Horse Hoof Trimming Case Studies

This page illustrates how natural horse hoof trimming can restore health to a horse's hooves. The links below take you to case studies of some of the horses I trim. Many of these horses have major pathologies and which takes time to heal but you will see how a correct trim allows the hoof to start to recover straight away.

You will notice how the angle of the toe wall improves - this is a common problem in the majority of shod and unshod hooves as often the breakover is allowed to get too far forward which not only causes problems such as tripping and overreaching but also puts undue stress on the laminar connection, weakening the hoof and setting it up for laminitis/founder.

Also note how the heels are short so that the frog can play an active part in shock-absorption (high heels often lead to navicular problems).

Another very common problem is flaring and it is often overlooked until the the horse becomes lame - see April's case study below.

If you are at all concerned with the condition of your horse's hooves please get a second opinion. See our photo consultation service if you are interested in getting a full report including photo mark-ups for your horse - click here for more information.

Case Studies

Click on the links below to see each case study.

Hoof Tubules 
Here are a couple of pictures to illustrate how poor trimming can lead to bent hoof tubules. The first picture shows a hoof that was being trimmed …

Beautiful, healthy hooves 
Here are some photos of a Rocky Mountain Horse that I have been trimming for a little over a year. He has fantastic feet with great concavity. The …

Laminitis - Mini 
Sophie - Mini - 11 years old: Sophie also had a laminitis attack a couple of years ago leading to seriously pathological feet. She was also receiving …

Severe Flaring & Imbalance 
April - TB x Draft - 10 years old: April's owner contacted me because April kept getting sore after each farrier trim. The soreness would last for 2-3 …

Flaring, Rotation & Distal Descent 
Rory is a beautiful, 4 year old Arabian and when I first met her she had shoes on the fronts and bare in the hinds. Her owner was concerned as her current …

Laminitis - Long Term  
Missy - Appaloosa - 20+ years old: Missy had a laminitis attack two years ago leading to seriously pathological feet. But despite fairly regularly trimming …

Relatively Healthy Hooves 
Al - Arab/Andalucian - 20 year old: Al has great feet. The top pics shown a slightly overgrown pasture trimmed hoof. The bottom pics show the same hoof …





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