Autumn is in the Air
and with it, laminitis… No, you are not hallucinating! The title is indeed very familiar and refers back to the last available published article, Spring is in the Air. Many people associate laminitis with the spring and it is probably true to say that the majority of (acute) cases and probably the most severe occur in […]
Spring is in the Air
and with it, laminitis… Although we have come down to earth with a bump and, after the extraordinary February of this year, March has turned out to be a (fairly) normal March, spring is in the air. The trees are beginning to show signs of green, the daffodils are flowering and, here at least, the […]
The “Footy” Horse
Much is discussed on the interweb – and as far as horses go, probably the most discussed is barefoot. Not surprising since so many people are realising that the “art” of shoeing has little to do with either welfare or the requirements of the modern equestrian age. All manner of advice gets bandied around by […]
Scaremongering…
This photo and a list of ten points was recently posted to a social media site: Essentially a praiseworthy action from a group that has a generally responsible if occasionally misguided approach to hoof care. As they state, the owner is responsible for his or her horse’s welfare – an area fraught with misunderstandings 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Houston Police-horses 100% Barefoot
Nice article on the Soul of a Horse blog about the Houston Police Department’s horses. They are all unshod and, no, they were not specifically selected for their hardness of hoof… They all went through some kind of transition, some harder than others, but this is only to be expected since they suddenly have ground […]