Hoof Care Provider/ Farrier Services

He doesn't look due

Denys Antonenko • Jan 21, 2023

One Minute Discussions #47


Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care 


“HE DOESN’T LOOK DUE”


Does that phrase sound familiar? As a horse owner have you said it before?


Truth is, a hoof shouldn’t look due in order for it to be due for a trim! It’s that simple and here are a couple of reasons why. 


Think about rehab cases when we, farriers, are trying to help the horse grow out a “bad foot”. In order for us to achieve good results we have to get rid of the old hoof material in time before it overgrows and causes more issues. That’s not possible if the hoof is too long by the time we come out for a trim and we’re basically chasing the problem, we can’t catch up!


A lot of times owners will ask to lengthen the trimming schedule in the winter but in reality that’s the time of year farriers can catch up to the problem and correct it in time! Yes, the foot may grow slower in the winter months, but it’s the perfect time to eliminate unbalanced growth and help the horse faster and more productively. 


Staying on a short trimming schedule will benefit your horses in the long term. Preventing a problem is much better than correcting it!


Denys A. 

www.njhoof.com


https://m.facebook.com/groups/403518701681330/permalink/549534617079737/

How to build a dry lot

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Click on the button below to download the free PDF step by step guide to building a dry lot or scroll to look at the guide below!

Leave or remove the lamellar wedge?

By Denys Antonenko • 21 Apr, 2023
One Minute Discussions #66 Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care LEAVE OR REMOVE THE LAMELLAR WEDGE? The lamellar wedge is the adaptation of the hoof to internal problems. And although it’s a sign of inflammation, it may still serve a purpose during rehab. It’s still responsible for “glueing together” the wall and sole, but that “glue” is not as strong as it’s supposed to be. So how do we address it in the trim. Everything depends on the horses comfort level and the condition of the lamellar wedge. It won’t be a wise decision to totally remove the lamellar wedge if it is soggy, weak and not fully keratinized. But in a lot of cases it is safe to remove most, if not all of it, if the lamellar wedge is keratinized, dry and sturdy (especially if we’re putting the horse in therapy boots). In some cases it is a good idea to trim the bottom, flared growth evenly with the well connected top growth in order to reduce leverage on the lamina as much as we can. Denys Antonenko

What causes lamina separation?

By Denys Antonenko • 21 Apr, 2023
One Minute Discussions #65 Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care WHAT CAUSES LAMINA SEPARATION Yesterday on my group I posted a question… what causes lamina separation? And although we’re used to hearing the most common things that separate the lamina, such as poor diet, metabolic problems, excessive toe leverage, etc, we don’t often hear about the less common things that can lead to a path of lamina failure without us noticing it. You’ve heard me say it many times before that lamina failure is not a result of just one thing. There’s always multiple factors contributing to the problem. As an example, bacterial and fungal infections weaken the foot, and that can result in lamina separation. Mental and physical stress can increase hormone levels which may result in poor hoof health. Many different problems happening elsewhere in the horses body (skin issues, allergies, dental problems) can be a factor that leads to a weak lamina. Denys Antonenko
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