Mud – it’s something anyone with horses in an environment that gets regular rain will deal with. We spend hours of our life and an exponential amount of money trying to find ways to reduce mud, and then it is constant upkeep to make sure it is manageable. I figured who better to chat about mud than someone in the UK, where rain is so common! I reached out to Amy Dell-Anthony, author of the book “Horse Track Systems” and owner of Abbotts View Track Livery in the UK, to chat with me about practical ways owners can deal with mud management, whether they own their own property or board their hors ..read more

When it comes to thoroughbreds, I don’t think there’s anyone who hasn’t heard the stereotype about “bad thoroughbred feet.” I’ve heard all the excuses.. that TBs weren’t bred for good feet, that their genetics are just awful, that they will always have thin soles and thin walls, that abscessing “just happens” with them, that they’ll be crippled when losing a shoe, and more. While I’m sure ALL of us have met OTTBs that have had hoof issues at one point or another, many of us have those that have great feet as well, or start out having junk feet off the track and we rehab them to stronger feet ..read more

When a horse comes up lame, one of the first instincts is to limit its movement to ensure something catastrophic doesn’t happen or more damage isn’t done. But is this the right approach? Dr. Martina Neidhart, a veterinarian in Europe with an interest in soft tissue and lameness rehabilitation, did a great webinar in 2021 with Wendy Murdoch on what happens to a horse’s body while its on stall rest.. and it has stuck with me for years! I reached out to Dr. Neidhart to chat with her about when stall rest might be recommended, when we should limit a horse’s movement, and what instances it might n ..read more

I always say that in about 75% of my hoof rehab cases, we are able to get the horse sound just by paying special attention to their diet. Now some might think I am trying to sell some fancy supplement or make some money off of some super secret recipe, but I’m not. All I advocate for is testing the hay and balancing minerals to the hay test – often saving money in the long run by not oversupplementing things you don’t need at all. I get a lot of questions about diet for hoof rehab, so I reached out to Equi-Analytical, as they are the ones that have processed my many hay tests over the years ..read more

I have often wondered if, as hoofcare providers, what we are setting to do to the foot is actually doing what we think it is. Is adjusting the trim or elevating one side of the foot actually improving mediolateral balance? Is elevating the heel actually affecting the soft tissue in the back of the limb? Are horses improving because of what we do, or in spite of it? I reached out to Dr. Jenny Hagen, a vet, farrier, and researcher based in Germany, to discuss some of these topics. With her published research on some of these things, she helped to highlight what we are actually doing when we wor ..read more

In 2014, my horse Vinnie was diagnosed with “navicular disease.” This sent me on a wild goose chase of finding out how to help him, it sparked my passion for navicular, and allowed me to see that in many cases, soundness is possible and this “disease” doesn’t have to be “degenerative.” Celebrating 10 years of owning Vinnie (this month!), I decided to upload a “throwback episode” of my story with Vinnie. Nine years ago I would have thought he would have to be put down.. we couldn’t even get his pasture sound. Today, he is happily living out his days on my track, with no maintenance and buddies ..read more

Canker: those of us who have dealt with it know it’s unforgettable. It grows prolifically. It smells. It bleeds. It’s painful for the horse. It can be incredibly hard to get rid of.. Or is it? Dr. Frank Reilly has extensive success with canker cases, and he sat down and chatted with me about what he does to help these cases get rid of canker, and keep it away. You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under “The Humble Hoof,” or at this link. Thank you to our amazing sponsors: Equithrive offers supplements for everything from metabolic health to joint support – get 20% off you ..read more

A lot of times we hear about horses losing shoes or “trying barefoot” and the horse is just crippled. No one wants to see their horse uncomfortable! Fortunately, there are ways we can set horses up for success when transitioning to barefoot, and get the foot as healthy as possible beforehand, as well as support them and keep them comfortable after pulling shoes. It doesn’t have to be just “cold turkey” barefoot. So what can that look like? Jen Rakas, Anna Drabble, Sara Hunt and I chat about ways to improve chances of success when an owner decides to take their horse barefoot. Ultimately, we t ..read more

Those of us who are interested in hooves often pay quite a bit of attention to the information that is shared about hoof pathologies.. sometimes to our dismay. When it comes to laminitis, I often see quite a bit of MISinformation swirling around – especially on social media. Comments on everything from diagnosis, to treatments, to future prevention or even prognosis can end up twisting the facts or even perpetuating outright incorrect information. This past September, the National Alliance of Equine Practitioners held their Saratoga Vet & Farrier Conference, and much of it was focused on ..read more

I first met Dr. Van Eps at the 2019 NAEP Syposium in Saratoga Springs, NY. He was an engaging and interesting speaker, and I cornered him after one of his sessions (as one does when they find someone interesting?) and asked him to be on the podcast. He agreed, and we chatted in November 2019 about causes and treatments of laminitis. I had to the chance to attend the 2023 NAEP Conference just a few weeks ago, and Dr. Van Eps spoke again. I was blown away by all the updated research on laminitis even in just the last 4 years. While we had hypotheses on a lot of causes and treatments for laminit ..read more