Paul Young Farrier, BSc Hons - Farriery Science, Dip HE, RSS

Compensation
The word compensation is used so often that we, perhaps, do not even think how the compensation can look and what it means.
Yes, horses are masters of compensation. They can compensate
– finding strategies or techniques that work around limitations for many reasons. Pain - trying to avoid it, restriction - trying to find other ways to move when for example the saddle is restricting their shoulder movement, imbalanced rider and many more....
The longer the horse compensates, deeply it is 'written' in his soft tissue. We can see overdeveloped muscles (those are sometimes easy to spot), but there are also changes in the fascia.

Those changes didn't happen overnight, so they will not go away overnight.
The body can do miracles but do not expect those to happen today....the body needs time and.....CHANGES!

I can say we can adopt and adapt the saying: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them", to: "We cannot change the soft tissue with the same stimuli that created changes in the first place".

Can you spot the overdeveloped muscles (A) of the horse battling for three years with changed mobility in his carpus?

Also, notice that the deep fascia (on the shoulder) has a different pattern in all horses. That is the most challenging in the mapping of the soft tissue, as I am finding that each horse is adapted to different work, lifestyles or compensates for whatever reasons.

This is a fairly technical article but it might help to understand why some of your horses hooves never seem to be able to improve

How Equine Handedness Influences Hooves & Conformation Laterality, or handedness, in horses is receiving increasing attention in training, riding, orthopedic treatment and manual therapy.

🤔When is the best time to go barefoot?

People often ask... when should I take my horse’s shoes off?

Should I take my horse barefoot in the winter, when it’s wet and soft, or in the summer, when it’s dry and hard?

The truth is, there is not an optimal time to take the shoes off, as every season offers challenges to a newly barefoot horse.

But the biggest challenge of all, is getting the owner to understand that going barefoot successfully, is largely down to THEIR effect on their own horse… rather than the effect of the environment.

In other words....it is how well prepared the owner is, rather than what state the weather or ground is in.

👉What do they know about the right species specific diet and management?

👉Are they prepared to use hoof boots if necessary, rather than go back to shoes if their horse starts showing signs of bring footsore?

So it’s really not about the season… it’s about setting your horse up for success!

Let us help you take the guesswork out of going barefoot!

barefoothorsemag.com

Fetlock joint suspension is a crucial factor affecting the load distribution within the hoof.

What Are Sidebone and Ringbone in Horses? Learn about two different and unrelated processes that present as firm swellings in the horse's pastern region.

It is of the utmost importance that we keep their feet clean. "No Hoof, No Horse"
What else can you do to ensure hoof health?
If you want to learn more, check out The Humble Hoof !

🌱CLEAVERS also known as goosegrass, robin run the hedge, sticky w***y.

🌱Cleavers is a super lymphatic tonic with blood cleansing, anti-inflammatory and diuretic properties.

👉Its main use it for fluid retention especially filled legs with horses but it has many other uses and you know it’s not just for the horses it can be used in salads or if you can get enough you can add it in to a yummy juice (cucumber, apple, spinach, cleavers) I don’t think you could get a better detox juice and what a great way to go into a new season like spring. Cleavers are mineral rich especially silica which is excellent for coat and hair.

👌The whole plant is used it's ideal to just pick and feed or bring your horse for a forage walk. You can feed a good handful daily.

👉It’s nice to think that these wonderful weeds grow at certain times of the year and they can give us the cleansing that our bodies & our animals bodies may need at that particular time.

👍I would never pick it off the side of the road or use it from an area that I wasn’t 100% sure that had not been sprayed with some nasty chemical. And it goes without saying that you must know what you are picking. Go to a bookshop and look for a book on wild flowers and edible weeds to help you identify herbs that may be growing in your area.

Obesity/EMS and endocrinopathic laminitis in horses has increased over the last 10 years, the problem is complex and there are many different parts to the jigsaw puzzle.
However, the ECEIM Consensus State highlights the role of the microbiome (gut bacteria) in the onset of the disease through a messaging system that informs the liver, adipose tissue, and brain of the nutritional status, enabling a decrease/increase in energy storage (fat pads) or expenditure. A disruption of the gut balance can alter the entire metabolic status of the horse leading to chronic EMS.

The gut microbiome profile changes with EMS and the imbalances present in horses with EMS create an increased opportunity for inflammation and the production of toxic metabolites from pathogenic bacteria, increasing the chance of a laminitis episode.

Certain bacteria increase in the microbiome of obese horses namely Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria. A bacterium from the phyla Verrucomicrobia has been suggested as a biomarker for EMS because percentages increase significantly.

Human researchers using information from animal and human studies have found bacteria exist in the adipose tissue, the adipose tissue bacteria community resembles the gut suggesting a translocation event across the gut wall, the predominant bacteria present in the adipose tissue is similar to those found in the gut of obese animals.

All animals including horses, are affected by the condition known as ‘leaky gut’ a condition that allows the ‘leakage’ or translocation of microbes, toxins, and pathogens across the gut wall.
Leaky gut affects a large percentage of the equine population and can be a major cause of loss of performance and morbidity.

Actions: Test the Gut
Knowing what bacteria are in the gut will provide crucial information relating to the state of the gut microbial population, including the status/health of the gut wall. Though the microbial community of the horse is complex and diverse, new gene technology, including AI enables us to analyse the health of the gut and understand how this impacts the health of the horse.

Actions : Reduce the adipose tissue

In 2014 working with equine gut microbiome expert Professor Jamie Newbold, in a project funded by the Welsh Government, we tested a bioactive peptide from a family of ecdysteroids. Ecdysterones have a wide range of biological activities in mammals, including adipose tissue reduction and insulin regulation. Following the 2 month study the morphometric indexes of the obese horses in the study were reduced after supplementing the diet with ecdysterone. The microbiome profiles showed a reduction in verrucomicrobia (the biomarker of EMS).

Action: Address the leaky gut.

Plant polyphenols and plant bioactive peptides are effective at reducing the bacteria that translocate against the gut wall and those that form biofilms within the gut wall.

https://www.equibiome.org/product-page/Equine-Metabolic-Syndrome-EMS-Test
Currently 15% discount enter code Easter24 at check out.

Examining the Isolated Features of Equine Weight Bearing Our interpretation of weight bearing and what is happening during that portion of the stride sequence is always up for debate.

I just thought it was too good not to post 😁

UNDERSTANDING HOOF ABSCESSES
Sooner or later (and especially at this time of year), nearly all horse owners will deal with a hoof abscess. But what does "hoof abscess" actually mean? The diagram below shows a simplified view of the equine hoof to help you visualize the structures involved in this process.

Although most commonly seen during the wet winter and spring months, hoof abscesses can plague horses year-round and usually occur when debris and bacteria enter the foot through hoof cracks and wounds, even horseshoeing holes. The bacteria then get trapped between the sensitive laminae (the tissue layer that bonds the hoof capsule to the coffin bone) and the hoof wall or sole and create pus; the pus builds up over the course of time and puts pressure behind the hoof wall or sole, until it causes the sudden onset of acute lameness when the pain finally becomes too great.

Hoof abscesses can mimic other more serious diseases or injuries, so involving your veterinarian early on in the diagnosis and prompt treatment of this condition is always a good idea. Some abscesses will be uncomplicated and rupture on their own like a large pimple at the coronary band or heel bulbs; other abscesses, however, could require radiographs and will need to be surgically drained.

As always, consult your horse doctor for more information and advice!

It’s really important for our students and any horse owner/professional to know how to check the vital signs of the horse, and understand what is normal and why they can fluctuate.
Do you know how to check your horses. Vital signs?

Get the facts about PPID and IR/EMS here: https://bit.ly/2DzMqzw

Resist the Urge to Fix Everything

I feel like I need to be really careful how I word this post. Not even because it’s controversial, although it is, but because I feel like I firmly believe two things can be true at the same time and I could even see MYSELF getting into an argument if I read this post about this topic 😂🙈

Yesterday I took the day off for my birthday and had some nice down time, which is rare these days, and honestly amazing. It gave me the perfect amount of rest to get absolutely fired up about some posts on social media 😂

One such post was a friend of mine sharing some images of her now-sound horse and posting what his feet look like when he is most comfortable and moving soundly. Now, I know this horse’s entire saga of a story, and all the years of extensive diagnostic imaging this horse has had alongside corrective shoeing, joint injections, oral NSAIDs, and more, only to then be given the recommendation of euthanasia in the past due to lameness. It has taken my friend years of troubleshooting to find what keeps her horse sound and in full work- and a huge step forward in that was taking a minute to leave the feet alone. Once they were able to note his wear patterns and where he was compensating, their trim and hoofcare approach changed and they found he was much more sound and off all NSAIDs once they “listened” to the hoof more.

It resulted in an uglier hoof, a little more length, a little more flaring and deviations, but confidence and comfort over all surfaces and soundness to return back to full work for the last few years. As long as they don’t force their ideal onto his feet, he does well.

Now, I give this background because I want to emphasize that this horse has done better for years despite uglier feet. Yet the comments on her post went to downright rude… there were people telling her that her farrier was stupid and lazy and didn’t know what they were doing, there were people saying the trim was asking for heel pain and issues (which is exactly what he rehabbed FROM to now being sound), there were people laughing at her photo and her comments.. The amount of people who got absolutely OFFENDED that her horse had extra growth on his hooves… honestly, it got me defensive FOR her.

Because
1) as hoofcare providers, NONE of us have all the answers for every single horse
And
2) although an ideal may be “correct,” every single horse is an individual, and previous injury, conformation, and internal pathology can make the “ideal” impossible.

It is so easy to judge feet from hoof photos. I do it all the time without even thinking. It’s easy to look and think that XYZ horse’s HPA isn’t perfect, or their bars are laid over, or their walls don’t have uniform thickness all the way around, or the breakover isn’t as far back as we would like on “OUR” horses, etc etc etc.

But if that horse has said NO to every attempt at getting to an ideal, and has said YES to what has been done for the last few years with veterinarians even commenting on the positive changes in soundness that they didn’t think were possible, who are we to tell the horse that they are wrong?

Now here is where I want to be careful, because this is NOT AN INVITATION TO BE NEGLECTFUL. Do I constantly seek to get the hooves I work on in a better spot- asking for the foot to move towards that ideal? As long as comfort allows- 100%!
Do I have horses who clearly tell me that they want me to do something differently and that they can’t handle having nice little symmetrical feet? Absolutely.

My point in this is that we have to listen to the horse. And maybe next time you see someone post a horse’s hoof and mentioning that their horse is sound with weird feet- maybe ask some more questions about the situation instead of going all Keyboard Warrior Karen and making me grumpy on my birthday because of it.

Educating others on what we look for in hoof health is great. Tearing others down because their horse is more sound with feet you don’t like looking at isn’t okay.

Okay, I’m hoping that’s it for your regularly scheduled rants for a while 😂

Graphic shows a photo of my gelding’s “ugly” foot when he is his soundest due to soft tissue calcification, DDFT tears and impar ligament adhesions, bone spurs and navicular bone damage. Try to dictate his foot and he will tell you real quick that it isn’t okay.

Cow Parsley/Queen Anne’s Lace
Really good to see the young fronds of this short-lived tall perennial, appearing on the verges and in the fields, though the flowers don’t appear until April. It is universally loved by most horses and for good reason.
Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) contains high levels of a potent anti-viral plant chemical called apigenin.
Horses can be affected by several well-known viruses and an increasing number of new ones, easier to detect now using metagenomics.
Veterinary treatments include fever control, immunostimulants, antiviral medications, and antibiotics to prevent or treat secondary bacterial infections.
Though horses generally recover the journey back to full health can be a long one.
Adding plants to the diet throughout the year that contain plant phytochemicals to both help prevent viruses and act against them is a good idea.
There are several look alike plants that don’t contain high level of apigenin these include
Fool’s Parsley (Aethusa cynapium), has leaf-like structures bracteoles found underneath the flower head. Hedge Parsley (Torilis japonica) smaller and later flowering July to September,
Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) looks very similar to cow parsley but has an umbel that is made up of multiple florets, often with a purple one in the middle.
The poisonous Hemlock (Conium maculatum) which has leaves like cow parsley but is much bigger and has a distinguishing purple spotted stem.

I have just walked our field and am dismayed to find signs of strong growth of Sycamore seedlings, please be vigilant and I hope it’s just confined to our field as there are some Sycamore trees nearby

Did you know that the relationship between hoof balance, shoe type and working surface are critical for reducing the risk of cyclic overload!

Surfaces have a huge influence on the interaction between hoof and ground, obviously. This influence affects biomechanics and specifically load share between the soft tissue structures of the digit. Aware of how surfaces impact the different stance phases and how they can manipulate that interaction, farriers can minimise any negative effects.

For instance, at second impact, the amount that the hoof slides and the time in which it stops sliding are important considerations and will be influenced by the surface, the landing speed of the foot, the speed of the horse and the coefficient of friction between the hoof- shoe-surface interface. Burn (2006) suggested that hoof pe*******on depth can affect hoof slide, due to the forces exerted on the hoof wall by the surrounding substrate.
So shoe selection is an important consideration to create as optimal slip as possible.
Too much slip and we are at risk of falling, instability, but also tears to muscle fibres. Too little slip and we are at risk of increasing shock through the joints and bending forces on the bones.

Join myself and Dr Neidhart as we explore the modern sport horse and its world and the implications for farriery....

https://equineeducationhub.thinkific.com/courses/modern-sport-horse

This can relate to how the foot is loaded and therefore morphology lead to uneven gait and eventually pathology of the structures

I have been thinking a lot about how behaviour and the mental state of our horses relates to physio and the physical state of the horse. My undergraduate degree was in Equestrian Psychology so I am in my element combining this with Equine Physio!!

I am convinced you can’t have one without the other and in some appointments I discuss behaviour and management just as much as the physical state of the horse.

Which comes first? This is like the chicken and the egg and a horse feeling unsafe or uncomfortable in their environment will lead to poor posture, physical tension and discomfort and vice versa.

I could go on forever about this but in a nutshell we can spend all the time in the world addressing physical issues and posture but unless the horse feels safe and comfortable in his environment they will revert back to old habits and patterns of tension.

FUN FACT FRIDAY! Are you familiar with the many adaptations that help your horse stay warm during the cold winter months?

🌾 Hindgut digestion of hay produces the most heat, acting as a small furnace inside of the horse. This is why free choice, good quality hay is so important in the winter.

💪 Horses have a huge muscle mass and muscle activity produces heat. This includes running and playing and even shivering if their body temperature starts to drop. It is important to remember that these activities also will result in a bigger caloric demand so free choice hay and in some cases, grain, is often needed.

🧥 To blanket or not to blanket is a constant debate but either way, as it starts to get cold your horse will grow a thicker coat. If you decide to leave your horse unblanketed you may notice that they look “fluffy”. This is due to a phenomenon called piloerection where the hair stands up to better trap air within. Two layers of the coat also help with warmth. The inner layer is softer and has air pockets to create an insulating layer. The outer layer is coarse and has oils that keep moisture from penetrating the insulating layer and keep the horse warm.

⚖️ Wild horses go into the winter heavier than ideal and the fat serves as an extra layer of insulation. However, if a horse is going to be kept heavily blanketed and in a barn during the cold weather months this is unnecessary and can lead to obesity related issues.

🦵Their distal limbs (below the knees and hocks) are made of mostly bones and tendons, tissues that are resistant to the cold temperatures.

🦶The hooves have an alternative route of blood circulation through larger vessels that can be used in low temperatures. This is why horses can stand in snow without detrimental effects.

👃A horse’s nose has a robust blood supply and is rounded so that it is less susceptible to frostbite than a human’s nose.
•
Courtesy of the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

Study: Donkeys Need Added Protection in Cold Climates Donkeys' hair coats hardly change across the seasons, meaning they aren’t as well-equipped to deal with cold weather as horses.

Know the Signs of Cushing’s Disease Cushing’s disease, or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), occurs primarily in older horses — those in their mid to late teens and early 20s — but the disease has been documented in horses as young as 10 years old. Approximately one in seven horses will be diagnosed with PPID, so a wo...