FAQ

1. I have heard your trimming makes horses sore. Is this true?
2. I have heard that you trim into "live" sole. This sounds a bit scary. What does this mean?
3. I have heard from a person who tried your approach, but it didn't work for her. What are the chances for this to happen to me?
4. Someone told me that sometimes a horse can get worse before it gets better. Is this right?
5. I have heard your trim is way is too invasive. Is it possible to start slower?

Question 1:

I have heard barefoot trimming makes horses sore. Is this true?

Answer:

One of the goals of my trimming is to restore circulation in the hoof. In cases where there does exist damaged tissue, more metabolism (i.e., inflammation) is necessary for healing. The increase in circulation from the trim restores nerve function and the horse "discovers" the internal tissue damage. As a result, inflammation, the natural process of healing, begins. As a result, the hoof becomes hypersensitive to any pressure points on the ground (i.e., rocks, sticks, roots, etc.). Until the horse has healed all the damage in its hooves, there is the potential that he is uncomfortable after a trim. This discomfort is evidence that there is damage inside the hoof. Continuing to support healing by soaking in water, continuous movement on firm, level terrain, and correct trimming is essential at this stage. Healing can only occur with the increased metabolism from this support.

Sensitivity to rough terrain is often mistaken for pain. Rough terrain is not suitable for horses in transition. However, horses with healthy hooves can be sensitive to rough ground if they haven't adapted to it. In order to adapt to rougher terrain, the horse must be conditioned by increasing the amount of time moving over that rough ground. The solution in the short term: utilize properly fitted hoof boots while riding. I will be glad to advise you and help you fit your boots.

Question 2:

I have heard that you trim into "live" sole. This sounds a bit scary. What does this mean?

Answer:

All sole horn is cornified epidermal cells similar to your nail tip or hair. It has no vascular structure or nerves. In simple terms it is dead. It can be painlessly trimmed away just as you would trim your nails or cut your hair.

Trimming past the sole horn, into solar corium, which of course is painful, is not part of the trim I perform.

Question 3:

I have heard from a person who tried your approach, but it didn't work for her. What are the chances for this to happen to me?

Answer:

There are many factors that influence the success of transition to barefoot. Each case must be assessed individually by answering the following questions:

 

1. Was the healing supported adequately during the transition?

   The trimmer and horse owners must work together to support healing. I am not a miracle worker; trimming is only part of the equation. The goal of correct trimming is to produce a ground parallel coffin bone and hoof mechanism. This must be done as frequently as necessary, sometimes as often as twice a week. Other factors for healing are:

   • daily soaking,
   • continuous movement over firm, level terrain, and
   • nutrition.

   The horse owner is responsible to insure that these needs are met. If any one of these factors is not present, healing will be impaired or even prevented.

    

2. Was healing supported long enough for the horse to become sound?

   In addition to the many variables that affect the timeframe for healing, the amount of damage present at the beginning of the transition is one of the greatest influences. There are some cases where the hooves have so much damage that restoration of full usability may not be possible. These are likely to be your long-term chronic founder or long-term shod horse, where a considerable amount of coffin bone has been lost. Additionally there are cases where internal organs are over-taxed due to the damaging effects of shoeing, stall-keeping, and chemical cocktails to manage pain. Careful assessment of the health of the horse is an important step before starting a natural trim. The goal for a horse with relatively healthy internal organs is to restore, as quickly as possible, hoof mechanism, and complete suspension of the coffin bone in a ground-parallel position. This can require at least one hoof capsule re-growth.

   An owner's commitment to stay with the process until healing is complete is vital to success.

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Question 4:

 Someone told me that sometimes a horse can get worse before it gets better. Is this right?

 

Answer:

It is important to understand that damage can exist in the horse's hooves that goes undetected. It is possible that the suspension of the coffin bone is compromised or even completely lost in an outwardly appearing healthy hoof. Restoring hoof mechanism, therefore circulation and nerve function, will reveal this damage. The horse will present lame. Think about you cutting yourself in a frosty morning, when your fingers are really cold. You will only feel the pain of the cut after your fingers have "thawed-up", i.e. blood circulation is back and the nerves are functioning again.

This damage can also lead to an inflammation response, which is part of the healing process. While this inflammation leads to a faster metabolism and healing in the affected area, it also comes with hypersensitivity, i.e. the horse feels more pain in this area. The main purpose of this pain is to tell the horse to be careful and not overuse the injured area. This process is very well understood in humans and is the same process in horses.

Because of the correlation between the trim and the lameness, it is a common mistake to say that the trim caused the lameness. But in these cases, long term damage from improper hoof shape, possibly even shoeing, is the true cause. It is likely that this lameness was already showing to a small degree before the trim. 

Question 5:

I have heard your trim is too invasive. Is it possible to start slower?

 

Answer:

This is a common misconception about the way I trim. In practice, I only remove enough horn to achieve a ground parallel coffin bone, hoof mechanism, and making sure the horse can stand and walk comfortably (i.e. correctly loaded, vertical cannon bones, etc.). The practice of leaving excessive horn inhibits achieving these goals.

The following underlying principals govern hoof health:

• If the coffin bone is not ground parallel, forces on the hoof are not equally distributed and circulation is reduced due to the pinching off of the digital arteries.
• If hoof mechanism is not optimal, then circulation is not optimal.
• If circulation is not optimal, tissues are starved of nutrients, nerve function is impaired, and damage remains undetected.
• If circulation is not optimal, healing cannot be optimal.

My trimming is guided by these principles. Starting slower is a compromise and can delay or even prevent healing. Generally speaking, if the horse is lame to start with, you want to heal as quickly as you can, if the horse is not acutely lame, starting off a bit slower might be a viable option. At the end of the day, we want the horse to progress and get sound (physically, mentally, and emotionally).