The Theory Behind the a Barefoot Horse:

Horses were not born with shoes nailed to their hoof.  Clients ask me all the time, "Can my horse go barefoot?"  My answer is always the same, you don't really know until you try.  Yet why do some insist that their horse "needs shoes"?  It's a never ending question that always leaves both sides of the equation perplexed.  I like to think that the horse should have a say in what happens to their feet.  I've never seen a horse complain when taken out of shoes and given proper maintenance and care on happy bare feet.  I have also seen horses who need additional protection and support move with more impulsion and freedom in a composite shoe with a properly balanced trim underneath. 

The hoof is designed to absorb shock, give traction and aid in circulation.  Allowing these functions to occur naturally for a horse will lead to a sound and happy horse.  You can also enhance this ability with a composite shoe like the Epona horseshoe which mimics the integrity of a bare hoof.  By providing your horse with the ability to tap in to these natural mechanics with or without Epona shoes, the horse is allowed and encouraged to move with comfort and stability.

Improper trimming and poor shoeing impares the natural mechanics of the hoof.  It prevents the ability for the horse to absorb concussion by decreasing circulation and increasing shock, instead transmitting the concussion to the periphery of the hoof or through the nails and essentially breaking down the hoof wall or overloading parts of the hoof that are not meant to take primary concussion and impact.  

SERVICES: 

Transition Hoof Trims:  Transitioning a horse to barefoot takes time and effort.  Through my knowledge and experience of trimming, and the combined effects of boots, turn-out, exercise and diet, any horse can go barefoot.  During the transitionary period to bare feet, I will note and address any imbalance in the hoof and any flaring of the hoof wall.  I will examine the sole, the frog, bars, sole callous, collateral groove, white line and thickness of the hoof wall.  Toes, heels and quarters will be analyzed and a full set of before/after transition trim photos and videos will be taken.  Transition time is based on the most obvious factor which is the degree of damage to overcome.

Maintenance Hoof Trims:  Completion of transitional hoof trim(s) leads to maintenance trims, which generally should occur approximately every 4 weeks (give or take).  Maintaining healthy barefoot hooves will keep your horse on a working schedule year round and will pay big dividends in savings once you stop shoeing.

Epona Shoeing and Hoof Casting:  Founder, navicular cases, laminitic episodes, thin soles, hoof cracks...all of these compromise hooves and call for useful tools of the trade such as composite shoes or hoof casting.  When hoof walls fail, soles are thin, disease has affected hoof integrity, immediate comfort and the ability for the hoof to grow in solid, intact and healthy, can all be achived with these very useful products such as Epona horse shoes which are glued on and require no nails or minimal nails.  Another useful tool in transitioning and stabilizing a hoof is casting by Equicast.  Contact me for more details on how this may help your horse!