Foal limb soundness begins before a foal is born. It involves considerations of nature (genetic) and nurture (environment). Genetic factors include inherited conformation and behavioral traits from the stallion and mare. Environmental factors include physical space in the mare’s uterus, nutrition, training and disease prevention.

Choosing a mating that has a good chance of producing a structurally correct horse is important since conformation deformities predispose animals to unsoundness. Nutrition of the mare is especially important during the last three months of gestation, as the majority of the foal’s limb growth takes place during this time. Nutrition of the lactating mare and supplemental foal feeding affects the growth of the foal after birth. Imprint training should be done soon after birth as a preparation for hoof care that should begin during the second month of life.

Genetics
Sound legs start with the mating of a sound stallion to a sound mare. They each contribute one half of the whole. Some horses are said to be very prepotent, meaning they are capable of stamping their characteristics on their offspring no matter what the genetics of the other horse. Sometimes, we see exceptional “nicks” or good combinations that consistently produce good horses. In some cases outcrossing is desirable as it produces heterosis or hybrid vigor. The mule is an extreme example since it is usually hardier than either parent. Most horsemen realize that breeding is a “roll of the dice” but they do what they can to control some of the variables.

Unfortunately, many of our modern horse breeding programs are not focused on soundness. Instead, they are focused on beauty, color, disposition, speed, cow sense, early rapid growth, mature size, etc. Structural deformities are accepted where they should be cause for rejection. Structurally incorrect horses are then trained and put into use, eventually becoming unsound. A price must be paid for adopting the short term at the expense of the long term. Structurally incorrect horses may stay sound for a while, but very few unsound horses are structurally correct.

Heritability of skeletal structure in horses is one of the highest for any trait, estimated by some researchers as high as .65. This means that there is a 65 percent chance that crooked or sound legs are due to heredity and a 35 percent chance that they are due to environment. Selection of sound horses for mating is essential.

Prenatal (before birth) Environment
Foals grow to the size of the mother’s womb before birth. Some almost look like spiders when they are born, as their legs are so much more developed than their body size. The limbs complete much of their development in the womb and are largely a product of the nutrition received by the mare.

The cartilage in the leg rapidly proliferates during gestation, and its maturation to bone may be delayed in horses fed diets deficient in some minerals and vitamins. Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Magnesium, Copper and Zinc are especially important minerals, as are Vitamins A and D.

Overfeeding of carbohydrates and protein can also cause problems. Excess protein is treated like excess carbohydrate by the body and may cause hormonal imbalance as well as nutritional diseases. Overgrowing in the confining uterine environment caused by a delayed foaling date causes some limb deformities.

Post Natal (after birth) Environment
Foals are naturally awkward when they are born. Their body size will grow faster than the length of their legs. The small bones of the knee or hock may not be completely formed at birth and are crushed by excessive exercise and body weight. Many times foal legs will straighten as the animal grows older and stronger.

Limb defects can be aggravated by many things. The stall should be safe and large enough that the foal won’t be injured by the mare. Exercise areas should be as safe as possible. Some foals have had a leg broken while in a stall or while exercising in a rough pasture. Other older horses in the same pen may purposely injure foals.

Fences that are sharp or not visible are especially dangerous. The fact that the foal has a short neck in relation to long legs may also aggravate deformities as he spreads his legs to eat off the ground. Standing with one front foot back and the other forward may also cause the development of club foot on the foot that is back if it becomes a habit.

The most important post natal consideration is the lactation of the mare. Too little or too much milk can cause limb development problems and lameness. Mares that are easy keepers and good milk producers have a higher incidence of foals with DOD.

Developmental orthopedic disease (nicknamed DOD) is the name given to various abnormalities of the limbs. These can have genetic or environmental origins. Horses bred to grow fast and mature rapidly are susceptible. Horses fed a high calorie, imbalanced ration are at great risk for epiphysitis – an inflammation of the growth plates of the long bones. Usually, this comes about from excessive grain and protein supplement consumption. However, overeating of high quality alfalfa hay may also produce it.

Types of Neo Natal (new born) Deformities
Foals with the knees or hocks turned in are called valgus. Foals with the knees or hocks turned out are called varus. When both left and right hock (or knee) joints are bent in the same direction, we say the foal is windswept.

A foal with a straight pastern and high-heeled foot is said to have contracted tendons or be club footed. A foal with the fetlock forward due to superficial tendon contracture is said to be knuckled over. Foals with the pastern down and the heels crushed with the toe up are said to have tendon laxity.

Learning to learn applies to every phase of life.

Recently I became aware, through an article titled “Divided Attention” by David Glenn published February 28, 2010, in The Chronicle of Higher Education, that many students today are having greater difficulty learning and applying what they’re being taught due to inattention and the illusion of competence that comes from their being “multi-taskers.” (It has always been a challenge for teachers to get and keep a student’s attention, but it seems that today there are even more things to distract students.)

A study by Dr. Clifford Nass of Stanford University supports this theory. Dr. Nass found that distracted multi-taskers believe they have learned and absorbed more than they actually have. As a result, multi-taskers typically perform worse on cognitive and memory tasks than do students who focus on a single task.

Students learn better and retain more when they are not distracted by electronic devices, such as cell phones, I-pods and laptop computers. Although we provide free wireless internet for our students at Butler Professional Farrier School, we do not allow them to use the computer or text on cell phones during lecture and discussion time.

We have found that vocabulary memorization, study with intent to answer questions, and accurate drawing of spatial concepts help students absorb and retain more material than simply reading and discussion alone because it helps them stay focused.

Learning to learn requires at least seven things:

First, have a desire to learn. Napoleon Hill, author of Think and Grow Rich, has said, “Desire is the starting point of all achievement, not a hope, not a wish, but a keen pulsating desire which transcends everything.” An inquisitive mind can be developed, but only if one wants to. How bad do you want to learn?

Many of life’s experiences can suppress a desire to learn. Sometimes it’s people who have a strong influence on you, such as parents, school teachers, childhood friends, mentors, peers, and other close associates. Drug use, especially marijuana, also can kill the desire to learn. Yet, ultimately, you are the one who chooses your attitude toward learning. You are in control of your future, your destiny.

Second, accept personal responsibility for your own learning. You must accept the responsibility for finding the answers yourself. We each have a varying capacity to think and to learn. How we use that ability determines our success in life. It is a measure of our belief in ourselves, the questions that we ask, and the power of the answers for us and those answers we can give to our clients in the future. Don’t expect your teachers to spoon feed you — their role is to provide the opportunity for you to learn.

Third, search all available sources for the answers. Search out the answers that others have already discovered. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Do your homework! In science, it is called “The Review of Literature.” Try to understand why others came up with the answers they did. Spend as much or more time reading as you do using Google or other electronic search tools. Just having the materials is not enough. You must know what is in the book or article and how to apply it. When solving a problem, start where others have left off.

Fourth, think about the question/problem all the time. Isaac Newton said he discovered the law of gravity by thinking about it all the time. Eventually the answer will come to you. It may be when you least expect it. This is the way our subconscious mind works. The more experience you have the easier it becomes to compare the current problem to a similar one from the past.

Fifth, experiment and prove the answer/solution that comes to you. Don’t adopt the idea until it has been tested by your own experience. Try it enough times so you are confident it will give consistent results. Also, others may try to steal or crush your ideas if you share them too soon.

Sixth, look at the answer/solution from several perspectives. Look at it up close, then look at it in the context of the overall expanse. This takes time and requires a commitment to learning. Don’t become obsessed with an idea by itself. If you do, you will look only at things which justify or prove your tentative conclusions. Rather, try to see how it fits into the big picture. For example, at Butler Professional Farrier School we teach horseshoeing, not just foot shoeing.

Seventh, try to group concepts in units of seven or less. Dr. George Miller of Harvard University, as far back as 1956, suggested that humans’ working-memory-capacity – that is, their ability to juggle facts and perform mental operations – is limited to no more than seven things at a time. It is less if a person is distracted by multi-tasking. Fending off distraction and focusing your attention is critical to learning.

Learning to learn is an important activity. You must desire to do the hard things. It can make the difference as to success or failure in life. Dr. Nass of Stanford worries that, “Media multi-tasking might actually be destroying students’ capacity for reasoning.” Students often choose to do the easy rather than the hard things.

You will find it easier to learn new knowledge and skill, and therefore excel at your craft, if you incorporate these suggestions into your learning activities.

“Doug, I attended your Horse Expo seminar this past March in Lincoln and really enjoyed your lecture.  I never thought that I would have to bring out notes from what you talked about in such a short amount of time, but we ended up having a horse go lame on us this spring.  We saw some signs around Thanksgiving but the horse seemed to get worse recently.

“After some tests and x-ray’s, the vet diagnosed him with Navicular Disease.  The x-ray showed some history of deterioration and such, but the concern that I have is even though the x-ray indicates a historical problem we haven’t noticed it until recently.  We bought the horse a year ago and rode him quite a bit with no issues.  This brings me to the comment you made about those who may shave off too much of the heel.  We have had the hoofs trimmed twice.  I’m suspecting the trimming job.  Can you tell me what to look for again when looking at the heel?  We do have him on Bute which seems to help, and I think when he was shod he was better.”

Answer:  When shoeing for navicular disease, the most important thing is the alignment of the axis of the pastern with the axis of the distal phalanx or coffin bone.  The front of the upper one-third of the hoof should be parallel to the front of the pastern when viewed from the side.  Sometimes it is necessary to use a wedge pad in addition to the shoe to achieve this.  When these are in alignment, you will have the least amount of stress on the navicular bone.  For more information, see pages 558-566 in The Principles of Horseshoeing (P3).

On April 10th, I did a full-day large group clinic for the New Jersey Equine Veterinary Clinic — among the topics I presented was one on the “Barefoot Experiment,” and the response from veterinarians and farriers alike was very positive!  Of the several farriers who visited with me after the clinic about experiences they’ve had rehabilitating lame horses from these incorrect procedures, one farrier in particular said he had conducted a year-long experiment with two of his own horses.  Please see his “Comments ” added to this blog post.

More than one hundred years ago farriers were confronted with the same problems as farriers are facing today. The “shoeless experiment” was then proposed as a one size fits all solution by “the barefoot people.” (See page 2 of William Hunting’s, The Art of Horseshoeing, published by W. R. Jenkins in New York, in 1898).

It was a con man’s dream. It seemed too good to be true. No longer would horse owners have to pay to have their horses shod. Little training was necessary. The horse owners themselves could simply round the edges of the foot.

For inactive pastured horses it probably was all that was necessary to maintain the animal. But, for most other domesticated horses, that had a job to do, it was probably cruel. Well trained horses were plentiful then. If one went lame, they could simply get another. Heroic measures to save expensive animals were unheard of.

The experiment didn’t last long because:

1) People had a fairly high level of equine knowledge due to the widespread use of horses in the city as well as the country.

2) Emotion didn’t enter into a decision as much as common sense.

3) Common sense was more common than it is today.

4) Con artists hadn’t thought of the natural wild horse model to sell their ideas.

5) Even if they had, people didn’t see wild horses as an ideal.

6) People weren’t as consumed with the idea of avoiding learning and hard work as they are now.

7) If a horse went lame after being so treated, it was recognized immediately as an ineffective and cruel practice.

All that is necessary for a “trimmer” to start in business today is to read someone’s article or book, create a clever (and misleading) brochure, and advertise to often unsuspecting horse owners. The promoters say anybody can do this. No qualifications or experience are necessary [to cripple horses]. Certification is given to future practitioners by those who sold the con.

Twenty-five years ago, the AFA (American Farriers Association), would not allow me, as a horseshoeing instructor, to certify my own students. The reasoning was that this would be a temptation to certify my own students to make my program look good. At the time I felt they were questioning my integrity, and I was not pleased.

In retrospect, I believe it was the right thing to do. These “trimmers” or “barefoot people” are doing that very thing now. They are telling their disciples to watch a DVD, or read an article/book, or attend a short course. Then, pay a fee, and they will be certified and added to a list of certified “natural hoof care practitioners.” It’s brilliant!

I recently gave a presentation at a horse expo where I pointed out the flaws of so-called natural hoof care by unqualified persons. A local farrier came up to me later and told me how the natural trimmer in his area was good for his business as he was called to redeem horses that she had crippled by using her technique of cutting the heels down until they bled.

Trimmers, and other fad promoters, will go to great lengths to justify what they do. The founder and chief executive officer of an association of barefoot people sent me an email in 2001.  He was very critical of the German veterinarian who advocated radical and inhumane hoof trimming techniques. Yet his disciples and “certified practitioners” are now advocating and practicing the same things this veterinarian does. They are crippling horses that a qualified professional farrier has to try to rehabilitate.

Why would horse owners hire an inexperienced, unqualified person to trim or shoe their horse? 1) Perhaps no qualified farrier is available; 2) Perhaps they want to believe the appealing marketing story told by the con artist; 3) Perhaps their previous hoof care provider had done a poor job of educating his or her clients; 4) Perhaps they think they will save money; or 4) Perhaps they are ignorant of the damage that can be done.

I’m willing to believe the reason people buy into the natural trimming idea primarily goes back to the widespread ignorance about the foot and shoeing that exists among both the farriers and the public. I was raised by a mother who instilled in me a soft heart for abused horses. I feel a strong sense of responsibility to warn others of things that will cause unnecessary pain and suffering to our equine friends.

This near perfect barefoot con allows its promoters to take no responsibility for their mistakes and errors. They deny individuality of horses when they say one size fits all. They use the term “natural” to sell their “new and improved” technique. They simply blame the horse’s lameness condition on the shoes the horse used to wear.

What ever happened to “first do no harm?”

Our society is rejecting science and education as a whole. We are willing to pay more for entertainment than education. We value glamour more than substance. Emotional appeal is more convincing than scientific proof. The insanity of animal rights has replaced common sense. The prevailing attitude seems to be, “My mind’s made up – don’t confuse me with the facts.”

Who do you trust? Do you believe those who have experience and a track record over several generations of doing what is the best for the horses in their care? Or, do you believe those that have made up their own rules, even their own vocabulary, while ignoring anatomy and physiology, so they can sell their radical ideas and practices?

It comes down to making a choice. It’s wonderful to have the choice. But, with that choice goes the responsibility for the welfare of your animal. It’s a question of stewardship and trust.

Of course, some horses can’t tolerate shoes. Some people can’t tolerate them either. I’m not one of those. I want to get up and go again tomorrow. Yet, some people do fine without shoes. Does that mean that all of us should go without shoes under all terrain conditions and in all kinds of weather?

Of course not – we must account for individual differences. One size does not fit all. We are not all the same. Each horse is unique. That is why you need the services of a well trained and experienced professional farrier to help you decide what is best for your equine companion’s welfare.