" A barefoot horse is the marvel of the natural world. Such a horse can move rigorously without pain, over the roughest terrain, without any hoof protection, except what nature has given him from birthright. He lives his life without shoes and his feet do not suffer from it. Hoof disorders that plague his domestic cousins are unknown to him. Are these super hooves a fluke? THe answer is no. Through natural hoof  and natural horse keeping practices, your equine can enjoy the same healthy, tough hooves." 
          Excerpt from the American Association of Natural Hoof Care Practitioners

 

I was a farrier for over 30 years. My father is an equine veterinarian and Quarter Horse producer. I have been around a lot of horses in my time. When I first became exposed to this philosophy (by my wife), I gotta tell you - I was a huge skeptic! I questioned how this 'unconventional' process could stand up to hundreds of years of traditional practice. At the same time, I was never able to 'cure' certain conditions, just make the horse a little more comfortable.

Natural trimming utilizes the hoof that nature intended by trimming to the wild horse model of mustangs on BLM land. By trimming to nature's model, healing from most ailments is able to occur. I have seen dramatic results from founder, laminitis, cracks, absences and white line disease.
The beauty of this program is that it is set up for the owner to take over after the natural hoof is established, usually within 6 to 8 months! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the picture of a naturally worn hoof that roamed free on Wyoming BLM land.
Notice the smooth hoof wall and how concave the sole is. This is the ideal that we strive for. 



Here is another BLM hoof - notice the thick hoof wall and the naturally formed mustang roll. This allows the hoof to easily break over in any direction. This, too, is an ideal that we strive for.



Here is an example of a well developed frog on another BLM hoof. A large frog is something to encourage with stimulation, such as rock and lots of movement.

• It is readily applied to domestic equines (horses, mules, burros) of all breeds, ages and equestrian disciplines
• It enables horses kept on a small acreage, or in paddocks, to have healthy, naturally shaped feet
• When used in conjunction with natural horse keeping practices, it can produce near perfect hooves, free of lameness
• It enhances natural gaits and movements of the horse
• It enables horses suffering from acute and chronic laminitis, (founder) navicular, contracted heels, wall splits, brittle or shelly hooves, and all manner of lameness, to recover and achieve healthy, strong hooves without shoes
  • Using the natural trim with properly fitted boots (as needed), there is no reason to shoe your horse again!
  • Barefoot horses have more traction, which is a plus in competitive sports such as roping, barrel racing, competitive trail riding and endurance.