On this page, you will find much information available via PDF files covering cases, both past and active. We envite you to come back often to see what is presently in the works. One thing we must recognize is that MANY of the problems we must address in the hoof care business; are not correctable using the BARE FOOT approach. We have all heard horror stories about horses that suffered greatly using the BARE FOOT approach. That is not because that approach is inherently bad, but that it was applied to feet that were incapable of positively reacting to that specific protocol. That specific case simply needed another approach that better suited its specific set of circumstances. Let me explain this in terms most people will understand... In humans, you have a patient that has a problem that the the doctor says, "Now you MUST walk this way, I know it will hurt, but if you do that for 7-10 days, you will no longer hurt and your problem (sore hip, or bad back etc...) will go away, and if you continue to walk like I showed you, you will never see that problem return. Now suppose (if you will) that you step out the door and try walking like the doctor showed you. Many of us will say, "That doesn't feel very good. But I guess I'll stick it out and see what happens." Then 5 days later we are walking the dog, and say, "Hey, it still feels a little painful, but not as bad as before. Guess I'll stick it out a bit longer and see what happens... sure beats surgery or sitting on a rocker all my life." Now after a total of ten days we are out walking with our spouse and say, "Hey, look at me, I'm pain free! It wasn't easy, but I'm sure glad I stuck it out. Want to go dancing tonight honey?" Now we would call that a GOOD PATIENT But alas, there is another type of patient... He walks out the door just as his doctor suggested he do and says, "That hurts like crazy; forget this, it felt better the way I walked before. That doctor is crazy." Ten days later, we hear. "You go ahead and walk by yourself honey, I'm just going to sit on this rocker and wait for the surgeon to call. Maybe he can get the pain to go away. He said he'd order me a walker and a scooter too. Hope our insurance will pay for them. Oh by the way...did you pay the disability insurance bill this month? I may need it!" NOW WE WOULD CERTAINLY CALL THIS PERSON A BAD PATIENT!!! The thing we have to remember is that a horse is a  BAD PATIENT every time! The horse simply does not have the mental capacity to reason that if he walks a specific way (like our doctor above suggested to his patients) that it may not feel as good as walking in an abnormal manner ......read.... press heavy in the heels (crushing them further), or push to the left or right (creating flares, , etc.)..... that he will eventually feel better, and have fewer problems long term. No... the horse will NEVER be a GOOD PATIENT, he will ALWAYS be a BAD patient, and suffer accordingly over time... be it short or long term. That is simply the way his brain is wired, he can't help it! Need examples of what I am talking about? The instance of joint injections is steadily increasing (but not in horses in my practice; which see a DECREASE in joint injections). The instances of corrective shoeing devices (pads, special shoes, sole packing, etc...) have been on the rise for decades. (but not in horses in my practice) We RARELY use anything other than a very simple shoe,  with very specific nail locations  (and limited numbers- usually 4-5 per shoe ONLY) designed to help HOLD the foot in a position that will encourage CORRECT use of the horse's foot, just like the doctor ordered!! The way we use shoes, has been described as "BARE FOOT HORSE SHOEING" by farriers and BARE FOOTERS alike! So why can't feet simply be corrected by BARE FOOTING??? Think of a person with a broken leg.... The doctor can set the leg bones.... but without a cast (Horse Shoe) that leg will "heal" with deformation. We use shoes as a device (cast) to hold that deformed foot (broken leg) in position to "heal itself". So if my horse doesn't have a deformation I will never need shoes; RIGHT? Don't get too excited... YET....  Remember shoes are needed for 3 reasons, and only 3. TRACTION PROTECTION and CORRECTION If you don't need correction (feet have EVERY ONE one of the supporting structures in proper position and design.. without bends etc.), AND your horse doesn't need traction, (jumping, steep hills on trails, slippery footing, etc.) AND he is not in need of protection (wears feet down faster than he grows them), Then and only then is he prepared to go BARE FOOT. If he DOES have a reason to wear shoes, (and a very high % of horse do, as few domestic horses actually live in a wild type of environment, large turnout 24/7 with various footings, etc.) he may very well need them at the present time; for a specific set of needs (see list above) and after that set of needs passes, THEN he may be able to go BARE FOOT. But then also remember, that after being BARE FOOT for a while, his needs may change. And that is why we offer both protocols for hoof care! We suggest that you don't trust the care of your horse's feet to anyone that does not have the ability to provide both sets of protocols when taking care of your horses feet. It very well could be penny wise and dollar foolish!
Please click below to download a PDF file on why the traditional approach to Long Toe Low Heel has not been productive. Make sure you check out both of those files as well as brochure download, that will be one of the greatest tools you will have in your truck. Long Toe --LOW HEELS???? Physics must be taken into consideration! This brochure will assist you in breaking down the foot into segments to asssist you in understanding the hoof better. Please feel free to print a supply to share with your clients.	This PDF file is an example of the type of case we are often asked to look at. This horse had a history of lameness that could not be diagnosed. After traveling to look at this horse we could quickly determine that there were multiple issues with the feet that very well can cause lameness in other areas of the horse. SO click below to download the PDF file of this case. Are we missing things in lameness exams?
Note the popsicle that is laying on the frog of this foot. This shows us that the frog is showing a proper alignment of P-III in relation to the ground lane of the foot (Palmer Angle) so that this foot may be able to do well with the BARE FOOT approach to hoof care. Compare it to the photo below.	This is a PDF file of a horse that had terrible heels and a lot of flares. The time frame covered here is short to show that progress can be seen relatively quickly. Click below to download this PDF file. Flares should be a tremendous alarm to owners, vets, and farriers alike!
Now when you look at this foot (and compare it to the foot above) you can see that the frog plane (popsicle stick) indicates a totally different frog to ground plane relationship. This foot has a NEGATIVE PALMER ANGLE of P-III and would NOT be a good candidate to BARE FOOT at this time. We would rely on using very specific trimming along with a very specific shoe and nail application to realign the angle of P-III in relation to the ground surface of this foot. This foot would not be a candidate for BARE FOOTING at this point. Note these two feet are the same ones on the BARE FOOT page, match the font colors of the views here to those on the other page to get a feel for the correlation of these two views of these two feet...which are on the same horse!	Click here to see the thought process that we used to develop a protocol for hoof capsule distortion. Here you will see a foot that has an extremely "low heel" and then photos of a hoof capsule that had many of the same issues. In the hoof capsule you can easily see why simply adding a wedge or bar shoe to this foot would not REVERSE this problem. FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION, with this PDF document you can readily see why we must alter function of this hoof capsule if we are ever to expect to see the for REVERSE itself. Click here to download this wonderful PDF file. The INSIDE story!!!
Below is a situation that I see almost daily. We seem to not recognize that the hoof capsule has rotated horizontally around the bone column when so many times is the case. When we take x-rays from just the lateral view, we most likley will not recognize this condition called "spiraling". Spiraling, will occur when the hoof capsule has been loaded in such a manner that causes it to rotate on the horizontal plane around P-III. I have confirmed this numerous times, by taking x-rays from both the lateral and medial views. When the 2 views are compared, you find a difference in angles of both the Palmer Angle and Dorsal angle of P-III (MED vs. Lat view comparisons) Since the Dorsal surface of P-III is an arch, you actually are looking at a sectional oblique view of that angle, and not an exact angle. When the x-ray is taken at a 90 degree angle to the hoof capsule, you will see a discrepency of Dorsal Angles in these 2 views, due not to being at a 90 degree angle to P-III, in spite of being at a 90 degrees to the hoof capsule itself. In other words the hoof capsule and the bone are not in alignment with each other. Further, you may also see an unmatched Palmer Angle when comparing Med and Lat views, this is due to P-III not being able to load evenly due to the hoof capsule stopping one side (Med or Lat) from settling as low as the ohter when loaded. Many time the bars of the foot will beging to crack due to the uneven loading then allowing P-III to once again load on a flat plane, all though it will now be further misaligned with the hoof capsule itself. This then sets up new uneven stresses, and round and round we go, untill you have end up with a major failure, such as a quarter crack etc.   In the series below you will appreciate how the unloaded view shows a complete different alignment of structures than the loaded view does. This condition will create lameness that often is not diagnosed as the condition that is present. While it is possible to reverse this condition, it takes a very specifc approach, not presently used in "normal" approaches to hoof care. It takes the SHP to reverse this situation and bring this type of horse back to soundness.  The horse below was diagnosed as "navicular" but the problem was actually a mechanical misalignment created by a spiral of the hoof capsule. I have seen many of these horses and most were labeled "navicular". Once we establish realignment of the hoof capsule, the horse usually finds immediate relief and full comfort in short order. It takes a very specific protocol to address issues such as this and fortunately, once the farrier knows how to "read" the foot, x-rays are not required to locate this type of problem, though x-rays are always welcomed.  I have had horses wher the client has spent THOUSANDS of $$$ for diagnosis, only to have nothing definitive, and found this to be the issue. Once this situation is addressed, soundness returns.   I am also of the opinion that this is a major cause of many of the cases where joint injections become needed, as once we relieve this type of situatation, the need for such injections is greatly reduced in most horses.