Natural Hoof Care
by Todd Abraham
About Me

When I first became a horse owner, I cared for my horses' hooves as those
around me did, without really giving it much thought, and from what I've
observed over the years, that's what most horse people do. The common
mentality is that horses must have shoes, and if not on all four feet, at least on
the front two.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a thinker, and this whole horse shoe
thing never quite sat right with me. On my own, I began to investigate and study
all of the information that I could find regarding hoof trimming, shoeing, and
horse anatomy. The information that I found out was oftentimes startling, but yet
it held true with common sense. Based upon my findings, along with my own
personal experience, I decided to keep my horses barefoot. I also studied
different methods of natural hoof care, and subsequently, I've been trimming my
own horses' hooves ever since. It's made a world of difference.

Talk is cheap, so I'll provide some case examples below, concerning my ten
current horses and my experiences with them.

Rocky

Rocky is a 13-year old Shetland pony who
had a terrible case of laminitis (i.e., separation
of the hoof wall from the sole), when we first
bought him. He had foundered under the
care of his original owner, and his hooves
had never been the same since. He was
very sensitive on even the smallest rocks
and was virtually unrideable, except in a
sandy arena. Our farrier at the time trimmed
him very aggressively and put shoes on his
front feet. This helped a little, but it was
really just a band-aid for his condition,
which didn't get worse, but it also never got
better.

This is when I decided to seriously pursue
trimming him myself, so that I could
monitor him proactively and not be
dependent upon a farrier for his care.

With my trimming and maintenance, his hooves started to return to their natural
state, and his white line returned to where it should be. No longer was he lame
for days after an aggressive trimming, and he developed a thick sole, whereby
he could walk on rocks without pain.

A common misconception is that a horse supports itself entirely on the hoof
wall, but in reality, it supports itself primarily on the sole, and that is why many
horses are so sore after a normal "pasture" trim, where the sole is completely
carved out. Have you ever ripped a callous off of your hand? It's painful to use
your hand after doing so, and it's the same way for a horse after having its
sole's callous cut off.
Rocky has an easy life as a
Cloverbud pony.
Nikki

Nikki is a 7-year old Paint/Shetland pony cross. We
bought her at the same time as Rocky, when she was
about 3 years old, and she had no hoof-related
problems. She's been
fortunate that she was born
with naturally sound hooves,
and all that she's required is
timely maintenance to keep
them that way. I keep her
well-trimmed, and she can go
over anything without
skipping a beat.
Diamond

Diamond is an 18-year old Appaloosa, and she, too,
was blessed with naturally sound hooves. In fact, she
is so active, that she nearly keeps them trimmed
herself. She requires just minimal maintenance from
me, but I do monitor her for chips and cracks, so that I
can keep these from becoming serious problems. She,
too, can go over virtually any terrain without any
problems, and she doesn't require steel shoes to do so.
Sooner

Sooner is a 30-year old Appaloosa, and he is the
picture of health; although, he went totally blind
about three years ago. Despite his stunning
appearance, he was not blessed with rock-hard
hooves. When we bought him at the age of 24, he
had high heels, long toes, and a very severe crack.

He had come from northern Minnesota, where he
was exposed to mostly sandy soils, but when he
came to us in southern Minnesota, and he stepped
on rocks, he would nearly go down in pain. It was
very difficult taking him on trail rides, because he
was so uncomfortable going over any rocky
terrain.

Once I started applying my natural hoof trim to his
feet, he started to improve, and within a few
months, he was a completely different horse. Now,
when we ride him, it's almost hard to remember
how things used to be.

One thing that people need to realize, however, is
that it's not an overnight change; it does take time.
How long it takes, depends on the horse, the
environment, and the horse's level of activity.
February 2004
Sooner went blind the
following year.
March 2005
Sooner is blind in both eyes
from cataracts. I am riding him
bareback with just a halter.
Memorial Day Parade 2006
Grandpa Mert rides Sooner
every year as the Lone
Mounted Soldier.
Waseca County Fair 2007
My 14-year old son, Eric, has been riding Sooner for
the last year. Sooner completed a flawless Trail
Class using voice commands and body cues.
Dakota

Dakota is a 24-year old Foundation Quarter Horse.
When we bought him, he had shoes on all four feet,
and his hooves were a mess. His toes were way too
long, his heels were way too high, and his frogs were
just about rotted off, due to thrush. As soon as I got
him home, I pulled his shoes, applied my trim, and
administered some medication for his thrush.

He had been shoed for his entire life, so this was an
entirely new experience for him. When he would paw
the ground, he would slightly miss, because no shoe
was there. I worked with him every day, by walking
him over gravel and up and down the driveway, so
that he could begin to grow out his hooves in the
correct way and also to acquire the proper sense of
feel and tactile response that he had never
experienced before.
My wife, Angela - on the right,
riding Dakota at Zumbro
Bottoms. Her sister is on the
horse on the left. Dakota is
barefoot, the other horse is
shod on all four hooves.
I closely monitored him, and he progressed very
well. Within a few months, he had built up his sole
callous to the point where he could walk over
rocky terrain with no problems. My wife has taken
him on many trail rides over very difficult ground,
and he always does very well for her. When she
gets back home, I take a look at his feet, and I'm
always amazed how the natural hoof wears in its
natural environment. Another argument for
intelligent design!
Melody

Melody is a 24-year old Polish
Arabian, with hooves of steel.
When we bought her, she had
great feet, and she still has great
feet. My oldest daughter has used
her for dressage, English, and
Western, along with trail riding. I
have used her for Posse work, and
my wife has taken her on trails that
are not for the faint of heart.
I keep an eye on her hooves and trim them accordingly. All horses' hooves grow
and wear at different rates, so there isn't necessarily a set schedule for trimming.
Some people get a haircut every two weeks, whereas some people get a haircut
every few months - everybody is different, and so it is with horses' hooves.

When a person is dependent upon a farrier, they are not just dependent upon
that person, but they are also dependent upon that person's schedule. And when
that person has an opening, all of the horses get trimmed and/or shoed at the
same time, oftentimes whether they need it or not.
Apollo

Apollo is a 7-year old Appendix
Quarter Horse. He's a big boy, and
he has big feet that support a lot of
weight.

His frogs are very wide and are
different from all of my other
horses' frogs, as is the relative
shape of his hooves. His feet are
sound, and don't require any
special attention, besides
consistent maintenance.

He is my Posse horse, and he can
be trusted to go over and through
nearly anything with no problems.

Once again, every horse is different
and cannot be put into a box. They
all require a thoughtful mind and
slightly different trimming styles,
due to their hoof size, shape, and
the size/weight of the horse.
Zumbro Bottoms
No shoes - healthy hooves
Sheriff's Posse
Wagon Train
I am riding Apollo and
my daughter, Sarah, is
riding Nikki. This ride
was a 20 mile loop on
mostly gravel roads. The
hooves on both horses
showed very little wear.
I am riding Apollo. My
daughter, Lexie, is
riding Dakota.
Seymore

Seymore is a 7-year old Foundation
Appaloosa, and we've had him for less
than a year. He came to us with excellent
hooves, and all I've had to do is maintain
them. They are some of the hardest
hooves that I've ever encountered, and
they take some physical strength to trim.

He, too, is a very big boy with equally big
feet. I've had to teach him some ground
manners to stand quietly for me, while I
trim him, but that is the case for any horse.
Ginger

Ginger is a 20-year old Quarter Horse (we think), who we obtained from a relative
who wanted to get her out of a less-than-ideal boarding situation.

I had been told that she had experienced frequent abscesses, under the care of a
previous farrier, which obviously made her unrideable for long periods of time. In
addition, upon my first inspection of her hooves, she was experiencing a severe
bout of laminitis, which is painful for any horse, no matter how stoically they
stand. Try pulling one of your finger nails off, and that will give you an idea of
what the horse is going through.

I've applied my trim to her multiple times now, and every time her hooves look a
little better. She is doing great and willingly walks over any terrain.
My daughter, Rachel, is working with
Ginger in the round pen two months
after we brought her home.
Several months after Ginger came
here, she was in the Marching
Classic Parade with Rachel.
Remington

Remi is a yearling tri-color Pinto, who we
were fortunate to rescue from a situation
where the owner was no longer able to
take care of him.

When he first came to our ranch, I
inspected his feet, and I could see that he
had never been trimmed before. A horse's
first year of life is the most important
period of time for proper hoof
development, along with the legs' bony
structure, so I'm thankful that I had a
chance to help this development, before it
was too late.

I've consistently applied my trim to his
young hooves, and he is doing great. He's
a lucky horse, as he will never have to
unnecessarily be encumbered by steel
shoes being nailed to his hooves, which
entirely prohibits the hoof's natural
functioning for which it was designed.
Eric, Rachel, Lexie, and Remi the
day after we brought him home.
Remi is 6 months old.
Lexie working on desensitization.
Knowledge Empowers

My primary purpose for sharing my knowledge and experience with you is
because I want to empower horse owners to be able to provide their horses with
the best hoof care possible, whether it is by a professional or by themselves.

My vision is to host clinics that provide an opportunity for people to not only
gather knowledge and new skills, but to also have the opportunity for hands-on
practice. If you are interested, please email me (Todd Abraham) at:
redfalconranch@wasecawireless.com.

Resources

The following people, books, and clinicians have helped me to not only learn
about natural hoof care, but also to become a better horseman.

"The Chosen Road"; book and DVD series by KC La Pierre, PhD, RJF, MEP.
I've learned a great deal about Equine Podiatry and KC's HPT Method through
these resources. More information can be found at www.equinepodiatry.net.

"Horse Owners Guide to Natural Hoof Care"; authored by Jaime
Jackson, who bases his approach to natural hoof care on the wild horse hoof.
Very interesting reading, along with practical insights.

Dan Sumerel; clinician and author. Dan has great insight into the behavior
and body language of the horse. I attended his clinic with my horse Sooner and
learned the subtleties of communication between man and horse for leadership
and respect. My wife and two of my kids also attended. All of my children, except
for the youngest, have gained the respect and leadership of their primary horse
using Dan's method. I have read his book and watched his DVDs, in addition to
the clinic, and I highly recommend them. More information can be found at
www.sumereltraining.com

Paula Colokovic; retired Gran Prix dressage and show jumping. Paula gave
riding lessons to my wife and three of my kids before retiring. The greatest thing
I have learned from Paula is how essential it is to ride with your body. If you
watch dressage, you will see the rider moves very little, yet the horse is
performing these incredible manuevers. It is the subtle shifting of weight, turning
your head, and leg cues that work bareback, in a western saddle, or an english
saddle.

Bitless Bridle; developed by Dr. Robert Cook, FRCVS., PhD., Professor of
Surgery Emeritus of Tufts University, Massachusetts. The bitless bridle provides
a method of communication that is safer, more humane, and more effective than
the bit. I prefer the bitless bridle over a traditional bridle with a bit. My horses are
better behaved, they don't toss their heads, and they let me put it on without
turning into a giraffe. More information can be found at www.bitlessbridle.com


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