Are We Becoming Farriers? by Jen Clingly he extraordinary relationship between humans and the horse Change was based on has been running since before the birth of Christ. Indeed, the fact that times were T there is evidence our domestication of horses goes as far back different. With the as 3500 BC. And ever since we recognised the utilitarian value of the advent of the internal horse, there has been the horseshoe. combustion engine and mechanization, the The use of horseshoes has become an almost unquestioned tradition. horse has been relegated Humans have been nailing shoes onto horses’ hooves for well over a from indispensable Photo courtesy Jen Clingly thousand years. Who can remember back to a time otherwise? beast of burden and In this day and age, why do we continue to use metal shoes, and now essential mode of trans- newer, higher tech composite versions, nailed on horse’s hooves? Is port to one of almost it to the detriment or benefit of the horse, or benefit to the human? purely sporting plea- Why our allegiance with traditional practices? sure. Probably much to the appreciation of To fully understand this debate, we need to delve back into the his- many a horse. tory books to see why our ancestors deemed it necessary to shoe their horses. Change was also based on increased knowl- The precise historical origins of shoeing remain unclear, but current edge, observation of research suggests that, as early as 500BC, the early Mongolians put wild horses and a funda- primitive boots made of animal hide and woven plant material onto mental social awareness their horses. Around 100AD, the Romans, inventors of the first paved of “animal welfare.” Jen and her horse Imaj Zamir were the roads, created the “hipposandal,” similar to the sandals they wore The horse now had first in Australian Endurance to run 160km without shoes. themselves, made of leather and iron and attached to the hoof by “intrinsic” value rather straps. These early boots would almost certainly have been used to than utilitarian. They no longer pull vast loads in carts, and the last prevent soreness and the rapid wear of the hoof, due to the increased armored knights haven’t been seen since the middle-ages (save, per- work loads that the horses of the time would have been placed under. haps, for the odd Hollywood epic). In fact, most horses are kept, Travelling to the colder and wetter climes of Europe, horses would destined for a life in paddocks. Their hooves barely ever get a chance have suffered a new problem. A combination of the natural porosity of being worn down on man-made roads. of the hoof, consistently wet ground, and poor stabling in its own So there has been a growing movement, both here and overseas, to waste, would have overly softened the hoof, leading to soundness see a return to barefoot horses through the promotion of “natural disorders. Horses had become as indispensable as the car is to us now. hoof-care.” Owners needed them to be serviceable at all times. Strap on boots in the materials available at the time wouldn’t have lasted very long. A Natural hoof care gains its inspiration from the wild horse. Like the more secure and reliable shoe was needed. Australian brumby, the American mustangs, the wild ponies of Mongolia, even the humble Zebra, all run freely and without pain Enter the “modern” nailed horseshoe. Around 600AD, the first nailed over the roughest of terrains without the need for any hoof protection. horseshoes were made of soft brass, eventually giving way to the, by Hoof disorders that plague their domestic cousins are virtually now, increasingly plentiful iron. By the time of the Crusades, no self- unknown to them. respecting Knight going into battle would be seen without them. Hot horse-shoeing became popular in Europe in the 16th century as a Jeremy Ford of Wild About Hooves has been a conventional farrier. means of quickly bedding a shoe into the hoof. Apart from the more As part of his job, he had come into contact with some wild brumbies recent lightweight aluminum versions used in racing, the horseshoes’ in the outback of Northern Territory. What astonished him was the design has changed very little in the last 1400 years. amazing condition of their hooves, and the distances they were trav- elling for food and water. Not a shoe in sight. So if a nailed on shoe allows the hoof to last longer, provide more grip, prevent soreness and has the added bonus of helping you win So can our domestic horse be trimmed to emulate the natural wear of the odd battle, why was there an advocate for change? the wild? Yes it can! Ford attended a hoof care clinic run by American farrier, Pete Ramey. “It got me thinking. Shoes seemed so unneces- This was based on the growing evidence, backed by anecdotal and sary. What the old farriers in the game told me about founder, soft- reasonable scientific fact that nailed-on shoes have the potential to ness, wear, bruising – the information at the clinic turned it all on its cause considerable harm to a horse. Horseshoes do damage, with head. I’m now a professional hoof trimmer and have been for the past negative physical changes to the hoof and body. 15 years. I have hung up my hammer, stored the anvil and have a page 12 Fall 2016-Issue 64 thehorseshoof.com e now see that natural hoof care practitioners are filling their tool boxes with shoes for W instant fixes, the latest gadgets and gizmos and prepped with a sales spiel whilst per- haps not looking at the long term picture. great business specializing in natural hoof care and education.” pill to treat for type 2 diabetes, not a menu or an exercise program.” Natural hoof care is based on the premise of a holistic approach for When describing the evolution of his business, Ford notes “The the horse: its environment, its diet, its exercise and ability to move, bonus is – because the owner can now take responsibility of their the capabilities of healthy, sound bare hooves, how to recognize dam- horse’s hooves, especially with increased education, they get a much age already done to the hoof and, where possible, respect its natural better rapport with their horse and take more responsibility for their ability to heal. horse’s wellbeing.” If the typical horse owner needs to rehabilitate their much loved Owner’s interest in their horse’s hooves has escalated exponentially steed, just as they would their own child, they want a quick fix, anx- in the last 20 years. This now means farrier schools and magazines ious for results. Our current “instant gratification” society does not are encouraging the farriers to embrace and work with the barefoot allow for doctor time in the paddock, for rehabilitation and healing to clientele and recognize them as a growing segment of the equine take place. owning population. To not, means they lose a market share and missed economic opportunities. Farriers are skilled with the tools; However, the horse owner, the client, governs the hoof care industry. some keen to evolve with the times and learn the technique and prin- Decisions are made on capitalist driven marketing, the rules and ciples of the natural trim, and gain an understanding of the myriad of regulations of equine events and most importantly, peer pressure. hoof boots. Humans are social creatures who need to follow others to belong. But what is truly interesting now, is that whilst natural hoof care is And we now see that natural hoof care practitioners are filling their becoming more mainstream, there is a new emerging market return- tool boxes with shoes for instant fixes, the latest gadgets and gizmos ing to shoeing with composite shoes under various new labels within and prepped with a sales spiel whilst perhaps not looking at the long the “barefoot” realm. Composite shoes are headlining the hoof care term picture. industry for performance and rehabilitation. There is growing dissension afoot. From the paddocks of the well- Therefore, are we evolving or just going full circle? Is history repeat- heeled thoroughbreds to the humblest pony club, bold voices are ing itself as we increase reliance on using hoof protection on horses asking questions. – plastic, poly or the metal kind? The horse in our day and age has so Is the natural hoof care industry becoming so large and competitive much at their hoof-tips. that it has lost its original purpose? Is it possible, in this era of fast It begs the question – why are we returning to shoes? paced lifestyles and owners with expectations to be at the next equine event, we cannot allow the time it takes for natural hoof care to suc- Are we going back to shoes because of poor trimmers? Is the shoe ceed? just used as a band-aid? Is hoof care merging or will the barefoot versus shod camp segregate Are the poor sedentary, obese lifestyles of our horses not unlike our further? own – causing poor hooves? Are natural hoof care practitioners just becoming farriers? Are we not following through with the underlying principle of the “natural horse”? If natural hoof care practitioners truly believe that nailing on horse shoes is detrimental to the long term soundness and welfare of horses There seems to be diametrically-opposed philosophies with individ- then “history shows us that the only time the cycles of suffering, ual practitioners and how they view their role in the hoof care realm.