200 South Street
Douglas, MA 01516
www.thepenzancehorse.com WHAT TO EXPECT WITH THE INITIAL TRIM
The first two most important words … “It’s Depends”.
There is no pat answer to the question of what to expect after the initial trim. It’s dependant on so many factors. Some of them include:
Am I removing shoes from your horse?
What your horse’s hooves’ present condition is.
What kind of hoof care has been given up to present.
What the state of the nutritional and overall system health is.
What physical condition your horse is in.
What the environment is in which your horse lives.
What you do with your horse for riding (or not).
What kind of movement your horse gets in a 24 hr. period of time.
What your horse’s emotional and mental state is.
What your horse’s metabolic condition is.
And more.
Horses are individuals. What might be “right” for your friend’s horse is not necessarily correct for YOUR horse. What’s “right” for one horse in your barn may not be “right” for another. When treating hooves one is affecting the WHOLE HORSE and visa versa … the WHOLE horse affects the hooves. Likewise, just as your horse’s hooves are different from your friend’s horse’s or another one of your own, EACH hoof on the same horse may be different from one another. So the “answer” to your question of what to expect is, “Well, can’t tell you right now except in general expectations.”
Given this, there are some general guidelines that I recommend for every horse –
GENERAL GUIDELINES
· 24/7 turnout with other horses in large area with varied terrain and shelter.
· Free choice grass hay provided for my horses at all times.
· Change in diet as needed from high protein, high carb, high sugar, to no greater than 12% protein, LOW carb, LOW or NO Sugars, high fiber and fat. The direct connection between a horse’s diet rich in non-structural carbohydrates (NSO’s) and laminitis leading to founder has been scientifically documented and is now being reported in the mainstream media. (See Equus magazine’s April issue, & online )
· Provide regular supplementation of fresh, vine ripened fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds to your horse. Include raw pumpkin seeds (for tapeworms), some garlic, perhaps some Apple Cider Vinegar, shredded carrots, and green leafy lettuces, leaves, etc. This will provide the Glyconutrients that are so necessary for generation of new cells or regrowth and repair. Avoid potatoes and tomatoes or onions all of which can cause digestive upset and other. Add a bit of Soybean Oil (Vegetable Oil) to the salad or to your horse’s grain feeding for extra fats. Flax seed and Black Oil Sunflower Seeds will add the essential Omega Fatty Acids to your horse’s diet that will strengthen the hooves and coat plus nourish the skin and nerves. A handful a day or several handfuls a few times a week is a perfect supplement and treat for the horse.
· Old Mac Boots or other protective boots for riding on harsh and rocky ground during transitional stage of rehabilitation.
· To provide an area of water or mud for the horse(s) to stand in daily.
· If pathology is present that adequate care and exercise is provided daily as recommended by hoofcare provider. This will include, most likely, as much movement as can possibly be achieved on firm, hard ground.
· Fresh, clean water to be available at all times.
· That adequate time is allowed for recuperation and transitional stage as discussed with hoofcare provider. This means that a timetable cannot be cemented in stone and that it may take up to a FULL YEAR for complete rehabilitation and restoration of hoof health and function. I have found that *around* 4 months time is a good turning point during which period of time the hooves are tended and trimmed and tweaked every 3 – 4 weeks.
· Some hooves may NEVER be fully “recovered” from a chronic or acute hoof condition depending on the type and severity of the condition. Irreparable damage may have occurred in the bones and joints due to previous hoof care or injuries that are beyond the natural restoration realm. This sometimes is not a foreseeable state and is only determined after a healthy full hoof-growth cycle of up to a year.
I do understand that in many boarding situations it is not possible to turn your horse out with shelter all day and all night. I also understand that you may not have control what the paddock or stall and stable condition is at the barn in which your horse resides. You do have other choices, however. You have the choice to remain where you are or change your stable if necessary. You have the choice to expect that your horse will be kept in a manner in which YOU determine is best for your horse and for which you are paying. Within reason, of course. If you feel you need to change your horse’s diet then you have the choice to obtain the necessary feed and, possibly, to pay a bit more each month for extra hay to be fed. No stable should be feeding rich, green, legume hay to horses nor old, yellow, or possibly, moldy hay to horses. If that’s the case then it is definitely time to move on. Talk to your barn owner about alternative vaccines (nosodes) and if on daily wormer, taking your horse OFF that daily wormer. That’s like throwing toxins/poisons to your horse every day. Have fecal counts done regularly on your horse prior to the stable’s regular deworming schedule and request that your horse be exempt when the fecal count comes back negative. If it comes back positive for a specific worm, deworm with an herbal alternative and after 3 weeks retest the fecals. If you can afford to do so, have titres pulled on your horse to determine the levels of antibodies against the specific diseases for which the barn regulates vaccinations. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll be so effective at this that you’ll be able to educate your stable manager or owner and convince him/her to change, too! All for the better for all the horses!
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
I also recommend strongly that the horse be “detoxed”, have his immune system boosted and that any artificial chemicals, dyes, or colorings be eliminated from the horse’s diet. There are alternatives to the chemicals that are regularly dispensed to the horse that are just as effective, if not more so, and actually supportive of the healing process of the WHOLE horse. I recommend homeopathic and herbal remedies as alternative to chemical drugs. There also may be a need for Chiropractic work and Massage Work to be done on your horse that may have suffered chronic imbalances of the hooves over years that have subsequently misaligned the spinal processes and/or strained muscles, ligaments and tendons. These all surely affect the horse’s way of going and his comfort level both at work and at rest.
In addition to the physical well-being of a horse one that is in discomfort will display behavioral issues that may erroneously be determined to being attitudinal in nature. Once the hooves, diet and lifestyle of the horse are corrected you may find that many of these “attitudinal” issues disappear. You may find that during Hoof Care sessions a few non-hoof related behavioral issues will need to be addressed in order for me to complete my job correctly. I use no violent or aggressive measures to attain compliance with a horse. I will never strike your horse nor will I use harsh, forceful methods of correction. My preference is that a horse will stand with a lead rope tossed over his neck and willingly lift and hold his own hooves for me in a manner of respect. I will respect your horse at all times. If there are serious issues that must be addressed I will spend a bit of time with you, the owner, in teaching you how to assertively and gently work through what might be, or could well become, dangerous behaviors for you and others around the horse. I schedule my appointments accordingly leaving time to be able to work with you and your horse in a positive and friendly manner at all times. If additional “training” might be of value to you I will recommend a trim and train session where the next appointment would entail both the trimming of the hooves then an additional session afterwards (or, before if the horse is not ready to have its hooves handled) for training/teaching.
BEFORE STARTING THE TRIM
Before beginning the trim I will do a thorough assessment on your horse from hooves to body condition to behavioral assessment. I’ll watch how your horse moves. I’ll see how he looks while standing square. I’ll take photos and make comments along the way. If the horse is a bit unruly I may take a few moments to connect with him and help him understand that I am not going to hurt him. I may use some Lavender oil to help calm the horse and perhaps administer some massage if I feel it would benefit the horse and aid in the positioning of the legs and hooves for trimming. If the horse seems to be frightened of any of the tools, including the Hoof Jack, I will help him to become used to them. I cannot work on a horse when he’s frightened or uncomfortable in mind. I’m asking the horse to give me his only defense – his hooves. He must be able to trust me. A frightened or nervous horse isn’t going to “learn” anything while in a closed state of mind. I know I wouldn’t like it for a stranger to come marching in and start grabbing my legs to look at my feet so I don’t expect that your horse would like it much either! Once your horse has relaxed and I’ve completed my full assessment, I’ll begin to trim.
WHAT DO I EXPECT FROM YOU DURING THE TRIM?
I ask that you calmly and attentively hold your horse for me or, stand nearby in case I need you to hold him. After I’ve connected with a horse they will generally stand quietly with the lead rope tossed over his neck but in some cases the horse is just too “active” to stand for long and while I can surely help you to teach him to “stand” for indefinite periods of time without restraint, my mission at an initial trim is to tend the hooves. But we would discuss possibly teaching sessions for a later date.
I ask that you stand, if holding the horse, on the opposite side of the side on which I am working. I may ask you to lean the horse back a bit or maneuver him a bit to make it easier for him to balance himself on 3 legs. I also ask that you remain attentive to his behavioral intent and let me know when something’s about the change so I can get out of the way if necessary. When I’m under the horse working its difficult for me to know if the horse is about to collapse on top of me, as has happened. Neither the horse nor I appreciate that much. My prime objective is to, of course, tend to the hooves but at the same time see to it that all attending, including the horse, remain safe. If your horse is so unnerved that he is rearing or kicking out at me I may work with him in hand a bit and if that doesn’t change the behavior suitably I may ask that you work with him for a week or so (I’ll show you how and give some “homework assignments” to work with him) and then I’ll come back again. The initial trim fee is waived while the travel fee is assessed and due then a subsequent fee will be assessed for the secondary appointment at the same rate as for the initial trim. If the horse continues to be dangerously disrespectful in subsequent appointments I reserve the right to add a “difficult handling” charge on top of the regular fee. However, I can assure you that rarely happens.
THE TRIM
The initial trim may or may not cause discomfort for your horse. It depends. I cannot promise that your horse will not be tenderfooted after the trim nor do I wish you to expect that your horse to will be sore for extended time. I try very hard to be conservative in the first trim so you and your horse can pretty much go on with your life as usual and have fun together during rides and exercise. But, again, I can’t promise you that your horse won’t be a bit sore after his or her initial trim. If your horse has not been balanced and leveled for a long time then it may be awhile before your horse will be comfortable in his new hooves. If your previous hoofcare person/farrier has continually pared into the live sole then, unfortunately, I can tell you that your horse will most likely be pretty tenderfooted for awhile. Boots will help with this and all the walking on hard, firm surfaces will increase the speed of recovery almost exponentially. Much of your horse’s recovery is in YOUR hands. I merely set it up so healing can occur.