Amber Williams Hoof Care.

Amber Williams Hoof Care. Providing quality hoof trims for your equine companions!

06/13/2026

Why can’t so many horses eat grass anymore?

This comes up a lot.

I had a great comment on my last post saying, “Thirty years ago, horses were out on grass all the time and they were fine.”

And I do think it’s a fair question. But I don’t think the answer is one simple thing. Part of it is that the grass has changed.

A lot of horse paddocks now are small, overgrazed, fertilised, sprayed, compacted, and resown or populated by survival of the fittest, with grasses that can survive heavy grazing. That does not mean they are ideal for horses.

Improved pasture, ryegrass, clover, fertilised paddocks and stressed grass can be very different to rougher, mixed, lower-input pasture.

A horse grazing a varied paddock with native grasses, herbs, weeds, shrubs, roughage and room to move is not living the same life as a horse standing in a small green square of high-production stressed grass.

We also have less biodiversity.

When paddocks become monocultures, we lose the variety that supports the whole system. The soil changes. The insects change. The gut input changes. The plants available to the horse become narrower and often richer.

Gut health, soil health and biodiversity are connected. If we simplify the environment too much, we should not be shocked when the animals living in that environment start showing health problems.

Then there is management.

Many horses now live on smaller properties with less movement, alone, more confinement, richer grass, more hard feed, more rugging, more stress, and more weight gain. A lot of equines who are easy keepers are being managed in environments that are simply too rich and “comfortable” for them.

And then there is the other part: we are also better at recognising the signs now.

Years ago, a lot of horses were probably called “a bit footy,” “arthritic,” “lazy,” “old,” “pottery,” “sore after a trim,” or “not great on hard ground.”

Now we are more likely to recognise those signs as possible low-grade or subclinical laminitis, insulin dysregulation, PPID, or metabolic stress.

So I think the answer is, the grass, the paddocks, and the way we keep horses changed. The amount of movement and the soil and plant diversity changed. And our understanding of early metabolic and laminitic signs improved.

Grass is not evil for every horse.

But for some horses, especially metabolic horses, grass can be the trigger that keeps the disease process going.

And if that horse is already showing signs of laminitis, stretched white line, footiness, thin soles, abnormal growth, strong pulses or chronic hoof capsule changes, then “just a little grass” is not a useful management plan.

We have to manage the horse in front of us, in the environment we have now.

06/03/2026

Happy Monday 🖤🐴

06/02/2026

Submit Farrier Tributes for Farriers Week 2026!

Celebrate Farriers Week 2026 (July 5–11), brought to you by Vetericyn, by honoring the dedicated hoof care professional or mentor who inspires you! Submit your stories, photos, or videos to American Farriers Journal to see them featured in our digital Farriers Spotlight. Submit your tribute here » https://ow.ly/WZP850Z6ifY

05/30/2026

A question that is frequently asked by owners in hoof care groups, especially once they start learning more about hooves is: what the heck is this? Is something wrong with my horse?

The white band above the hoof shown here is the periople. It's similar to our cuticle and protects the new hoof growth coming in. In wet weather, it can look thicker and pale. In the dry months, you may not see it at all or it can be dry and peeling. It can even get thick and travel down the horse's hoof - more prevalent in feathered breeds, horses with laminitis, or horses that have hyperkeratosis.

Whatever the periople is doing is helpful information but not cause to panic.
Or panic if you want but text someone to ease your concerns :)

Bisbee's periople here is perfectly normal and looks like this during wet weather, especially when we go from dry to wet in a short amount of time.

05/21/2026

It’s always interesting to me how people will scream that grazing muzzles are “inhumane” while their horse is obese, insulin resistant, foot sore, or actively foundering.

A properly fitted grazing muzzle isn’t punishment. It’s management. Most horses wearing them are still turned out, moving, socializing, grazing, and living like horses -with safer intake control. Most of our horses don’t work hard enough for the rich diets we provide them with. 24/7 hay is great but are they moving? Do they have a demanding job? Do they stand idle and eat all day with no physical output?

You know what’s actually inhumane?

Laminitis

Founder

Chronic pain

Coffin bone demineralizing

Metabolic damage from unrestricted grass

Letting a horse eat itself sick because humans feel bad for them.

The reality is most owners using muzzles do it because they care enough to protect their horse’s long-term health instead of prioritizing human emotions over veterinary reality.

Society is used to seeing horses that are overweight vs fit. The same concept as what is now acceptable for people today. We see someone in shape and call them “too thin”. We see a rib on a horse and throw grain at them.
Healthy isn’t always “natural looking” to people who are used to seeing overweight horses normalized.

Take the emotion out of it and look at input vs. output. Horses don’t stand around feeling sorry for themselves like humans like to believe. I always tell people if you feel bad for them with a muzzle on when they can’t walk and are in agony from laminitis you will feel worse.
📸 featuring a happy muzzled horse

05/21/2026

Hoof Health & Wet/Dry Cycles: What Happens, What Helps — and What Might Not

Evidence-aware. Product-sceptical. Seasonally relevant.

As we hit the point in the year where the ground alternates between saturated and baked dry, your horse’s hooves are quietly bearing the cost. Flare, cracks, chips, white line stretching — these aren’t just cosmetic. They’re symptoms of real structural stress linked to repeated wet/dry cycles.

Let’s look at what’s actually going on — and why quick fixes might not be the answer.

What Happens in a Wet/Dry Cycle?

During wet periods, hoof horn absorbs water — particularly through the outer wall, white line, and sole. The material becomes softer, more flexible, and mechanically weaker.

As the surface dries, the outer horn contracts more rapidly than the inner layers. This uneven shrinkage can distort the hoof wall, opening up cracks and flares and placing strain on the laminar connection.

This cycle doesn’t just affect the surface. It influences load distribution, hoof capsule mechanics, and the hoof’s ability to maintain a tight bond between internal and external structures.

The Science Bit — Evidence-Based and Up To Date

Hoof horn is made of keratinised epithelial cells arranged in a tubular and intertubular matrix. These structures are rich in structural proteins and lipids, and are hygroscopic — meaning they absorb and release water from the environment.

The moisture content of healthy hoof wall typically ranges from 15–25% depending on region and environmental exposure. When hooves absorb too much moisture, particularly over prolonged periods:

The intercellular lipids can become disrupted, reducing the horn’s cohesion and resilience.

White line separation can occur as the laminar interface becomes mechanically strained.

Microbial access increases, especially if the hoof is exposed to ammonia (from urine) or acidic soils, which can alter the pH of the horn and soften the sole and frog.

There is also emerging evidence suggesting that repetitive cycles of swelling and shrinking can contribute to microfractures within the horn tubules, leading to brittleness and cracking as the outer wall dries.

🧬 Sources include recent studies in equine podiatry and veterinary dermatology published in The Veterinary Journal, Equine Veterinary Education, and the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2020–2024).

Hoof Products: Helpful, Harmful, or Overhyped?

Many traditional treatments — from oils and greases to hardeners and moisturisers — come with bold claims, but scientific support for most is limited, context-specific, or conflicting.

Occlusive oils and greases may reduce evaporation in dry conditions but risk trapping excess moisture in wet ones — which can worsen wall stretching and increase infection risk.

Formalin-based hardeners, once commonly used, have largely fallen out of favour due to concerns over tissue toxicity and disruption of natural horn formation.

Hydration treatments (like water-soaking or glycerine-based moisturisers) may improve horn pliability short-term, but have no lasting structural benefit unless environmental causes are also addressed.

Bottom line: No product can replace good trimming, environmental management, and load balance. If the hoof is flaring or cracking, it’s a structural issue — not a moisture problem you can fix with a brush.

What Actually Helps?

🔹 Reduce extreme wet/dry swings: Create more stable footing. Dry standing areas, shelter from dew, and avoiding overuse of abrasive turnout surfaces help mitigate damage.

🔹 Keep trim cycles consistent: Balanced, frequent trims reduce leverage and help the hoof maintain functional shape and structural strength.

🔹 Use topical treatments judiciously: If your hoof care provider recommends something specific, make sure it’s suited to your horse’s environment, management, and hoof condition — and not just marketing hype.

🔹 Watch for subtle signs: New cracks, softening white line, or reluctance on hard ground may indicate the early stages of mechanical or microbial problems. Don’t wait to act.

Hoof care isn’t just about what you put on — it’s about what you build in. Sound structure, good loading, consistent care and a well-managed environment will always outperform even the fanciest tin of hoof gloss.

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