The Essential Hoof Book

The equine hoof is a complex marvel of natural engineering, built to withstand tremendous forces and able to adapt to an astonishing range of environmental conditions. It also changes daily–for better or for worse–in response to external and internal factors. Few horse owners have the opportunity to acquire a deep understanding of the hoof, which limits their ability to advocate on their horses’ behalf and make informed decisions about hoof care and management. This book is the first resource of its kind to combine the most current and useful information available, gleaned from the research and wisdom of top hoof experts around the world, with a unique “hands-on” approach. The authors provide basic terms and anatomy, clearly illustrate the differences between healthy and unhealthy feet, discuss biomechanics and management concerns, and cover the causes, treatments, and prevention of commonly encountered problems, including laminitis, white line disease, and thrush. Along the way, readers are given activities to help them better analyze and understand the most important aspects of equine hoof health, such as hoof balance, depth of sole, and point of breakover. Easy–to–follow language, over 400 full–color photographs, and do–it–yourself exercises promise to empower horse owners and caretakers of all experience levels with the tools they need to accurately assess hoof health and keep their horses as sound and happy as possible.

Help your horse put his best foot forward! Stressing the critical importance of hoof care to your horse’s overall health, this guide covers all aspects of proper hoof maintenance — from dealing with lost shoes, cracks, and thrush to promoting healthy hooves through a balanced diet. With in-depth discussions of hoof anatomy, the role of the farrier, and the importance of daily routines, Horse Hoof Care provides everything you need to know to give your horse a solid foundation of healthy, strong hooves.

The original guide to barefoot hoof care. Step by step instructions for horse owners wanting to do their own natural hoof care. Based on Jaime Jackson's research with wild horses and his many years as a successful hoof care provider and clinician. Includes recommendations for dealing with unnatural hoof shapes and problem hooves. Essential reading for anyone who intends to take his or her horse barefoot. Over 200 illustrations, photographs and diagrams.

Keeping horses comfortable and sound can be a complicated and often times stressful process not only for the owner, but also for hoof care professionals. The author started her learning journey out of personal frustration with these issues. Her goal was initially just to find solutions for her own horses. Eventually her hoof research provided results applicable to every horse. A must for anyone (owners, trainers, trimmers, farriers, and veterinarians) wishing to be well-versed in the hoof, readers will without a doubt gain new insights from this book on topics not found in other hoof related publications. This book is a new look at the hoof, focusing on a detailed look at its morphology (shape) and function, and discussing implications for how the hoof should be trimmed and cared for. The information is backed up with the presentation of accurate measurements from thousands of horses’ hooves, as well as examples painstakingly collected over the author’s 20 year involvement with trimming the hoof. This book contains over 300 color images, many with measurements and annotations, and will be an excellent addition to your hoof care resources.

Humans and horses have been joined for thousands of years, and for much of that time, one thing has served as the primary point of physical contact between them: the saddle. However, for many horses and many riders, the saddle has been no less than a refined means of torture. Horses have long suffered from tree points impeding the movement of their shoulder blades; too narrow gullet channels damaging the muscles and nerves along the vertebrae; and too long panels putting harmful pressure on the reflex point in the loin area. Male riders saddle up despite riding-related pain and the potential for serious side effects, such as impotence, while female riders endure backache, slipped discs, and bladder infections, to name just a few common issues. We must ask ourselves: How much better could we ride and how much better could our horses perform if our saddles fit optimally? If they accommodated the horse’s unique conformation and natural asymmetry? If they were built for the differing anatomy of men and women? The answers to all these questions are right here, right now, in this book.

Hoof Care Today is a helpful tool for anyone looking for solutions to unsound horses, for horse owners interested in hoof care, or for people looking at starting a career as a hoof care provider. This book covers a basic, common sense approach to understanding good foot function, how to read hoof distortions that can lead to lameness, basic trimming & shoeing guidelines, and an introduction to common lameness issues. Like its predecessor "New Hope for Soundness", this edition offers a quality foundation for understanding hoof care, without all the fluff. Straight forward, practical, common sense hoof care!

Natural Barefoot Trimming; The Hoof Guided Method offers a unique method of barefoot trimming based on reading the hoof. Learn what to trim and what to leave alone in order to allow nature to quickly transform the hoof. The Hoof Guided Method is truly a less is more method based on the theory that a barefoot trim should mimic - or simulate - the action of the ground on the hoof, and that the true purpose of the trim is to stimulate the foot to grow healthy. Simulate and stimulate. Learn to stop micro-managing the hoof and work with nature instead of trying to force man's ideals onto the hoof. The hoof responds to everything it experiences, and that includes trimming. By trimming only what is indicated, then waiting for the hoof to respond, the foot is allowed to transform itself. And it will. The definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The Hoof Guided Method shows you how to read the hoof and get real results in a short amount of time.

Foot problems are the bane of horses' and horse-owners' lives. With the aid of over 1000 photographs, this book looks at various aspect of hoof care, and describes more than fifty common hoof problems. It describes how to recognise good and faulty shoeing, explains mechanics of foot in motion, discusses foot balance, and more.