Hoof Control

29/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/183bpMiosa/

27/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AmzGx9BmJ/

"The Wings of transformation are born of patience and struggle."

- Anonymous

There is functional soundness and there is structural soundness. Horses can be functionally sound without being structurally sound, but they’re less likely to be structurally sound without being functionally sound. Functional soundness just means they can keep up with the herd and out run predators…today. Structural soundness equals longevity. There’s nothing we can do to improve structural soundness in wild horse hooves. Nature has its own harsh beauty, but if we want the beloved domestic horses in our care to be sound until they die of old age, we need to keep improving imperfections in their hooves. It’s not about being a perfectionist for perfectionism’s sake. It’s about doing our best to give the horses in our care, the best lives possible.

The reason I strive for “perfect hooves” (ideal for each horse) is because I never want a horse to die from hoof problems. Those last days, months, years are horrible for everyone involved. The later you start trying to fix the problems, the less time is on your side. Our role as stewards of the planet should be taken seriously. As a hoof care provider, I want them to go to the other side with perfect feet. That says I did my job. Once you see that hoof distortion is the cause of a large percentage of equine euthanasia, and it can be remedied, you can’t unsee that. I think that’s the hard truth that a lot of people are not wanting to accept.

27/12/2025

RH, 28 year old Arab

20 years on a 1-3 week trim schedule.

Never shod.
Never booted.

25/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EddFt7pyP/

24/12/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18covuAg3n/

Establishing a proper heel purchase/frog/seat of corn relationship. I never rush this but I’m always happy when it comes together in a few trims.

02/12/2025

26/11/2025

🙌 Train your eye challenge - how to calculate the palmar angle from an external hoof photo and WHY?! 🙌

🐴 Challenge #1 - using just the external hoof wall angle (48 degrees) and the coffin bone angle (42 degrees), can you determine the palmar angle (thick blue line) in a non distorted hoof?

🐴 Challenge #2 - just using an external hoof photo, how can you accurately determine the palmar angle in as non-distorted hoof in the future and thus help determine healthy alignment of the bony column?

🐴 Challenge #3 - why is it important to know the palmar (front hoof) or plantar (hind hoof) angle for equine welfare purposes?

🤓 Answers tomorrow, Monday the 24th November!

A big thank you to our clients and supporters who grant permission for us to share their stories for educational purposes.

Copyright rules apply - Please do not share images or content here without sharing the complete post, or from our website, without the author's explicit consent.

Www.holisticequine.co.uk - supporting and promoting compassionate equestrianism for the benefit of all 💚🙏🐴