The Ongoing Battles of Equine Hoofcare
Wild vs. Farrier vs. Natural
Over the course of recent years there has been an ongoing discussion about how to trim horse's hooves. At times the discussions have become outright battles across the internet screens of the world and even in person with passionate idealists touting their solid beliefs on hoofcare. I'm just as guilty of this as the next person. However, it has come around to my consciousness that there are only a couple hard and fast rules when it comes to trimming equine hooves.
It doesn't matter if the trim is called a "Wild Horse Trim" ala Jaime Jackson or a "Natural Balance Trim" ala Gene Ovnicek or "Natural Hoofcare" ala Pete Ramey or myself or anyone else. The LABELS don't matter! What labels do is set up boundaries; walls that keep human egos rearing their ugly heads at any given moment in time when discussions turn to horses' hooves. What labels do is create rules and set up unbendable walls that prevent ongoing, intelligent dialogues; dialogues that may just help spur an additional theory or thought that could just help save another horse's life.
The fact is ... HORSES DON'T CARE what "label" is assigned to what method of trimming as long as they can move comfortably without pain. Horses are designed to move. They are animals of prey. Their primary force is survival and in order to survive they have to be able to flee. The horse's primary base of behavior stems from fear ... fear of predators. The entire equine body is designed around this force. Especially the hooves. No hoof, no horse. No hoof, no capability to outrun a predator. No hoof, no life for the horse.
Whether one is a horse owner, a rider or a hoofcare provider of any sort, one must realize the base premise of that which enables the horse to be sound of mind, body and hoof. One cannot separate the hooves from the rest of the horse. Everything works together. That is one of the first general rules when considering equine hooves.
