Natural Balance Hoofcare

Prologue

As we look at the wild horse foot, we clearly see a pattern from the bottom that is consistent with all horses from all types of terrain and environment.  We observe similar features on the ground side of the domestic foot, and wonder if there may be something we've overlooked in our quest for knowledge and understanding of the domestic equine foot.  Farriers, veterinarians and horsemen have been curious about common subtleties of the sole and hoofwall of domestic bare foot horses for decades.  Questions such as:

1. Why does the hoof wall always break at the quarters before the toe and heel?
2. Why is there frequently a small amount of callused frog present at the frog apex?
3. Why is there a substantial frog build-up in the back part of the frog between the heels.  Why is this portion also heavily callused?
4. What does a hoof wall flare mean to the foot?
5. Why is there a small portion of the hoof wall below the coronary band at a different angle than the rest of the dorsal hoof wall?
6. Why is there always a lip of frog that forms on the ground surface of the frog?
7. What purpose does the raised area on the sole (just inside of the lamina) serve?
8. Why is there always dirt packed in the bottom of horse's feet, and particularly in the back 2/3?
9. Why is thrush noticed in feet and frogs that are narrow, with deep creases in the central sulcus?
10. Why do shoes always wear more at the toe than the rest of the shoe?
11. Why do the shoes wear more rapidly at the toe when the foot appears to have a long toe, low heel conformation?
12. Why do most front shoes wear more at the outside (lateral) toe?
13. Why does the frog and sole change to hard and soft textures rapidly when the weather changes?

Farriers are often instructed to trim the frog and sole to reduce weight-bearing from the ground, and to make it easy to remove dirt and debris.   Horse owners are instructed to keep the feet cleaned out to prevent thrush and check for stones.  Is it possible that the very things we are eliminating, based on the wild horse research, may be the most important link broken in the chain of functional anatomy on the ground surface of the foot?  It seems as though we are trying to preserve the hoofwall when it so desperately tries to break and crack to expose the other solar structures to the ground....

What to Expect

We have now established the starting point to understanding the Natural Balance Hoofcare.  The questions and comments from the above section are very important when learning how to look at the horse's foot differently.  The remaining sections of this "Natural Balance Hoofcare" tutorial will teach you how to look at the foot differently and how to listen to the horse and mother nature when servicing the needs of the foot.  You will learn:

• Why and how the foot relies on the entire back solar region of the foot for support.

• Why the frog is so important for hoof development, bone column alignment and circulation.

• Where the optimal point of breakover is for a shod and barefooted horse.

• How to balance the hoof using the sole plane and other landmarks on the bottom of the foot.

• Why foal activity is so important in the first few days and even hours after birth.

• How to recognize if a horse is in danger of having future lameness problems.

And hopefully many more interesting and helpful aspects of the equine digit that will keep your horses happy and sound!

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This page was last update on 8/22/01. Copyright © 1998 Wild Horse Publishing & Equine Digit Support System, Inc.. All rights reserved. Terms of Use