Apex Natural Hoof Care LLC.

07/13/2022

It’s —let’s take a moment to celebrate and thank our farriers! Proper foot care is the cornerstone of maintaining a sound horse and a good farrier is instrumental in keeping the horse’s feet balanced and well-supported. Farriers and veterinarians often work together for the best interests of the horse, so a skilled farrier is both a necessity and a tremendous asset for your horse care dream team. Be sure to let your farriers know they are appreciated!

05/14/2022

As hoofcare providers working with a 1000lb animal's feet, making hoofcare appointments as uneventful as possible is often the goal. We want calm, comfortable, happy horses, and calm, safe, and happy humans. Unfortunately, not all horses are calm and comfortable for their farrier appointments, which can make the entire situation stressful for all involved.

I spoke with Adele Shaw, international mentor, trainer, and creator of The Willing Equine podcast, about how owners can prepare horses for their hoofcare appointments to ensure it's a successful and safe appointment each time. We talk about the various approaches to training, how owners can help horses to be ready to hold their feet up for extended periods of time, how to help horses with a history of "farrier phobia," and more! You can hear the entire conversation on your favorite podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link:
https://thehumblehoof.libsyn.com/making-hoofcare-a-positive-experience-with-adele-shaw

09/08/2021

02/12/2021

🤔Horse Shoes: Do they shut down the natural hoof mechanism?

And even if they do, do we actually care?

Well YES - we absolutely SHOULD care!

That is of course, as long as you understand what the natural hoof mechanism really is, and why its correct functioning is so VITAL to the horse.

And only then, will you fully understand why metal horse shoes ALWAYS have a negative affect on its proper functioning.

👉If you think shoes have absolutely NO affect on the horse whatsoever…then perhaps you should read on!

What is THE HOOF MECHANISM?

The hoof mechanism can be defined as the hoof naturally contracting and expanding, whilst it goes through the weight bearing (support phase), and the non weight bearing (flight phase).

It happens on EVERY single step your horse takes.

Or at least IT SHOULD! 😳

The correct functioning of the hoof mechanism is incredibly important for the efficient circulation of blood, not just through the foot, but through the leg and entire body.

When it is working correctly, it helps blood flow back to the heart, against gravity - and the more efficient it is, the less strain the heart is under.

Good BLOOD FLOW is absolutely essential - without it, the structures within the foot, and within the body, will simply begin to suffer….

…probably way before YOU are even ever aware of it.😕

Every step your horse takes, is either bringing health - or bringing pathology - closer and closer.

🧐So what happens when you add a metal shoe to the hoof?

A metal shoe is a rigid structure. That goes without saying, right?

It is applied to the hoof in its most contracted state (the non weight bearing flight phase) - with the foot in the air!

As soon as the shoe is applied, nailed into place, and the horse then puts the foot down, the natural expansion and ‘spreading’ of the hoof, is immediately impaired.

‼️IMMEDIATELY impaired‼️That is serious.

All that horse, bearing down on the hoof, needs the hoof to respond appropriately, by expanding.

Subsequently, when the hoof is then lifted off the ground, entering back into the flight phase again, the venous return of the blood back up the leg, is markedly reduced.

One relies upon the other.

Unlike humans, horses have no help from the skeletal muscle ‘pump’ from the knee or hock down - because the horse has no muscles there to help that blood flow back to the heart.

That is why it is absolutely ESSENTIAL that the horse keeps on MOVING.

🙄We are astounded that this salient fact is simply MISUNDERSTOOD…

…or worse - IGNORED!🤷‍♀️

Whenever we talk about the debilitating effects of the rigid metal shoe to the horse, how it affects the hoof mechanism so profoundly…

…people just don’t WANT to listen…or they tell us we have no clue what we are talking about!

👉If you believe, wholeheartedly, that disrupting this vital natural hoof mechanism, is not of any concern, then tell that to the 1000’s upon 1000’s of horses with navicular and caudal hoof pain.🤥

Like Earl in our latest issue. Disrupting the natural hoof mechanism, was a very big problem for him.

We have a MANTRA here at The Barefoot Horse Magazine:

⚠️“Do unnatural things, and expect unnatural things to happen.”⚠️

BUT - YOU CAN beat the unnatural - and help your horse develop amazing feet again.

Because EVERY SINGLE HORSE ON THE PLANET can have great, strong, healthy hooves…

…BARE, strong, healthy hooves…

…even if they have been in shoes for a very long time.

👉And of course it all starts by taking the shoes off.

We here at the mag, can help you along that sometimes confusing, scary, and arduous journey.🤝

Don’t do it alone.

Don’t do it without support, from the right people.

Because going it alone, and listening to misleading ‘advice’, often leads to putting those metal shoes back on.

We’ve seen this cycle so many, many times.

👀 Check out the image on this post.

Drawings commissioned by famous barefoot advocate VET, Bracy Clark (1771-1860), of a hoof that went from naturally shaped, to devastatingly contracted over a period of 3 years.

These images are the SAME HOOF!

And this is still happening TODAY.

So do check out Earl’s article in our latest issue, how he started to heal from navicular, only when the shoes finally come off.

And check out the Trimmer’s Tips - learn all about how hoof contraction really can be the most devastating thing for the horse.

Disrupt the hoof mechanism - and it is only a matter of time before you DO begin to notice the effects - don't let it be too late for your horse!

Read our latest issue - ISSUE 29 - RELEASED FEBRUARY 1ST - SHIPPED WORLDWIDE!

👉 BUY the latest ISSUE 29: http://bit.ly/BHMIssue29

👉 SUBSCRIBE and never miss an issue: http://bit.ly/ANNUALsub

No foot - No horse.

The BHM Team ❤️

10/31/2020

Find out how to treat and prevent abscesses, a common equine hoof problem, in our special guide!

10/25/2020

In case you missed it...

Presented on Thursday, October 22, 2020 During the webinar, Life Data's Mike Barker discusses how winter affects the body condition, hooves, and health of ou...

10/22/2020

This should answer most if not all of your questions.