Transition
!! It is
very important for owners to be committed
throughout their horse's barefoot transition process. Horse
management adjustments may need to be made to ensure
success!
It is imperative to
support the horse as best as possible, with any
treatment and/or hoof boots, to make the process as
comfortable and easy as possible and encourage
movement that will speed up the healing process and
forge healthy, bare hooves.
What
to expect
The
length of the transition period depends on the
horses and how negatively their hooves have been affected
over the years by incorrect trimming, shoeing and
management. In some cases the horse's transition is
immediate while others can take a year or more and the
transition time is not
always dependent upon the severity of hoof issues a
horse may have. The
success will be determined by proper trimming,
required diet management and adequate stimulation
from movement, per the
horse's needs and tolerance levels.
In the
beginning, some hooves may struggle with increased
soreness, depending on how unstable they are. The
unhealthier a hoof is, the more transition time
it usually needs. Heel weakness/discomfort is often the
most common problem we see during transitions.
Unhealthy hooves generally will react more to
trimming (not from over trimming, but
normal and often rather conservative trimming!),
especially if diet & gut imbalances are or
cannot be addressed as quickly as needed.
It
is simply unrealistic to expect all hoof
transitions to go completely without discomfort,
just as it is to expect humans going through a
rehabilitation process completely pain free!
The trim can bring any underlying weakness (frog
infections, atrophied heels, subclinical laminitis)
more to the surface and frequently it is challenging
to gauge how little or how much a horse can tolerate
being trimmed.
Many are quick
to blame a trimmer for causing soreness after a
trim, when it really is often not justified! The
obvious connection isn't always the real root
cause for issues, just like many assume wetness
causes thrush or mud fever, when in fact it comes
from unhealthy tissue to begin with, tissue that is
not healthy enough to resist invading pathogens.
Farriers
frequently create sore hooves with their trim
techniques. However, they can cover it up with shoes
and any underlying hoof weakness only becomes
apparent, when the horse loses a shoe.
Bottom line is
that unhealthy hooves can and will be more reactive
to trimming and a hoof care provider should only be
blamed when the trim was truly excessive (over
trimming soles, bringing toes back too far and heels
down too much at the same time).
Trim soreness
also generally only lasts a few days to maybe a
week. Persistent soreness is a clear indication that
the hooves are metabolically unstable and need more
diet (and/or possibly gut health) support!
Hooves
will generally also adapt to their environment. It is
unrealistic to expect a pasture hoof to be a rock
cruncher, although exceptions do exist.
Diet
Diet is a big factor when it comes to barefoot
success. Most hooves suffer from too many simple
carbs in their diets, too much iron and minerals
imbalances (mainly zinc & copper). If not already in place, horses should be
fed a more species specific diet, which means good
quality, low nonstructural carb/sugar forage, with mineral and vitamin
supplements as needed. Ideally, forage should be tested
and balanced with minerals/vitamins.
If at
all possible, forage should be fed as free choice
24/7,
since horses are designed to forage for most of the day
rather than eat "meals".
Slow feeders can help simulate more natural
foraging behavior while reducing waste and keeping
the horse busy longer.
Low
sugar/carb hay pellets or rinsed and soaked beet pulp can
be used to mix supplements in. Check the following
for more diet information when it comes to hoof
(and overall) health: Feeding the Hoof
- Pete Ramey
Movement
Wild horses eat a high fiber, low sugar forage
AND easily travel over 20 per day. That forges
extremely healthy hooves. Domestic horses do not
even come close to that ideal - instead they tend to
be over fed and under-exercised, plus locked up in
stalls most of the time. Therefore adequate
movement, through regular turnout and/or exercise is a must.
A 24/7 turnout with shelter is really the ideal
environment for any domestic horse and creates
overall healthier horses.
Turnout movement can be maximized by incorporating
Jaime Jackson's concept of the
Paddock Paradise.
Boots
Boots with pads should be used during the transition
period as needed and should continue to be used for
riding if necessary, because as mentioned
before, hooves adapt to their environment. A grass
pasture hoof will not be as a tough as a hoof that
is used to rocky ground!
There
are many different boots to chose from. Good fit
without rubbing is essential. Boots that stay clear
of the hairline and that provide good break-over are
generally the better options.
More
info on boots:
Boots & Pads - Pete Ramey
EasyCare Inc.
