. Come visit our new home at Magnolias & Snowbirds Horse Farm ................. "Classic Arabians and Gypsy Cob Stallions"............. ....... www.magandsnow.com

“Kim Walnes Riding Clinic" www.kimwalnes.com
(2 day workshop-$350.00)
Saturday & Sunday June 27th & 28th, 2009 10:00am-5:00pm
Magnolias and Snowbirds, Pen Argyl, 18072
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“HEART for HORSES"
(1 day workshop-$150.00)
Sunday August 2nd, 2009 10:00am-5:00pm
Magnolias and Snowbirds, Pen Argyl, 18072
Learn to evaluate your horse's hooves for soundness andd balance
Learn the HEART Energy Technique for aligning your horses skeletal structure
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Bodywork Packages and Hoof evaluations
Bodywork Packages are sold in a 4 session bundle for $200.00
Hoof and Balance Evaluations are $60.00
Cost can vary due to travel time, call Tracy 570-629-2121 to inquire

.Great but graphic videos of what happens with hooves when toes and quarters are left too long and begin to flare-(Tear away from hoof capsule) If your horse has flares-this tearing away IS happening!

Excerpt from Book in progress:

When a horse wears shoes the hoof is trimmed flat to accomodate the shoe form. Many farriers who trim horses do not alter there "trim flat" practice.
In the wild the horse wears a different shape to their hooves. They wear down the quarters creating a curve in the hoof. Lytica is trimmed to the natural model of the wild horse.
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The curved form of the hoof allows the horse to land heel first, roll over the buttress of the heel and dig in the toe for maximum motion with minimal effort. The hoof form differs also in that the hooves are shorter allowing for more frog contact. The curved form also differs in that the quarters of the hooves are off the ground and conform to the shape of the soul.

Photos below show what happens to a hoof if the quarters are left too long-
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Picture above:  Lytica’s left front and Patrick’s right front immediately after having their shoes pulled. The hoof form is flat. The white line, water line and horn are separating from the soul at the quarters of the hoof. In the wild a horse wears out the quarters with use. With shoes the quarters grow down and cause pain and flares as they are unable to wear naturally. The cracks between the whiteline and sole become a breeding ground for issues like whiteline disease and seedy toe.

Left photo: Lytica’s sole also is not healthy. It is cracked and pitted.

Her frog looks like it is in pretty good shape. It is plump, gray and leathery looking. However at the center of her frog it looks wet. The wet appearance could mean she has thrush. Thrush can become very painful and erode the whole frog if not treated persistently when found. 

Both Lytica and Patrick were barefoot for the first years of their lives. Their frogs and her lateral cartiledges and digital cushions (inner structures) were allowed to grow to maturity before being shod. Many horses whose hooves were shod before these structures matured will take a longer time to transition to barefoot. When the hoof is trimmed to a more natural shape a heel first landing is facilitated. The natural way of going of heel first strengthens and conditions these structures.

Lytica’s hooves 1 year later-

The same hoof is still showing separation at the quarters even though her quarters have been kept off the ground. Because the separation (flare)went all the way up her hoof from the original insult, it will take about a year to grow out. This is not new separation but the old remains growing out. Old separation does not heal itself but must grow out from the coronet band down.

The same hoof is shown 1 and a half years later. Her hoof shows no cracks or pits in the sole, the frog has remained healthy and there is no separation evident anywhere on the hoof.

Rehabbing of the hooves helps a horse to have a healthy foundation to stand on and allows for extraordinary movement. Watch any four legged hooved mammal run at full speed. The natural full out sprint requires full extension of the joints in the legs for maximum speed and “airtime”. All hooved animals land heel first.

The photos below show Patrick landing toe first in his shoes, and then after his shoes are removed and trimmed in a natural hoof form he is able to land joints extended in a functional manner.

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