Case Studies
I work on all types of feet, on all types of horses, that do all types of work. My goal is always to restore as much function to each hoof, on each leg, for each horse, each time I see them. I will use what tools and knowledge I have access to that make the most amount of appropriate change for each horse.
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My "method" is more of an approach and a question I ask myself. What does this horse need from me today for his feet to support him as best as possible with all things considered?
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Hoof care is a journey, with every horse and their care taker on their own path. I help the horses through my work with the feet so they can heal and optimally grow to find a better state of function through a better form.
This horse is one I have done for years and he comes in and out (goes out for lease) of the barn I work for. His hoof balance is an integral part of him staying sound and performing well. The photos on the left were coming off the last lease and he wasn't feeling his best. I was able to trim him to a good place that immediately improved comfort and then his performance. He stayed barefoot for some time while his body let down and found a better neutral posture.
This was the first time I had seen this horse. His 'goat on a rock' posture was directly related to his very broken back hoof pastern axis on the hind feet. He was sound and still competing when I first met him. He continued to stay sound and competing while I rehabbed his hind feet in shoes with pads to improve his hoof pastern axis and base of support. In his first trim, you can see here the improvement in posture immediately.
This pony came in grossly overdue for a trim, so I won't be judging the last farrier to work on him. The importance of length of trim cycle can't be overstated. In just one mindful trim, we improved the base of support and the angle of the coronet. This pony stayed sound and barefoot, and is still going strong barefoot.
This is a FEI dressage horse that was struggling to feel connected to his hind end and looked disunited. He was loosing energy in his tempis and piaffe/passage. This was his first shoeing with me. While not perfect (progress over perfection), his movement improved ten fold and found better connection and energy through the hind end. His overall posture improved as well and didn't need the same frequency of routine veterinary support to continue working comfortably.
