maureen tierney

Maureen Tierney – www.barefoottrimming.com

The Hoof Guided MethodNatural Barefoot Trimming

• Why do we trim?

• The Hoof Capsule vs The Foot

• Listen to the Hoof

• The Hoof is Dynamic

• The HGM Trim

• Summary

Contents

To remove material the horse cannot remove on its own.

Why do we trim?

We should not trim from the perspective that the foot will grow too much if we don’t. The hoof is not grass, it is not hair, and it is NOT a fingernail.

A healthy hoof grows to demand

An unhealthy hoof will grow faster

This hoof was trimmed 11 months ago!

(The ground has been wet for 2 months)

The foot is shorter now than in July 2012

July 2012 March 2013

And it looks more comfortable!

Hoof after last trim in April 2012

Remember, the ground doesn’t think!

• The ground does not micro manage.

• The ground does not measure.

• The ground has no “ideal” in mind.

• The ground is passive.

In the wild the hoof is trimmed by the GROUND.

Compare the action of the heels vs the toe.

It’s clear that the range of motion of the toe results in greater abrasion.

The heel lands and while the toe is being abraded, the heel is moving up.

The Heel is compacted by impact

The Toe is abraded by friction

It only makes sense that we would trim the heels LESS and that the toe is what needs our help due to lack of abrasion. In fact, the heels seldom need trimming on a healthy hoof.

Trimming of the heels sends a message to the foot that it has suffered a great amount of excess wear – or even injury – causing the heels to GROW.

Bottom Line

Trim only to help the foot, not control it.

The Hoof versus The Foot

The horse has both a foot and a hoof capsule. We need to consider both.

The Hoof Capsule is a Bionic Shoe

It is created and maintained by the horse’s FOOT – the internal structures.

Internal problems cause things like tall bars, tall heels, and thickened soles.

External conditions cause forward toe, frog migration, weak or infected frogs.

The Foot is What is Inside the Hoof Capsule

• Coffin bone

• Navicular bone

• Lateral cartilages

• Digital Cushion

• Coria

• Blood vessels

• Etc.

Hoof Form Affects the Foot

A hoof that doesn’t fit the foot causes pressure on delicate tissues, puts stress on tendons, tears laminae, and can cause atrophy of internal structures. Even mild hoof capsule “poor fit” can cause pain.

We have all worn shoes that were just a little too tight or rubbed on our little toe. Imagine having to live in those shoes 24/7.

Just a few Examples . . .Long toes cause tearing and separation of the laminae and the wall – and can result in mechanical founder.

Ouchiness leads to toe-first landings and all associated problems.

Flare creates what is basically too large a “shoe” for the foot resulting in “slop”. (See side by side foot comparison.) And it also can cause pinching where it bends inward from leverage forces.

We do not really know all the damage done by hoof capsule deformity, but it is most likely the cause of arthritis, back and shoulder pain, and other forms of lameness.

A healthy foot

Robust Frog

Tight wallconnection

Small area of sole in front of frog

Tight wall/sole connection

Coffin bone supported

A not so healthy foot

Thin weak frog Coffin bone unsupported

Too long a toe is pulling away from the bone.

Compare these feet!Look at the back of the foot, look at the position of the coffin bones. Hoof form DOES make a difference. Which means the TRIM makes a difference.

Robust Frog

Tight wallconnection

Small area of sole in front of frog

Tight wall sole connection

Coffin bone supported

Thin weak frog Coffin bone unsupported

Too long a toe is pulling away from the bone.

More unhealthy feet

Incorrect trimming has a devastating effect on the internal structures. These feet are from the same horse – left is hind, right is front. Hoof capsule has been removed.

What happens inside is not always pretty.

As the previous images show, the inside of the foot takes a beating.

Nagging at the foot and over-trimming delays and often prevents healing entirely.

It’s not all about the hoof capsule.

The foot must be given time to heal internally.

It is not necessary to know all the structures in the foot. But it is necessary to always keep in mind that everything WE do to the foot has consequences.

We need to make sure we don’t cause problems.

Bottom Line

The hoof is not static, it is DYNAMIC and can effect change in a very short amount of time, and in ways we would never imagine.

The hoof reacts to conditions – both external and internal

Look at some of the changes that can occur in almost no time . . .

Post trim 2/9/13 7 days later!

A very different foot with minimal trimming

9/6/12 10/4/12

Angle reversal by leaving the heels alone and backing the toe.

11/7/12 12/11/12

A third bar . . . what?

1/6/13 3/6/13

The fact is that the FOOT makes all positive change and effects all healing. Nature does the work, we only help by doing what the foot asks and needs.

The hoof is not an inanimate object. It is not a block of wood, and what it does, it does for a reason.

The hoof is capable of transforming itself very quickly - when allowed to do so.

Bottom Line

• There are only 4 steps

• There is no guesswork

• The trim is the same for all feet

• It’s not about pretty

The HGM trim is very simple

• Clean the foot and exfoliate dead sole

• Address the toe

• Address the heels and bars

• Bevel the foot

The Four Steps

Clean the foot and exfoliate any dead sole. Dead sole is sole that comes off easily. NEVER cut into the sole

Step One

Address the ToeThis is where reading the foot tells you exactly what to do. The sole ridge is the foot telling you where it wants the toe.

Step Two

What does the toe have to say? Examine the following examples

Addressing the Toe

This sole says to bevel the toe back.

Yellow arrows point to sole ridge

This sole says to bevel the toe back.

Yellow arrows point to sole ridge

This sole says no backing – just bevel

No ridge means just bevel the toe wall.

This foot is saying, “I don’t need a trim.”

• The ridge – or lack of ridge – dictates where to trim.

• Honor the ridge by beveling to just in front of it

• No ridge – just bevel the wall.

Listen to the foot

What do the heels and bars have to say? Examine the following examples

Step Three . . .

The bars are hard and close to the sole.

The bottom heel is at sole level. Since we always trim the heels to the same height above the sole, we can lower the higher heel to match the lower one.

The bars say leave them alone. One heel wants to be trimmed.

These heels and bars say to leave them alone.

The bars are self-trimmed and barely above the sole.

The heels are even and less than 1/4 inch above the sole.

Leave them alone.

The heels say leave them alone. The bars do not need trimming as they are not too high.

We do not have to make the foot pretty. The bars COULD be trimmed very slightly, but it is not necessary.

These heels say to take them down to 1/4 inch above the sole, the bars need trimming – but should be left above the sole.

Bevel the foot.Whenever possible leave 1/8 inch or so of wall above the sole.

In founder cases take it all the way down to the sole.

Step Four

A nicely beveled foot

The results . . .

Notice that the heels were not touched.Yet they are lower.

This is a foot still healing and improving – the next slide shows the lateral views.

Nature at Work

Recovering from founder

1-10-13 2-14-13

2-17-13

• One that simulates the action of the ground.

• One that stimulates healthy growth and healing of internal structures.

• One that keeps the horse comfortable and sound.

• One that LISTENS to the hoof.

What is a good trim?

• One that tries to impose human ideas onto the foot.

• One that treats the hoof like a block of wood separate from the internal structures.

• One that causes the horse pain or keeps it “ouchy”.

• One that DOES NOT respect the hoof or nature.

What is a bad trim?

• Less IS More

• Pretty isn’t better – and it may delay progress

• Give the foot time to heal and change between trims

• LISTEN to the foot

Takeaway Message

maureen tierney – the hoof guided method natural barefoot trimming why do we trim? the hoof...

unhealthy hoof

mild hoof

hoof capsule vs

hoof capsule deformity

faster slide

horses foot

foot comparison

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