LIFE's method of trimming
by Paul Chapman
by Paul Chapman
I guess the first thing you would hear from me when asked how to trim a
horse might be something like, "Did you ask the horse ?". It is my view
that we can only try our best to understand how we might be able to help
the horse trim it's own feet. If you asked me how to trim my finger I
would tell you to trim the nail but do not take any skin. Dang it hurts if
you take skin, horses tell me it also hurts if you take away their skin or
sole. The horse's front hoof is akin to our middle finger.
As a teenager I was given a very simple rule that I still basically follow
today, "Ride them or Rasp them, the more you ride the less you have to
rasp". So if you can give your horse enough movement over suitable
terrain then your horse will be able to maintain it's own feet. The horse by
doing this will also give you some very good tips as to how it would like
you to help it maintain the trim. The more we can provide our horses with
natural living conditions the better it will be for ourselves and our horses.
When I look at horses I consider them to be either shod, unshod, or
barefoot.
A shod horse has a metal or rubber shoe attached by nails or glue to it's
hoof wall. The hoof wall is now restricted by the shoe from expanding
and thus allowing the natural hoof mechanism to take place. The weight
from the horse which can only come down through the bones must pass
from the coffin/pedal bone, through the sensitive laminae which is then
compressed and often bruised against the horny laminae and/or horse shoe
nails before reaching the hoof wall and attached shoe to reach the ground.
An unshod horse is one in my opinion that is either currently being
trimmed by a farrier or blacksmith that has been trained that horses are by
design supposed to walk on their hoof walls, or have been left untrimmed
and domestically confined without the natural lifestyle required to maintain
its feet.. Many studies of naturally healthy wild horses have shown the
whole hoof is involved in weight bearing, with the majority of weight
being on the sole not the hoof wall. Horses kept like these will suffer from
a selection of the following, stretched white lines, infection in the form of
white line disease or seedy toe, long overlaid bars that often cover the
entire sole, navicular pain, high heels, coffin bone rotation, long leveraging
toes, under-slung heels,contracted heels, and various formations of flared
and cracked hoof walls. Many shod horses will suffer from several of
these problems also.
A barefoot horse could be either a wild horse living under natural
conditions or a domestic horse who's owner or care giver has provided it
with a near natural lifestyle or who has assisted the horse to maintain
naturally trimmed hooves. The barefoot hoof has several qualities that
separate it from the others. The sole rather than the hoof wall becomes the
major weight bearing component. The sole immediately below the
coffin/pedal bone becomes calloused before hardening off to be very
tough and strong. The hoof wall expands on weight bearing and the sole
flattens out enabling blood circulation through the hoof. The expansion of
the hoof and also the increased health and flexibility of the hoof provide a
much increased shock absorption capability to the horse.
horse might be something like, "Did you ask the horse ?". It is my view
that we can only try our best to understand how we might be able to help
the horse trim it's own feet. If you asked me how to trim my finger I
would tell you to trim the nail but do not take any skin. Dang it hurts if
you take skin, horses tell me it also hurts if you take away their skin or
sole. The horse's front hoof is akin to our middle finger.
As a teenager I was given a very simple rule that I still basically follow
today, "Ride them or Rasp them, the more you ride the less you have to
rasp". So if you can give your horse enough movement over suitable
terrain then your horse will be able to maintain it's own feet. The horse by
doing this will also give you some very good tips as to how it would like
you to help it maintain the trim. The more we can provide our horses with
natural living conditions the better it will be for ourselves and our horses.
When I look at horses I consider them to be either shod, unshod, or
barefoot.
A shod horse has a metal or rubber shoe attached by nails or glue to it's
hoof wall. The hoof wall is now restricted by the shoe from expanding
and thus allowing the natural hoof mechanism to take place. The weight
from the horse which can only come down through the bones must pass
from the coffin/pedal bone, through the sensitive laminae which is then
compressed and often bruised against the horny laminae and/or horse shoe
nails before reaching the hoof wall and attached shoe to reach the ground.
An unshod horse is one in my opinion that is either currently being
trimmed by a farrier or blacksmith that has been trained that horses are by
design supposed to walk on their hoof walls, or have been left untrimmed
and domestically confined without the natural lifestyle required to maintain
its feet.. Many studies of naturally healthy wild horses have shown the
whole hoof is involved in weight bearing, with the majority of weight
being on the sole not the hoof wall. Horses kept like these will suffer from
a selection of the following, stretched white lines, infection in the form of
white line disease or seedy toe, long overlaid bars that often cover the
entire sole, navicular pain, high heels, coffin bone rotation, long leveraging
toes, under-slung heels,contracted heels, and various formations of flared
and cracked hoof walls. Many shod horses will suffer from several of
these problems also.
A barefoot horse could be either a wild horse living under natural
conditions or a domestic horse who's owner or care giver has provided it
with a near natural lifestyle or who has assisted the horse to maintain
naturally trimmed hooves. The barefoot hoof has several qualities that
separate it from the others. The sole rather than the hoof wall becomes the
major weight bearing component. The sole immediately below the
coffin/pedal bone becomes calloused before hardening off to be very
tough and strong. The hoof wall expands on weight bearing and the sole
flattens out enabling blood circulation through the hoof. The expansion of
the hoof and also the increased health and flexibility of the hoof provide a
much increased shock absorption capability to the horse.
Initial trim of Muldoon. Note that from my later discussions
there is still some more heel to be removed on the following
trims. By making the adjustments over time this gives the horse
more time to adjust to the structural changes restored by a
balanced trim. We will not be trimming the sole, but what will
happen is the hoof wall will no longer be pushed up so high at
the heel.
there is still some more heel to be removed on the following
trims. By making the adjustments over time this gives the horse
more time to adjust to the structural changes restored by a
balanced trim. We will not be trimming the sole, but what will
happen is the hoof wall will no longer be pushed up so high at
the heel.
