UK Hoof Trimmers - Case studies and videos of barefoot horses

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Clydesdale mare 1st trim

Same Clydesdale lady one month later - look at how much those feet have increased in size!

The Natural Healing Powers of Nature at work - examples of the healing angle.
This foot is growing into exactly what it wants and needs to be - no invasive trimming,
no forcing of the feet - just natural healing helped along by the holistic AANHCP trim.

Jigsaw - First Trim, March 08

Jigsaw - First Trim, March 08	Right Fore - Pre Trim	Right Fore - Post Trim
Jigsaw - July 08	Right Fore - Pre Trim July	Right Fore - Post Trim July

met Jigsaw in March 08. As you can see she had a very stretched white line and long toes. At the time she was expecting a foal, so the additional weight made her even more uncomfortable. She tiptoed along, and couldn't really move very well at all.
She was kept in a smallish paddock (20 metres x 30 metres) of ''old'' grazing with a cow companion who was helping her with the grass.
Despite this, there was far to much grass for this little lady, and this was definitely showing in her feet. The grass consumption together with very little movement had left her trapped in her long toe / white line feet. I also found out that she was being fed hard feed.

I Immediately asked her owner to stop the hard feed and fence off the majority of the paddock.
I addressed the paddock paradise concept. In its simplest form this is: letting her have a lane round the outside of the paddock, and giving her access to hay, water and a vitamin / mineral lick - all positioned in the best possible way to encourage her to move. Getting some equine friends in to encourage even more movement would be great.

By the next visit in April, Jigsaws owner told me he had stopped the hard feed and had fenced off the paddock - though not in a lane, just halved the grass accessible to her.
There was a small improvement in her feet and movement, but nothing drastic.
Gradually over the next few months there were further small improvements, but nothing to write home about. I was always asking for Jigsaw to be restricted further from the grass and asking for the lane system to be put in effect.

In July, I arrived at the farm and had a pleasant surprise. There were four other Shetlands in with her in the paddock. This, combined with the very dry few weeks that had made the ground hard had over ONE MONTH reshaped her feet to the rounded, nice little feet you can see in the July pictures. Though Jigsaw had not yet been given the benefit of Paddock Paradise, the stretched white line and long toes were improved beyond recognition! And all this with no invasive cuts into the white line, invasive trimming, remedial shoeing, drugs, steroids or expensive medical care - just hard ground and equine pals.
The answers are out there - and they are usually far simpler than you expect!
Now the challenge will be to KEEP Jigsaws feet looking and feeling great - and the best way to do this is Paddock Paradise and natural horse management.