Conditioning and Rehabilitation

The following discussion of conditioning and rehabilitation is meant to give a general idea of what is involved and is not a how to.  The principles apply to feet that may be in poor shape (DHS deformed hoof syndrome) but does not apply to feet with laminitis / founder.

Successfully transitioning a horse to barefoot is more than removing shoes and trimming the feet.  No one thinks twice about the need for conditioning the horse's body through exercise to perform some discipline.  Conditioning is also necessary for the feet.  This conditioning is achieved through exercising using either pads or various surfaces.  Rehabilitation is included with conditioning because with rehabilitation you are starting with the feet in poor condition.

Where the conditioning start from depends where the foot falls on the Spectrum of Usability.  When structures of the feet fall at three or below, hand walking will usually be the place to start with conditioning.  Hand walking twenty minutes per day on the proper surface is usually what is necessary.  Twenty minutes per day is enough of a stimulus to produce a response without causing trauma. Normally when horses are out in a pasture they are moving frequently but don't usually move for an extended period of time.  Hand walking differs from this in that the exercise is continuous.

The basic approach is to start with the structure that rates lowest and condition that first.

Poor frogs and / or weak digital cushion

Use Sole Mate pads.  The Sole Mate pads crush and conform to the shape of the foot.  They will provide an even pressure over entire area of the frog.  The digital cushion inside the foot receives pressure directly from the frog, so any pressure applied here will directly benefit the digital cushion

Thin soles

Use Sole Mate pads.  The Sole Mates conform to the shape of the soles providing even pressure.

Low Heel height

Use Sole Mate pads.  In this case the pads allow exercise without wear to the heels.

Poor heel purchase

Walk on asphalt or other hard flat surface.  The heel of the foot is the area that takes the first impact.  Ideally this should have a large area made mostly of inner wall with a thin outer wall.  The stimulus for producing this is landing on a hard surface

Under-run heels

Walk on asphalt or other hard flat surface.  The friction of the feet landing on a hard surface will with time move the heels back to the proper position.

Thin inner wall or thin outer wall

Walk on asphalt or other hard flat surface.  The trim makes the inner wall weight bearing.  Walking on a hard surface will stimulate the inner wall.  The outer wall is stimulated by pressure from within the foot.  Landing on a hard surface will produce this pressure.

Once the structures of the feet rate four or above, conditioning can be achieved by riding.  To start with, it will probably be necessary to use hoof boots.  These provide protection to the feet on rough or uneven surfaces.  Though they are protecting the outside of the feet, the foot is still functioning and getting the pressure necessary for conditioning.  By increasing the duration and speed of riding the condition of the feet will improve.  Horses differ in the ability of their feet to cope with various types of terrain.  Some may always need hoof boots for riding on rough terrain while others may adapt quickly.