Barefoot Hoofcare
What is Natural Hoofcare?
Natural hoofcare is a way of life for the owner and the horse. It is used in conjunction with a physiologically correct barefoot trim. A natural style of horse keeping will allow the horse to remain sound while providing a correct physiological trim. This natural style of hoof care can also be applied to horses that have certain diseases and lameness issues. Natural hoof care is a method used to return horses to a lifestyle that they were meant to live in with their physiology. They are also able to better maintain their hooves in a manner that allows them to perform in any capacity desired by the rider. For optimum results, it is recommended that natural trimming only be used with horses that have been provided a natural environment.
What consists of a Natural Environment?
A natural environment consists of many factors which include:
24 hours per day of movement, no stalling
Interaction with other horses
Soaking the hooves daily
A healthy diet consisting of free choice grass hay. If grain needs to be added it should be either whole oats, or a non-fortified complete feed (non-fortified means no sweet feeds, so that eliminates most feed store brands of grains)
Free choice minerals and loose salt
Maintaining a natural trim, that means no shoes
How to get started in Natural Hoofcare?
You can purchase the books "A Lifetime of Soundness" and "Shoeing: A Necessary Evil?" by Dr. Hiltrud Strasser. Both books are available for purchase at: http://www.thehorseshoof.com
Get access to the many barefoot websites. Some of those sites are:
Join the NaturalHorseTrim yahoo group. There are also other barefoot yahoo groups on the internet too.
Attend a clinic or lecture.
United Horsemanship's Clinic/Lecture Schedule
or contact Kim Richman for trimming or private instruction.
Finally purchase the tools needed for trimming (items needed for trimming are hoof knives left and right handed, a rasp, and gloves. Nippers are optional). You can purchase quality tools in a kit a www.thehorseshoof.com.
The Transition Period
The transition period can
and may be difficult for both owner and horse. Depending on how long the horse
has been shod or if the horse already has lameness issues the transition can
take up to 1 or more years. Every horse is an individual so each horse will have
a different amount of time before they are comfortable. Some are ok right away,
while other may take 3, 6, 9 months or more. Horse that were sound in shoes now
may become sore. This is because
shoeing has caused and/or hidden internal damage.
Restoring circulation and nerve function result in this damage being
reported to the brain. Improperly
trimmed or neglected hooves also require transition time.
To schedule an appointment for trimming or private instruction with Kim contact me at 408-687-3605 or mailto:barefoottrim@bodyworkforhorses.com
Copyright © 2003-2006