KH Barefoot Trimming

09/23/2026

Nutrition plays a huge role in the health of the hoof, and when financially possible, I always recommend a bulk mineral supplement. Vermont Blend has been my go-to as it has the best amount of copper and zinc while also containing the 3 essential amino acids, it comes in a powder form- selenium and selenium free..

I know not everyone is able to afford a bulk mineral, so the “poor man’s” supplementation I recommend is Custom Equine Nutrition’s copper/zinc blend, coming in at $20/60 day or $97/365 day supply. Feeding this with 2 tablespoons of loose white salt on some soaked hay pellets could make a noticeable improvement on your horses hoof health. https://customequinenutrition.com/products/copper-zinc-blend-free-shipping

For anyone who wants to compare price/cost per serving/content to other minerals, here’s a spreadsheet created by another hoofcare provider:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11Th2kAQaPK5pBFHN-j3Un27XmlvYm2Ypp13W_nx28ZA/htmlview?

09/20/2026

While most horses fit into some brands, styles and sizes of boots and glue on composite shoes, sometimes the need of modification requires a mix & match to what will suit the hoof best.

Most of the time I use EasyShoe Versas or Ones. However, these shoes don’t come in a size that would fit this very drafty mustang Gus. So I utilized Duplo composite horse shoes in size 158 and 142. I cut off the excess length from the shoes and heat-welded EasyShoe cuffs on. It all turned into a nice snug fit for Gus.

09/18/2026

Most of the time when I’m observing a horse’s hoof landings it’s from the side to see if they’re heel-first, flat or toe-first. But observing from in front and behind is equally important.
In this instance it shows me that the front right land toe-first more on the medial side, and the front left lands heel-first strongly on the lateral side.
It’s not just the hoof landing that I’m looking at, it’s also the path of motion. I was surprised to see that the front right leg paddles out away from the body, and the front left dishes in during motion.

This information is helpful for me and the bodyworker to know, and keep a closer eye on to see further improvement.

09/04/2026

07/10/2026

Miss Heyoka was an absolute angel for getting some glue on composite shoes ahead of her trail ride!

Most horses need a little introduction to the noise of the Buffy wheel but she didn’t even flick an ear in its direction when I powered it up!

06/10/2026

Welp! 31 years old is as good a time as any to pull some teeth! I was just surprised (and relieved) that only 2 needed to pop out at this time.

Buck had to rest his head in the feeder afterwards lol. He was NOT feeling thirty, flirty and fabulous.

Thank you to Dr Miller from Ft Lupton animal clinic LLC for taking good care of my boys.

05/30/2026

This sweet gelding has some hoof distortion issues that are heavily influenced by his upper body. These images are before my first trim, and after my third trim on him on six week cycle length. During his first trim with me, he had difficulty lifting his hinds back for trimming, he was much more smooth this time and didn’t need as many breaks.
The wonderful owner has been getting him bodywork, he’s been treated for ulcers, and recently started a mineral supplement.

The most notable distortion is his front left. Likely a symptom of his upper body compensation, his primary weight bearing surface of this front left hoof is the medial side- making it overly worn and forcing the whole hoof the be slanted. This distortion will take a while to totally resolve as the horse continues to get bodywork, strengths his muscles and thoracic sling, bearing weight and moving equally on his front hooves.

The hind left surprised me in how quickly it has been improving over only three appointments. As stated, he used to be very stiff and limited in lifting this hoof for trimming. At the first appointment his heels were very low and run forward. This was causing a lot of strain on the DDFT, which was tipping the coffin bone upwards and creating this “bullnose” effect to the hoof wall. Just after a few trims his heels have righted themselves up, and he has significantly more base of support in the back of his hoof.

I look forward to seeing the progress over a year.

05/11/2026

Healthy hoof trim! These hooves cleaned up real nice!

04/26/2026

This mare has come a long way in hooves. Trying to get a more supportive heel under her has been a challenge, but with the use of the Easyshoe Versa Grip, we’ve been able to make progress. In fact, we need to size down the shoe because her toes aren’t so flared anymore!