V&T Equine Services
Hoof wear patterns
Unlock a Clearer View of Your Horse's Hoof Health
Introducing a simple protocol to objectively document and assess the impact of hoof care, training, and overall management on any barefoot equine. This system gives you-and any professional involved in your horse's care-a powerful tool to validate progress and enhance well-being.
How It Works: A Protocol for Progress
This is not a new trimming method. Instead, it's a standardised way to document the effects of everything that influences hoof health: trimming, training, treatment, environment, or diet.
The core of the protocol is creating a colour-coded schematic of the hoof at each trim. This visual snapshot, used like a traffic light system, provides immediate, actionable insights:
· Red marks areas of excess growth, lack of wear, or physical blocks to free movement. This also includes sensitive areas like thrush.
· Green shows where the animal itself has created wear through movement, highlighting the horse's natural balance or imbalances.
· Amber points to important notes and observations: soft spots, white line issues, seedy toe, raised sole areas, the direction of the frog, and more. These indicators reveal precisely how the hoof is loading and moving.
See the Difference, Validate the Work
By creating a schematic before and after each trim, you can visually gauge the exact effect of the hoof care and management. Repeat this process weekly or as needed to track the rate of change-providing invaluable feedback for you, your farrier, your vet, and other practitioners.
This simple and effective protocol validates your approach far more clearly than two-dimensional photographs ever can.
From Documentation to Dynamic Assessment
The protocol goes beyond the schematic. After mapping the hoof, we observe the equine moving in a very tight, gentle circle. We note the ease of movement: are they stepping forward or backward? Crossing legs? Pivoting?
After addressing the marked areas-removing blocks or treating thrush-we repeat the movement sequence. The immediate difference in movement is often striking and demonstrates the direct impact of the adjustments. This movement can easily be recorded and reviewed in slow motion for an even deeper level of analysis.
A Universal Language for Equine Care
This protocol is an essential tool for everyone involved in an equine's life: vets, bodyworkers, trainers, equine dentists, riders, and of course, hoof care providers.
It creates a direct, objective baseline for communication, ensuring the entire team is aligned. The ultimate goal is clear: to keep the equine comfortable and moving as freely as possible by systematically eliminating compensatory patterns and increasing the efficiency of movement.
Learn with Us
We hold clinics to show you exactly how to implement this protocol. Once understood, it becomes an extremely quick and efficient part of your routine-a powerful diagnostic tool to pinpoint areas for further investigation and monitor ongoing progress.
Introducing a simple protocol to objectively document and assess the impact of hoof care, training, and overall management on any barefoot equine. This system gives you-and any professional involved in your horse's care-a powerful tool to validate progress and enhance well-being.
How It Works: A Protocol for Progress
This is not a new trimming method. Instead, it's a standardised way to document the effects of everything that influences hoof health: trimming, training, treatment, environment, or diet.
The core of the protocol is creating a colour-coded schematic of the hoof at each trim. This visual snapshot, used like a traffic light system, provides immediate, actionable insights:
· Red marks areas of excess growth, lack of wear, or physical blocks to free movement. This also includes sensitive areas like thrush.
· Green shows where the animal itself has created wear through movement, highlighting the horse's natural balance or imbalances.
· Amber points to important notes and observations: soft spots, white line issues, seedy toe, raised sole areas, the direction of the frog, and more. These indicators reveal precisely how the hoof is loading and moving.
See the Difference, Validate the Work
By creating a schematic before and after each trim, you can visually gauge the exact effect of the hoof care and management. Repeat this process weekly or as needed to track the rate of change-providing invaluable feedback for you, your farrier, your vet, and other practitioners.
This simple and effective protocol validates your approach far more clearly than two-dimensional photographs ever can.
From Documentation to Dynamic Assessment
The protocol goes beyond the schematic. After mapping the hoof, we observe the equine moving in a very tight, gentle circle. We note the ease of movement: are they stepping forward or backward? Crossing legs? Pivoting?
After addressing the marked areas-removing blocks or treating thrush-we repeat the movement sequence. The immediate difference in movement is often striking and demonstrates the direct impact of the adjustments. This movement can easily be recorded and reviewed in slow motion for an even deeper level of analysis.
A Universal Language for Equine Care
This protocol is an essential tool for everyone involved in an equine's life: vets, bodyworkers, trainers, equine dentists, riders, and of course, hoof care providers.
It creates a direct, objective baseline for communication, ensuring the entire team is aligned. The ultimate goal is clear: to keep the equine comfortable and moving as freely as possible by systematically eliminating compensatory patterns and increasing the efficiency of movement.
Learn with Us
We hold clinics to show you exactly how to implement this protocol. Once understood, it becomes an extremely quick and efficient part of your routine-a powerful diagnostic tool to pinpoint areas for further investigation and monitor ongoing progress.
