Hoof Balance and Trim

09/17/2026

The blue hairline is bulging and curving it's even dipping at the dorsal front, it is pretty horizontal looking if you can see it, the heel green and dorsal walls are rather close in height, look at the colored lines they do not create the optional hoof shape, this looks more like a collapsing rectangular box. This is not a healthy hoof.

09/17/2026

I want you to pay attention to this hoof, if you're a rider I'm sure you remember a lesson where your instructor told you to "soften" your gaze, don't focus too much on one thing and let your eyes take the entire picture in first. Now look at the hairline, how does it look. Imagine a healthy hoof and mentally compare. I'll post a markup later. My posts are to help train your eyes. Not to make you a trimmer but a better advocate for your horse.

09/16/2026

Interesting

Let’s talk about another hard truth in the horse world.

Lots of people are recommending a classic "mechanical fix" for gait issues: using weighted toe devices (or heavy shoes/clips) to "fix" a daisy clipper, break up a pace, or force a specific leg action.
It’s often pitched as a quick, harmless shortcut. But let’s call it what it actually is: an artificial, biomechanically incorrect lever that forces a horse’s body to move in a way it wasn’t naturally built to handle.

When you add weight to the end of a horse's hoof, you create a heavy pendulum effect. It forces unnatural joint torque, delays breakover, and puts immense, destructive strain on the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon (DDFT) and navicular bone. It doesn’t teach a horse to carry itself naturally from behind or build true core strength—it just uses centrifugal force to drag the leg forward.

And here is the kicker: as the horse’s body adjusts to that weight, the "fix" stops working. So what happens? People add more weight. Then a little more.

As a community, we are quick to rightfully criticize and condemn the "Big Lick" world for their horrific use of heavy packages, chains, and artificial weights to force extreme movement. But if we turn around and encourage "baby versions" of the exact same mechanical manipulation just to fix a stride or a pace, we are being hypocrites.

An artificial weight is an artificial weight. Forcing a horse's limbs to move via physics and momentum rather than proper training, conditioning, and correct biomechanics is a slippery slope.
If we are going to advocate for the horse, we need to look in the mirror. We cannot criticize the extremes of the show world while quietly validating the very same principles in our own backyard. True movement comes from the hindquarters and correct training—not a quick fix that comes from a particular shoe.

09/15/2026

This is an unhealthy hoof. Some obvious markers you will notice are the curled high heels, the necrotic frog, weak walls and weak sole. Caudal structure is not functioning as it should. Those are the easy points, but why was this happening? The simple answer is if the foot isn't functioning and being stimulated as it was intended it starts to fall apart. Just simply trimming on a regular schedule will work wonders in most hooves. This particular hoof had heel shearing and you can still see that in the heel and bar but it has improved. Improvements can happen.

09/09/2026

Interesting.

DSLD, what an awful disease!

Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis is a progressive disease.

Why the Suspensory ligaments show the first break down, The core biochemical defect is an abnormal accumulation of proteoglycans (carbohydrate-protein molecules) within the extracellular matrix of connective tissue.

Because the suspensory is under extreme continuous tension during weight-bearing, the proteoglycan accumulation causes it to lose elasticity and fail structurally here first. This results in the dropped fetlock appearance first.

DSLD has recently been renamed to ESPA, Equine Systemic Proteoglycan Accumulation which affects all the soft tissues in the body. However still more research is needed because I see older horses who seem to just have stand alone DSLD and do not look to have ESPA. The way these problems appear to break down structures in the horses body is different in each horse. I note that in the ESPA horses they seem to be hypermobile generally in their body. Reading about Ehlors danlos syndrome in humans I can’t help but see the similarities to ESPA in horses.

I suspect we are dealing with these problems on a spectrum of severity and this is why it shows up slightly differently in every horse. These photos below are from a 24 year old unridden carriage horse who’s suspensory branch’s in all four legs where a mess. But the rest of his soft tissues in his body including the nuchal ligaments were in tact. The SDFT and DDFT showed aged related changes but not replacement with scar tissue like the suspensory.

So much more research is needed and genetic testing so we can test for these diseases.

To see cases of DSLD including movement assessments and palpations head to patreon.

https://www.patreon.com/Becks_nairn/posts/america-update-155906247

https://www.patreon.com/Becks_nairn/posts/hypermobility-in-150520409

Thank you to Shibumi Equestrian Centre for graciously sharing these horses stories and always hosting professional clinics.

09/09/2026

What do you notice? Hooves can improve. This horse was transitioned out of shoes and the heel bulbs have widened and the easiest way to tell is to outline the heel and bars like I did in blue and compare to the purple bulb. The yellow central sulcus is becoming a thumbprint. At first glance the frog appears to be relatively the same but looks can be deceiving, the frog was necrotic and weak. The overall shape of the hoof structure is more round and less spade shaped. Sometimes it's all they have. The hoof is still not at optimal health but it's coming. It's a snapshot not a complete rundown.

09/09/2026

I remember my stepdad telling me complicated concepts when I was 11, my Mum says "she won't understand that it's too complex", I remember him responding, "if she gets 10 percent of what I'm saying she's got 10 percent more than what she had". I never forgot that. I rinse and repeat concepts to my clients and that's why I started this page. Unfortunately most professionals fail to explain what is going on with the human who is the advocate for the horse who can't. Are my posts complete? No they are not.....on purpose. I learn by breaking down into small concepts. And sometimes complex articles. Apparently not everyone agrees that learning can occur.

09/08/2026

The power of slo motion video. What your naked eye may not catch.

09/08/2026

Some people verbalize what's in your brain so much better than how I could articulate it.