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When circulation is optimal, the hooves are able to "feel" more. Have you ever put a rubber band around your wrist, or fell asleep on your arm? When this happens, circulation to your hand/arm is decreased and it becomes numb. When you remove the rubber band or adjust your sleeping position to allow circulation to return to your hand/arm, feeling is restored. Often the first thing you feel is what we often call "pins and needles". The horse may become safer to ride, as it will now be able to feel what it is walking on. Stumbling is often reduced or eliminated. The horse's sensory organs allow them to feel pain for a reason... so they don't continue to injure a part of the hoof which is already injured or diseased.
Cons: If any pre-existing problems are present in the hoof when function is restored, the horse may suddenly be able to feel them. This can cause a horse to become unrideable for the period of time that it takes to allow the internal injuries to heal. Removable hoof boots can sometimes allow the horse to be comfortably ridden during this period.
Pro and Con: Due to increased circulation and function in the hoof, abscessing can often be expected during the horse's transition period. The hoof creates abscesses as a way of healing and ridding itself of necrotic, infected and/or diseased tissue that has accumulated in the hoof over time. When circulation is increased and the hoof is able to expand and contract normally, necrotic tissue is pushed out of the hoof naturally in the form of an abscess. When shoes are applied, or function is limited in the hoof, this necrotic tissue often builds up in the hoof, becomes trapped, and is difficult to expel. The Con is that abscessing can be quite painful if the amount of necrotic tissue is great, and each abscess can last up to 1-2 weeks. The Pros are that most abscesses go completely unnoticed, and the horse is not able to feel them, and once the necrotic tissue is removed from the hoof, it can continue to fill in those areas with healthier tissue which allows the hoof to function much better. When a horse is abscessing, it is recommended that it's hooves be soaked in water with either epsom salts or apple cider vinegar, and the horse should be hand-walked on firm, non-concussive ground to help draw the abscess out of the hoof. Most often, if the abscess is painful, the pain will subside as soon as the abscess is expelled.
2) Shock absorption is increased.
There have been studies as far back as the 1800's that show a shod horse walking on pavement receives 3 times the impact forces as a barefoot horse trotting on pavement. So, when our clients ask what they can do to protect their horse's joints... we tell them they've already made a big step in the right direction by pulling the shoes and allowing their horse to have much better shock absorption to protect the joints.
Pros: Due to the hoof's natural ability to expand and contract, and the ability of the heels to move independently of one another, the horse immediately has better shock absorption. This can reduce wear and tear on the joints as well as the energetic frequency traveling up the leg with each step.
Cons: If the hoof has not been able to naturally expand and contract for an extended period of time, it is likely that the tissues have grown to be non-elastic. When the hoof is suddenly expanding and contracting again, the tissues in the hoof begin to stretch. This can cause some soreness, just as you would be sore trying to do Yoga stretches if you weren't used to it, but this soreness resolves within the first few months as newer, more elastic tissue grows in to replace the stiff, non-elastic tissue.
3) Traction is increased.
When the hoof is trimmed and conditioned properly, it will have much better traction than horses with shoes and studs, or with poor hoof form. The expansion and contraction of the hoof capsule works similar to a suction cup, and the shapes of the hoof (cones, domes and triangles) mechanically work to allow the hoof to "grab" the ground.
Pros: Slipping and falling is reduced on all types of terrain.
Cons: Horses that require less traction to compete (for example: reining horses performing sliding stops) may have too much traction to obtain the desired result. If too much traction is created, increased torque on the hooves and joints can be present (although this is often the case with shoes and studs). Increased traction is sometimes difficult to obtain immediately in horses that are rehabbing from hoof pathology or deformation, because hoof form is less than ideal until the hoof completes 1-2 full growth cycles.
4) The hoof is able to excrete metabolic waste more efficiently.
When excess toxins, protein, minerals, etc. is present in the horse's body, the hooves aid in filtering the surplus out of the body by excreting them with the growing hoof horn.
Pros: Decreases the work-load on the horse's liver, kidneys and skin, as these organs are also involved in excreting metabolic waste and toxins. When the hooves are not functioning properly, these organs often become over-burdened and through time fail to work properly. Much of the metabolic waste that is excreted allows the hoof walls and inner structures to grow healthier and stronger (protein, for example).
Cons: In situations where the functions of the hoof have been limited or nearly non-existent over a long period of time, or the horse has been over-exposed to environmental toxins, those toxins and metabolic waste can be "stirred up" in the horse's body when function is restored to the hooves. This can result in inflammation and/or pain as the body is trying to rid itself of these toxins and metabolic waste. In this case, a temporary detoxification diet may greatly increase the horse's success during the transition period. More information on detoxification is presented later in this article.
5) The hooves become better able to regulate temperature.
The horse's body has an amazing heating and cooling system: the circulatory system. The arteries and capillaries carry blood throughout the body, which helps to keep the horse's temperature stabilized. When metal shoes are applied to the hoof, they act as a conductor of heat and cold, which disrupts the hoof's ability to regulate its temperature. When the hoof function is less than ideal in a barefooted horse, circulation is often limited, as is temperature regulation.
Pros: In cold weather, proper temperature regulation in the hooves keeps them from freezing. In hot weather, it helps to keep the hooves from over-heating. Proper hoof form and function also allows the hooves sweat normally (yes, hooves do secrete sweat!) which also aids in temperature regulation.
Cons: None.
6) Protection is increased.
As a result of restoring the above 5 functions, the hoof begins to grow stronger, denser and more elastic.
Pros: Increased strength and density allow the hoof to protect itself from outside influences to prevent bruising and damage to the internal structures. Increased elasticity allows the hoof to deform and reform with every step to help prevent cracking, chipping and permanent damage.
Cons: Until the hoof's functions have been fully restored and the hoof has grown 1-2 complete growth cycles (to rid itself of the weaker hoof horn that is present and replace it with stronger hoof horn), the horse may either have hoof horn that is inferior and unable to protect to some extent, or may temporarily wear excessively and cause soreness. Removable hoof boots are often recommended for horses that are being ridden on terrain that may damage the hoof during its transition period.
What can be done to restore these functions of the hoof?
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1) Removing shoes and/or trimming to achieve optimal hoof function.
If the horse is wearing shoes, the hoof is not able to function normally. Instead, the shoe has a binding effect on the hoof, which doesn't allow for the natural expansion and contraction that is present in healthy bare hooves. This reduces circulation, which affects ALL of the functions of the hoof. In addition, when traveling over hard ground, the shoe produces a frequency high enough to damage living tissue. This vibration passes through the hoof, up the leg and into the horse's body, affecting every bone, joint, ligament and tendon it passes through. Once the shoes are removed, the hoof should be trimmed properly to allow for it to function normally. Simply taking the shoes off is often not enough to restore function to the hoof. This requires understanding of the physics and biomechanics that are involved in shaping/reshaping the hoof capsule to affect it in the way you intend to.
2) Reducing or eliminating environmental factors that may impair or disable the hoof's functions.
The environment that a horse encounters every day determines at least 50% of the degree of functionality in the hooves. Environmental factors can be defined as anything and everything the horse comes into contact with in its environment (horse keeping practices, type and frequency of exercise, footing, nutrition, farrier and veterinary care, etc.) Horses that have lost functionality in their hooves likely have some environmental factor(s) present that are causing the hoof to malfunction.
Dr. R.M. Bowker, Department of Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine, East Lansing, Michigan, in his research paper titled "Contrasting Structural Morphologies of 'Good' and 'Bad' Footed Horses" states: "The foot gradually changes and adapts to the applied forces and loads within its environment to become 'stronger,' and thus, the internal structures change their shapes, structure, and even biomechanical composition... Although there are probably many possible reasons for this inability to adapt, the environment... seems to be a major contributor to the lack of development or under development of the foot."
In an additional research paper, "The Growth and Adaptive Capabilities of the Hoof Wall and Sole: Functional Changes in Response to Stress", Dr. Bowker states: "The structural appearance of the foot is continually being modified by the interactions of the foot with the environment and the environment's influences on the foot and hoof wall... An important concept for us as hoof care professionals is to begin to appreciate the significant influence that the environment has in determining the internal structure and the composition of the hoof wall and foot and to begin to apply these principles in the future."
Some (but not all) of the environmental factors to consider when determining the causes of hoof malfunction are: the practices of shoeing, booting, and leg or hoof wrapping (these practices can sometimes bind, rub or cause unnecessary leverage forces); the amount and quality of movement the horse receives (it is better for a horse to move almost constantly at a walk 24/7, than to stand still in a stall all day and be ridden hard for 1-2 hours); types of footing the horse is exposed to (hooves tend to function much better on surfaces that are firm, but non-concussive, such as grass, dirt or limestone screenings); and nutritional deficiencies.
How long can you expect the transition period to last?
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For the most part, this depends on the quality and frequency of trimming, amount of movement, owner dedication, degree of pathology or deformation, and existing environmental factors. If any of these aspects of rehabilitation are inhibiting the ability of the hoof to function properly, the transition period may last a long time. What I generally observe when horses are exhibiting any difficulty during transition is a time-frame as short as 3 days or as long as 2 years, although the average is approximately 1-3 months.
What can be done to help a horse who is having a difficult time transitioning?
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1) Frequent, physiologically correct trimming
The quality and frequency of trimming are important factors in helping a horse who is having a difficult time transitioning. The hooves should be trimmed in a way that helps to promote their functionality. Trimming should be as frequent as necessary, with the average being every 4 weeks. The reason for this is to reduce the amount of radical changes happening in the hoof capsule (grow long, trim short, grow long, trim short, etc.)
2) Movement
Increased movement will increase circulation, which ultimately will increase the healing capability of the hooves. Allowing the horse to have freedom of movement throughout the day and night is the best way to promote quality movement. Spreading hay around the horse's living area will cause the horse to be continually "on the move" looking for pieces to eat. Keeping other horses close by or in the same living area will also increase the amount of movement the horse receives. And, most important, the footing in your horse's living area should be firm but non-concussive to promote good circulation and pressure on the hoof capsule.
3) Treatment for Infection
Over 95% of the horses I see for the first time have some degree of hoof infection (either yeast, bacterial or fungal). These infections will weaken the hoof tissues and structure, and may cause the transition period to last much longer than it needs to. I highly recommend every new client treat their horse's hooves for infection using CleanTrax, just in case. By eliminating infection, the newer tissues are allowed to grow in much denser and healthier to better support the horse.
4) Hoof Soaking
In many cases, hoof soaking can help a horse transition. Soaking in water is best, and can replace hoof oils and applications. The amount of moisture in the hooves should be monitored by your hoofcare practitioner, and you should be alerted when your horse's hooves contain too much or too little moisture. Soaking the hooves in water can help to soften them slightly, which allows for them to adapt to environmental changes quicker. It also allows abscesses to exit quicker. Soaking in water mixed with apple cider vinegar can help to draw abscesses out, harden the hoof wall and sole, and fight bacteria. Visit the Hoof Moisturizers page for more information on maintaining a proper moisture balance in your horse's hooves.
5) Removable Hoof Boots
Thanks to the increase in awareness of proper hoofcare all around the world, many equine-related companies have been hard at work developing removable hoof boots that can be used while riding to help a horse whose hooves have not fully transitioned yet. The boots offer great protection for the entire hoof, and can be put on taken off with ease. Two of our client's favorite styles of boots are the Old Macs and the Cavallo SIMPLE boots. The Cavallo boots are a new style and improvement over the Old Macs. Visit our Hoof Boots page for more information.
6) Professional Body Work
Due to past hoof problems and/or injuries, certain areas of the body can become stiff or contracted, resulting in inefficient movement in the horse. Many areas of misalignment, habitual movement patterns, pain or discomfort can be corrected with proper body work, performed by a trained professional. Some popular types of body work include: SENSE Movement Re-Education, Neuro-Muscular Re-Training, Cranio-Sacral Therapy, Light Therapy, Reiki, Acupuncture, Massage, Chiropractic, Myofacial release and gentle stretching. Your veterinarian and/or hoofcare provider may be able to help you decide what style of body work your horse may benefit from.
7) Nutrition
I recommend that every horse, regardless of transition period, receive optimal nutrition. The surest way of providing what your horse needs is to take blood, urine, hay and water samples to a local lab and have them analyzed. This will give you a very good picture of what nutrients your horse is receiving too much or too little of. Your local veterinarian should then be able to guide you to the correct recommendations in feeds and supplements for your horse. I have seen a great deal of success with the Vita Royal equine nutritional program, of which uses only human-grade phamaceutical-grade ingredients, and was developed by a biochemist with a focus on protecting horses from environmental toxins.
8) Detoxification
Environmental toxins are now more abundant and more troublesome than they have ever been. Many of our horses have inferior immune systems due to overload of environmental toxins. It is always a good idea to provide a temporary detoxification diet at least once per year for your horse, to help rid the body of these harmful toxins. During the rest of the year, nutrition should be carefully monitored (see #6 above). I have seen several types of detoxification diets used. The quickest and most common is to use UAA gel or activated charcoal (often used to eliminate toxins in horses with laminitis or founder). However, this method of detoxification often removes good elements from the horse's system as well and can be constipating if given in large enough doses. If this method is used, I'd recommend following through with probiotics to restore good intestinal bacteria. A more complete detoxification protocol can be obtained through your local veterinarian, or from www.VitaRoyal.com. The Vita Royal website also contains a lot of information on environmental toxic overload in horses and how to reverse the effects. In addition, practices such as acupuncture and the use of essential oils have been shown to stimulate the detoxification process.
Closing Notes
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In over 6 years of studying the process of barefoot transition, I have realized that the horse never gives up. The horse continues its daily life the best that it can to survive. One of my favorite horse trainers, John Lyons, had a horse that suddenly went blind one day due to a viral illness. At his clinics and symposiums, people would walk up to the horse and say "Poor Zip, I feel so bad for him". John would respond, "Why would you feel bad for him? For all we know, Zip thinks everyone went blind. Zip doesn't know that it's not just a part of normal life to become blind." You see, horses do not have the ability to compare themselves to others, or to feel self-pity when they are not like others. These are human traits that we often attempt to apply to the horse.
The horse's owner is the decision maker when it comes to what will be done with their horse, and it is their decision to dedicate themselves to helping a horse through a difficult transition, or not. This decision and the transitioning process that may follow can be incredibly easy, or extremely difficult. It all depends on each individual horse owner, each horse's unique situation, and the environmental factors that are involved.
We are often conditioned to think that a horse's hooves and soundness will inevitably decline throughout its life. However, this only happens when the functions of the hoof are disturbed or inhibited for a period of time. It is common for a domesticated horse to live its entire life with less than ideal hoofcare and environment, resulting in hooves that are unhealthy and/or malfunctioning. This is not usually at the fault of the horse owner, but rather the lack of research and teaching on the subject to horse owners throughout centuries of domesticated horse keeping. Through education, rehabilitation, and more importantly, prevention, we can begin to restore function to malfunctioning hooves to help ensure a lifetime of excellent hoof health and usability for our horses.
The information on this site is not meant to diagnose or prescribe for you. This information is not intended to be used as medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Cheryl McNamee-Sutor is a certified mentor hoof groom, wholistic bare hoof specialist, horse trainer, reiki practitioner, and an educator and distributor of therapeutic-grade essential oils; NOT a licensed doctor or veterinarian. If you are sick, injured or otherwise unhealthy, please consult with a licensed doctor.
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