blankets, to have a good itch and to graze without any pressure on their fronts. If it warms up a bit, my few blanketed horses will have their clothing pulled, going for the midday hours au naturel.

Too many horses are left wearing winter weight rugs when the need has long passed.

Keeping turnout rugs in good repair can get expensive. Some horses will honour their blankets and these will look like new after months or years of wear… Other ruffians require a rotating wardrobe whilst I run around looking for torn-off surcingles and leg straps.

Blankets, even the best of them, can come with their share of hazards.

One day, calling the horses up to the yard, I could see Pilot standing off alone along the far fence line, while the rest of the herd raced in. He stayed behind, motionless, and the pit in my stomach told me to make haste and go out to him. Good thing I did, for the big gelding had snapped himself by the front of his blanket to a half-mile of barbed wire fence. I was lucky that day. I’m very careful, any more, to make sure the front snaps open towards, and not away from, a horse's chest.

Do I prefer to keep my horses unblanketed? Yes! Am I too proud or set in my ways to offer blankets with horses that could use the help? Nope, no matter the scientific studies and opinions passed around online.

Rather, I have learned that very old or thin horses are cold horses… and when the temperatures dive, cold horses need a lot more feed. Remember, too, that wet or windy cold is a far different scenario than dry, still cold. Shelter is everything. If our horses can’t get out of freezing rain or fierce winds, they can drop an alarming amount of weight. Depending on the individual horse, this may, or may not, be a good thing.

Using ordinary common sense, staying watchful, I’ve been able to bring my fat horses through the winters, slim and healthy, while my hard-doers can make it to springtime, just round enough.

Some days, some of my horses need blanketing. Most days, most of my horses do not.

***

PS: If you've time for a virtual coffee, I'd be grateful, thanks.
buymeacoffee.com/horsewoman

24/11/2021

12/11/2021

For the want of frog contact…

We have all heard the old saying “for want of a horseshoe nail the war was lost”

But I have my own version..

“For want of frog contact the haemodynamic system was compromised.
Because of a compromised haemodynamic system, natural viscoelastic deformation was affected.
Because of reduced natural viscoelastic deformation, and hydraulic dampening, shock absorption was inefficient.
Because of inefficient shock absorption, negative morphology ensued.
Because of negative morphology increased flexor strain was created.
Because of increased flexor strain a predisposition to pathology began.”

Ok so it doesn’t have the same ring to it but the point remains consistent.
The frog and palmar/plantar hoof structures are a vital part of whole horse health and biomechanics. It can be the beat of the butterfly wing that creates a hurricane somewhere else in the horses body completely!
Seemingly little things that have become normality, contracted, thrushy, deformed, under-utilised or bypassed frogs are having potentially deadly repercussions.

The image below is my representation of an optimal haemodynamic system. Utilising all 3 of Bowkers haemodynamic theories.
To do this it needs to have the structures making up the haemodynamic system working in unity.

Watch the recent webinar where we have an anatomy lesson, dissect and discuss in depth the importance of this system and compare and contrast strong and weak systems..

https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/product-page/haemodynamic-webinar