"When I hear somebody talk about a horse or a cow being stupid, I figure it's a sure sign that animal has outfoxed them." Tom Dorrance
Articles+
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Books
There are two books that
are required reading to engage this process: Required because they contain
a lot of information about what you'll need to know to properly care for your
horse and a lot of information that you should have about hoof anatomy and
dynamics. Reading the first two books listed here will make it
easier on both of us as it would take far more time for me to convey everything
contained in them than either one of has. They are
A Lifetime of Soundness
and Shoeing: A Necessary Evil?
A Lifetime of Soundness
is divided into two parts: Part I is on the horse's health vis-à-vis his
environment. Part II is on the hoof, what constitutes a healthy hoof, what
are the causes of lameness and how to heal them.
Shoeing: A Necessary
Evil? is a bit more abstract,
dealing with the history of the shoe and the effects on a horse's hoof and
health.
Who's Afraid of Founder
details the causes of laminitis, its
prevention and the means of healing this conventionally considered incurable
problem in a permanent manner.
All the books above are by
Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, DVM, PhD. and are available through either myself or
www.thehorseshoof.com.
Another interesting book
is Barefoot Stories
featuring the Strasser Method of barefoot horse care
edited by Yvonne Welz . It contains success stories about horses and their owners
from around the country and is available from the same places as those listed
above.
Fellow horse
owners share their experiences
"I was given a foundered,
18 yr. old mare who was scheduled for euthanasia. I've watched this horse
rehab over the past six months and today she can trot and canter. This is
a profound and powerful process."
Deb Goldby, DVM, New Smyrna Beach, FL
"I've been doing endurance
riding, barefoot, on my Arab gelding, Ebey, for three years. We've covered
a lot of miles and finished in the top 10 several times. He just keeps
getting better. I would never consider using shoes."
Terry Bannister, West Lake Village, CA
"My injured,7 yr. old Quarter Horse was lame
and getting worse using traditional methods and shoes. Then I found a
Strasser trimmer and things started to turn around. He's been trimmed this
way for over a year and sound for the last eight months.
Jeff Walker, Daytona Beach, FL
Sadie Sue Bey, my Arabian filly had 10-degree
rotation in both front hoofs. The vet said there was nothing he could do
for her. He said "...perhaps with bute, Isoxsuprine Hydrochloride, and wedge
pads she may rehabilitate enough to become an occasional riding horse and brood
mare". We tried that and she just got worse. She was barely able to
walk when she got her first Strasser trim. She immediately started
improving and nine months later her coffin bones had zero rotation. Today I have
my Sadie back and she's perfectly sound. Thank you Dan and god bless you for
healing these magnificent creatures.
Muriel Marcum, Hinkley, Ca
