Product Code Database
Natural hoof care is the holistic approach to horse hoof care based on the wild horse model, including natural boarding (Paddock Paradise natural horse boarding), natural horsemanship, a reasonably natural diet, and the natural trim itself. Modeled after the Hoof of the U.S. Great Basin wild, free-roaming horse, natural hoof care consists of four distinct pillars known as Four Pillars of Natural Horse Care. The term was coined by Jackson and published in his book, The Natural Trim: Principles and Practice.
This progressive approach to hoof care is rooted in the understanding that nature, through 55 million years of evolution, has crafted a hoof that functions flawlessly without the need for shoes. Jackson claims that when maintained through natural, non-invasive trimming method such as the natural trim, the unshod hoof consistently outperforms its shod counterpart.
Jaime Jackson claims that conventional horseshoeing, especially when paired with other artificial care practices, is a major contributor to lameness and long-term unsoundness. Horseshoes interfere with the hoof’s natural mechanics—hindering circulation, dulling sensory feedback, introducing injury and infection through nails, and disrupting the body's thermal and structural balance. Over time, these effects compromise both equine wellbeing and rider safety. In contrast, embracing the natural hoof honors both the biology and the spirit of the horse, offering a path to soundness, longevity, and humane care.
Even though Jackson coined natural hoof care term in 1980s, he has learned that the idea of maintaining hooves in harmony with nature is not exclusive to his research. Jackson wrote:
Horses were ridden and used for work by humans for thousands of years before horseshoes were invented. The did not shoe their horses, and Xenophon in his classic work on horsemanship wrote, "naturally sound hooves get spoiled in most stalls," and advised measures to strengthen horses' feet:
Natural hoof care as it was gradually developed by Jaime Jackson in 2000 materialised into the first non-profit training organisation-AANHCP (American Association of Natural Hoof Care Practitioners, later changed its name for Association for the Advancement of Natural Hoof Care Practices retaining its acronym). Later on, in 2009 this role was taken over by Jaime Jackson.
Currently there are other organisations in competition providing training on natural hoof care around the world.
The natural trim method was developed gradually across several decades, initiated by the wild horse hoof research at the Litchfield BLM Corrals. Jackson measured 1000 wild horse hooves across the span of four years for toe length, toe angle, hoof width, and hoof length. These were the measurements he believed would be important to hoof care professionals.
Jackson draws a distinction between the Natural trim method, which focuses on the specifics of trim mechanics, and natural hoof care, which is much broader, encompassing all aspects of the horse's life that impact the health and growth patterns of the hoof. Jackson considers the natural trim method as key to the formation of natural growth patterns including the turn of the grounding bearing surface of the hoof wall he calls the "Mustang Roll." Jackson has dubbed this unique roll of the hoof wall as "nature's horseshoe."
Horses were shod with nailed-on horseshoes from the Middle Ages to the present, though well-trained farriers also performed barefoot trimming for horses that did not require the additional protection of shoes. It has become standard practice to shoe most horses in active competition or work. However, with the emergence of natural hoof care there is a growing movement to move away from shoeing as the first choice. Jackson during his farrier days have noted that shoes actually damaged the hoof, and was seeking an answer to a question: What did nature intend for the equine hoof?
Advocates of natural hoof care point out many benefits to keeping horses barefoot and present studies showing that shoeing can cause or exacerbate certain hoof ailments in the horse.
Damage from wearing horseshoes can vary depending on methodology, time in shoes and condition of the hoof. Transitioning out of shoes can be problematic and requires in depth knowledge of the characteristics of naturally shaped hoof to avoid invading the natural structures of the hoof capsule.
Hoof boot can be very helpful in providing aid when transitioning horses out of shoes as well as an alternative to shoes when riding. Hooves still need protection when navigating through hard surfaces such as concrete or asphalt roads. At present there is wide choice of different hoof boots to fit every occasion, from rehabilitation to performance riding.
Hoof's sole can often be sensitive after shoe removal, oftentimes due to excessive removal of the solar plates. It is important that proper care is provided and time for the hoof capsule to recover and build callus. During this transition period, the horse can be fitted with hoof boots which protect the soles of the feet until the horse has time to heal and build up callouses, though these boots, especially when not properly fitted and used, can cause hoof damage as well.
Hoof boot fitting requires some experience in order to fit the boot onto the hoof, rather than trying to shape the hoof to fit the boot.
Diet & nutrition is very important too, as changes in feed can directly affect hoof health, most notably seen in cases of laminitis. Even hay/grass may be high enough in sugar to cause laminitis. A healthy diet for horses currently with or prone to laminitis is based on free access to hay that has been tested for carbohydrate content and found to be less than 10% WSC + starch, appropriate mineral supplementation, and no grain. Feeds and forage with high levels of sugar (carbohydrates) correlate with higher risk of clinical or subclinical laminitis and with other hoof ailments.
Natural hoof supplements can be used as a boost to the immune systems of horses when concerned with laminitis or other hoof ailments. D-Biotin supplements, often including the sulfur-containing amino acid dl-Methionine, are commonly known supplements that may be helpful for managing hoof health if they're deficient/imbalanced in the diet. Sunday, 25 April 2021
Modern research by individuals such as Jaime Jackson and Tia Nelson have studied to observe the way in which their natural foraging and roaming affects their hooves. They noticed that the hooves of these horses have a different configuration from domestic horses kept in soft pasture, having shorter toes and thicker, stronger hoof walls.
|
|
