Re: Fwd: RC: Re: barefoot horses

[Lynne Glazer <lynne@glazer.org>]

I've been forwarding posts on this topic to this friend, just by way 
of explaining that he has the entire thread's context--I'm willing to 
keep an open mind, but disagree so strongly with the soaking part 
that I asked Henry to respond:



Hi Lynne -

would you like to write something that I can repost there?
Sheesh... .sure... <g>

First, let me say Angie and Heidi - right on!  Robyn, I think you 
have some misconceptions.

>>Soaking the feet with water and apple cider vinegar ( 1 gal water to 1 cup
>>of apple cider vinegar) 15 minutes a day, does wonders for the barefoot (or
>>shod foot) hoof that chips
>>easily or has cracks. The apple cider vinegar neutrilizes the foot,and helps
>>to keep the foot more pliable.

I haven't tried this, but it might actually help.  The most 
destructive thing to hooves is alkali (ammonia in urine) which will 
dissolve the intertubular horn and leave you with a weak, hairy hoof 
wall.

>>You'd be absolutely amazed at how much the
>>feet soak up (especially around the coronet band).

The periople will absorb moisture and swell at the coronet, but hoof 
wall is hardly absorbent.

>>Another alternative, at
>>the bare minimum, is digging out a water pool around the horse's water tub
>>so their feet can soak ( the pool needs to be deep up enough to cover the
>>coronet band) while they take a drink. You can use sand or small peddles to
>>prevent the pool from becoming muddy. You want to try to mimic that of  a
>>horse that stands in a river or pond to drink.
>>Most people do not realize the extreme importance pysiologically,and for the
>>optimum health of the feet to soak.
>>Think about this for a minute. Wild living horses spend some time each day
>>in a body of water. The horses do not go into the water because they know
>>their hooves need to absorb moisture: they go into the water to drink. While
>>there  they cool off, play, etc. The exposure of the hooves to water is a
>>side effect, but one which the hooves have been accustomed to (and dependant
>>upon) over millions of years. The absorption of water prevents the hooves
>>from drying out and keeps them elastic and supple.

A few minutes a day of standing in clean water will not harm, nor 
help hooves.  Hooves are designed to not be absorbent and have a 
varnish-like layer (the stratum tectorium) on the outside of the hoof 
wall to repel moisture.

>>In the hoof , the horn containing the most water (frog, bulb, white line)
>>dries out the easiest and the quickest. If the white line dries out, it
>>loses volume: that is it shrinks, contracting the whole foot with it. (For
>>example, a slice of hoof trimmed off by nippers will within a matter of
>>days, shrink to virtually half it's size.) Lack of water also causes
>>decreased hoof elasticity, which also hampers hoof mechanism.

Yes, you'll notice when a piece of trimmed hoof wall dries up it 
curls up tightly.  That is because the inner portion of the wall is 
much more moist than the outside layer and so it has more moisture to 
lose.  As it loses the moisture it becomes smaller and smaller on the 
inside causing the trimming to curl.  This moisture gradient is 
essential for the hoof to have elasticity, or spring.  If you 
moisturize the outside of the hoof wall the hoof wall will lose its 
elasticity and act like mush rather than a spring.  All the moisture 
the hoof needs comes from the circulation inside.  Hooves in desert 
conditions do just fine.  The strongest, toughest, healthiest, and 
most resilient  hooves I've ever seen were in Florida towards the end 
of a 9 month drought.

People whose hands are constantly in water (dishwashers, bar tenders, 
fish handlers) will tell you very plainly that constant soaking or 
moisturizing nails is not good for them.  This is far more important 
to the horse who has to walk on his nails.

>>  I suppose if daily exposure to water was not so important to the horse's
>>feet, then the horse would have been designed differently . . perhaps with
>>rubber feet.
>>Robyn

Horses hooves are designed much differently than you think.
--

    - Henry
Henry Heymering, CJF, RMF    <horseu@erols.com>
President, Guild of Professional Farriers
                http://www.horseshoes.com/theguild
BBS Moderator for "Farriers Helping Farriers" & "Farriers Helping Owners"
                 http://www.horseshoes.com