Does'natural care' mean that you treat your pony like a wild mustang, and provide little to no medicare maintenance? Does'natural care' mean that you avoid all chemicals, antibiotics, dewormers and vaccinations? Does'natural care' mean that you avoid all veterinary care & dental care, or never feed any supplements, or never apply any medication in any situation?
We say, positively not!
'Natural Care,' as a phrase, is simply an extension of the care offered by an enlightened barefooted horse owner. This implies working WITH your vet to figure out what your unique pony wishes in his unique situation, in regards to vaccinations, dewormers and other defensive medical care treatments.
Horses with founder, navicular, ringbone and other ossifications, contracted hooves,'heel pain syndrome', and a host of other protracted diseases and lamenesses are finding improved health and a real return to soundness with Natural Hoofcare.
there are essentially three main parts to Natural Hoofcare, each an essential component of the entire system.
1. Natural living arrangements : this means freedom of movement ( no box-stall confinement ) - optimally living in a pasture or paddock for twenty-four hours a day/7 days a week in the company of other horses. Horse clothing ( bandages, wraps, blankets, etc ) is normally to be avoided.
2. Exercise : Very important! Hand-walk or ride the horse ( depending on situation ) as much as humanly possible, aiming towards the natural amount of movement of 10 miles every day. For horses in transition, spreading hay out in tiny piles, taking him for frequent short walks on non-concussive ground or in hoof boots, and keeping him in the company of plenty of other horses will all go a long way to encouraging movement. Set up a'Paddock Paradise' of your own, to help natural movement.
three. Correct trimming of the shoeless hoof : Hooves must be trimmed to their natural and proper physical form. They must be trimmed by someone with the data and training to perform this trim. The primary emphasis will be on improving hoof form, which is the key to hoof and horse health.
The base for a holistic approach to hoof care was laid 20 years ago essentially by the work of two farriers. Jaime Jackson and Gene Ovnicek independently conducted field research among wild mustangs in the mid-1980s. Each was hoping to see what the hooves and habits of horses in natural settings might let us know about foot care for the domestic horse.
Without metal shoes to prohibit elasticity and contact with the ground, the mustangs' feet stayed hard and healthy even traveling at speed over the roughest ground. Lameness was rare, and sometimes accident-related instead of due to illness of the hoof itself.
veterinarians, research centres, and universities are increasingly taking notice of the natural hoof 's powers to stop and in several cases cure sicknesses like laminitis and navicular. Moreover, personal recommendation among horse owners is building demand for more information on natural hoof care and access to practitioners.
Just before I started work on this text, I heard an excited endorsement of the barefoot trim from my neighbor, who's pleased with the results she is's getting with her laminitic gelding. That forced me to wonder : Just how does it all work?
Lameness Condition
Like dogs and other animals, horses can't speak with us when they hurt. Dogs, though, will whine or sigh to indicate trouble. Horses, being prey animals, don't normally make any sounds to show they hurt. What's an advantage for a wild animal is a downside for a domestic one. Pony people have to learn how to be very observant of their charges to be in a position to tell when they hurt. One of the more obvious ways a pony shows pain is by going lame.
It's up to us to find out what's causing the agony and to see the horse receives proper treatment for the issue. Sadly, if the lameness is chronic and treatment can't keep the horse's pain to sufficient levels even if he is not being ridden, euthanasia is the only option.
Founder Condition
Founder means your horse a mechanical problem with the hoof : due to poor hoof form, the laminae of the hoof capsule degenerated to the point where they could not hold their connection to the coffin bone ( frequently showing up after a wave of laminitis, which can also be triggered by the mechanical founder ). Your horse's coffin bone then revolved, and the degree of rotation is determined by x-rays from your vet. However , horses have been brought back to health from significant rotation, though it'll take considerable effort to do so ( and the horse may wish to be placed in a specialised hoof care hospital ).clinic ).
Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/central-texas--shoeless-horses-512-540-0457-1528636.html
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