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Horses have been my great love for decades. As a little girl I discovered my passion for these big animals. While I am with them an inner space gets created where time completely disappears.
The deep love I am sharing with my horse friends has kept me on a path of discovery and research. As I was studying veterinary medicine, and in particular hoof anatomy and physiology, I kept feeling that there had to be more to healing than what I was taught. Somewhat by accident, I ended up in a weekend workshop with Dr. Hiltrud Strasser. At the end of the two days I was so excited about what I had learned that I couldn’t sleep. Everyone I knew had to endure my endless talk about horses’ hooves. Needless to say that this was a huge turning point in my life. I became a Hoofcare Specialist in 1992. Since then I have learned much from the horses I've trimmed as well as from the many different approaches to barefoot trimming.
Now, what is a Hoofcare Specialist? A horse can reach an age of 30 years or more. Sadly, horses today are often put to sleep at a very young age. The reason very frequently being that they are pronounced incurably lame. How is that possible? Being a flight animal the horse is built to live a life outdoors with continuous movement. A wild horse travels 10 to 20 miles a day while eating a wide variety of food in the safety and social unit of its herd. A domestic horse, on the contrary, is often kept in a tiny solitary confinement with very little movement and inadequate nutrition. This kind of domestic life style is very stressful for the animal, physically as well as emotionally. To add to the stress, their hooves are equipped with nailed-on iron shoes that further damage the horse’s body. In other words, the conventional keeping of horses is very detrimental to the animal.
The work of a Hoofcare Specialist therefore consists in educating horse owners in the health requirements of their horse and assisting the transition back to health. Many horses’ hooves are crippled or deformed to some extent and need intensive care, in particular during the first few months. Trimming the hooves will allow them to change back into their natural and physiologically functioning shape. At the same time the rest of the body will also benefit from the improved hoof health, because the healthy hoof also functions as a blood pump and waste eliminator.
Transitioning a horse from being shod to being barefoot is a paradigm shift for both the horse and the owner. You can expect for your life to change too! It may take anywhere between a few weeks to a year or two, depending on the preexisting damage. Success is directly proportional to your involvement in the process. During this time of change, you might need to fit your horse with hoof boots. You may or may not be able to ride your horse in the beginning.
Diet is a very crucial aspect to the successful rehabilitation of your horse's hooves. Many horses nowadays are metabolically compromised to some degree, which affects their bodies' ability to heal. Please see the "Articles" page of this website for additional information.
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