Why I Will (probably) Never Hang Up My Horseshoeing Tools

Confession: There was a time in my life when the moment my horse started to get some cracking or chipping around the perimeter of her hoof walls, I was on the phone with the farrier scheduling a pair of shoes to be put on. (Don't judge me.) 

Fast forward ten years: I had been a farrier for about 6 years, and recently decided to sell my shoeing trailer and EVERYTHING in it. I spent the next few years concentrating solely on natural trimming, and carrying around a few tools in my little car. I'm not gonna lie; the decreased overhead and WAY better gas mileage left me feeling a bit spoiled.

But the more time goes by, the more I wish I still had all those tools. I've slowly begun to acquire many of them again, and on occasion I still drool over fancy farrier trailers online...  Someday, maybe...

As a natural trimmer, I get asked all the time why I still put shoes on horses. It's never dawned on me to write a post about this, until tonight. It's 12:17am and I've been thinking about this (not sleeping) for a good hour... so I decided to put some text to my thoughts.

It seems like most natural trimming articles I read talk about the horrors and dangers of the dreaded metal shoe. I've even read articles from several natural trimmers talking about why they will never, ever, EVER put a shoe on a horse. And I get that. I really do. It's what got me into natural trimming in the first place. There is something unequivocally beautiful, correct and healthy about the horses hoof in it's natural, God-designed state that no shoe, pad, adhesive device, cast, or plate can ever hold a candle to.

But the reality of life is, as I see it, that there is never only ONE right answer. Did I need to have shoes put on my mare because she has a little chip or split? Good grief, no. But there is a time and a place for horseshoes. There is a reason they have been around for literally hundreds of (almost a thousand) years. And, if I may be so bold, that reason has two legs.

Gasp! Did I say humans shouldn't have horses?!?

No. Not at all. I think horses save many lives, and the enrichment they add to any life is priceless. HOWEVER, being humans, we are not perfect. And often we impose our own set of limitations, lifestyles, habits, and environment on the creatures we surround ourselves with. And those creatures are usually happy, willing, and pleased to be a part of our lives--whatever role we place them in. It's just that sometimes those roles aren't always perfectly aligned with what is healthiest for the horse.

I need to quit rambling. Without further ado, here's my little list of reasons why I won't be hanging up my shoeing tools anytime soon (and will probably still oogle over fancy shoeing trailers):

1. Environment. Really, this should be numbers 1-10 on why horseshoes are sometimes necessary. I cannot tell you how many times I have been fired by a client who wanted natural trimming yet paid no attention to the fact that the horse lived in 12" of standing mud/manure and they intended to ride the horse once or twice a week, for 10 miles, on gravel roads. When counseled on lifestyle and environmental changes that would be necessary to maintain a "natural hoof", I often met blank stares, and claims of "well I can't afford to do that" or "we don't want to move our horse to a different stable". If I took my Honda civic to a tire dealer and complained that I was unable to trek through 3' of deep snow and proclaimed that they needed to put on tires that would work, I'm fairly certain they would laugh me out of the door. Maybe it's a Minnesota thing... but I'm fairly certain most people do not realize the stress our wet muddy climate puts on our horses hooves. And most people I know don't enjoy riding in the mud, so this stark contrast begins to pose a problem.
*There is a method of trimming horses hooves specifically designed for wet climates, but one of the main principles of this style of trimming is that the frequency of the trim must be every 3-4 weeks. Again, when I have told people this I am usually met with more blank stares and more "I can't afford that".

2. Expectations/jobs: I feel like this is used as an excuse to put on shoes much more often than it actually is true... but there definitely are certain jobs or expectations that do require additional support. Some examples are: walking on slippery concrete for hours per day (mounted patrol, etc) often dictates a synthetic or rubber shoe, or some sort of additional traction added to a plain shoe. Barrel horses often improve their times when rim shoes or other specialty shoes are applied (which I'm told is a good thing). One year I was boarding at a barn that had some flooding, and then the ground froze, and there was literally a skating rink in about 1/3 of our horse pasture. I was incredibly thankful to be able to put some borium shoes on my mare's feet--and she was the only horse able to safely walk around in that pasture for several weeks.

 

(rubber/aluminum shoes)

(borium toe, snowball pads)

3. Diet: Again, this isn't something that is routinely addressed but there are occasions where a horse has been malnourished or over-nourished and the hooves have suffered severe consequences. Sometimes the only way to make these horses comfortable is to apply some type of cast, pad, or packing to support the bony column and the hoof.

4. Genetics: I do not use genetics as a reason very often, if ever, and I am not referring to a club foot, toe-in, toe-out, or any of the standard congenital deviations. Most all of these respond very well to corrective trimming and chiropractic adjustments. Very uncommonly... a horse will have some type of congenital malformation that lends itself to complete unsoundness unless shod. Unfortunately, these horses do not typically reach maturity, but those that do often need lots of support.

(Before)

 

(After) 

5. Trauma: This is probably more common than reasons 3 and 4. By "trauma" I really mean anything that significantly disrupts the hoof capsule. This can be white line disease, a laceration, severe laminitis, other infections, etc. When the ability of the entire hoof capsule to bear weight is significantly affected, it is often necessary to add support.

So, I guess you could say I have come full circle. From a teenager who put shoes on every horse she rode, to a farrier, to a strictly natural trimmer, and now finding some happy medium. I love working on horses hooves, and I love making them sound and comfortable even more. Sometimes that means shoes. Often it doesn't.

As most things in life, it seems like there is not one right answer. 
(Which is why I am such a stickler for evaluating every horse I work on, looking at their environment, lifestyle, and performance expectations!)

And now, hopefully, sleep will come to me!

The Equine Club Foot

This condition is very near and dear to my heart, as it is part of the reason I am a chiropractor today.

The equine club foot is a tricky issue.

To begin, there are several different definitions. Just for fun, I've organized some of them from my most favorite to least favorite:

--Radiograph showing a flexion contracture of the coffin joint with increased hoof angle, often associated with dishing of the dorsal hoof wall

--Inequality in the angles of a pair of hooves (usually front), ie one hoof grows steeper than the other 

--Any hoof over 60 over 65 degrees in angle (not generally considered accurate definition, but it is out there)

There is a pretty good definition here: 

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/10589/the-club-foot

And another with more detailed discussion about possible causes: 

http://www.hoofrehab.com/ClubFoot.htm

So what does this mean practically?

Well, depending on the severity, it typically results in:

Increased dorsal hoof angle (obviously)

Contracted heels 

Chronic thrush and frog atrophy (shrinking)

Seedy toe/white line at the toe

Thin sole at the toe 

Dished hoof wall

Dishing or deterioration of the tip of the coffin bone via radiograph

Difficulty picking up leads or performing certain activities

There are 4 grades of club feet, just to help classify the severity.

This, unfortunately, is very common--at least grades 1 and 2 are quite common. Thankfully grades 3 and 4 are less common!

Treatment typically consists of specialized trimming and shoeing with possible referral for surgery in severe cases. Generally the earlier in life this condition is diagnosed and treated the better the prognosis.

So...

What does this have to do with chiropractic?

I'm so glad you asked. 

Story time! 

My old show mare had always and forever had hoof angles of 63-65 on the right front and 55-58 on the left front. No matter how I trimmed, how often I trimmed, or any myriad of shoeing techniques I used. One day, very shortly after she was adjusted for the first time, I noticed her hoof angles were suddenly matched. I hadn't changed anything in my trimming, riding, saddle, management, etc. So how did that happen??

Studies have shown that horses with club feet do NOT exhibit any anatomical differences in bone, ligament, or tendon from one leg to another. What does that mean? Well we know that one leg isn't longer than the other, one tendon isn't shorter or malformed compared to the other, and we know that it isn't caused by anything inside the foot (if you trim the hoof aggressively it will grow back rapidly). So why does this happen? Many professionals now point to tendon contracture. Specifically, the deep digital flexor tendon. Well now, how does a tendon contract? 

They don't, really. The muscle that the tendon originates on contracts. In this case, the deep digital flexor muscle that is attached to the humerus, radius, and ulna. So what would cause that muscle to contract, thus shortening the tendon?

Lots of things.... But I digress. 

Chiropractic treats subluxation complexes that are CHARCTERIZED by muscle spasm (among other things). 

Now does it begin to make sense that chiropractic can treat club feet? Massage therapy may also help, but it won't treat the root cause of the issue.

My mare continued to have level, balanced hooves for about one year. At that point, I decided that I would get her adjusted again to see what would happen. Her hoof angles balanced out. For the next few years, whenever I noticed her right hoof angle creeping up I would have the chiropractor out. And it resolved every time. I have since recommended this to multiple farrier clients, and it helps or fixes the club foot 75-85% of the time (rough estimate).

READ:

Does chiropractic guarantee to fix every club foot, every time? NO. 

Listen now: did Dr Julie say it fixes every club foot? No.

But very often, it helps. And this is why it is imperative to have good veterinary care in conjunction with chiropractic. Because if chiopractic does not help a young foal with a club foot, it MUST be further investigated and treated appropriately.