Salon du Cheval or Salon de la mafia
“One always has a reason to love horses” proclaimed the poster campaign for the recent Salon du Cheval de Paris Loving the horse is respecting it, says colleague and friend Pierre Enoff in his latest book, “Le Silence des Chevaux” (The Silence of the Horses). Invited to present his “Plea for a new equestrian world” […]
Managing Pain
It is a difficult decision – you can see your horse is suffering discomfort and you want to help; as fortune would have it, the vet left quite a number of sachets of painkillers behind after his last visit, and they haven’t been finished off. With the idea of being helpful, caring and cautious, and […]
Simplification or Mystification?
Everywhere you look, everywhere you go, farriers and barefoot specialists alike are talking about “protection” and about balance. Trimmers in particular are tied to the idea of dimensions – there is even a movement that issues little templates to determine the right heel height, or one that issues protractors for getting the toe-angle correct. Hoof […]
The Persecution of Ben Street
Recently, barefoot trimmer Ben Street was convicted under the British Animal Welfare Act for causing unnecessary suffering to a horse. According to the prosecution, Street had over-rasped and bevelled the hoofs causing pain. The prosecution was brought by the FRC (the Farriers’ Registration Council) and the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to […]
Uh Oh October…
Actually it should be “uh oh September” but that is both less alliterative and this year not so appropriate. September 2014 was particularly warm and the temperature was rarely lower than 15°C. But now October has arrived and the first really cold nights are just around the corner. Along with the increased dangers of higher […]
W(h)ither the Peripheral Cushion?
There are giant misunderstandings surrounding horse’s hoofs – even among barefoot practitioners. Vast numbers of trimmers are daily trying to balance off hooves, applying magical mapping templates, doing their best to ensure the heels are at the right height and allowing just the right length of hoof wall to protrude below the sole. They all […]
Sabots Libres Wiki
A collection of information and definitions from the equine world: many translated from Pierre Enoff’s original French Abécédaire Impertinant.
A step too far…
We all know – or at least, those that want to know – that horseshoes are a destructive and irrelevant relic of the middle ages. We know that they cause more than just superficial damage to the hoof but that the damage continues right through the bones and joints into the vertebrae causing anything from (crippling) […]
When are “Good Feet” really “Bad Feet”?
In my line of work, it is nigh on impossible to avoid visiting a stable or livery yard every now and again. And although I am almost always visiting to tend my unshod horse-clients, I cannot help but notice just one or two of the stablemates; in particular, their feet! Unfortunately, it is tactically unethical […]
Ban on Stabling Horses in the Netherlands
In a public ordnance dated 5 June 2014, published in “Het Staatsblad van het Koninkrijk de Nederlanden” issue 210, year 2014, is a clearly defined ban on the keeping of horse in stables or boxes. Specifically: Article 1.6 The Keeping of Animals 1. An animal’s freedom of movement may not be restricted in such a way that the animal […]