You're here to just trim the hooves, right?

Denys Antonenko • April 21, 2023

One Minute Discussions #61


Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care


YOU’RE HERE TO JUST TRIM THE HOOVES, RIGHT?


It’s true that I’m just a trimmer/farrier, but in my mind this word represents a person that doesn’t just trims and shoes horses, but the person who looks after the horses health and pinpoints anything that’s going wrong, or could go wrong in the horses life.

As an example, I stopped counting the amount of horses in my practice that had improvements due to the diet recommendations I give.

 If I notice that the horse is bothered by something higher up the hoof, somewhere in the body, I mention it to the owner.

If I see how we can improve the horses lifestyle, paddock, mental health, etc, I speak up.

Of course we can’t and not trying to substitute a professional vet. On the contrary, we’re always trying to improve the way we work and communicate with them. Farriers and trimmers constantly educate themselves, and we see our clients’ horses on a regular basis, very often, and can mention what changes we see and whether they’re for the best or worst.

So being a farrier/trimmer, in my mind, is not just focusing on feet. It’s focusing on the whole horse.


Denys Antonenko

How to build a dry lot

By Denys Antonenko • April 23, 2024
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 • April 21, 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 • April 21, 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