The Natural Trim ~ hooves designed the way nature intended.
A lot of horse owners are curious about transitioning from horseshoes to barefoot. They often ask me:
How long will it take to get him sound barefoot? The answer is simple: That depends. What are you
feeding him? How much exercise does he get? Is he on soft ground or is there some rough ground to help condition
his hooves? What kind of riding do you do with him? You see, all of these factors have an impact on how soon you
horse may be able to perform to your expectations without shoes.
I trim many horses after removing their shoes that never take a sore step. Others
take some time to transition. So much depends on diet! Go to Pete Ramey's website, www.hoofrehab.com and read his article on Laminitis! On average, most horses I trim can transition smoothly from shoes to barefoot in
about 3 to 5 trims, as long as they are getting plenty of movement and their owners are feeding them a sensible diet,
with lots of good quality hay and little if any concentrated feed.
MOVEMENT IS CRITICAL! No matter how good the diet and trim may be, if the horse
is standing around and not moving much, then he will grow the hoof of an idle horse -- a weak hoof. The horse will grow
the hoof he needs. Mustangs move an average of 20-30 miles a day, so they grow hooves that can carry them that distance.
Many owners find it helps to have boots fitted so that they can be worn while the horse
is making the transition.
I encourage every horse owner to educate herself on the factors that influence tough, healthy
hooves. Study the articles that Pete Ramey has written and posted on his website: www.hoofrehab.com. I tell all my new clients that they need to read his article on laminitis in particular, or read Jaime
Jackson's book on Founder.
Another important key to healthy hooves is diet. One question I often face is
whether a horse can be sound barefoot on a diet rich in carbs (like sweet feed and rich hay, such as Alfalfa or T&A).
The answer, again, is that depends. Most horses can gradually transition to a lower carb diet with free-choice grass hay
over time and can maintain a good weight. I can't tell you what is best for your horse, but I can tell you that
I feed my horses one cup (a measuring cup like you would cook with) of high protein, low-carbohydrate pellets morning
and night, plus a flake or two of quality Orchard Grass or Timothy hay, plus pretty much all the Coastal hay they want to
eat.
Our paint, Hidalgo (pictured above), stays too fat on that diet! And they are turned out
and running around every day, plus get exercised several times a week. The horses I trim that have the toughest
feet and are most consistently sound are the ones on diets restricted in sweet feeds and hay. Period. Again, I
urge everyone out there to read up on the latest research showing a direct connection between high-carb diet and painful laminitis.
