Man, this summer flew by!  Not at all looking forward to the winter here in New England! 

This season we have "downsized" both in activities and in horses on the farm. Concentrating on horses that need rehabbing instead of standard "boarding" means that there will be spaces open regularly as horses come in, received care and then are "discharged". Right now we have 2 spaces open but that could change this afternoon even just after I post this. One never knows. Treating pathological hooves or transitions rather than "maintenance" trimming will allow me time to write. This feels like a season coming to hunker down by the woodstove under a woolie blanket with a cup of steaming hot coffee, pen and paper in my lap ... (or computer as the case might be.)

2 weekends ago I attended a Pete Ramey clinic in VT. I would urge anyone with the remotest interest in the Equine Hoof to attend one of his clinics! Warning: they are INTENSIVE! Loads of information and insights for both the horse owner and the professional. I would strongly encourage veterinarians and farriers to attend!!!  Pete and Ivy have a "special" right now where if a horse owner signs up to attend one of his clinics, the owner's veterinarian may attend FREE OF CHARGE! Go to his website at: http://www.hoofrehab.com to view the specifics.

The clinic really cemented alot of "stuff" for me ... and really helped to ground my self-confidence. Those things that I've felt strongly about but had no "official" endorsement were brought to light and are now "officially endorsed"!  *G*  I don't feel so all alone in my thinking about horses' hooves. It's a hard battle to fight when faced with farriers who have been in the "business" since time began and "know it all."  *grin* ... it's even harder when faced with a traditional vet who has NO idea about the Equine Hoof yet proceeds to proclaim all sorts of diagnostics and treatments which, in reality, would do MORE harm than good. Things like locking laminitic/foundered horses up in stalls for weeks and months at a time in deep bedding and withholding feedstuffs ... that is a recipe for DISASTER and, most likely, an early death, yes, death! for the horse. More and more and more I am strongly convinced that the domestic horse, even though not a "wild" horse, needs the same lifestyle as a wild horse or as close to it as possible in order to be wholly healthy! The horse is an absolutel MARVEL of science - "creation", if you will - and to withhold the "natural" movement by locking up in solitary confinement for hours and hours and hours on end is detrimental not only to the hooves but to the mind, spirit and body of the horse, as well. Equus caballus is so finely tuned by nature that any imbalance is going to have an impact not only on the hooves, where *everything* lands, but to the immune system which, in turn, affects all the rest of the physical systems. Much as if one would lock a 6 year old active little boy up in a 6X6X6 foot room with one window, no toys, no friends, and throw some sugar at him 2 or 3 times a day ... could you just IMAGINE !?!?!  Well, we do the same thing to our horses every day. While I understand that many just cannot turn their horses out 24/7 (although if there's a will, there's always a way!) the horse CAN be turned out for a good 12 - 14 hours a day and that is better, ohhhhh, so much better, than just 2 or 3 or even just 1 hour a day. REGARDLESS of discipline or job or condition of the horse.

The million dollar horse is no different than the rescued horse in terms of physical, mental and spiritual needs. The horse doesn't know its a million dollar animal - all he knows is that he wants to be in open spaces, grazing 18 - 20 hours a day and moving ... moving ... moving among friends. Horses, like any other mammal, need sustenance for the mind and spirit as well as for the body. This means time to PLAY with "friends" and time to simply be a horse. And while any mammal would like "candy" for a diet (such as what we feed our horses when we feed highly concentrated pelleted grain or sweet feeds) we all know what a constant diet of sugar will do to our bodies ... animal or human. Then we wonder why our horse is "off the wall."

Movement is so paramount for a healthy horse in its hooves, body and mind that I just cannot emphasize this enough. Horses' entire systems are created around movement. Yet, how many hours a day does the average domestic horse get in terms of movement? More horses are reported as "pleasure" horses or "recreational" than anything else. This means we live in a world of weekend warriors who keep their horses stabled all week then pull them out for a few hours on Sats. and Suns. as time allows. There are few actual "working" horses left in this day and age. No longer do we depend on the horse for transportation and "farm hands" ... we have machines to do the work for us. Helicopters to "round up" the cattle on the ranges; tractors to plow the fields and Humvees to transport us around to our destinations. The domestic horse has become more of a "toy" than anything else. And what happens to the 'toys' when they are outgrown or broken? What predisposes them to "break" ... they're shoved into the "toy box" to be forgotten when another new toy is bought. They're relegated to the world of "worthless" or "throwaways". Some of the lucky ones are generously and thoughtfully sent to retirement pastures while others are merely sustained in stable yards. Worse, yet, are those who are sent to auction houses for the highest bidder. If the horse is aged and unsound, most likely Alpo will be the highest bidder. How sad an end for such a giving, forgiving and sensitive animal that services human-kind all their lives.

Well, have gone onto a raging tangent here and I've got work to do ... time to go out and give my "throw-away rescues" hugs and kisses while spreading out their hay and scattering their oats for them to graze on for the day. I might even pick up my rasp and trim some hooves today. Not that that would be any different from any other day! Think I need to buy some new rasps, now that I think on it ... gettin' low on sharp ones ... and maybe, just maybe, some of my clients have taken heed to my strong urgings and the hooves I see will merely need a bit of tweaking here and there to compliment their "natural trims done by nature."

--caballus

Wow. It's already the 2nd week in August and it seems like we just got through with spring mud! It's hot, muggy and incredibly busy here at Penzance and with Penzance clientele.

This summer I've focused on mainly pathological hooves with the majority being laminitic and foundered critters. A good number of navicular syndrome, too with more than my share of Long Toe/Low Heel Syndrome as well. I can say in all honesty that the Natural Trim continues to amaze me with each horse I treat. There has been one set-back this year with a mare who penetrated both front soles with her P3: the owner was sadly taken up with care of a very ill family member and was not as vigilant about the hooves as should have been. Understandable considering the circumstances however her mare re-foundered this March after not getting trimmed for 2 months. The rotation is actually a lateral rotation rather than a straight down rotation which makes the trim treatment and rehab just a bit different than the "norm". However, good news as of this writing - the mare is again almost completely sound and her hooves are, once again, looking pretty sharp. I'm finding, over and over again, that the 4th month into recovery is seemingly a "magical" month when it appears that overnight, the previously head-nodding lame horse becomes sound with no noticeable appearance of lameness. I'm not sure what the 4th month has to do except that maybe that is the 1/2 way mark of new hoof growth. Perhaps someone "out there" will someday have an answer for me on this but as it stands, I've begun to tell clients that they can expect their horse to show remarkable changes during the latter part of the 3rd month into the 1st week or so of the 4th month.

Several clients have had their horses "vet checked" for soundness and the horses have come through with flying colors. Most noteably is "Call Me Ishmael" who, a year ago last January, had an appointment to be euthanized due to "incurable" navicular. As of July of this summer, 2005, Ish was pronounced 100% sound by his vet and is going home into full working training for eventing on September 1st. While he remains here at Penzance, he is in semi-training as his owner can get here. His owner, living over 100 miles away, cannot be here on a daily basis. We are excited, though, to the prospect of seeing Ish competing successfully this fall or next spring. A bittersweet good-bye, I know it won't be a "forever" goodbye to Ish as I will be periodically "checking" on his trim and natural hoofcare. He is a most sensitive horse and such a positive addition to Penzance that all here will miss him terribly! He is one of those horses to whom most are drawn with an almost magical awareness of something "special" about the horse. Even before hearing his story of recovery, his presence softly beckons those who have doubts about this "fad" of natural hoofcare! As people watch and want to know about his movements now, he graciously and surprisingly exhibits his new hooves in an awesome array of high school movements completely at liberty! His capriole is magnificent; his passage without flaw and his all out "catch me if you can" is breath-taking. But then, when asked to simply "trot" he is most willing to comply quietly and gently with a soft nicker as if to say, I am happy to show you and I promise not to scare you! Yes, we will all miss his presence here in the tall pines but I can guarantee that no one will ever forget him. (go to www.barefoottrim.com and click on "Pathologies" then "Navicular" to read about his history and recovery here at Penzance.)

Another noteable is "Kyle" from southern Rhode Island. Kyle is a 23 year old TB who was in shoes for most of his life. In the 7 or 9 years he's been at his present home, he had never presented totally sound. His hooves degenerated over the years and subsequently he wore pads with wedges but to no avail. The vets and the farriers all were perplexed as to just *what* to do with him. Finally, after his owner found him extremely lame one morning, the vet said, "Let's just pull his shoes and give the ole man a rest." So ... we did. That was just over 4 months ago as of this writing. When I removed his shoes, he was so long in the toe and so low in the heel that the thickness of his hooves are reminiscent of fat pancakes. His heels were underslung and bruised; his white line so stretched that I could barely take off 1/4" of toe in the first trim without invading right through the white line. He hobbled away after that trim and lived on bute for quite awhile afterwards. Just barely 14 weeks or so into his recovery, however, the vet went to see his progress and pronounced Kyle 100% sound!  The first time in years or maybe forever! He, as Ish, is now going back into full work. Kyle also presented initially as a very aloof horse - stood facing the corner of his stall and didn't want anyone to touch him. Now he greets me with a whinney and prances around just begging for scritches and pats (plus a few cinammon treats here and there! *G*) He is vibrant and personable and full of life. He's got a good number of years left on him afterall! 

Goldie, Hawk, T.O., Trigger, Peaches are all more horses that presented with both laminitis and navicular. New "patients" this summer and all are doing well in recovery just weeks after their initial trims. Chompers is in the showring this spring and summer after a "hopeless" bout with Navicular and Cammie, aka "Winnie" is now starting back under light riding after penetrating both her fronts and almost losing 1/2 of her rear hind. Cali is sound with her club foot although there's no "correcting" the club as she is truly sporting a left front that is clubbed. Banana rail shoes did more harm than good for this young mare and I was doubtful when I pulled the shoes that she would be sound. How little faith in the horse's capability to heal itself given the correct parameters. She is remarkably sound for what she's been through in her short years.

I could go on and on as I'm just so totally amazed as the power of the horse to "heal itself" but then, horses have always amazed me in general! These gentle giants are the epitomy of God's love and forgiveness. His timing, His giving, His courage and His grace. I thank Him everyday for the horses who bless our farm and for the humans they own who recognize the love for which they stand. I thank Him that everyday I am able to somehow help just one more recover from pain and suffering, mentally or physically. I pray that as long as I live that each day I can be a positive part of a horse's life and continue to be able to see the incredible miracles of healing that God allows in nature by His divine designs. The Horse has to be the finest example of infinite beauty and grace. 

More and more and more I see the value of keeping the horses MOVING!  24/7 turnout with free choice hay spread out all over the place so the horse has to WALK to get to it; turn out with a buddy or more so they can move and play; the MOVEMENT of the horse is so ultimately important in the health of the hooves. As with any other living thing -- movement means life. No movement means minimized circulation in the hooves which, in turn, causes the tissues to atrophy. No movement while standing in manure and urine in a small box  ... sounds, um, counter-productive to healthy hooves. No hooves, no horses.

I've had enuf exposure, now, to different horses all in different stages of restoration and rehabilitation to see that those who are not allowed 24/7 turnout and don't get the circulation through movement take much longer to transition and heal than those who are allowed to be out and moving. It's just so important to get that blood flowing down through the hooves. Nutrient, oxygen carrying blood.  Paramount to healthy horn, laminae and new growth of all hoof tissues. It's a known fact, also, that broken bones heal better and more quickly with an initial non-weight bearing (rest) stage but then  weight bearing and movement will increase the new healing growth rate!  Movement will also increase the quality of the new growth. This doesn't just apply to human bones but to all mammal bones and tissues.

Don't expect to yank the shoes, get a hoof trim then throw the horse back into the stall -- doesn't work! Go ahead and pull the shoes, trim the hooves correctly and TURN THE HORSE OUT 24/7!!!  Preferably within a herd situation - even a small herd of just 3 or 4 horses. They keep each other moving. And try to provide varied terrain on which the horse must move to get to its hay and water. As Xenophon stated in the 3 - 400 BC's -- put down some fist-sized rocks in the stableyard over which the horses walk to strengthen and condition the hooves. Especially if you ride on rocky trails. You can't expect the horse to get its shoes off then immediately start galloping over rocky hill and dale. The horse must condition its hooves, first ... walk and walk and walk and more walking on the same terrain on which you wish to ride!  The same applies to horses that are kept on grassy pastures ... can't expect a horse that lives on grassy pasture to be totally OK with rocky terrain once a month.

You want your horse to have healthy hooves? Take the shoes off, turn him out 24/7 on varied ground and get him to move then move some more. The movement is just as important as the trim ...

Welcome!