Paddock Paradise Vienne Track Livery

12/10/2026

We had the pleasure of providing an overnight stop to a hiker last night. Julianne and her Fjord mare Zia and her lovely doggy.

11/10/2026

Bumble totally fascinated by our visitors.

11/10/2026

Battle lines!

Some Lines Should Never Be Crossed

In recent months there have been fiery online skirmishes over toe length, toe wall pillars, the heel buttress, and laminitis. At least one side of the battle lines have directly or indirectly implicated the wild horse model.

Toe Length and the toe wall support pillar

The wild horse model holds that no hoof should exceed its natural toe length. We now have mathematical equations and markers to safely trim any hoof to its natural length. But one side argues that long toes are sometimes necessary to endow the hoof with a toe wall pillar. While toe wall pillars are indeed a characteristic of the naturally shaped hoof, they are associated ONLY with the hoof’s natural toe length (N°TL), not just any length. This specifically puts the pillar on the medial toe wall in close proximity of the pedal bone (P3). Its precise position represents a confluence of each horse’s unique anatomy, temperament (alpha and beta personalities), ex*****on of their natural gaits, and weight bearing and ground reaction forces. Facilitating long toes OBSTRUCTS natural growth patterns and is arguably INHUMANE as well as being completely unnecessary. The good news is that the U.S. Great Basin wild horse model provides a ready pathway out of the man-made long toe syndrome.

The composite heel buttress

The wild horse model holds that no heel buttress should be shortened to less than its natural length. But one side argues that maximum lowering of the heel buttress is necessary to establish the natural alignment of the pedal bone (P3) within the hoof capsule. While it is true that nature aligns the base of the pedal bone parallel (zero degrees) with level ground (a support plane), it does this when the hoof is naturally shaped and not compromised by chronic laminitis or invasive trimming. Over trimming the heels can pe*****te the hoof’s hard sole plane (HSP) and destroy the lamellae of the bars and heels. But there is good news here too. Trimming the heels to their natural length is neither difficult nor complicated, when using the Natural Trim method based on the wild horse model.

Laminitis

The wild horse model holds that all hoof care methods collapse when laminitis is repeatedly fuelled by unnatural diets. But one side argues that laminitis has origins in trim mechanics, not diet, or not necessarily diet alone. But the chronic proliferation of matrix-metalloproteinases (enzymes) resulting in the collapse of the P3 suspensory apparatus and subsequent lamellar wedge, necessary for P3 rotation, has been proven by laminitis researchers Pollitt et al. to have causality attributed to streptococcus bovis and other pathogens of the lower intestine.

Jaime Jackson
for the ISNHCP

For those of you interested in exploring the subjects discussed by Jaime Jackson in greater detail, we recommend the following publications:

NHC Brief #4: Support Pillars
An explanation of the naturally occurring support pillars of the hoof, including their relationship to natural toe length.

NHC Brief #3: The Naturally Shaped Composite Heel Buttress
An examination of the composite heel buttress and its natural anatomical characteristics.

Links in the comment section below.

08/10/2026

It's getting chilly so after tucking Pepito up into a warmer rug tonight I got out our 4.5 tog duvets.
Anyone else tried the Scandinavian sleep method? We adopted separate duvets about 10 years ago and we'd never go back one large duvets. Good nights sleep guaranteed.

08/10/2026

It's not just the sugar we need to be concerned with. This post highlights further why we have a grass-free track here at Paddock Paradise Vienne Track Livery

07/10/2026

Very true

Older horses are not disposible. It's our duty to take care of them as they grow older.

04/10/2026

It was 11 years ago today that I first met Creeve Roscy in a field in Moate Co Westmeath, Ireland and without hesitation I made her mine. There has not been one second I questioned my decision. There has only ever been one other mare that I have had the same relationship that Roxy and I have. A 13:2 steel grey pony call Fizz who gave me her heart.
Controversial but I think mares are the best!

02/10/2026

Filling hay boxes is a breeze. The polysester net was supplied by Filetafoin.com. We will be upgrading soon to a stronger metal net frame.

01/10/2026

For Autumn this year Bumble is sporting the latest fashion. Leaves 🍂 in her mane. 😃

Cet automne, Bumble arbore la toute dernière mode : des feuilles 🍂 dans sa crinière ! 😃