|
 The Natural Hoof Care Advantage
by Dr. Tomas G. Teskey D.V.M.
Arizona, U.S.A.
Ask
your veterinarian, farrier or trainer about hoof care and the majority
will freely admit that all equines are most healthy if they can be kept
without steel shoes. Some believe, however, that shoeing is a necessary
evil, evidently important for today’s working horses, mules and donkeys.
Veterinary medicine has its roots in blacksmithing, branching directly
from the iron-working profession. The two developed into their own
specialties, but the hooves continued to be the “territory” of the iron
men. With the ever-increasing knowledge of the hoof, farriery and
veterinary medicine struggle for understanding and reason after a
thousand years of tradition. As time marches on, a new paradigm for
hoof care that does no harm is replacing methods that misunderstand the
hoof.
Given
the latest exciting hoof research, the finest in hoof care today is
focusing on maintaining normal hoof form and function to achieve
optimum health:
- ensuring the hoof can flex in all directions to handle the terrain
- promoting fluid movement and circulation
- protecting sensitive structures inside the feet and legs
- wearing evenly through movement and growing in evenly and strong
- helping engage and sense the environment
These
are all achievable with natural hoof care and impossible using steel
shoes or improper trimming. In fact, placing shoes on hooves fixes them
in two dimensions, forcing the joints above to twist and
torque—arthritic changes such as ringbone result. Normally shaped,
healthy hooves are made of a specialized skin that can be conditioned
to handle any terrain, flexing the proper amount to prevent damage to
all joints in the body.
Shoes disrupt normal
energy and circulation patterns body-wide, forcing the heart to work
harder, stagnating energy flow and causing abnormal hoof growth.
Healthy hooves pump large amounts of blood to keep themselves strong
and all body systems vital and energized.
Instead of protecting the hooves, shoes cause concussive damage,
promote weak growth and allow infection, heat and cold to invade the
hooves, causing health problems for the entire body. Normal hooves are
perfectly protective, insulate against temperature extremes and prevent
injury from rough terrain.
Hooves can’t wear themselves when shod—without a little bit of normal wear, they become deformed and infected  with fungus and bacteria. Exfoliation keeps hooves healthy and free from infection and stimulates strong, new growth.
Shoes
prevent the horse from sensing the earth and their own hooves —
stumbling, loss of traction and increased injuries result when shod.
The loss of a shoe and the lameness that follows demonstrates the
underlying unsoundness of the shod horse. If shod horses suffer no ill
effects from their shoes, as many professionals contend, why are they
so lame within minutes when walking a short distance without them?
Soundness in horses has come to mean moving with animation and
impulsion on unfettered feet. These horses appreciate normal sensation
and feel comfortable around us, place their feet accurately, with
superior soundness and traction, keeping themselves and their riders
safer. When in need of protection on rough terrain or during
rehabilitation, flexible, removable boots that complement hoof form and
function are most appropriate, providing superior protection and doing
no harm to the horse.
Just as it was a change in
horsemanship practices that allowed horses’ health to deteriorate, so a
change in horsemanship is required for them to regain their
vitality…achieving peak performance takes more than just trimming
hooves a certain way. Proper nutrition and lifestyle are critical for
success.
Natural
horsemanship practices today go hand in hand with natural hoof
care—together they are unbeatable! These horses and their astute
caregivers are leading the way in all parts of the equine industry,
demonstrating the efficiency of the natural hoof care paradigm which
raises horses with superior hooves and prevents all common hoof
diseases. These are the priceless advantages that are bringing horses
and their owners greater enjoyment all over the world.
More valuable and exciting information is available on
www.easycareinc.com, www.equethy.com, www.hoofrehab.com,
www.equinextion.com and in an upcoming book by Dr. Teskey which
explores the details required for achieving and maintaining a sound
high-performance horse.
http://www.easycareinc.com/education/whybarefoot.aspx
|
Why Barefoot?