Hoof trimming for horses, donkeys & mules-Winlock, WA

Having a place that is dry to store hay is needed. Hay will make up most of the equine's diet. Pasture also fills part of their forage needs. Dry Hay is needed at minimum part of the year, if not year round for feeding your horse.

It was told to me in Veterinary Science college that water is the most important nutrient. For your horse It truly is  !

If you water source is high in iron filtering it can improve the results you get from feeding supplements.  You may already have a water treatment system for your house water but does your horse get the same quality water?

Free access to a run in shelter is best. There can be occasions when a horse needs to be stalled due to illness. Sometimes certain animals need to be forced to get dry in our rainy climate  during winter too! Even the best farrier care and hoof trimming cannot cure bad feet if the horse stands in manure and wet bedding. Keeping the shelter or stall clean and dry is important.

Jamie Jackson coined the term "Paddock Paradise" for the track system of horse management. Even a mud track is better than no track, it is not clean mud that damages hooves.  Standing in manure and urine is what contributes to poor hoof health. Building and upgrading horse facilities takes time.  The majority of horse owners learn along the way and improve their facilities over time.

The track encourages the horses to move more than square "dry Lots". 

Exercise is essential to your equine's health.  We had the track for several years before investing in rock and sand, this was a big project !

Our wet climate is a perfect breeding ground for thrush. Thrush can be very painful. This horse was limping from thrush infection

There are many thrush remedies for horses on the market, no single remedy works every time and you may have to experiment or rotate products. Hoof trimming and cleaning helps clear up infections.

After hoof trimming your horse if there is any sign of thrush I will apply (at no extra charge) Triodine  or Blu-Kote  to disinfect the hoof. This is part of good farrier care. Successful treatment will be up to the owner to continue the after care plan.

Feeding a good hoof supplement such as California Trace  will help combat thrush. Reviewing your current feed program comes with the Set Up hoof trimming price. Have your current labels or names of the products you feed your horse ready for me to analyze. Together we will set up the best feed program for your situation.

Paying attention to good care and feeding ( ie. husbandry) will keep you in the saddle and enjoying the outdoors with your horse.  The horses hoof is the window into the health of his whole body and without it he is nothing.  Hoof trimming, nutrition , exercise and environment are the foundation of a good horse.  No hoof, no horse !

Making an appointment for hoof trimming is as easy as a phone call,  text or email. I do prefer calls and Texts at 360-880-3264. your address will be needed if you want a price quote, texting works great for that :)

If you have detailed questions or your horse has lameness issues i would prefer a call to discuss the best plan..

Before hoof trimming a horse with lateral wall flair.

First time with RAD Hoof Trimming giving a balanced trim same day

A horse's hoof growth cycle is about 9 months and can be shorter or longer depending on age and nutrition.

Hoof trimming on a regular schedule to maintain the proper form and balance. Horse's hooves can be rehabilitated with a farrier care program!

The first hoof trimming can make a dramatic difference for the animal. However it is the continued maintenance trimming that restores the horse's hoof and ends suffering. Farrier care every 4-8 weeks is essential. My service area includes Chehalis, Onalaska, Ethel, Winlock, Toledo, Vader, Napavine and Castle Rock.

 Months later ,with trims every 4 to 6 weeks the hoof has transformed into a much more normal shape for a donkey.

 Getting your equine back on track with hoof trimming is as easy as calling or texting me at 360-880-3264 .

There are several reasons for a horse's club foot, genetics , injury,  incorrect hoof trimming or lack of farrier care, as well as upper body issues. For this hoof it was genetics, so only so much can be done. 

The low foot happens for the same types of reasons as the club foot. This horse had suffered an acute laminitis attack several years before due to a neighbor throwing grass clippings over the fence!

They will never be perfectly matched , however we have been maintaining soundness for the past 7 years that I have been doing the hoof trimming on this horse.

The trick to maintaining a club foot is not taking too much heel and maintaining the horse's comfort level when it is a congenital defect. If lack of or improper trimming is the cause, then heels can be lowered gradually as long as the horse remains comfortable.

The low side has its own hoof trimming challenges to bring the toe back and get the horse's hoof back under the bony column. It is often the foot taking most of the weight. Proper diet with mineral supplements will help in getting a healthier hoof to grow .

The high/low horse will need to stay on a short hoof trimming schedule to achieve the best balanced trim and maintain that balance. ( 4-6 weeks is the norm) A set up trim can be scheduled by calling or texting me at 360-880-3264 

During a normal set up trim the horse will be examined for the health and soundness of the hoof. Photo tracking will start if possible. A clear working area that the horse is accustomed to is preferable.

Photo tracking the hooves is important even for horses that have been trimmed on a regular schedule in the past.  Slight imbalances can be noted and improved over time with hoof trimming. 

The after trim photo shows some slight change in heel height. This horse has an upright shoulder angle and pastern angles, the heel can only be lowered so much. You will notice not all horses can have the low heel of the mustang model hoof. There are no cookie cutter trimming methods with RAD Hoof Trimming.

The finishing touch to hoof trimming that makes or breaks a good trim that lasts a trim cycle without chipping or cracking. No trim will outlast a reasonable farrier care cycle though, the horse's hoof grows daily!

Straight hoof walls are a good thing . Over time they will happen when the diet, environment and hoof trimming all are adjusted for that individual horse.

Notice this hind hoof has a naturally lower heel. A healthy hoof is your horse's foundation , creating it is up to you. Farrier care is important so start with getting in my calendar for regular hoof trimming , call or text  me at 360-880-3264 

Laminitis means inflammation of the lamina which are the structures that keep the hoof wall connected to the coffin bone. Once the signs of laminitis are seen it is critical to get to the root cause of that inflammation before damage is done and the hoof capsule gets displaced. This hoof shows the tell tail sign of a deep ridge from an acute laminitis attack. There are several reasons for laminitis but the most common one is diet related.

Founder is when the coffin bone is no longer aligned in the hoof capsule.  Sometimes the coffin bone sinks and the sole becomes very thin. In some cases the bone can penetrate the sole, this is of course very painful for the horse and Veterinary intervention is needed. Without X-rays we only have outside appearance of the hoof to try and determine the best trim for that horse. 

First trims are difficult on foundered hooves. The horse's hoof did not get that way overnight and it will be a long rehabilitation process. Horses are in pain and reluctant to lift the hoof for trimming. Pain relief from your Veterinarian can help , there are links at the end of this website to local Veterinarians. If your horse is in pain please call the veterinarian .  Heels cannot necessarily be lowered all at once or it will cause additional discomfort for the horse. First trim priorities are to relieve pressure and forces at the break over area of the toe wall, without thinning the sole. lowering heels as much as is tolerable for the horse's comfort. Trimming schedules will need to be on a short interval in order to bring gradual change to the hoof and maintain those changes as it grows out, 4 weeks is  an average hoof trimming schedule for laminitic horses, donkeys and mules.

Insulin Resistance ( IR), Equine 's Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), Cushing's disease aka Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction( PPID)  these are all metabolic diseases that can result in lamintitis and founder. Two of these can be controlled by diet the other PPID can be managed  with a veterinary prescription drug.  It is important to get to the real cause of the laminitis, that can be done faster with veterinary diagnostics. There are also other causes like a retained placenta in a brood mare, 

Often laminitis is caused by unlimited grazing in the spring. Our PNW cool season grasses have high sugar fluctuations in the active growth stage in spring and fall. Top it off with any feeds containing cereal grains and molasses , that's a recipe for laminitis. Horses evolved on dry plains grasslands and need low carbohydrate high fiber foods to remain healthy. Hoof Supplements can add the needed minerals and amino acids  for a strong hoof without extra calories and sugars. Feed your horse a species appropriate diet and a lot of health and soundness problems can be avoided.

Recovery will take more than hoof trimming. the reason for the laminitis must be addressed. Was it a one time accidentally getting into the feed room and gorging ?  Was it a longer term feed program that inadvertently let to too much weight gain and a tipping into EMS or perhaps true Insulin Resistance?  The diet will have to be changed and maintained that way for the life of the horse, donkey or mule. Will the horse need additional hoof protection in the form of hoof boots while the hoof heals and for riding once the recovery is going well?  These will be things the owner needs to learn about and do to care for their their horse and be successful in rehabilitation. Please call me at 360-880-3264 to address your needs if your horse is laminitic or you think they are and need help in setting up a rehabilitation plan.

Keeping a donkey's hoof normal is also a big part nutrition and resisting the urge to over feed. Hoof trimming alone doesn't usually solve everything. Donkeys are a desert species and do better with limited or no grazing, do not feed them like a horse. Feeding hay out of slow feed bags helps stretch the small amount of hay that they need out

Mules hooves are generally more like a donkey hoof. They also require less feed than a horse pound for pound. Both donkeys and mules benefit from an adjusted portion of hoof supplement.

Donkeys and mules are very prone to thrush because their hoof is deeper and narrower than a horse's. Daily cleaning, a hoof trimming schedule and treating is needed to fulfill their farrier care needs.

Donkey and Mule hooves grow at about the same rate as a horse. The hoof wall is thicker and tends not to flair, chip and crack giving an illusion that the hoof is not ready to be trimmed.  Keeping the breakover point optimum, heel to toe balance, angle and medial/ lateral balance  requires the same 4-8 week trim cycle as a horse.

Many donkeys suffer neglect from unaware owners that think they are a cute small pet and are easy to care for.  They buy them as lawn mowers or let them clean up dropped fruit in their yards. They never think of the hoof trimming needs until it is a dire situation. These slipper feet are so common that some think it is normal. Most people know horses need hoof trimming, there are still too many people that do not know that donkeys need farrier care! It is not normal and I am more than happy to get hooves like this fixed up and educate owners on species appropriate husbandry. 

With staying on a hoof trimming schedule and adopting better husbandry practices these owners turned a down trodden, neglected animal into a happy healthy pet.  If you have questions on donkey and mule care or need someone experienced in the farrier care for these unique hooves please call 360-880-3264.  I would be happy to help you keep or restore your equine to health and happiness.

If your horse is struggling with a parasite load it will eventually compromise it's health. There is an increasing problem with parasite resistance to common dewormers. Fecal egg counts only measure the amount of large and small adult strongyles and round worms in your horse. Equines are bothered by several other parasites both internally and externally.

Starting in August you might see a fly buzzing around your horse's legs , shoulders or flank area. Look closely, is it shooting out tiny eggs that are attaching to the hair? That's a bot fly, the egg laying adult form of this parasite. The horse ingests the eggs while grooming it's self. The eggs hatch and burrow into the mucous membranes of the mouth and digestive tract, eventually grow to become a larva, attaching to the stomach lining and sucking blood.

As part of your parasite control program the bot eggs should be removed asap in a safe manner. Never remove them where your horse will be eating off the ground and ingesting them. Since the eggs are on the hair they will never be seen on a fecal egg count (FEC). 

In late spring and early summer the bot larva leaves the digestive tract of the horse and ventures forth to pupate and become a fly completing the life cycle unless you stop it with Ivermectin.( moxidectin only kills one species of bot) Heavy infestations with bots can cause colic and  even stomach ruptures. That may be rare, but do you want to risk it? The constant stomping at the fly can also compromise the farrier care and hoof trimming program with creating cracks, chips and bruising. 

Lice are tiny and are very hard to see with the naked eye. They may look like moving dandruff, this one is under the microscope. They cause the horse a lot of irritation in the case of this chewing louse. Sucking lice look a bit different  with a long mouth part for attaching and sucking blood. Heavy infestations of sucking lice can cause anemia!

Sometimes it's easier to find the louse eggs or "Nits" at the base of the horse's hair near the skin, this one is under magnification. Nits are tightly attached to the hair shaft. 

There is another parasite that doesn't appear in FEC and is rarely seen in the manure and that is the Tapeworm. Working with your veterinarian to develop a parasite control plan can improve your equine's health and hooves.