23/10/2025
When Trims "Go Wrong"
A handful of years ago, I had a rehab case that came with a lot of internal pathology - including tendon damage, ligament tears, and navicular bone damage. Surprisingly, even with all the internal damage, this horse was fairly sound and the owner was able to ride him regularly, walk/trot/canter.
At one appointment, I had a hoofcare friend help look at his feet, because angles and appearance wise, I still wasn't quite happy with how they LOOKED. (This is probably where I went wrong... function over form is my now-motto!). This INCREDIBLE hoofcare friend - who has helped more horses rehab and become sound than I've even seen in my life - worked with me on this horse, and we were able to get his angles perfect based on radiographs, and his hoof to look beautiful.
And yet, almost instantly this horse went lame.
After years of internal issues and pathology, he couldn't handle having a "perfect looking foot." I should have known better not to try to force him to, when he was already comfortable and doing well.
I am so thankful that at that time, Cavallo Hoof Boots willingly sent out a pair of boots for FREE to help this horse become comfortable. He was much better in them, and we were able to put pads inside to allow for some extra "cushion."
And this is where I learned two important lessons:
1. Don't ever force a horse's hoof to fit your ideals - ask them how they feel about the decision each step of the way
2. Always have hoof boots on hand to ensure comfort in rehab cases
While I am sorry that this horse was sore after what we had done, he taught me those valuable lessons, and I am thankful that I could take that, and move forward to make sure I make better choices in the future.
Our Podiatry Clinic is coming up this weekend, and I wanted to give a HUGE shout out to Cavallo Hoof Boots for sponsoring it! While the clinic itself is sold out, we do still have a "livestream" option that will be available to purchase up through Friday; the link will be in the comments below.
