The horse’s hoof is its shock absorber and means of locomotion. A natural approach to trimming the horse is all about setting the hoof up to be used and worn the way nature intended without the use of a shoe to impede progress. Our horses do not travel the miles and miles of their wild cousins, therefore it is up to us, as caretakers / owners, to help the hooves achieve this as naturally as possible by utilizing a trimming method which uses the wild hoof as its model. We need to recognize that the hoof itself has “inherent natural healing mechanisms we must work with and not against” (Jaime Jackson, Founder: Prevention and Cure the Natural Way; Star Ridge Publishing).

All hooves can be trimmed based on the wild hoof model. Of course results will vary based on the individual horse, environment, diet, and genetics. Immediate results are not guaranteed. Transitioning hooves, especially those with any issues, takes TIME. How much time depends on the horse but it is recommended that the horse be trimmed four weeks after the initial set-up trim and then start on a 6 week schedule depending on growth. This interval ensures that the hoof can begin to re-model and heal itself. You do not want to wait until the hoof “looks bad” and you see signs of excess growth (flares, cracks, chipping, etc.) because the damage has already begun; hoof production slows down which in turn weakens the walls and therefore sets the progress back.



This maintenance schedule may be lengthened accordingly if the horse is provided with ample movement on a surface that will allow hoof wear such as gravel, rocks, etc. Additionally, horses that are truly transitioned, ridden often or at least allowed the optimal turn-out conditions only need a touch up trim now and then.

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Photo Courtesy of A.F. MENEZES/MyCentralJersey	Photo Courtesy of A.F. MENEZES/MyCentralJersey