Newfoundland Hoof Co.

04/12/2024

Mud - it's something anyone with horses in an environment that gets regular rain will deal with. We spend hours of our life and an exponential amount of money trying to find ways to reduce mud, and then it is constant upkeep to make sure it is manageable.
I figured who better to chat about mud than someone in the UK, where rain is so common! I reached out to Amy Dell-Anthony, author of the book "Horse Track Systems" and owner of Abbotts View Livery: Barefoot and Back to Nature in the UK, to chat with me about practical ways owners can deal with mud management, whether they own their own property or board their horse elsewhere. We also talk about track systems in mud season, and ways to handle hoof health in constant moisture.

You can listen to the conversation on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2024/04/12/managing-mud-and-hooves/

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Equithrive offers supplements for everything from metabolic health to joint support – get 20% off your first order at equithrive.com with code HUMBLEHOOF

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 20% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

A special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.com

Also be sure to check out HayBoss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

03/27/2024

03/27/2024

03/03/2024

02/28/2024

When a horse comes up lame, one of the first instincts is to limit its movement to ensure something catastrophic doesn't happen or more damage isn't done. But is this the right approach?

Dr. Martina Neidhart, a veterinarian in Europe with an interest in soft tissue and lameness rehabilitation, did a great webinar in 2021 with Wendy Murdoch on what happens to a horse's body while its on stall rest.. and it has stuck with me for years! I reached out to Dr. Neidhart to chat with her about when stall rest might be recommended, when we should limit a horse's movement, and in what instances it might not be necessary. We also discuss what can happen to horses who don't move enough while rehabbing.

You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2024/02/23/the-pros-and-cons-of-stall-rest/

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Equithrive offers supplements for everything from metabolic health to joint support – get 20% off your first order at equithrive.com with code HUMBLEHOOF

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 20% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

A special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.com

Also be sure to check out HayBoss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

02/18/2024

How long should a shoeing cycle be?

Lately there have seemed to be quite a few posts circulating on how long a shoeing cycle should be. Here are a few things to consider when setting your appointments.

Part of the difficulty of writing this post is that it's not a one size fits all answer. It's a dynamic interplay between hoof growth, biomechanical forces, and the individual's conformational characteristics. Let's talk about the complexities!

Microscopic differences in hoof structure directly influence the need for regular intervention; due to their effect on the elastic modulus of the hoof, some feet cope with forces more efficiently than others. Often the notion of letting the horse "grow more hoof" before intervention comes from a lack of understanding the individual elastic limits, the lack of functionality leading to a stunted growth rate and the direction of growth!

Hoof growth alters the center of pressure, impacts heel loads and landing times; the forward migration of the solar bearing surface alters ground reaction force distribution, increases leverages forces, and affects haemodynamic efficiency. And these effects increase exponentially the more sloping the HPA. So often these horses that are left to “grow more hoof” end up in forever perpetuating cycles of negative morphological changes!

So, when it comes to the shoeing cycle, ditch the thought process that every horse needs to be shod every 6-8 weeks! Consider the horse's unique conformation, growth patterns, and dynamic markers. It's a tailor-made approach for optimal hoof health!

Want to dive deeper? Further reading here: https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/the-influences-on-shoeing-cycle

For clarification on the movement of CoP and changes to the ground reaction force distribution read our recent paper on the point of balance..

https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/the-quantification-and-definition-of-a-new-hoof-balance-paradigm

12/18/2023

🥕 🥕 🥕

🥕🥕🥕 Friday focus...carrots! 🥕🥕🥕

Due to some misinformation out there about carrots, I know some of you are very concerned about feeding them to your horses, particularly those with laminitis, EMS and Cushings. A carrot or two a day is absolutely fine, most things are in moderation! So if you are worried about giving some Christmas carrots to your horse or pony…here are a few carrot facts to ease your mind!

🥕 Carrots are high in water - around 80% so they are a fabulous succulent!

🥕 On an as fed, fresh weight basis, carrots are low in sugar - around 4-5% per 100g of carrot.

🥕 They are low also low in starch on a fresh weight basis - making around 6% NSC in 100g of carrot!

🥕 Carrots are useful additions to winter rations of dry feed (hay & concentrates) as they are a more natural source of moisture-containing feed when many horses are fed unnaturally dry diets of hay and concentrates.

🥕 They are excellent training treats, great for hiding meds in and they can also help increase appetites and encourage horses to eat!

🥕 Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A - 100g of carrot more than meets a 500g horses vitamin A requirement!

🥕 Their naturally high vitamin A content makes them a fab source of antioxidants, particularly for our older horses!

I always feed carrots throughout ‘carrot season’, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a carrot or two a day and the majority of horses love them!

12/04/2023

https://www.reddit.com/r/Calgary/s/hblVG6RlEI

Explore this post and more from the Calgary community

11/28/2023

Did you know that you can still sign up and view webinars that you might have missed? Visit our Learn page at progressivehoofcare.org to sign up for any of these awesome webinars 🤓🙋🐎

http://progressivehoofcare.org/category/learning/

11/25/2023

11/14/2023