"I used to be normal...now I'm natural."  ~Pat Parelli

 
Photo Courtesy of RnR Equine Rescue in Buda, TX.

This page is for those interested in learning about providing more Natural Horsekeeping
practices and their benefits. I fully realize if you show at certain levels you'll most likely
have to clip, blanket, etc. and there are many that have no choice but to keep their horse
in boarding facilities that may only have a half a day of turnout. Nevertheless, there are
many things you can do to help counteract such things and provide a more natural lifestyle.
Even if you only incorporate two or three of these practices into your horses life, they will
benefit from it.

     

It increases the success of physiological trimming and hoof health to provide as natural an
environment for your horse to live in as possible.  Some argue a horse’s hoof is influenced
by genetics and has been "bred out" of today’s horse; However many University and
individual studies show environment has the greatest influence in determining a healthy
hoof or a hoof with chronic problems.

As many unnatural things as we ask our horses to do, it’s only fair to give back to them by
providing as many natural things we can in order to give them balance and every advantage
possible in life. It’s been proven in recent years with the success of natural horsemanship
that thinking like the horse accomplishes a lot more rather than forcing ourselves on or
expecting the horse to think like a human.  When providing a home for a horse, whether at
a boarding facility or your own acreage, we once again must think like a horse.

     

I like to use this analogy... Some of us can remember going to the zoo as a child and animals
were kept in small barren concrete cages with plexiglass or bars across the front, showcased
in fluorescent lights and fed a dog chow looking concoction. The animals in zoos were
chronically sick, looked pitiful, had high mortality, showed strange to serious behavior
problems, were often lethargic and breeding programs failed miserably.

Go to a zoo today and look at the dramatic differences. The keepers attend international
meetings to learn how they can enrich their animals lives in captivity. They study animals
in their natural environment and try to minic that habitat as much as possible. Even when
faced with a small space they make the best of it by adding native landscaping with
everything from waterfalls to trees, ponds and grasses. Animals are now in "open feel"
outdoor pens with trenches to avoid escape, rather than bars and natural sunlight replaces
fluorescent lights. Real grass, sand, soil, etc. is under their feet rather than concrete.

Keepers hide food and toys throughout the pens each day to encourage foraging, movement and play. They feed as natural of a diet as possible, tailored to each animal. They also understand the intense need for most animals to have companions. The results are amazing! Animals are healthier, happier, have longer lives, don’t display the neurotic behaviors they did before and breeding programs are far more successful.

Okay, so I’m not saying go build a waterfall in your horse’s pen, but it goes to show the
horse has somewhat been left behind in this beneficial way of thinking. To stubbornly turn
a blind eye and not study the horse in a natural environment just because they are
"domesticated" is a mistake! Some think they are providing the BEST for their horse if they
confine them in small stalls, keep them seperated, have fans blowing on them in the summer
and blankets and heat lamps in winter, pile deep shavings, "protect" their hooves with shoes
on, clip protective hair off, feed high power sugary feeds in bulk, limit hay/forage, and no
turnout since "they might get hurt!"

Humans have a natural tendency to force upon others what would make US comfortable
and what WE think WE would like. We’re predators at the top of the food chain...they’re prey
animals. They simply do not think like we do and never will! This humanization we impose on
them goes against every instinct the horse has hardwired in its brain. So for instance while
WE think a stall is comfy and cozy...the HORSE sees it as being confined and boring.

     

Let’s look at some of the easy things one can do to provide a natural environment.   One of
the main things is to encourage as much movement as possible. Movement is crucial to
having healthy hooves, AND a healthy horse. Wild horses move approx. 8-20 miles a day so
the more we can encourage domestic horses to move the better. Standing in a stall 20+
hours a day will destroy a horse from the hooves up. Stall kept horses that weave or pace
aren’t necessarily only exhibiting neurotic behaviors but it's also because equines have the
innate urge to be on the move. Not only does it feel good to their joints and hooves to
constantly move, it is also because (no matter how much we tell them otherwise) they’re
absolutely certain a horse eating monster will catch up to them if they quit moving for too
long.

So naturally, the first part of Natural Horsekeeping would be to--

Get A Move On! 24/7 turnout with a run-in type shelter or stall to get out of the weather
if they so choose is ideal. Our horses do have stalls but they’re always left open. Sometimes
when it rains they come inside....others they stand out in the rain and seem to actually
enjoy it.

If a horse must be kept in a stall due to a boarding situation it ideally should have free access
to a run or pen off of their stall and also be turned out daily to a larger area for as long as possible.
24 hour stalling is not only detrimental to a horse's physical health but mental health as well.
I encourage all horse owners not lucky enough to have property of their own to find a facility
that understands the importance of turnout.

Now don't translate this into "Well my horse only gets partial turnout so a natural trim won't work
for him.  " In fact this trim is one of the things you can do to help counteract that. Other natural
trimmers may get angry for me saying this but I understand what the reality is in the horse
world. Many of the horses I trim are performance horses kept in training barns and frequently
on the road living in stalls while competing at various shows. They only get 10-12 hours of turnout
each day, and while at shows, sometimes none. They still have great hooves and benefit immensely
from this trim! Now, these horses are ridden frequently and this helps counteract not getting as
much turnout. Plus the trainers have worked with me to make other changes in their horses lives
(things like I mention below). It IS possible to successfully use a natural trim in a boarding environment!

So what are some simple things you can do to help give your horses better hooves, joint
and muscle health and a better mentality?!

Whether you have a small or large horsekeeping area, encourage movement and mental stimulation
by placing feed in one place, water in the far other and trace minerals in yet another so they
have to walk from place to place throughout the day. Find out where your horses
designated "hangout" is (the area they always gather to snooze and chat with their buddies)
and make sure you don’t use this spot, instead making it yet another place to walk to. If your
pasture is cross fenced put gates at both ends and close one so they have to walk aallll the
way around to get to the other pasture or to go get water.

Don’t put hay in a high feeder or net. Not only is it an unnatural position for them to eat in,
but it also makes them stationary and increases the chance of choking and respiratory
problems. Spread flakes throughout their paddock on the ground to mimic natural "foraging".
They'll walk around all day searching for even the little wisps of hay they might have missed.
You'll be surprised how little waste there is and how much movement they get in the process.
If you have a sandy area you can space out some stall mats and set the hay on top of them.
Sweep off the mats when needed.

I've had customers whose horses only get partial turnout but they paid one of the grooms a
little extra each month to turn their horses back out after the evening feed, for an extra hour
or two, even if it was just in the round pen or the arena. Or offer to let someone else ride your
horse on days you can't so you know he is getting plenty of exercise.

Combat boredom and enrich your horses life! Doing the things above will do just that,
which is an added bonus to encouraging movement! There are so many other things you can
do as well. I don't know anyone that would be happy to live in a bare bedroom 24/7, only get
to come out a few times a week to exercise the way you are told to in a big dirt arena (you
better behave! You can look at others, but don't socialize with anyone!) , then back to your
bedroom! We like getting to see new things each day and stimulate our brain. So does your
horse!!

Don't be so darn worried about clearing every shrub or rock out of your horses pasture. If he
has to walk around or through them, good! The more varied the terrain the better. Put logs or
poles out there in his paths on purpose so he has to step over or around them. Move them
around occasionally and mix things up. After storms or trimming trees put the fallen branches
in their pen...they will often walk over them and use them as a belly scratcher, chew on them,
eat the leaves, or as our gelding Mister does---grab one end, shake it around and chase the
ponies with it...great fun! :)

Put a tarp on the ground they have to walk over. You'll exercise their brain and desensitize them
at the same time, making them a calmer smarter horse. If you can, rotate paddocks so they
always have new smells and things to explore. My horses as happy as a kid at Disney World if I
just put a water sprinkler out in the pasture when its really hot and dry. Try one of the various
horse toys on the market. Speaking of, here is a good article on Animal Enrichment...
horseballs.com/info/articles.html. Jaime Jackson has also recently written an excellent book
on this subject called "Paddock Paradise".

Think outside of the box! Or should I say stall! Use your imagination!!


"Henry and Mister wondering what the heck this white stuff is doing in Southeast Texas!?"

Natural Diner...Open 24 hours! Feeding more than 1 or 2X a day is extremely important
if at all possible. Equine digestive systems (all herbivores for that matter) are designed to
process small amounts of forage at a time throughout the entire day (a horse in the wild will
forage 18-20 hours a day). While carnivores/omnivores can comfortably eat just a couple
times a day and feel satisfied, that's not so for herbivores.

Feeding overly processed feeds, grains and rich legumes twice a day in great bulk is very
hard on a horses system and can lead to colic, founder, laminitis, ulcers or even simply
discomfort that affects performance. It also means the horse is literally hungry the other
twenty hours of the day, also something that might affect their performance and attitude
for that matter! Having this empty gut for the majority of the day causes intestinal bacteria
to become unbalanced which also leads to ulcers, discomfort and colic and even affects the
bodies important vitamin/mineral balances.

Ideally one should provide free choice mixed grass hay or grazing at all times. Horses given
24/7 free choice will learn to rate themselves and not inhale it the way they do when only fed
twice a day...Once they realize the hay isn't going anywhere they tend to back off. I realize
there are some fat waddling exceptions to this rule (my neighbors have some!) so you may
have to adjust in those rare cases or invest in one of these little gadgets that feeds hay
throughout the day on a timed basis.>> www.stablegrazer.com

If you do feed grain, the more feedings you spread it out into, the more beneficial. For many
it's not possible to feed more than twice a day because we work, so you can always invest a
time released feeder such as these www.profeeder.com or www.ifeed.com Those are yet
another way to combat boredom as well.

Focus on providing natural grains. Do not feed overly processed feeds, those high in starch,
coated in molasses, or with added sugars etc. If you do prefer a pelleted feed both Nutrena
and Acco Feeds now offer low starch/high fat/high fiber feeds (SafeChoice and Safe & Sound)
"to minimize the risk of digestive problems caused by high starch feeds, while promoting
sound growth, enhancing development of structural tissues, giving excellent body condition
and providing extra energy needed through fat and digestible fiber."

Always provide free choice loose minerals (such as 12:12) and salt seperately. Minerals are
extremely important to overall health and help maintain a healthy balanced digestive system
as well which helps prevent colic and laminitis. Those salt/mineral combo blocks are normally
98% salt and only 2% minerals! Your horse shouldn't have to intake a ton of salt while he tries
to get the minerals he's craving.

I personally don't recommend adding minerals to your horse’s feed. They should be able to
take in what their body needs when they need it, not force fed them. Yes, at first some horses
may hoard the minerals if they've never been offered before, but rest assured they will begin
to regulate themselves as their needs balance out. It doesn't hurt to get the occasional Hair
Mineral Analysis to make sure you are on track or to notify you of any mineral imbalances
(including toxic ones).

You could eat off the floor! Always feed horses at ground level when possible. Humans tend to feed at "table level" because that's what is comfortable for US. Once again, humanizing the horse. Horses are tailor made by God to eat off the ground. How many horses have you known that as soon as someone puts their hay or grain in a feeder they do their best to push it out so they may then eat it off the ground?

Stall kept horses don’t hold their head down near as long as a horse would in a natural
environment which affects the mechanics of their entire musculo-skeletal system. The
"grazing stance" puts the back in alignment, gives a wonderful stretch from head to hoof
essential for a healthy topline, and is instrumental in the proper growth and formation of
their hooves and legs.

A horse digests food more efficiently when eating at ground level and can also easily clear
air passages in the head down position, which prevents respiratory problems that could be
caused by food particles, bacteria or dust getting in their lungs. This all greatly decreases
the chance of choking and colic.

Have a horse that constantly dumps his bucket over and thus you hesitate at feeding him in
a feeder on the ground? Don't we all!? Clinton Anderson, a natural trim advocate, knew the
benefits of feeding at ground level but had the same problem so he now offers the
No Tip Downunder Feeder - http://downunderhorsemanship.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=13&products_id=228

Or you can do what I have done...Take a stall or trailer mat (if you prefer you can cut the mat
in half to make an easier to manage size.) and securely bolt a feeder down on top of the mat
(with smooth rounded bolt heads as shown in the picture (I'll add this picture soon!!) so they
won't harm or bother the horse while eating). When feeding they will be standing on the mat
and it's impossible to dump the feeder. Plus, what feed they might scatter will be on top of the
mat so they can easily clean it up without you worrying about dirt or sand intake.

Ground feeding benefits their teeth since it puts their jaw in correct alignment for chewing.
A horse that doesn’t graze most of the day, or at least eat his hay with its head down, ends
up with an unbalanced jaw and unnatural tooth wear. This will affect how well they can chew
their food but also can cause pain. Horses perform better when there’s no pain in the TMJ.
Any Equine Dentist will explain how bad teeth affect the entire horse; pain in the jaw causes
pain in the poll, neck, back and even digestive problems. I highly recommend horses have
their teeth checked regularly!

Something many people don't even think about is that allowing horses to put their head
down (or at least close to it) is also important while trailering. This is why I prefer using
trailers without permanent feeders for long hauls. A horse should be tied loose enough so
that  it may stretch his neck out to give a good healthy sneeze or cough to clear out nasal
passages, throat and lungs from swirling shavings, hay, bacteria or dust. Obviously take
special care to not give so much slack they could get a leg over the rope.

There are those that get nervous not tying their horse up tightly but being tied by their
head is no seatbelt! Not to mention, when forced to be in a head up position for too long it
can cause body soreness , cramps, and stress. Since they can't physically clear their nasal
passages efficiently with their head up horses being hauled extensively on rodeo or show
circuits are often plagued with respiratory diseases because of this very reason.

Click on the photos above for a larger photo.

Here is a nearly 3 wk old Quarter Horse foal with the hooves God gave her, unaltered by
man thus far. Notice the nice natural form and how similar it is to the mustang hoof pictured
on my Natural Trim page. Low heels, balanced, even a quarter scoop. You can also see the
nice concavity of sole (sorry I cut the top off that one pic when I took it!). This filly was born
with good hoof form, it's now up to the owners to help her maintain it.

     

Buddy up! Horses are herd animals and keeping them solitary is cruel. In my opinion
horses should never be kept solitary unless being quarantined for illness. Isolating horses
creates behavioral, social, and psychological problems. Even just keeping horses where they
can see each other but are in separate pens really isn’t good enough. Body to body contact is
crucial to them.

If you don’t have enough room or money for another full size horse consider a miniature
horse or a pony. Adopt a senior equine from a local rescue. Board a horse for a friend.
Nevertheless find an equine buddy. Living in a natural herd life also encourages more
movement, which we all know by now is very important to a healthy horse.

Even stallions (Yes, stallions!) need a buddy. Most wouldn’t act nearly as crazy as some do
if they had a friend. The calmest stallions I know are kept with geldings. Stallions that have
been kept solitary for a long time may need to transition slowly to having a buddy but
stallions deserve to be horses too. I know quite a few stallions that have donkeys as their
buddy and interestingly, the donkey's are very much the boss! It's always good for a stallion
to learn some manners and not always think he is the king of the world....even if the teacher
of that humble lesson is a fuzzy "long ear"!

Normally the goal of isolating horses is not to be mean but to "protect" horses from injury.
Yet most injuries acquired during "turn out" time can be traced back to lack of bone density,
poor muscle development, neuromusculature coordination, or lack of "social skills"--- all
obtained by excessive stall confinement.

Some racehorse trainers discovered their horses had less injuries not only off the track but
while racing, if they were kept in a pasture environment as much as possible and in small
herds. Not only were the young horses mentality sounder but their entire body condition
improved and strengthened in many ways. They all increased their performance.

4-hoof-drive All Terrain Vehicles! Ride across varied terrain daily if possible, or at
least a few times a week. This goes for show horses too, it won't kill them to get a little dirty!
Hack around the pasture or down the road and back as a warm up before doing arena work.
Trail ride at least once a week if you have access to trails and don’t be afraid to walk down a
gravel road. Let your horse pick his way and listen to his own feet. Mustangs move about 20
miles a day, not only conditioning their feet but keeping their joints, muscles, and ligaments
healthy and functioning which can prevent arthritis and other ailments. Your horse will also
benefit immensely mentally as well as physically by getting out of the arena.

A firmer arena is better than a deep one. It’s difficult for a horse to perform in deep, soft
arenas and it greatly increases the chance of ligament and tendon damage when they do.
Our human nature tends to think "it’s soft and fluffy so it must be comfortable", but mother
nature actually designed the horse to travel and live on hard surfaces. Ideally when you look
at hoof prints in the arena the toe shouldn't be sinking down more than 1 ½ to 2 inches.

Realistically most of us can’t ride every day but there are other ways to condition hooves as
in nature. Simply dump gravel, river rock, or quarry wash in certain areas....maybe at a gate
all the horses must come through, around your water trough, or some other area of high
traffic. If you have a chronically "sloppy" area this is an ideal place to do this at if you want
to prevent the mud and firm the ground up. Let it pack down and you may have to add more
every so often as it does so but eventually it will make such a good firm base you won't need
to add anymore.

It’s not a new idea to encourage your horse to walk on rocks. Cowboys and Vaqueros were
known to strengthen their horses’ feet by making them walk through rocky quarries or
arroyos to get from their feed to their water and back each day. And here is an excerpt from
On The Art of Horsemanship by Xenophon ca. 360 B.C. (the first fully preserved manual on
the riding horse). He was an Athenian Calvaryman, considered the "Father of Classical
Equitation".

"The same care which is given to the horse's food and exercise, to make his body grow strong,
should also be devoted to keeping his feet in condition. A stable with a damp and smooth floor
will spoil the best hoof which nature can give. To avoid smoothness, paved with cobble stones
sunk side by side in the ground, similar in size to the horse's hoofs. A stable floor of this sort is
calculated to strengthen the horse's feet by the mere pressure on the part in standing. In the
stableyard I suggest to throw down loosely five cartloads of round stones, surrounding the
whole with a border to prevent scattering. Standing on these will come to precisely the same
as if the horse were stepping along a stony road. This surface will strengthen the frog of the
hoof as well."



Get out from under the covers! Horses have survived bitterly cold winters without
blankets for millions of years...a horse’s thermoregulation system is extremely efficient
when we don't inhibit it. Some argue the coats have been "bred off" our domestic horses but
observing how the winter coats of horses from up north adapt when moved to the south and
vice versa argues this theory and it’s all a matter of allowing the horse to adjust without
human interference of blanketing or body clipping. If a human puts a coat on we think our
horse needs one too...yet we don't go out and blanket cattle, goats, sheep,etc. do we?

While you should always provide an area to get out of the wind and rain, God was gracious
enough to equip horses with their own personal furnace to keep warm. As long as they’re
chomping hay their furnace is burning and they can in turn keep incredibly warm. Pretty
much every horse person I know has at some point buried their hands into their horses
winter coat to warm their hand ups when riding in cold weather! I can’t help but get a kick
out of the blanketed horses down here in South Texas in 50 degree weather....the horses up
north would most certainly point and laugh if they saw them! :)

A horse’s skin has insulating properties plus each hair shaft is connected to muscle tissue that
will "fluff" their coat as needed to hold warmth (it has much difficulty accomplishing this with
a blanket on). Blanketing throws off their built in thermostat, particularly since the legs, belly,
neck and head are normally left exposed but yet the torso is covered. Half the horse feels cold
the other half doesn't so the body has no idea how to regulate.

My horses all grow a different thickness and length winter coat that differ from each other.
It’s up to each horse's body to decide what's needed for that particular horse. Thus, one can
imagine how using the same thickness blanket on each horse would throw off their systems.
Their winter coat is also very effective at repelling water and insulating against snow. While
the outer layer may look wet, if you wiggle your fingers down into the coat to the skin, it will
be dry and warm. (For more info on blanketing see www.naturalhoof.co.nz/covers.html)

Most of my clientele consists of performance horses so I fully understand if you want to
compete at higher level shows you will most likely have to blanket. Is it ideal? No, but we
have to be realistic. You don't want to have your horse get overheated trying to train with a
thick wool coat on and no one is going to be caught dead taking their Grand Prix Jumper to
a show in his long winter coat. Also, I DO blanket sick horses or horses that come to me for
rehab that are too thin!!

Leg Wraps and Support Boots are other "covers" we should reconsider in most cases. They
can restrict the blood vessels which decreases circulation to the lower leg and hoof, even
causing "ballooning" of some vessels. This can hinder any horse, (particularly so for those
with some arthritis) since the more blood flow they have to their joints and legs the better
they'll feel and perform. Many boots will also press tendons and ligaments closer to the bone,
causing irritation and chafing of them as the horse moves. Neoprene type wraps in particular
concentrate excessive heat against the leg and hoof, also detrimental.

The genius of marketing has convinced us we must provide a "sling" under their fetlock area
to give "support and added strength" and to "absorb shock". By excessive use you might
actually be causing your horse to become dependent on them. Horses of the past were
worked much harder than those of today. They were used in daily in everything from war,
recreation, sport, hunting, farming, and the only land mode of transportation so they
travelled thousands of miles--- all this was accomplished with no "slings" or wraps on their
legs. We have so little faith in the horse and for no reason...it has proven time and time again
it's a talented, extremely athletic and functional animal.

Support boots are helpful to a point when a horse is recovering from something like a
suspensory injury. But say a basketball player wears a knee brace while he recovers from
a sprain. It helps the injured area re-strengthen and not over exert itself...to a point. After
that point it is necessary to wean off the brace or it will begin to have the opposite effect and
cause the area to stay weak.

Also, Studies show "support" boots in fact don't absorb shock...there are many studies on
the subject but here are the ones I know of listed on line. (University of Sydney
www.usyd.edu.au/su/rirdc/articles/musculo/boots.html, North American Congress on
Biomechanics http://asb-biomech.org/onlineabs/NACOB98/59/, University of San Diego http://www-rohan.sdsu.edu/~thesis/Biomechs/luhmann.htm)

Now, DON'T interpret this as I mean you shouldn't use leg protection!! Obviously certain
performance horses need protective boots to protect themselves from hitting or banging
their legs. There's a difference between protective leg gear and "support" boots! Bell
Boots,  splint boots, skid boots, properly applied polo wraps, etc. provide good protection
don’t affect circulation and performance (when they fit correctly of course!).

Keep in mind, a naturally trimmed horse won't overreach or "clip" himself like a horse with
poor hoof form or shoes will so if that is the reason you are currently using leg gear you will
be pleasantly surprised that it won't be necessary anymore. You’ll see these problems vanish
with natural trimming since a horse can finally feel his hoof placement and become confident
in it. It is extremely important to address the reason why your horse is overreaching, not
just ignore and allow it by using wraps.

The Barber Shop is Closed! If you show you’ll most likely have to clip, but in-between
shows most still keep horses completely clipped so they "look nice".  Do the horse a favor
and only clip right before a show if necessary and let them be a horse in between! For simple
playdays or schooling shows there is simply no need to cut every spec of hair out of their ears!
They aren't going to count off at such shows if you just lightly tidy up the ears and bridle path
or if you leave your horses eye whiskers!

Hair in the ear has a multitude of functions...it prevents water, dirt and bugs from entering,
muffles the wind, keeps them warm in winter, and even assists getting excess ear wax out.

Whiskers around the eyes and nose have purpose as well...same as they do for cats, dogs,
etc. These "feelers" are there to assist them in judging distance and help prevent getting
their nose in a dangerous spot or too close to something with its eyes. Horses can’t see the
very end of their nose because of their eye placement so the importance of the whiskers here
is obvious. If you lightly touch the whiskers around your horse's eye he'll immediately
clamp the eye shut and probably tilt his head away too to protect it from what he thinks is
potential injury.

Another common thing to clip is the hair on the fetlocks. The little "duck tail" the hair makes
at the point of the fetlock helps drain water and sweat off the body and away from the hoof
onto the ground. Water and sweat trickling down this path bypasses the soft tender heel area
and helps keep it dry which prevents Rain Scald, Greasy Heel, Scratches, and even thrush in
the heel cleft.

Bridle paths I do still trim to avoid mane getting tangled in the bridle but folks...there's
certainly no reason to have on that's a mile long unless you are showing an Arab. The hair
here does have importance being near the ears and face a simple head toss helps keep the
flies at bay.

I hate to break the news but God gave horses a mane and a tail for a purpose, not just to look
pretty! Leaving your horse’s natural defenses from flies also means you don't have to load on
a ton of fly spray, which brings up...



Caution: Chemical Spill and Oil Slick ahead! If you feed supplements, rather than
using synthetic ones with added preservatives and chemicals, try using the many holistic
alternatives available. An example I highly recommend is Flaxseed. Flaxseed is high in
Omega 3, strengthens your horse's immune system, greatly improves skin, hair and hoof
condition (they’ll shine even in the winter!). It improves mineral absorption, helps chronic
inflammatory conditions, alleviates arthritis, and even helps against allergies. For those
worried about sand colic, Flax is a soluble fiber source that forms a gel of sorts and
traps/suspends sand, carrying it out safely. Flax is excellent for humans too!

Yucca is excellent for joints/arthritis while White Willow Bark or Devils Claw are great Bute
alternatives (they won't cause the digestive problems sometimes associated with Bute). You
can search online for many various homemade natural fly sprays. There are so many other
tips and hints, just a simple websearch will turn up many more natural alternatives. There
are many Veterinarians out there that can give you much more educated insight than I on
the subject such as Dr. DuBois wellbeingpets.com ; Dr. Ward holistichorsekeeping.com;
Dr. Moore thenaturalhorsevet.net

Hoof Oils actually seal moisture out and are a waste of money. They prevent the hoof from
taking moisture in or blocking moisture out as it sees fit. Many contain ingredients that
actually end up having a drying affect! Allowing your horse to get his feet wet at least once a
day is all the moisture he needs. There is no better moisturizer than plain old water! I know
it often makes us feel like better horse owners to spend money and buy tons of products for
our horses, so feel free to buy imported bottled water to use as your "hoof oil". :) Or, if you
absolutely must, hoof creams are at least somewhat better than oils.

All they need is walking through dew covered grass each morning or when it's really dry out,
simply let the water trough run over so they get their  feet wet every time they get a drink
(same as if they were in the wild drinking from a watering hole). Having a wide ditch to cross
through or a pond is a great addition to any pasture...and what the heck, throw in that
waterfall too! (Just kidding!)

Some natural trimmers recommend to soak your horses feet everyday. I do not! In my
experience I have found (and this is in hot SE Texas) simply getting them wet as mentioned
above is more than fine and much more "natural" than 15-20 minute soaks once or twice of
each day! I doubt Mustangs are out soaking their hooves for 20 minutes at a time.

Hooves are meant to be hard! Soaking too much leads to problems in my opinion. I noticed
the horses of clients who insisted on soaking everyday had small cracks, softer soles, some
sensitivity to gravel, and had problems with bacteria. The ones that didn't soak had smooth,
hard, tough, crack and chip free hooves. I asked those that were soaking to quit, and their
horses ended up with the same great feet as the rest. I DO sometimes recommend soaks for
horses going through certain treatments such as an abcess or transitions.

A horse should always have a dry place to stand in excessively wet weather....be it a
lean-to/run-in type shelter or a stall left open so they can come and go as they please. They
will appreciate and utilize this dry area and it gives their hooves a chance to dry out for a
while each day. During a very wet period that you need to get some of the moisture out of
the hoof, clean pine shavings act like a wick pulling moisture from hooves (so those smearing
on the hoof oils then sticking their horse in a stall filled with shavings are really wasting their
time!)

If your horse has an abscess and you want to either encourage it to surface or keep it clean
and prevent infection once it has, soaking the hoof in a mixture of Apple Cider Vinegar and
water 15 minutes a day is what I personally recommend (For the first soak I personally use
a strong 1/2 : 1/2 mixture (one time only as this can irritate skin if used to frequently) for
15-20 minutes, then I prefer to continue with a dilution of 1 part vinegar to 4 or 5 parts water
(whatever strength you feel is necessary), 15 minutes a day, until it has cleared up). ACV has
the same pH as the hoof, a moisturizing affect, exfoliates, and has antibacterial properties.

DON'T ever, no matter what, put turpentine, formaldehyde, straight bleach, used motor oil,
or gasoline (yes, people actually do this!) on your horses hooves! The theories behind them
are "old wives tales" and it can be dangerous to the horse and the person applying it! Some
use these to harden the hoof or sole. Yes they might give the illusion of hardening only
because it dries the hoof out, but these harsh chemicals over dry the hoof--which then makes
them brittle! The opposite of what you want! Some use those chemicals to treat thrush...It
may kill bacteria but harms the live healthy tissue around it just as much! This makes what
was once healthy now weak and vulnerable to be easily attacked by the same fungus or
bacteria you were fighting against. Spraying ACV on areas affected by thrush is more
effective getting rid of it and will not harm the healthy surrounding areas.

Remember, what you apply to the hoof CAN be absorbed into the bloodstream particularly
if they have a stretched white line, old abscess, crack, etc.! Those are all caustic and I'd much
rather you use a product that is specifically made for horses and well tested.

     
So is Natural Horsekeeping the "lazy" way to keep a horse? Hardly! It actually
is much more time consuming and takes a dedicated person... but it results in
very happy, healthy, content horses.

For further info a good start is here... allabouthorses.com/horsecare.html
(P.S-- For those that still think deep bedding in a stall is best and keeping horses
separated will prevent injuries, here’s an interesting study done by the University
of Michigan.... http://cvm.msu.edu/news/Press/memslame.htm
~"Lameness Risk Factors Identified")



This is the hoof of a extensively successfully shown AQHA halter horse with
terrific bloodlines. This huge gelding had the big muscled build held up by tiny
size double zero, contracted cylinder halter horse hooves (which are sadly
sought after by some in the halter horse world).

No surprise, he was cripple by age 6 even just walking down the barn aisle. His
feet had a clubby appearance and had many stress cracks and chips. The past
owners swore his feet were "bred out of him" and "too brittle to go without
shoes". (I wish I had the foresight to take before pictures but this was when I
first began trimming and never thought I'd need to take pictures for a website!)

I began trimming him and his new owner allowed him to start being a horse
giving him 24/7 turnout. His hooves decontracted beautifully, became larger,
the heels lowered over time, and his hooves are now in proportion with the rest
of him. This picture is only after I think his 6th trim and already his hoof looks
very nice. He’s not only sound now but his once "brittle hooves" have no chips
or cracks and he's ridden often, even on trail rides in the hill country which
tends to be rocky, without any problems. It worked out great for his new owner
because she got a heck of a deal on this horse since the past owners considered
him worthless.

This horses feet were not "bred out" of him, they were simply kept away from
him!