Champion cutter Smart Zanolena, owned by Jeff Bailey, Hooker Creek Ranch, Washington State, USA Multi-Purpose HORSE BOOTS Old Mac s Barefoot Trim ~Making a Sound Difference $5.95 US OMUSA 2003 Do not reproduce without authors permission. Printed in Canada. Old Mac s USA Toll Free: 1 877 818-0037 Website: www.oldmacsusa.com Email: info@oldmacsusa.com
...Forward Old Mac s Barefoot Trim by Carole Herder & Lynn Seeley Old Mac s Barefoot Trim A guide for keeping horses in their natural barefoot state. This manual was written for those who want to understand how to keep their horses hoofs in their natural barefoot state. Unlike the wild horse hoof which is conditioned to the varied terrain of its living environment, our horses are domesticated. They do not have as much area to move and they are usually kept on ground other than that on which we wish to ride. Even if we could emulate the horse s natural terrain, environment and lifestyle, many of us do not have the time nor inclination to maintain the hoof conditioning necessary to ride barefoot over any landscape. The Old Mac s Boot and proper trim will serve to compensate for our horse s domestication. This manual will assist those who wish to keep their horses barefoot, but will still need to use Old Mac s Boots to ride on aggressive, rocky, hard surfaces or any ground that differs from the living environment that the hoof is conditioned to. Page 1
The OLD MAC S Trim This manual is intended for qualified and experienced trimmers. The Old Mac s trim is simple and straightforward, using basic landmarks that exist in all equine feet. We do not intend to endorse or contradict any particular trimming method but simply draw upon years of experience working with and observing equine feet from many different breeds used in various riding disciplines. Our intention is to manage the transition to barefoot while still allowing the horse a useful lifestyle. We persuade the hoof to develop appropriate concavity by removing any material that inhibits proper function. We are not trying to duplicate the wild horse hoof, but rather to encourage our domestic animal to develop a naturally functioning foot that will promote blood circulation and adequately support his weight in movement. The transition to barefoot requires attention, skill and dedication. Each horse is different and will progress individually. Some horses may be very tender and take more time to condition to their natural barefoot state, while others will adapt quickly and hardly miss a step in the transition. The difference is dependant on the shape of the hoof to begin with, the conditions or damage that already exists, the living environment, frequency of trimming, the length of time in metal shoes and a host of other variables. It is important to take the whole horse into account. Look at the lifestyle, exercise program, general nutrition, attitude and way of going. Horses differ in their trimming needs. Some have naturally higher heels, such as gaited horses. Some are naturally lower in the heel, such as the wild mus- Page 2 tang. Look for base narrow and base wide, toed in or toed out, over reaching, forging or any other interference issues, and trim accordingly. Look specifically for horses that twist their feet when contacting the ground as this may initially require extra attention. Once the hoof has transitioned, it becomes more basic. Let s face it: we have domesticated the spirited Equine. We keep him on soft ground, grassy pastures or bedded stalls. It is unfair then to expect his hooves to be conditioned to logging roads, creek beds, asphalt or pavement. His living environment can vastly differ from the terrain we want to ride him on. The compensation for this domestication is the Barefoot Trim and Old Mac s. Our purpose is to discuss the valuable use of Old Mac s in combination with the Barefoot Trim as an alternative to metal shoes. Extra attention to the barefoot trim is not yet a widely used procedure; many traditional practitioners are most familiar with trimming to accommodate nailing on metal shoes. Take a metal shoe and bang it against a rock or hard surface and you will feel the reverberation all the way up your arm. Metal transmits shock. Take an Old Mac s Boot and do the same, and you will see that the specially formulated TPU does not transmit concussion, but rather absorbs it. Using Old Mac s offers horses shock absorption that can be compared to the feel of a great pair of running shoes on our own feet. When the horse is in movement and weight descends, the hoof is compressed between that load and the ground. The hoof is meant to spread apart to allow the coffin bone to drop down, managing impact like a trampoline. This is the natural shock absorbing feature of the hoof. Metal shoes restrict that function. So give the hoof a chance, even if you Page 3
just remove the shoes for a portion of the year and encourage riding with Old Macs, you will be aiding in the health and longevity of the horse. Your skill as a barefoot practitioner requires a closer attention to detail and a working knowledge of hoof function. You will need the following tools: farrier s rasp felt tipped pen sharp hoof knives gloves ruler nippers...barefoot TRIM PROCEDURE PREPARATION... Observe the horse in motion, preferably at the trot on a hard surface. Look for abnormalities or lameness. Carefully examine the entire hairline; if there are bulges or unevenness, trim appropriately. If a situation is unfamiliar or beyond your skills/qualifications, STOP and seek additional help. If the horse is shod, remove all the shoes at once to allow a balanced condition. The nail clinches should be removed and the nails pulled one at a time wherever possible to prevent further damage to the hoof wall and undue stress on the joints and sole while levering the shoe off. CLEAN DIRT LINE... 1 2 Clean the foot of all debris. Using the hoof knife, trim the sole from approximately the mid point of the frog to and around the front of the apex of the frog, leaving a trimmed area about 3/ 8 inch (10 mm) wide. Use the clean dirt line in the groove where the frog and sole meet as your depth guide. Clean dirt line Page 4 Page 5
3...CLEAN DIRT LINE...continued Blend trimmed area outward to within approximately 1/ 2 inch (13 mm) of the white line at the toe and to the approximate white line at the quarters. Remove any runaway/excess bar that is forward of the midpoint of the frog. The sole should be passive to the wall (i.e., the primary ground contact should be with the outer wall; the sole makes secondary contact with the ground as the weight descends). 4 Heel height Page 6 Clean dirt line...clean DIRT LINE...continued Determine the proper height of the heels measured from the hairline. Trim the heels by blending the cut into the quarters. The average heel height vertically from the hairline is 1 1/ 8 to 1 1/ 2 inches (30 to 40 mm). Common sense must be used at this point. If you are uncertain, seek additional help. vertical height BAR HEIGHT and LOCATION... Trim the bar height passive to the wall height at the heel and blend in at the approximate halfway point of the frog. Do not cut the entire bar out. Time is on your side. Proceeding too aggressively may jeopardize soundness. Bar height CENTER POINT OF FROG... 5 6 Taper frog height in a straight line from midpoint of the frog to the frog apex where it joins the sole. Trim remaining frog from midpoint back making it passive to the wall height. A transitioning horse may not have sufficient frog to allow any trimming at this time. After the transition to barefoot is complete, a healthy frog will go from heel to heel being Frog position just passive to the heel height. All cuts should leave the sides of the frog straight and the top surface flat, like a table. Page 7
7...FROG HEIGHT Trim away excess debris and overlapping or diseased frog at the sole frog commissures. Again, not too aggressive as this is a tender area. In general, you can do more harm than good by overtrimming. Using a felt tip pen draw a reference line around the edge of the sole. This is where the sole meets the wall or, if separation is present, where the sole meets the separation. INNER SOLE LINE... 9 The properly trimmed frog should be flat on the ground surface, not peaked like a mountain. When trimming the sides of the frog the knife blade should be straight up and down. 8 Frog height...wall-bar TRIANGLE Trim the sole at the wall-bar triangle passive to the bar height. The heel-bar corium is located underneath the sole at this point. Be careful the sole is thin in this area; do not overtrim. Inner sole line WIDTH OF HORN AT HEEL... 10 Using the width of the wall measured at the heel, draw a second line outside of the first line shown in the figure of Step 9. Wall-bar triangle Outer sole line Page 8 Page 9
11...WIDTH OF HORN AT HEEL Using a rasp or nippers* held at approximately a 60-degree angle to the sole, nip off the wall beyond the outer line. *Nippers should be used only by experienced professionals. WIDTH OF HORN AT HEEL... From the point of the wallbar triangle, draw a guideline parallel to the center of the foot. Taper the horn at the heel on the inside of this line so that it is lower than the heel outside of the line. 13 12 Excess wall...width OF HORN AT HEEL This newly-trimmed outer margin will now require rasping for a clean finish. Keep the rasp perpendicular to the bottom surface of the hoof. Use common sense: with a grossly deformed hoof, you may only be able to meet your objectives over several trims. Again, proceeding too aggressively may jeopardize soundness. Tapered heel CRESCENT... 14 On the under side of the hoof rasp off any excessive horn growth including any protruding fibrous or laminitic tissue forming a crescent at the toe of the sole. Finish rounding the outside wall to the approximate white line using the rasp. Clean finish Page 10 Crescent Page 11
15...TOUCHUP The trim is complete at this point. Step back and take a moment to re-evaluate and touch up the hoof, making any minor adjustments necessary and removing any obvious flares. Old Mac s Quality Products 1002 Old Mac s Multi-Purpose Horse Boots A genuine alternative to metal shoes available in 9 sizes for a perfect fit! Visit our web site or contact us for detailed information on size selection. Old Mac s Inserts 1005 For excessively long and narrow or contracted hooves. Touchups...SUMMARY 1006 Old Mac s Pastern Wraps The perfect hoof does not exist. The completed hoof should be: Symmetrical, straight, level, leaving a good hoofprint free of flares, dishes and other obvious abnormalities. The sole, bars and frog should be passive to the wall, allowing proper concavity and restoring hoof mechanism. The sole in the wall/bar triangle should be passive to the bar. The frog should be angled from its midpoint to the apex of the frog at the frog sole juncture. The heels should be relieved and made passive inside of the parallel line from the point of the wall bar triangle. The heels should be of equal length if at all possible. You are now ready to measure and fit the newly-trimmed hoof with Old Mac s Multi-Purpose Horse Boots. Old Mac s Pastern Wraps offer extra cushioning and protection to the horse s pastern area. 1022 Old Mac s Treatment Sock Use to contain poultices and solutions inside your Old Mac's allterrain boot. The sock slips easily over the hoof to hold the treatment securely in place while the Old Mac's boot permits movement and activity. Contact Old Mac s USA for details Toll Free: 1 877 818-0037 Website: www.oldmacsusa.com Email: info@oldmacsusa.com Page 12 Page 13
Old Mac s Therapeutic Insoles Dual Density 1012 Extra cushioning for tender soles or when the horse is on hard surfaces. Frog Relief 1010 Helps provide comfort for the frog area. Sole Relief 1011 Lifts sensitive structures up; passive to the outer wall. Conditioner Pad 1013 Short-term use will stimulate and condition the sole. 209 English All-purpose 509 Barrel/Endurance 609 English Wedge 809 Western Built-Up 1001 Western All-purpose Old Mac s Therapeutic Saddle Pads Acclaimed by professionals and champions in every rider discipline. All pads are reversible and available in 5 styles. Improve performance, balance & movement Relieve back pain & concussion Correct pressure points Improve saddle fit Absorb shock Contoured Thin & lightweight Breathable Durable 1007 Old Mac s Cantle (Western) Saddle Bags Fit snuggly around the cantle. Old Mac s Caps Soft, brushed cotton. Grey & tan 0017 Khaki & tan 0018 Old Mac s English Saddle Bags Attach to the saddle. 1008 1014 Old Mac s Hoofpicks Contact Old Mac s USA for details Toll Free: 1 877 818-0037 Website: www.oldmacsusa.com Email: info@oldmacsusa.com Page 14 Contact Old Mac s USA for details Toll Free: 1 877 818-0037 Website: www.oldmacsusa.com Email: info@oldmacsusa.com Page 15
...Testimonials LYNN SEELEY Old Mac s Natural Hoof Advisor, New Castle, CA Lynn s lifelong relationship with horses started at the tender age of six months when he was first put on a horse. At age 10 he began his shoeing career on ranch horses, and his mid-teens found him starting a seven-year apprenticeship program under the tutelage of a good family friend. This relationship instilled a deep respect and sensitivity for horses. He worked on a number of equine disciplines -- from racehorses to ponies, gaited horses to mules. Lynn was a sergeant in the US Army. He also became a firefighter/paramedic while continuing to shoe and trim. This increased medical knowledge added another dimension to his pursuit of the best shoeing and trimming techniques, and resulted in a good understanding of how the hoof affects the whole body. He enjoyed the many challenges of shoeing thousands of horses in many disciplines. Many had hoof problems that required correction, reconstruction, resection and/or an assortment of techniques that can only be developed through working with a variety of horses over an extended period time. Then came a major turning point: after a year of effort employing every option from his forty years experience, he was unable to restore his wife s severely foundered horse and had to put it down. Reflecting back on his early years as an apprentice, he remembered the words of his first teacher, that shoeing was not necessary for the horse, but meant only to satisfy the whim of the owner. Lynn realized that a barefoot and natural lifestyle held the answers to the healthy horse. This has proven to be a most rewarding path for Lynn. He sees horses with debilitating conditions, including founder and laminitis, improve dramatically on a daily basis when put into a barefoot program and booted with Old Mac s. Today, using the knowledge gained from a lifetime of caring for horses, Lynn is barefoot trimming horses used in all disciplines with great success. LYNN SPAAN, CSHS Hoofcare Specialist, Langley, BC, Canada Old Macs are instrumental in the success of the rehabilitation of my client s foundered horses. The horses are able to get the movement they require to keep tissues healthy and healing. Also, the previously foundered horses go happily on trail rides wearing the Old Macs and love them....testimonials LOREN WARNER Farrier, Saugus, CA When I met my wife she had just started into the barefoot thing and was determined to make it work. She had the shoer pull the shoes off her paint, that s all he did. Just jerked the shoes off, no trim or nothing and said, Let me know when you want them back on. She didn t like how his feet were looking small for his size, contracted in the heels and very thin walled. Not knowing fully what she was getting into, she ordered a rasp and a hoof knife to trim his feet since her shoer wasn t about to trim them like they needed to be. She was scared people would tell her she was being cruel to her horse and that she d have to put shoes back on. After all, that s the only way you can ride a horse, right? She was having a difficult time trying to trim and maintain his feet. She had no prior experience trimming. She d seen it done a thousand times and had read as much as she could find on barefoot and all, but it s really different once your horse s foot is between your legs and you have a rasp and knife in hand. I took over and started to see changes right away. The chipping became less and less and they started to develop a tough mustang look. The heels started opening up and the hoof wall began to get thicker. Now, two years later after being barefoot the whole time his feet have spread in width a full 1/2 inch, are not contracted, the sole has good concavity and depth and they look appropriate for his size. I had to laugh at the Old Mac s the first time I saw them. I d never heard of them before and only knew about another boot and what a joke that was. I guess it did okay for an emergency but good luck trying to get it off if it stayed on. Anyway, my wife now rides her horse barefoot over all kinds of terrain. When the Old Mac s are needed they are easy to put on and take off and they provide better protection to the foot than any shoe or pad combination. SHELDON OLSON Farrier, Stillman Valley, IL In my capacity as a professional farrier, I have become a firm supporter and advocate of the barefoot horse. As I have first hand experience trimming wild horses, including Parelli s mustang, Nevada Bob, it reaffirms my belief that barefoot is best. Free blood circulation and proper shock absorption provide the essentials for a sound hoof. I keep my customers horses barefoot and using Old Mac s whenever I can, and if the time comes that they need to be shod for show jumping or class regulations, I then have healthier tissue to work with. The authors, publishers and contributors will not accept any responsibilities for injury, death, lameness or illness resulting from the use or misuse of the information, procedures or ideas in this manual.
...Testimonials CAROLE HERDER Vice-President, Old Mac s USA Roberts Creek, BC, Canada My mare had unexplained fetlock swellings, would be stiff and sore some days and great on others. I had come to accept that condition with most horses, but now had a high performance (and expensive) horse and I started to wonder, why couldn t she be sound every day? Why can t horses be sound 100% of the time, instead of on and off again with no apparent reason. Conventional testing was inconclusive, so I started to look at her feet. After investigation in veterinary manuals and studying the minimal information then available on barefoot horses, I determined that she had restrictive blood circulation into her hoof and because her feet were so small, she was not absorbing shock properly. I decided to pull off her shoes. Fortunately, this happened just as Old Mac s were being introduced. The first pair was a size 2 (comparable to a 00 metal) with inserts on either side, as her feet were narrow and contracted. Six months later I removed one layer of inserts, and 2 months after that threw the inserts away altogether. The next season we moved up to a size 3 Old Mac s and now this year are in a size 4 (comparable to size 1 metal shoe). She now has nice big hoofs that support her weight adequately. We run barefoot and have actually gone from 18 to 16 second barrel runs and when we ride out we use Old Mac s. Old Mac s saved my horse from the typical cycle of lameness and navicular diagnosis.