The old adage of 'no hoof no horse' still holds true today. A horse’s hoof is the foundation for its movement, joint health, and circulation. There is an ever increasing awareness, however, that the centuries old practice of nailing an iron shoe to the horses hoof is not a good practice. So why do we do it, and how did it all begin?
While the inventors of the first nailed shoe may always remain a mystery, horseshoeing became a mainstream practice in Europe around 1000 AD. The Romans used an “iron hipposandal” (picture above); a form of temporary shoe fastened to the hoof for use on roads and easily removed when not required. Thick pieces of ‘leather’ were also wrapped around the hoof for protection on rough roads. The practice of hot-shoeing became popular in Great Britain and France in the 16th century. At the same time the term “farrier” gradually came into use from Latin roots, while the verb “farrier” in French came to mean the process of shoeing horses.
Having a shoe is one thing, but proper shoeing is another. The ‘no foot, no horse’ phrase started in England in 1751; by 1874 the Journeymen Horseshoers National Union was founded in the U.S. for a country now teeming with horses.
So the ‘iron hoof’ continued to be the most popular form of hoof protection. Until Jaime Jackson published his landmark book, “The Natural Horse: Lessons from the Wild”, 1992. Jaime studied the wild horse in its natural environment from 1982 until 1986. Some of the findings, explained in his book, include the radical difference between wild horses and their domestic counterparts. Not only did the wild horses live longer, but they didn’t suffer from some of the hoof maladies that plague our domestic equines.
Horses have been used for work and pleasure by man for thousands of years prior to the invention of horse shoes. Some of the oldest writings about the care of hooves are found in the works of Xenophon, a fourth century BC Greek cavalry commander, who wrote "naturally sound hooves get spoiled in most stalls," and included the instruction that their hooves should be toughened by putting a cobblestone area in their paddock.
Hoof care is essential for a healthy horse. In the past year we have been thru 4 farriers to try and find someone who knows the hoof. One of the problems in Panama with putting an iron shoe on a horse is that the iron is heavy, not of very good quality, and the shoe is available in only a couple of sizes. There isn’t any anvil and fire here to shape the shoe to fit the horse. A little hammering and banging, and then the hoof is trimmed to fit the shoe. What if you went shopping for shoes and they only had 3 sizes? So they use a little “shoe stretch”, and then cut your foot to fit in to the shoe. I know this is a little extreme, but I’m going for a visual here.
My personal quest to find a better hoof solution began with a series of events. 1. Several horses at the Ranch started throwing shoes. 2. One day on a ride, a horse hooked his front hoof to his back hoof because the shoes were not on correctly. Seeing the horse standing on 2 legs was not a good moment. 3. My horse, Cliff, was always barefoot until he arrived at the Ranch. Once shoes were put on him, as everyone at the ranch had shoes, he became clumsy and trippy. At first I thought it was because he is blind in one eye (another story). 4. I change my computer wallpapers often. I put up a National Geographic picture of 2 wild mustangs fighting. While staring at this picture and thinking what to do about the horse’s hooves, I thought, wow, they have gorgeous hoofs. Thus began my quest.
So, why bare hooves versus shod hooves:
• Bare hooves are perfectly designed to move under the horse
• Bare hooves absorb shock.
• Shod hooves do not move. The back half of the foot, containing the internal structure of fibrous cartiledge for shock absorption and blood circulation, becomes useless.
• Bare hooves feel and know where they are in space. Shod horses lose this ability.
Shod hooves redirect the energy of the horse right up the leg. The leg is not a shock absorber; the hoof is. This is especially noticeable on a paved road. Ride side by side with a shod and a barefoot horse and feel the shoulder. The impact of the iron on the pavement, up the leg and be felt by both the horse and the rider.
According to several local horse vets, and horse enthusiast, it is difficult to find a good farrier or trimmer in Panama. Rumor has it that there are only two good farriers in the entire country; and even the horses at the race tracks are not shod correctly. We have found a fairly good local trimmer, but they are still not being trimmed correctly. There is no attention to balance; and the trim is often too short, or not at the correct angle.
All the horses at Rancho de Caldera are now barefoot. But in order to benefit our horses, bring awareness to the “barefoot” movement, and help educate the local farriers, horse managers, and groomers, we have invited a “Barefoot Expert” from the U.S. to come to Panama to teach and educate us on a better way to keep our horses healthier and safer.
Dawn Willoughby; http://4sweetfeet.com/ will be coming to Boquete in January. She will spend a week with us teaching about the Naturally Balanced horse. She has been able to obtain sponsorship from:Easy Care Boots http://www.easycareinc.com/ and Hoof Jack Hoof Stand http://www.hoofjack.com/ . She is also working with Mustand for Heller Legend rasps.
There will be a nominal fee for horse owners to attend the jam sessions and clinic. The money we have raised, and the fee for the clinic will go toward her expenses. We are also offering the clinic free of charge to the local guys; farriers, groomers, etc. Teaching them how to care for our horses correctly will benefit all of our horses. She will also be available for private sessions. Contact: Carol at [email protected] • 6613-1472 for English. In Spanish contact Mario at: [email protected] Tel: 301.0150 Cel: 6679.1483.
No Hoof—No Horse
Horse Week at Rancho de Caldera; January 9, 2010 thru January 16, 2010
Itinerary:
Monday: January 11-- 3 hour horse Jam session with Dawn from the U.S. Let’s talk horses; why natural, hoof health, power point presentation, bring pictures of your horses hoofs and Dawn will give advice. Includes lunch.
Tuesday: January 12--Spanish all day hands on clinic. Includes lunch
Thursday: January 14--English all day hands on clinic. Includes lunch
Saturday: January 16-- Spanish and English all day hands on clinic. Includes lunch
Dawn will also be available for private sessions with your horse at your farm. You can e-mail me for rates.
Day Rates:
$65 full day includes lunch--single
$90 full day with lunch for a couple
$30 3 hour Jam Session with Dawn—includes lunch
Overnight Rates: Includes full day clinic and lunch the day of the clinic.
$175 one night single $285 for 2 nights single
$200 one night double $310 for 2 nights double
Accommodations are at Rancho de Caldera. Pre payment and advance reservations essential.
Contact: Carol at [email protected] • 6613-1472 for English. In Spanish contact Mario at: [email protected] Tel: 301.0150 Cel: 6679.1483.
For more information about Dawn—our Natural Balance expert you can go to her web site: http://www.4sweetfeet.com/ Dawn is also a horse “clicker” trainer.
