Wild horses move anywhere from 20 to 30 miles a day, grazing here and there as they go. What they eat looks rather spare to us, yet they are generally pretty healthy, with beautiful strong hooves. Maybe we should look to them for answers. The closer we can keep our horses to the natural way, the better overall health they will have. Including their hooves.

Movement is a key ingredient in producing a healthy hoof. This can be challenging for those with small properties, but most situations can be improved upon with a little thought. Give your horses a reason to move. Is the hay next to the water, next to the salt block, next to the gate? Your horse need not go anywhere to fulfill his needs. Horses grouped together will move more than a horse standing alone. Besides, they are very social and must have companionship for their physical and mental health.

Place your hay in small piles spread far apart. The boss horse will suspect the other guys have something better. They will keep pushing the other horses off their pile and you will get more movement between mouthfuls.

Keep your horses outside. Barns and stalls are for people, not horses. They are prey animals and are happier when they can see what is coming. Why limit their movement by locking them up?

Exercise your horse. The healthiest hooves I trim are the ones that work the hardest.

Don’t forget diet. Low carb forage (stick to the grass hay), available most of the time is ideal. Stay away from grain. If you need a handful to feed your supplements in, try LMF’s Low Non-Structural Carbohydrate or well-rinsed beet pulp without molasses added.

If you want to really think outside the box, pick up a copy of Jaime Jackson’s “Paddock Paradise”, available at http://www.star-ridge.com. It will give you some great ideas on how to utilize your space creatively. You can not only increase your horse’s movement and the health of his hooves, but also decrease his boredom, reducing stress and the bad habits that come with it.

Leslie Carrig is a Natural Hoof Trimmer and Boot Fitter, in the Carson Valley. She has training with the AANHCP, Easy Care Hoof Boots, and continues to study Pete Ramey’s techniques. She is a founding member of the Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners http://www.pacifichoofcare.org.