Hoof Care Provider/ Farrier Services

How soon should a newborn foal be trimmed

Denys Antonenko • November 21, 2022

One Minute Discussions #22


 Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care 


HOW SOON SHOULD A NEWBORN FOAL BE TRIMMED


I often hear that the first trim for a foal should be around 6 to 12 months of age. But is that healthy for their little feet? 


Let’s take the foals that are born in the wild. As soon as they get on their feet they start moving, walking running and catching up with the herd (note: they do this on rocks and hard ground). This makes their hooves wear out naturally from the very first day. Now take the domestic-born foal. We lock them in stalls, keep them in small paddocks (that prevent movement) with soft ground. By month 2, their feet are starting to atrophy (not to mention the harm the bad hooves are doing to the joints, ligaments and bones). 


All of this can be prevented IF the foal is trimmed as soon as possible! My clients’ foals are all trimmed within the first weeks they are born.


Denys A. 



How to build a dry lot

By Denys Antonenko • April 23, 2024
Click on the button below to download the free PDF step by step guide to building a dry lot or scroll to look at the guide below!

Leave or remove the lamellar wedge?

By Denys Antonenko • April 21, 2023
One Minute Discussions #66 Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care LEAVE OR REMOVE THE LAMELLAR WEDGE? The lamellar wedge is the adaptation of the hoof to internal problems. And although it’s a sign of inflammation, it may still serve a purpose during rehab. It’s still responsible for “glueing together” the wall and sole, but that “glue” is not as strong as it’s supposed to be. So how do we address it in the trim. Everything depends on the horses comfort level and the condition of the lamellar wedge. It won’t be a wise decision to totally remove the lamellar wedge if it is soggy, weak and not fully keratinized. But in a lot of cases it is safe to remove most, if not all of it, if the lamellar wedge is keratinized, dry and sturdy (especially if we’re putting the horse in therapy boots). In some cases it is a good idea to trim the bottom, flared growth evenly with the well connected top growth in order to reduce leverage on the lamina as much as we can. Denys Antonenko

What causes lamina separation?

By Denys Antonenko • April 21, 2023
One Minute Discussions #65 Discussing Natural Hoof & Horse Care WHAT CAUSES LAMINA SEPARATION Yesterday on my group I posted a question… what causes lamina separation? And although we’re used to hearing the most common things that separate the lamina, such as poor diet, metabolic problems, excessive toe leverage, etc, we don’t often hear about the less common things that can lead to a path of lamina failure without us noticing it. You’ve heard me say it many times before that lamina failure is not a result of just one thing. There’s always multiple factors contributing to the problem. As an example, bacterial and fungal infections weaken the foot, and that can result in lamina separation. Mental and physical stress can increase hormone levels which may result in poor hoof health. Many different problems happening elsewhere in the horses body (skin issues, allergies, dental problems) can be a factor that leads to a weak lamina. Denys Antonenko
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