Rock Hill, South Carolina Hoof Clinic!

Equine Hoof Care and Nutrition Clinic
August 15, 2009 8:00am-5:00pm, august 16, 2009 8am-?

Dream Equine Therapy Center is proud to host Lauren Gruber here in Rock Hill, SC as she educates us in the field of equine care from the bottom up. Lauren owns and operates her own equine rehabilitation facility in Greeneville, TN and has dedicated the last 10 years to rehabilitating horses from all walks of like using excellent natural hoof care and nutition. Lauren has trained with Steve Dick of the Equine Science Academy, Paige Poss of Ironfreehoof.com, and Pete Ramey just to name a few. Saturday will be jam packed full of lectures and demonstrative trimmings while Sunday will be open to having your horse trimmed, the natural barefoot way. Book your spot early as spaces are limited and we will fill up fast.

Registration fees:
Early registration by Aug 8, $45
Late registration, $55
Aditional fees apply for Sunday trimming

A portion of proceeds will benefit Dream Equine Therapy Center. For more information about their program and mission to rescue horses in need, visit dreamequinetherapycenter.org

For more information about the clinic, contact Courtney Buckley at (803)517-5943 or CBJumper@hotmail.com
Registration fees and contact information can be mailed to
DETC, 3394 Gordon Rd, York, SC 29745

Hope to see you there!

Perfect Horse Health, in the 1800s, w/o Shoes!

I get so many questions about how horse shoes became such a required part of equine care. Back in the 1800s, they were already answering those questions. This link will take you to a book that will show that this barefoot concept is not new.


http://www.archive.org/stream/scienceinstableo00ludl/scienceinstableo00ludl_djvu.txt

If the link does not work, please email me at barefoot.lauren.gruber@gmail.com and I will look into it.

Getting Started with Barefoot

Many people have questions and concerns about their horse's hoof health. One major problem that we see is that people don't really know what a healthy foot looks like. Often times a horse owner knows 'something doesn't seem right' but he or she doesn't know how to articulate what is wrong.

The solution is to study horse's feet in order to train your eye. You need to learn what good healthy feet look like as well as what unhealthy feet look like. Sometimes unhealthy is pretty obvious. But more often than not there is a fuzzy place where the foot is heading in the wrong direction but just how wrong may not become clear for years to come.

For example, this jumper has been chronically lame for some time but the owner never attributed it to his own shoeing job. Other than the fact that the foot is breaking up, now many would attribute the horse's lameness to his feet? The problems are obvious though to a trained eye. This horse is now barefoot... and sound.

Here's a short list of key points to look for in a naturally healthy hoof

• The walls are smooth and straight (no horizontal grooves).
• The coronet band slopes down at the heel and upwards at the toe.
• The weight bearing portion of the hoof should line up under the bony structure of the leg.
• The frog is thick and wide at the heel.
• The horse, in motion, lands on his heels first

It is all just a matter of knowledge. The more you learn, the more information you expose yourself to, the more you have to offer your horse when it comes to his long term health and well being.

Our goal is to help owners along on this exciting journey.

Yes, There Is Hope

Navicular "syndrome" is the most common diagnosis for front limb lameness in horses. The veterinary community has taken to prefering the term "syndrome" over "disease" because, to date, there is nothing conclusive that indicates it is a disease (meaning a pathological condition characterized by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms) as opposed to simply a group of commonly recurring symptoms of unknown origin. The reason for this is that there is no one thing that goes wrong within the hoof. We only know that something happens. It could be 'something' to do with the navicular bone itself and/or the ligaments attached to it and/or some other structure within the hoof all leading to the Bottom Line: the horse is lame, it is coming from within the hoof, it isn't getting better, and no one seems to know exactly why.

If the word "navicular" has come up in discussions with your vet and/or farrier as a way to explain your horse's off and on again lamess or mysterious 'not-rightness' (perhaps he's been stumbling, or resisting when he didn't used to) chances are it prompted some research on your part. A "google" search on the phrase "navicular syndrome" results in over 28,000 web page hits with most of the content leaving your mind boggled and your heart sinking. Over and over again the same uncertainties about what causes it and what, if anything, can be done to fix it.

Typically, the causes listed include heredity, conformation, type of work, and hoof form/shoeing. Treatments are never 'cures' but rather management techniques intended to minimize discomfort. These range from various drugs for pain management to surgical solutions such as Neurectomy. Trimming and shoeing recommendations typically include keeping the toes short and supporting the heel with bar shoes. None of these treatments are expected to cure the horse, only to temporarily extend his usefulness until the condition becomes unmanageable. At this point the horse is either retired (hopefully with minimal pain) or euthanized. This usually comes after years of trying new shoeing strategies, various drugs, and/or extended periods of rest to little avail. The march of time takes its toll and finally time, money and emotional energy run out.

We have a much different outlook on the Navicular Syndrome issue (as well as other hoof related problems like low ringbone or even founder). Most of the 'causes' associated with the Navicular Syndrome diagnosis are merely distractions. The bottom line with every single case we've encountered (as well as the many hundreds if not thousands of cases other barefoot hoof care practitioners have seen) is hoof form, movement, hoof form, nutrition and, did we say, hoof form!

The challenge for owners with horses who have a confirmed diagnosis or even a presumed diagnosis is facing the facts. The stresses associated with poor hoof form exacerbated by shoeing is the primary driver behind navicular pain. The other 'causes' such as conformation or type of work just add to an already untenable situation for the horse. So it comes down to how willing is the owner to commit to the process of healing the horse? If the owner is willing to make the necessary changes to the horse's hoof care, diet, and lifestyle the horse has a very high chance of returning to soundness--not just pasture sound but performance sound.

Here's what we know. Most hoof problems are the accumulated result of poor hoof form (from the day your horse was born due to poor trimming practices), improper nutrition, and inadequate movement. We also know that all horse's feet will respond to proper treatment. Some recover more quickly than others (some as quickly as immediately to a month or two or as long 6 months to a year); some are able to make more progress than others; but most horses, even those who are on the verge of euthanasia, can be up and running around again in time.

Why is removing the shoes so important to the process?

If a healthy well formed foot has a shoe put on for a short time it isn't likely to do much damage. But most horses are living with some level of deformity in their feet. So much so that most people would not recognize a deformed foot because that is how they all look! But it is these very same deformities which will lead many if not most to eventual pain. The horse's foot is an elastic structure. It is intended to move as the horse moves and it is continually forming and reforming itself. When we encase the hoof in steel the foot looses its natural elasticity and like a muscle that doesn't move the internal structures start to atrophy. The foot then begins to collapse in on itself, the heels contract and slip under and the toes drift out in front. Sometimes the laminae stretches away from the coffin bone. Let this continue for 10 or 15 years and this is why so many teen aged horses are the ones coming up as 'navicular'. We have to take the shoes off and encourage the horse to move around (which is why 24x7 turnout is recommended) so that the atrophied structures inside the hoof start to 'wake up' and grow again. Frogs start to plump up again, toes shorten, heels widen and stand up and soundness returns.

Show me the research!

It is entirely reasonable to ask, if this is the better approach to solving my horse's problem why then is my vet or farrier not suggesting it? Because change is hard! The assumption and expectation that horses need shoes is very engrained into our equestrian culture. However this is changing. There is a growing contingent of vets and farriers who are advocating for a barefoot solution. Dr. Hiltrud Strasser paved the way 20 years ago. It was a most controversial start. However, over the last ten years or so it seems that interest began to grow exponentially. Due in large part to the internet and its role in fostering community and information sharing. Dr. Robert Bowker is a leading veterinarian whose research is adding considerable depth to our understanding of how a physiological barefoot trim benefits the horse.

Farriers as well are discovering that with improved trimming techniques they are getting more horses sound while barefoot. Some are even converting their entire business to barefoot. A few farriers have lead the way like Pete Ramey, Jaime Jackson, and Gene Ovnicek which has opened a whole new world of opportunity for a career in barefoot hoof care.

Education is the critical success factor. Not just horse owners but farriers and vets as well. The internet has been a catalyst for change. Whereas, in the past, people who believed that 'barefoot was best' were isolated, today there is a strong support community available to those who seek out the information. More and more people are finding that even performance horses can do well without shoes. The most difficult step is the first one because often times, especially for professionals, to choose barefoot today means admitting to having been wrong yesterday. To that all there is to do is remember the words of Maya Angelou, "You did what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better."

Feeding for Soundness

Horses can't live on grass alone



Horses evolved as an animal who traveled many miles per day in order to find food. This meant that they ate more or less continuously throughout the day. In addition, they ate a wide variety of plant matter which was rich in mineral content.

Today horses eat 2 or 3 meals of processed chemically enhanced food plus hay and grass of the same species. We now have new research that points to the damage that this processed food is doing to our horse's health and well being. In fact the amount of information available is quite overwhelming.

The good news is there are a few simple rules you can follow that will help.

• Always feed forage (grasses) first.
• If you need to supplement your forage with grains always feed whole foods such as oats,
• flax, ricebran, beetpulp, and/or black oil sunflower seeds.
• Balance the horse's feed with a good supplement. We have seem remarkable improvements in horse's soundness and general condition for stressed or otherwise compromised horses with a product called EquiPride. Ask us about it.
  
  If you must feed commercial feeds be sure you can identify at least the first three ingredients on the feed bag. In other words, if you don't know what it is (wheat middlings? soybean hulls?) don't feed it.
  
  Most of our horses get just whole oats plus Equipride. Some situations require special consideration. The diets of horses who are "metabolic" (Equine Cushings), laminitic, or are currently foundering require immediate attention. These horse's soundness issues will not improve until their diet is brought under control. First and foremost is managing the horse's sugar intake. Have pasture grasses and hay tested for sugar and mineral content.
  
  How do you know if a horse is "metabolic"? Look for sore feet, hard and/or lumpy cresty necks, fat pads, heavy sheaths, and bulging eyes. If this sounds like your horse consider supplementing with magnesium from Foxden Equine.
  
  If it still sounds too overwhelming we can help you sort it all out. That's what we're here for!

Success Stories - Page 1

Read the stories

My goal is to help horses become sound. We have several horses here who came in moderately to severely unsound. All are doing extremely well under our protocol of managing diet, trimming, and exercise.

Case 1: Navicular (Joey)

Joey is a WB cross who'd been successful as a jumper until on and off lameness resulted in his career coming to an end. He was owned by a client of a vet in Florida who was also a friend of Lauren's. A great deal of money had already been spent on Joey's lameness issues when the vet asked Lauren to take a look at him. Lauren's immediate reaction was YES a lot could be done because his feet were in terrible condition. However, by this point the owners were already at the end of their emotional and financial rope now that conventional vets and farriers were out of ideas. So they offered Joey to Lauren since she was sure he could be sound again.

Lauren lept at the opportunity knowing that Joey was a very nice horse who she would not otherwise been able to affod. She saw in him her next dressage horse.

Within a year Joey's feet had made a remarkable recovery. But he was still left with body issues which resulted in him carrying himself very crooked. Lauren turned him out for the winter and treated him with AAKG/Jiagulan which is used to treat horses with DSLD. This seemed to do the trick for him because in the spring of 2008 Joey started moving like a normal horse! He is now able to be ridden soundly in the arena and on trails.

Case 2: Navicular (Chester)

- July 2007 - Sore and cranky.

- One year later - Happy to be sound!

Chester is a 14 year old QH/TB cross who has struggled with intermittent lameness for the last few years. Initially it was thought that his shoulder was the source of his lameness problems but in early 2007 Chester was diagnosed with "navicular disease". Xrays confirmed that he had signs of changes to the navicular bone. Rest and theraputic shoeing failed to bring the horse to soundness. The vet and farrier were out of ideas and were recommending that the owner consider nervectomy to keep him pasture sound. Sending Chester to the Lauren was the owner's last ditch effort to bing comfort to the horse.

When Chester arrived in July of 2007 he was shod in front and was very sore particularly on his right fore. Note how he is standing in the picture above.

It was quite obvious to us why he was sore. (see photos to the right) He had severely contracted heels, no digital cushion, no frog and a bad case of thrush which went deep into the tight crack between his heel bulbs.

We immediately removed the shoes, trimmed his long toes back and started thrush treatment. The thrush was a source of excruciating pain. You only needed to attempt to get thrush treatment into the deep crack to find out just how much it hurt him. :-( After a little time to settle in we turned him, and his buddy Harley, out with the rest of the crew to let Mother Nature do her Thing. After that we pretty much left him alone other than for feeding, trimming and thrush treatments.

Due to the severity of his pathology it took awhile for Chester to start look reasonably comfortable on a day to day basis. As of this report (Dec 2008) he is looking really really good in the pasture. He comes running at feed time and we love the way he's really reaching out confidently with that right front leg.

This photo taken in Dec 2008 shows much more open heels, a shorter toe and he actually has a frog now!

Success Stories - Page 2

Case 3 - Club Foot (Tulsa)

Tulsa is Sharon's own 19 year old Anglo-Trakehner mare.

Sharon purchased Tulsa in 1993 as a 4 year old barely steering dressage prospect. She was shod in front at the time of purchase and soon thereafter was shod behind as well. Tulsa came with a slight club foot on the right fore. The foot was x-ray'd at the pre-purchase exam and deemed not to be a deal breaker per the vet.

Tulsa remained shod until her shoes were removed in early 2003. Over the years Sharon asked many farriers if there was anything that could be done about the club foot. There wasn't and the foot stayed the same. Since Tulsa was (apparently) sound Sharon didn't think much about it.

Sharon admits that when she started the barefoot journey it was with grand hopes of seeing that club foot miraculously disappear. That of course isn't the way it went. Tulsa has been barefoot now for 5 years and living "naturally" at Lauren's for the last 2 years. For some reason, which honestly still isn't entirely clear, even with a great trim, 24x7 movement, and a great diet Tulsa's body has insisted on hanging on to the excessively high heel. Presumably it knows what it needs.

However, when you see a horse every day you don't always perceive the changes are thare happening. Here are two photos of her clubby right front foot. One was taken immediately after the shoes were removed and the second five years later. The high heels have gone hand in hand with contracted heels in Tulsa's case. While her heels are still still 'too high' (very deep collateral grooves) the photos show that de-contraction has occurred.

Tulsa is a horse who internalizes her pain. Rather than limp or buck you off she would just hold herself tight. As of February 2009 looking back perhaps her resistance to early training may well have been her way of saying that her feet hurt. She also used to be extremely sensitive about any touch, no matter how light, to her chest letting you know she didn't like it with nasty faces and threats to bite. That is gone. Over the last year she has started to walk with a solid heel first landing which is the kind of change you don't appreciate until you think about how different that is from before. So, change is slow but change is happening!

Case 4: Founder (Zippidy)

Zippity is a great little QH that Lauren rescued from a therapeutic riding facility while still living in Florida. He had been donated (as a tax write off) due to lameness which turned out to be founder with rotation. He was on the verge of being put down due to the expense of caring for him. Lauren brought him home and immediately lowered his heels and addressed the lamalar wedge and flares. He seemed more comfortable on hard surfaces than sound. This was April 2006.

At the end of May 2006 Lauren and her family and herd of 8 moved to East Tennessee. The move was very hard on him and he began to deteriorate. Over the next year his hooves did not improve and he lost weight. Even though he was on 12 lbs of concentrate per day plus all the grass/hay he could eat he was still 200 lbs underweight. Obviously he was stressed. He was depressed, in pain, laid down a lot and the other horses were very mean to him. We began to wonder if it was fair to ask him to carry on.

About May 2007 Lauren discovers Equipride, a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement with gut support. As an experiment she begins feeding it to Zip and sees nearly immediate improvement. Little be little he began standing more, then walking more without boots, and within a couple of months was being ridden. Back with the herd he behaved like a regular horse and turned out to be a super horse for helping out with fence repair or weed control.

In January 2009, although dramatically improved we are still not satisfied with his overall health. The fact that his hooves do not really improve to the extent that others do leads us to think there is still something Not Right with his general health. We're experimenting with herbs, detoxing liver and kidney, and addressing ulcers.