Hoofology (2025)

06/07/2025

Home Remedies in Hoof Care: The Evidence, the Myths, and the Misfires

When a hoof starts to smell, crack, or pulse with infection, many owners instinctively reach for what’s close to hand—whether from the feed room, the first-aid box, or someone else's well-meaning advice. Some of those go-to remedies have genuine merit. Others may do more harm than good.

This guide offers a clear-eyed look at commonly used home remedies in hoof care: what the science and experience say about their effectiveness, how they work, and when they’re best avoided.

Remedies That May Help (When Used Appropriately)

Epsom Salt (Magnesium Sulphate)

Often used for drawing out abscesses and easing inflammation. A warm foot soak with Epsom salts (15–20 minutes, once or twice daily) can assist in softening the sole and promoting drainage. Long-term use should be avoided, as excessive soaking can weaken the hoof capsule.

Chlorine Dioxide (e.g. White Lightning, CleanTrax)

A potent oxidising agent that disrupts microbial cell walls. Effective against both bacterial and fungal pathogens, particularly in deep-seated infections such as white line disease. Should be used in sealed soaking systems or vapour bags. Requires precise handling to avoid irritation to healthy tissue.

Zinc Sulphate (Buffered Solutions)

An antimicrobial agent with applications in early-stage thrush and white line disease. Buffered 1–2% solutions can be used as soaks or sprays with low risk to healthy tissue. May be used repeatedly as part of a longer-term management plan.

Copper Sulphate (Diluted or Buffered Formulations)

Copper sulphate is a strong antimicrobial, particularly when used in pastes, waxes, or clay formulations. However, when applied undiluted or packed in dry form, it becomes caustic. This can damage healthy sole and frog tissue, leading to retained necrotic layers that appear sound but may trap infection beneath. Buffered or diluted use, within a carrier, significantly reduces this risk and retains its effectiveness.

Apple Cider Vinegar (Diluted)

With mild antifungal and antibacterial properties, diluted apple cider vinegar (typically 10–20%) may help support surface-level hoof hygiene and discourage microbial overgrowth. It is not suitable for deep infections but may be useful for maintenance or in early-stage cases.

Honey (Raw or Medical-Grade Manuka)

Used in wound care for its antimicrobial and healing properties. Honey maintains moisture, supports tissue granulation, and inhibits microbial growth. In hoof care, it can be used for frog cracks, solar punctures, or superficial wounds—typically under a hoof boot or poultice for prolonged contact.

Sugardine (Granulated Sugar + Povidone-Iodine)

An old and effective dressing in abscess and wound care. The sugar acts as a hyperosmotic agent to draw out fluid, while the iodine provides antimicrobial activity. Best used short-term in abscesses or for shallow infections. Avoid in deep punctures or laminar damage due to iodine’s potential for irritation.

Clay Poultices (Green Clay, Kaolin, Bentonite)

Can help by drying and drawing infection from crevices, especially when combined with zinc or copper compounds. Often used in sulcus or white line voids. May support healing but should not be used as a primary treatment in advanced or deep infections.

Hoof Boots and Environmental Control

Protection and hygiene are critical. Hoof boots help retain topicals, reduce trauma, and maintain a clean environment. Dry, sanitary bedding and access to clean turnout are essential for any topical treatment to succeed.

Remedies Often Misused or Scientifically Unsupported

Neat Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite)

While bleach is a powerful disinfectant, it is non-selective and extremely damaging to living tissue. Its use on hooves risks chemical burns, inflammation, and delayed healing. Not recommended in any form for topical hoof application.

Hydrogen Peroxide (3% or higher)

May have a place for one-time flushing of dirt or debris. However, repeated use breaks down fibroblasts, damages regenerating tissues, and dries out the hoof. Any short-term benefit is outweighed by the long-term harm.

Undiluted Copper Sulphate (Dry or Crystal Form)

A common but risky practice. Packed dry into cracks or sulci, copper sulphate is caustic and can chemically damage living tissue. This may result in retained necrotic sole or frog layers, sometimes misinterpreted as healthy tissue (“false sole”), which can trap infection and delay healing. Use only in diluted or buffered form, or within a professional carrier.

Essential Oils (Used Neat or Alone)

Essential oils like tea tree, clove, or eucalyptus do have antimicrobial properties in lab settings. However, they are not effective treatments when used alone and undiluted oils can cause irritation. Their role is best limited to supportive use within balanced, stabilised formulations.

Baking Soda

Sometimes added to pastes or rinses to alter pH. While it has mild antimicrobial properties, it lacks potency as a standalone treatment. May be neutral or mildly beneficial in supporting a wider protocol, but not a reliable option for infection control.

Turmeric or Herbal Pastes

Frequently recommended for their anti-inflammatory potential, but there is no evidence that topical herbal pastes provide any benefit to hoof infections. May offer no harm, but should not be relied upon for tissue repair or microbial control.

Underlying Causes Matter More Than Any Topical

Topical products, even the best ones, will not succeed without addressing the factors that caused the hoof issue in the first place. These may include:

Excessive moisture or unhygienic living conditions

Poor trimming mechanics and leverage imbalances

Underlying metabolic dysfunction (e.g. insulin dysregulation)

Inadequate movement

Nutritional imbalances, especially in trace minerals

Undiagnosed pathology such as pedal bone rotation or deep sulcus infection

Topicals are tools, not solutions. They work best in combination with proper diagnostics, management, and a consistent rehabilitation plan.

When to Seek Professional Advice

If you’re unsure of what you’re treating, or the problem is worsening, contact a vet or hoof care professional. Warning signs include:

Persistent lameness

Heat or swelling in the foot

Strong odour despite treatment

Cracks or separation progressing upward

Deep sulcus infections or suspected internal involvement

Little or no improvement after 7–10 days of care

A qualified practitioner can identify the real source of the issue and help you avoid well-intentioned mistakes.

03/07/2025

The Definitive A–Z of Equestrian Life
(For non-horsey friends, confused partners, and those of us still pretending we know what a fly rug actually does.)

A – ‘A Bit Fresh’
Polite euphemism for: this horse is possessed and may attempt to levitate.

B – Baling Twine
Rural duct tape. Holds up fences, gates, children’s trousers, your mental health. Usually more reliable than the horse.

C – Calmers
£40 a tub for powdered placebo. But at least you feel better.

D – Dangerous
What your horse becomes after 48 hours off work, 1 new rug, or hearing a crisp packet 3 fields away.

E – Eventing
Basically parkour for posh people with trust funds and excellent dental care.

F – Farrier
The only man who can ghost you for six weeks, then turn up smelling of swarfega and God, and still be paid in cash like a legend.

G – Girth Galls
Raw, painful patches... on your wallet after yet another tack upgrade.

H – Haylage
Fancy hay. Costs more, smells weird, and gives your horse the trots every November.

I – ‘I’ll Be Quick’
The biggest lie told in stables. You’re there four hours later, covered in hoof oil, rage-texting your other half.

J – Just a Little Buck
The moment your spine re-evaluates its life choices and your underwear sees God.

K – Kick Bar
For those moments when you’d rather not die. Your horse ignores it anyway.

L – Lorry Test
An ancient ritual involving tears, a reversing manoeuvre, and the smell of burning clutch.

M – Mounted Games
Chaos on ponies, fuelled by sugar and parental competitiveness. Therapy bills pending.

N – ‘Needs Work’
Horse is feral. Possibly demon-possessed. Bring a priest and your crash hat.

O – OTTB
Off The Track Thoroughbred. Essentially a race car with abandonment issues and no brakes.

P – Prelim
A dressage test where you pretend not to cry in front of the judge.

Q – Quick Release Knot
Only quick when your horse isn’t pulling back like a freight train headed for hell.

R – Rug System
An algorithm more complicated than quantum physics. Includes: turnout no-fill, stable medium, fleece underlayer, waterproof overlayer, neck, no neck, liner, liner with tail flap, scream.

S – Sharer
Someone who half-leases your horse and all your trauma. May also come with snacks.

T – Tack Room
The one place where ‘organised chaos’ becomes an aesthetic. Also smells faintly of despair and leather balm.

U – Unlevel
The word vets use when they don’t want to say “lame,” but also don’t want to say “not lame.” Schrödinger’s horse.

V – Vaccination Day
The annual rodeo where your vet gets kicked, you cry, and your horse learns to teleport.

W – Whinnying
Sweet, melodic sound of your horse screaming for food while standing in food.

X – X-rays
Digital proof that you did just buy a horse with navicular, kissing spine and a screw loose. Literally.

Y – ‘Your Horse Bit Me’
What everyone says when they try to feed it a Polo wrong. Still your fault.

Z – Zap Line
Electric fencing designed to keep horses in. Horses laugh, step over it, and reappear in the neighbour’s garden.

03/07/2025

It can be done! It IS done!! And it's one of my favourite parts of the job - the feedback from other professionals is absolutely invaluable ❤️

01/07/2025

Things I learned along the way:
No one is above being humbled by a Shetland 😂

29/06/2025

BIOMECHANICS AND PHYSICS: THE FORCES THAT TRUMP OPINION IN HOOF CARE

Hoof care is, at its core, applied physics. Whether we acknowledge it or not, every trim — good, bad or indifferent — engages the laws of motion, load, leverage, tension and force distribution. These laws do not flex to accommodate tradition, opinion, or convenience. They are not swayed by how it’s “always been done,” or by what looks neat from the outside. They are constant.

Every time a horse loads a limb, a series of biomechanical events unfolds — from the moment the hoof touches the ground, through the stance phase, to lift-off. Tendons stretch and recoil. Joints flex and absorb. The hoof capsule expands, contracts and shifts load. And all of this, every step of it, is dictated by physics.

This means that any hoof care approach that doesn’t account for these fundamental forces is, at best, incomplete — and at worst, potentially compromising the horse's long-term soundness.

Let’s be clear: hoof care is not just about appearance. A symmetrical trim is not automatically a functional trim. A short toe and a ‘tight’ looking foot may appear tidy but can easily increase strain on soft tissue structures if it doesn’t respect the horse’s natural biomechanics.

Similarly, overly aggressive trimming that disrupts the hoof’s shock absorption or alters the horse’s natural movement pattern may look like a “clean-up” but can have real consequences up the limb — including joint wear, ligament strain, and compensatory movement that leads to issues far removed from the hoof itself.

We cannot ‘trim out’ physics. We cannot bend the rules of force and motion to fit aesthetic ideals or outdated methodologies. A hoof doesn’t care if it’s shod or barefoot, if it’s trimmed by a qualified farrier or a barefoot trimmer. What matters is whether the trim respects the form and function of the limb as a dynamic, load-bearing structure.

That means understanding:

– How ground reaction forces impact limb loading
– How breakover timing affects stride mechanics
– How hoof balance alters tension on the deep digital flexor tendon and navicular region
– How improper leverage can strain the suspensory apparatus
– How compensatory movement begins at the feet and radiates upwards

It is possible to do harm with good intentions. It is possible to “maintain” a hoof into dysfunction through gentle, regular, incorrect trimming. It is also possible to restore function, comfort and soundness through informed, physics-aware work.

So the question isn’t whether someone has a rasp in their hand or a diploma on the wall. The question is whether they understand how the horse moves, and whether their trim choices reflect that understanding.

Because while humans debate, the horse’s body quietly responds — to every cut, every angle, every millimetre. And the laws of physics are always in effect.

And yes, for those wondering — owners can learn to recognise whether a trim supports or hinders sound biomechanics. You don’t need to be a vet, trimmer or engineer to notice when your horse’s movement becomes shortened, hesitant or uneven. You don’t need a formal qualification to observe whether the load on the hoof is biased to one side, or whether the frog and digital cushion are being engaged or left redundant.

You just need to know what to look for, and be willing to ask questions.

- Does the horse land heel-first and with confidence?
- Is the hoof loading evenly, or is there visible distortion or flare suggesting imbalance?
- Does your horse move better or worse after a trim?
- Does the foot support the limb in alignment, or is there deviation that creates unnecessary stress?
- Are the hoof structures being preserved, or are they being trimmed away in the name of aesthetics?

Biomechanics isn’t something reserved for elite sport horses. It’s the lens through which every horse’s body functions — from happy hackers to arthritic retirees. And physics is not just theory; it’s the invisible framework holding the whole animal together.

If we want sound horses, long into their later years, then we must hold ourselves — and our professionals — to a standard that honours both. Because while tradition tells us how it’s been done, it is science that tells us whether it works.

28/06/2025

Evolving Standards: A Follow-On from the Trimming Wars

When I wrote about the so-called “trimming wars,” I didn’t expect 47,000 people to read it, share it, or weigh in. But it struck a chord — because beneath the surface of hoof care lies a deeper tension: how do we handle disagreement, shifting knowledge, and our shared responsibility for equine welfare?

Let me be clear: I’m not neutral. I don’t believe all approaches carry equal merit. I don’t position myself halfway between schools of thought to keep everyone happy. I’m guided by evidence, functional anatomy, real outcomes, and the lived experience of horses — not by trends, allegiances, or who markets themselves best.

And to be equally clear: this post — like the last — isn’t aimed at any one individual or group. It’s about a wider culture. A culture that too often punishes questions, resists change, and forgets that the horse should be at the centre of all of it.

But that doesn’t mean I believe I’ve arrived.

Quite the opposite.

My standards are evolving — deliberately, relentlessly — because I choose to stay awake to better information. I choose to reflect on my own past practices. I choose to be uncomfortable if it means the horse ends up more comfortable.

And that’s the real heart of this.
Growth doesn’t look like picking a side and staying loyal to it forever.
It looks like outgrowing the side you started on.
It looks like seeing a hoof you once signed off as “fine” and now recognising what was missing.
It looks like watching a horse move and realising the “just his way of going” was actually a compensation you didn’t yet know how to spot.

This doesn’t make me indecisive. It makes me responsible.

Because science isn’t static. And neither is hoof care.
If you’re still defending what you believed ten years ago without ever re-evaluating it, you’re not grounded — you’re stuck.

And let’s be honest — evolving standards must mean more than refining techniques. They must also shape how we treat each other. Because if we want to raise the standard of care, we must create a culture where people can ask questions without fear of ridicule. Where professionals can exchange ideas across methods without retribution. Where disagreement invites inquiry, not hostility.

Progress doesn’t require us to agree on everything — but it does require us to stop treating genuine curiosity as a threat.

And if that makes me seem overly passionate, it’s because I am. About collaboration. About shared learning. About making space for growth — not just in horses, but in people too.

I’m not interested in toeing a line. I’m interested in outcomes.
Comfort. Function. Soundness over time.

So if you're expecting platitudes or professional fence-sitting, you won’t find that here.

What you will find is someone committed to higher standards — not as a badge of pride, but as a responsibility to the horses who have no say in any of this.

https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/collaboration

26/06/2025

Anthropomorphism in Horse Care: A Satirical Public Service Announcement

It’s 2025, and horse care is no longer about science, structure or species-appropriate management.

It’s about vibes.

Across the UK, horses are being treated not as the prey animals they are, but as:

Trauma therapists

Sensitive toddlers

Spiritual life coaches

Misunderstood characters from period dramas

Let’s take a stroll through the modern equestrian fantasy.

Saddle Fit
“She prefers this saddle,” says Cheryl, nodding with quiet conviction.

Yes, Cheryl. That’s why she hollows her back, rushes into trot, and canters like a drawer that’s come off its runners.

Modern saddle fitters use pressure mapping and anatomical templates.
You used Trish from the livery next door, who once sat on a horse in 1998 and swears by “gut feel.”

Hoof Care
“Oh, he just stands like that — it’s his natural posture,” says Nigel, watching his cob pitch forward onto crushed heels and a toe that’s somewhere in next week.

That’s not ‘just how he is.’
That’s a hoof capsule trying to escape the rest of the leg.

Also, that frog isn’t shedding. It’s decomposing. Quietly. Tragically.

Rugging
“She looked cold,” says Tristan, layering a heavyweight combo on a native pony currently sweating under her own hair and looking vaguely betrayed.

Your Highland isn’t cold.
She’s simmering like a steamed pudding left on the AGA too long.

This isn’t empathy. It’s overheating with conviction.

Handling and Behaviour
“He’s got attitude,” says Cheryl, after yanking on a lead rope and watching her horse plant all four feet like a defiant statue.

No, Cheryl. He’s not sulking.
He’s confused, anxious, or responding to ten mixed signals and a handler who communicates like a broadband outage.

Feeding
“She’d be devastated without her molassed treats,” says Nigel, tipping a kilo of stickiness into the feed bowl with the reverence of someone pouring gravy on a roast.

Sure. Just like you’d be devastated if someone took away your Bakewell tarts and gin.
Doesn’t mean it’s good for her laminae.

Bodywork
“She doesn’t like physios – she finds it intrusive.”
She flinched, Nigel, because she’s sore. Not because she has opinions about personal boundaries and consent culture.

A note, before we all riot
Let’s be honest — most of us have done it.
Told a story instead of asking a question.
Padded over a red flag with a comforting narrative.
Mistaken a survival response for a personality quirk.

It doesn’t make us bad owners.
It makes us human.

But horses don’t need us to be perfect — just willing to listen, to learn, and to stay curious.
Anthropomorphism only becomes a problem when it stops us seeing what’s really going on.

So what is the fix?
It’s not about stripping the connection or joy from horse care.
It’s about noticing when the stories we tell start to blur the signals they’re trying to send.

It means learning to see discomfort for what it is — not what we hope it isn’t.
It means swapping interpretation for observation, and sentiment for skill.
It means meeting the horse on his terms, not dressing him in ours.

Let go of the fairy tale.
He doesn’t need to be human to matter.

Let him be a horse — and honour him for it.

21/06/2025

The Hoof Care Wars: When Helping Horses Became a Battlefield

There was a time when the hoof care world was split simply: shoes or no shoes.
But times have changed.

Today’s conflicts are far more… evolved.

Now we have schools vs schools.
Or more accurately — one or two very specific schools versus…
well, everyone else.

Veterinary surgeons?
“Brainwashed by outdated models.”

Farriers?
“Still stuck in the dark ages.”

Independent trimmers?
“Unqualified. Dangerous. Actively harming horses.”

Yes — welcome to the world where if you’re not trained by their method, using their terminology, applying their trim, and chanting their jargon — you’re a threat to equine welfare.
An obstacle. A danger.
A hoof butcher.

And it’s getting poisonous.

What do these wars actually look like?

Online groups policed like secret societies, where dissent is flagged faster than a loose shoe.

Case studies weaponised to prove “everyone else is incompetent.”

Vets, farriers, physios and other professionals shut down or publicly shamed for not subscribing to “The Method.”

Emotionally charged accusations:
“That trim is abuse.”
“You’re setting that horse up to fail.”
“You’re killing horses.”

Not... “I disagree,”
but:
“You’re endangering lives.”

Meanwhile, in the real world...

Owners are caught in the middle, more confused than ever.

Horses are left without consistent, collaborative care.

Practitioners feel under siege, walking on eggshells rather than sharing knowledge.

Thoughtful discussion dies a slow death, buried under dogma.

And those who try to build bridges?
Mocked, blocked, or labelled "fence-sitters."

The horse does not care which school you trained with.

He cares whether he can land heel-first.
Whether he can move freely.
Whether his posture is improving.
Whether his pain is being addressed.

Horses don’t need ideology.
They need clarity.
Competence.
Care.

So let’s drop the slogans and the sanctimony.
Let’s stop declaring war on anyone who doesn’t echo our training manual.

No single school owns hoof care.
No method is universally right for every horse, in every context.
And if your training can’t stand up to scrutiny, open discussion, or collaboration with other professionals —
then it’s not a method.
It’s a religion.

And horses deserve better than that.

20/06/2025

What Witchery is This??

A big and grateful shout-out to Trinity Farrier Services for rebuilding my favourite nippers - and, in the process, somehow making them look better than they ever did when new.

I don't know how but it's clearly some sort of magic 😁

19/06/2025

Species Appropriate Management: Not Just “Put Them Outside”

“Species appropriate management”—the magic phrase that promises to solve every equine problem if only we’d stop messing about and let horses be horses.

Sounds simple, right?
Just put them outside 24/7 with unlimited grass, friends, and sunshine, and voilà—problem solved!

But hold on.
Horses today aren’t exactly wild mustangs. They’re animals shaped by thousands of years of domestication, selective breeding, and, yes, human management.
And—newsflash!—not every horse thrives on the same “wild” setup. A senior pony with EMS, a competition warmblood, and a newly rescued thoroughbred all have very different needs.

Species appropriate management is about understanding the horse’s biology, psychology, and environment in context.
Not about chasing a one-size-fits-all fantasy that fits nicely on a weekend warrior’s Instagram post.

Real science says:

Social contact is vital—but so is quality of interaction.

Turnout is amazing—but needs to be balanced with nutrition, shelter, and safety.

Natural movement is essential—but so is appropriate exercise and hoof care to support it.

So before you roll your horse out to a field with the “species appropriate” sticker slapped on, remember: good management is science plus observation plus flexibility.
Not just slogans.

Because if species appropriate means “whatever feels good,” your horse might be far from thriving.

19/06/2025

What is the equine foot? Depends who you ask.

Even the world’s leading researchers and clinicians in hoof science don’t all agree on what the foot is for, what its primary structures do, or how best to manage them. And yet, each of them has contributed essential insight to the modern understanding of hoof form and function.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most influential voices in the field — and where their views converge and diverge.

Dr Chris Pollitt (Australia – Equine Laminitis Research Unit)
Pollitt’s work fundamentally altered our understanding of laminitis. He used histology, vascular perfusion studies and cadaver models to show how the lamellar attachment fails before displacement of the pedal bone occurs. He framed the hoof primarily as a protective, vascularly sensitive structure with form closely linked to blood flow and systemic function.

> Key view: Laminitis is a vascular and inflammatory condition that begins at the microscopic level — not merely a mechanical issue.

Dr Robert Bowker (USA – Michigan State University)
Bowker introduced the “caudal foot” concept — elevating the importance of the frog, digital cushion, and lateral cartilages in shock absorption, energy dissipation, and proprioception. He argues that most domestic horses have underdeveloped caudal structures due to lack of stimulation, and that steel shoes often inhibit healthy function.

> Key view: The foot is a living, sensory organ — the back of the foot is vital for circulation, feedback and resilience.

Mike Savoldi (USA – Farrier and Educator)
Mike Savoldi champions the “live sole plane” as the reference point for internal balance. He asserts that hoof distortions are often human-made, and correctable by trimming to natural internal boundaries. His work focuses more on alignment and proportion than on caudal foot theory.

> Key view: Hoof distortions are mechanical and can be corrected through precise trimming guided by internal structures.

Dr Jenny Savoldi (UK – Comparative Anatomist)
Jenny Savoldi’s in-depth dissections and tissue mapping challenge conventional hoof diagrams. Her work reveals complex connective tissues and highly individual structural variability, particularly in the fibrocartilaginous zones. She questions static models of what is “correct”.

> Key view: The foot is more complex — and more individually variable — than textbook diagrams suggest. There is no single “normal”.

Dr Debra Taylor (USA – Equine Clinical Vet, Auburn University)
Taylor bridges research and rehabilitation. She supports Bowker’s theories on internal development and believes in promoting tissue regeneration through loading and movement. While she sees value in barefoot rehab, she’s pragmatic about the need for protection and individualisation.

> Key view: Healthy feet remodel when stimulated appropriately — but rehab must be tailored and evidence-based.

Dr Hilary Clayton (USA – Equine Biomechanics Researcher)
Clayton takes a dynamic view: hooves must be considered in motion. Her research shows how hoof conformation affects stride, breakover, and ground interaction. She stresses that trimming and shoeing choices directly influence biomechanical loading.

> Key view: The hoof doesn’t function in isolation — movement and loading patterns shape both form and outcome.

Dr Renate Weller (UK – Veterinary Anatomist, RVC)
Weller brings a systems approach. Her work on navicular disease, hoof conformation and limb biomechanics reveals how whole-body asymmetry and external forces affect hoof pathology. She’s vocal about the need for evidence-based education and data-driven change in farriery and vet practice.

> Key view: The hoof must be viewed as part of a larger biomechanical system — and scientific rigour must trump tradition.

Dr Jenny Hagen (Germany – Leipzig University)
Hagen’s research focuses on the locomotor system, and she’s a strong advocate for integrative hoof science. She has published extensively on the influence of hoof shape on gait, loading, and joint stress, especially in performance horses. She supports models that integrate dynamic force distribution with internal anatomical integrity.

> Key view: Hoof shape and balance directly affect locomotor function. The foot must support efficient, pain-free movement — and it must be evaluated dynamically, not just statically.

Do they agree on anything?

Surprisingly — yes.

- The hoof is not static. All agree that the equine foot is a living, dynamic structure, constantly remodelling in response to use, environment and management.

- Internal structures matter. Whether they emphasise the laminae (Pollitt), the digital cushion (Bowker/Taylor), the distal phalanx (Savoldi), or connective tissue zones (J. Savoldi), they all agree that what happens inside the hoof is more important than external appearance alone.

- Mechanical balance affects health. Regardless of method, they recognise that poor hoof mechanics can cause or exacerbate pathology — whether through incorrect trimming, shoeing, or loading.

- Hoof care must be individualised. There is no one-size-fits-all. Every horse has different conformation, movement, workload, and pathology risk — and the hoof responds accordingly.

- Evidence matters. These researchers are united in their call for a more evidence-based approach, and a move away from purely traditional or anecdotal methods.

The foot is alive. It adapts. And it deserves to be understood in all its complexity.

Hoofology

06/07/2025

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