Domestic horses miss the stressors of the wild environment that makes hooves hard and horses healthy and strong.
HOOFMEDIX has made a science of re-creating or simulating the wear and tear that horses in captivity lack. And in providing the WHOLE BODY BALANCE a horse requires to grow and build healthy, rock crushing hooves.
The hoof is an organ. Yet many horses spend a lifetime on feet that hurt.
There are several characteristics that make up the healthy hoof.
These are:
1. Balanced collateral groove measurements
2. Toe, quarter measurements with in natural parameters
3. Well developed heel buttress (not underrun or crushed), frog stay, caudal pad, digital bulbs and walls capable of expansion and contraction during surface weight bearing
4. Soles, with concavity that are calloused and capable of load bearing
5. Hoof walls absent heat rings, waves, abscess
6. Connected laminae that is not fractured or separated
7. Calloused frogs that are absent sulcus grooves
The horse is born with deciduous hoof capsules that harden within the first 24 hours of life and it has been Karina's observations that many hoof morphologies are actually encouraged during the early days of life and then, left uncorrected throughout the horse's life cycle, manifesting into larger issues later.
Additionally, hoof morphologies are just as easily trimmed and shod into the hoof over time and thus, are man made.
Conversely, most morphologies can be trimmed out of the hoof, leaving the horse sound, comfortable and capable of moving across difficult terrain.
The key is in the applications of the foundational trimming.
Hooves must be trimmed properly to encourage proper function.
With HOOFMEDIX it is often within the first 12 - 16 weeks that healthy hooves begin to emerge. This timeframe is critical to manage.
HOOFMEDIX preserves the hoof as it forms within the coronet band.
Throughout the growth cycle, the hoof is encouraged to heal externally, but more importantly, it is what happening INTERNALLY that makes the difference.
This alone sets HOOFMEDIX apart from any other trimming protocol.
HOOFMEDIX sets the stage for the hoof to heal, repairing in function and IN FULL support of the vital boney column and coffin bone.
Too often the keratin bonds of the hoof are damaged in the early formation of the hoof tubules. These distortions lead to a plethora of issues that can translate into bigger problems. Weak walls, reduced or restricted blood flow, injuries to cartilages, biomechanical issues, etc.
Common hoof problems like club feet, high low syndrome, white line disease, navicular, founder, laminitis, thrush and more are OFTEN the result of improper or poor trimming.
Common issues such as ring bone and navicular, are cumulative effects of gravity working against what nature designed as the perfect shock dissipation appendage. Simply stated, hooves that are trimmed unnaturally make the horse susceptible to injury.
HOOFMEDIX can prevent, cure and resolve many of these issues, including reducing inflammation and healing traumatic injuries.
The HOOFMEDIX platform is designed to increase function and prevent injuries and lameness from occurring. But all too often, it is applied AFTER the damage has already been done instead of being used as the standard for hoof health.