theequinedocumentalist
The Truth on Dorso-Palmer/Plantar Balance
1.0 Introduction The hoofs interaction with the ground should provide the horse with mechanical and functional efficiency while...
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theequinedocumentalist
10 min read
Reliability Test of an Application for the Assessment of Hoof Balance
Changes in hoof balance are associated with increased strains in the soft tissue structures of the equine digit and injury. These links...
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theequinedocumentalist
13 min read
Quantifying Posture : The research so far
The effects of posture on equine musculoskeletal health have been recognised subjectively and visually and are now becoming quantified...
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theequinedocumentalist
18 min read
The quantification and definition of a new hoof balance paradigm
An investigation into the current hoof balance parameters and the quantification and definition of a new hoof balance paradigm The...
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theequinedocumentalist
7 min read
Neuro-Bio-Tensegrity, the Push Puppet Effect
The interconnectivity of the horse’s musculoskeletal system, and the complexities of movement is continuously being unravelled and has...
2,397
theequinedocumentalist
19 min read
Negative Plantar Angles and Pathology Along the Dorsal Myofascial Line
An Investigation into the Postural Link Between Negative Plantar Angles and Concurrent Pathology Along the Dorsal-Myofascial Line Using...
8,440
theequinedocumentalist
4 min read
The Importance of Trim Plane
How can we change the palmar/plantar angle with the trim? We know that hoof growth during an average shoeing cycle reduces the...
4,222
theequinedocumentalist
3 min read
Hoof Capsule Integrity for Improved Morphology
Long toe, low heels are something that every farrier deals with at some point in their daily practice. But are there misconceptions on...
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theequinedocumentalist
15 min read
Physiological implications of domestication on the horse
Very often, certainly in the argument of barefoot versus shod, comparisons re made between the wild and domestic horse. But in reality,...
4,385
theequinedocumentalist
12 min read
Hoof Balance - Where and When?
Farriery, until recently, has been based on tradition, anecdotal evidence and personal experience, but with the introduction of objective...
6,428
theequinedocumentalist
11 min read
The Hoof-Horse Connection
To understand the hoof – horse connection there are certain principles of hoof biomechanics we must first appreciate. How the hoof...
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theequinedocumentalist
13 min read
Can we Locate the Centre of Rotation from a Lateral Photo?
Pilot study into the accuracy of an external template for the assessment of dorso - palmar hoof balance according to internal...
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theequinedocumentalist
1 min read
Quantifying the Subclinical
we, both owners and professionals, are failing to recognise pain and lameness in our horses, but there is technology available now that...
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theequinedocumentalist
17 min read
Evidence Based Podiatry
Farriery has, up till recently, been largely based on anecdotal evidence and experiential opinion. We are entering a new era of...
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theequinedocumentalist
9 min read
Palmar Angles
There is much debate about the ideal angle for the pedal bone to sit at in relation to the ground. Some sects suggest a palmar angle of 0...
22,200
theequinedocumentalist
6 min read
Wet-Dry Cycles - Effect on the Hoof
Winter is coming and with it comes the rain and mud and boggy fields. The reality is in the wild horses would never choose to stand in...
11,464
theequinedocumentalist
12 min read
Horse Shoes - Back to the Future
For thousands of years horses roamed the grasslands, surviving, thriving and all without the need for something applied to the bottom of...
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theequinedocumentalist
12 min read
The Hoof - It Is What You Make It
Nature has an inherent ability to improve, to adapt, to survive and to overcome. The miracle of the evolutionary complexities that it...
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theequinedocumentalist
9 min read
Hoof Pastern Axis - Influential Factors
Hoof pastern axis (HPA) is a term for the relationship between the hoof and the pastern. There are three categories for HPA; broken back,...
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theequinedocumentalist
4 min read
Bio-Tensegrity and Farriery - The Foreword
Tensegrity, a combination of the words “tension” and “integrity”, is a principle that has been used in structural engineering for...
11,274
theequinedocumentalist
7 min read
Bio-Tensegrity and Farriery
Every biological entity is made up of systems upon systems, existing in symbiosis for the collective good. Even our own evolutionary...
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theequinedocumentalist
10 min read
The Unacceptable Norms of Equine Management and the Inevitable Paradigm Shifts
Social norms are a collective representation of acceptable group conduct and an individual’s perception of their particular groups...
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theequinedocumentalist
10 min read
Barefoot vs Shod
This debate is often fiercely contested and remains controversial with two schools of thought, traditionally diametrically opposed. As...
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theequinedocumentalist
5 min read
Supporting Limb Laminitis
Most horses will suffer with a severe unilateral lameness at one time in their life, when this is for prolonged periods of time, such as...
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theequinedocumentalist
10 min read
Haemodynamic Mechanism - The Key to Hoof Health
The ability to withstand concussive and load forces is vitally important in musculoskeletal health and the hoof is on the front line. At...
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theequinedocumentalist
13 min read
The Truth about Hoof Pastern Axis
There is conflicting rhetoric traversing the social universe about the importance and ideals of phalangeal alignment and stance angles,...
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theequinedocumentalist
9 min read
The Influences on Shoeing Cycle
Shoeing cycle length is a vitally important factor in hoof health and controlling the morphological changes associated with hoof growth...
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theequinedocumentalist
9 min read
Myofascial trains, Kinetic chains and Antalgic Posture - Their Farriery Relevance
The relationship between conformation and hoof morphology has been studied, Curtis (2002) outlined the effect of limb deformities on hoof...
9,687
theequinedocumentalist
11 min read
The Beginning of the N - Navicular
Navicular syndrome (NS) is all too common a pathology, one paper expressed it as appertaining to a third of all forelimb lameness’ and...
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theequinedocumentalist
7 min read
The Hoof - The Beginning and End of the Kinetic Chain
Often horses and their teams of professionals struggle with perpetuating cycles. Vets, and physios in particular struggle with...
17,256
theequinedocumentalist
7 min read
Ex-Racehorse feet
Why do so many ex-racehorses have bad feet? This very interesting question was asked to me recently and the answer is complexed. There is...
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theequinedocumentalist
7 min read
Horse Shoeing - How Much Length?
There is a long list of factors that influence the amount of length a farrier shoes a horse with, many are environmental; type of work,...
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theequinedocumentalist
10 min read
Hoof Balance - Shoeing Around the COR in 3 Dimensions
A question that is asked very often whenever people are looking for advice on farriery related issues is “what shoe would you put on for...
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theequinedocumentalist
7 min read
Farriery Related Conformation-Macro, Micro, Dynamic
A horses conformation is the way it is made up, its structure, how its body parts relate to each other and how it is proportioned....
3,843
theequinedocumentalist
8 min read
Recognising pain in the horse
Many, many horses are in unrecognised pain. As their owners and caring professionals the responsibility lies with us to get better at...
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theequinedocumentalist
7 min read
Frog Pressure - Historic vs Modern Applications
Frog function is a vitally important factor in hoof health. A cliché has emerged amongst some farriery circles “use it or lose it.” when...
9,880
theequinedocumentalist
7 min read
Wedges - A Necessary Evil?
Wedges are widely debated in the farriery world, do they help to create better geometric hoof proportions in a broken back hoof pastern...
13,816
theequinedocumentalist
10 min read
What About The Hinds? - Shoeing the Powerhouse
Farriery care can often be guilty of being fore limb focused, most of the research on horses’ feet has been fore limb dominant, there are...
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theequinedocumentalist
9 min read
High-Low Hoof Conformation - Farriery and Whole Horse Relevance
There is a complexed relationship between the hoof, its conformation and the forces applied to it which affects the entire...
16,324
theequinedocumentalist
12 min read
Disordered Physiology and Hoof Morphology - The Chicken and the Egg
The physiological effect of poor conformation and hoof morphology on the wider skeletal system of the horse is a highly complexed...
16,468
theequinedocumentalist
11 min read
Equine Thermography - Hot or not?
The potential uses for thermography in equestrian care have been outlined historically, as far back as Von Schweinitz (1999) its...
4,570
theequinedocumentalist
11 min read
Ligaments- Their Farriery Relevance
Ligaments are short fibrous connective tissues which connect bone to bone or cartilage, farriery can have huge potential influences on...
19,156
theequinedocumentalist
21 min read
Supplements- A Brief Review
Equine Powders and Potions- Fact or Fable? The list of supplements, herbal remedies, powders and potions is almost endless, tales of...
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theequinedocumentalist
9 min read
The Bearing Surface- Creating optimal basal support
The digit is on the end of the limb, the limb is attached to the body and all this weight is transferred through the hoof. Creating a...
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theequinedocumentalist
7 min read
Laminitis-A Pictorial Review
Our understanding of laminitis is changing and developing but one thing is clear, it can be a debilitating disease and has long been...
13,476
theequinedocumentalist
9 min read
Evidence-Based Farriery
Introduction “No Foot, No Horse!” what does that mean? Originally it came from the cavalry, you needed the hoof of your deceased horse in...
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theequinedocumentalist
17 min read
Navicular-A Retrospective Study
Introduction The navicular apparatus is designed to dissipate force between the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon (DDFT) and the third phalanx...
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theequinedocumentalist
6 min read
Vibration Therapy-What's The buzz about?
The potential benefits of vibration therapy have been long studied, in 1867 Gustav Zander created a series of weights and pullies to...
1,153
theequinedocumentalist
9 min read
Brief Review of common Diagnostics
Introduction Lameness diagnosis is not a straightforward process, it requires both skill and experience, firstly recognising the lame...
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Holistic Equine
Apr 6, 20217 min read
Guide to Using Hoof Boots and Pads
Hoof Boots are just one potential intervention to help create and maintain healthy hoof ideals and posture in horses. Used appropriately,...
1,073 views0 comments
Holistic Equine
Apr 6, 20213 min read
Identifying healthy hoof ideals
This really is the starting point in any assessment of the horse and posture and we will refer to these before providing any...
559 views1 comment
Holistic Equine
Apr 1, 20211 min read
How can you tell if your horse is in pain?
... and before the classic "head bob" manifests... In this excellent short video, Leading lameness diagnostician vet Sue Dyson says...
45 views0 comments
Holistic Equine
Apr 1, 20213 min read
No heels, no horse!
The common practice of trimming heels short in order to achieve an idea of "ideal" (healthy ground contact for the frog) contributes to...
484 views0 comments
Holistic Equine
Apr 1, 20212 min read
Successful integrative barefoot hoof care needs teamwork!
...as demonstrated here in this challenging case. We apply healthy hoof guidelines to assess the current balance and decide on...
32 views0 comments
Holistic Equine
Apr 1, 20211 min read
Normal versus Compensatory Posture
We assess posture as part of our consults... a change in posture can provide early indicator of a loss of healthy, way before changes...
227 views0 comments
Holistic Equine
Mar 30, 20213 min read
Why we trim the HORSE and not simply the HOOF!
A truly integrative approach considers all aspects influential in well-being and resilience. As non-farriers, our choices of...
73 views0 comments
Holistic Equine
Mar 29, 20216 min read
What does "long toes" really mean?
‘LONG TOES’ are usually LOW PALMAR P3 ANGLES and places the horse at GREATER RISK of INJURY, TRAUMA, DISEASE AND INFECTION! When I am...
1,266 views0 comments
Holistic Equine
Mar 8, 20214 min read
Is barefoot best for all horses?
What if the environment doesn't support keeping a horse barefoot? What if the owner isn't aware the horse doesn't have healthy barefoot...
135 views0 comments
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