Hoof Trimming: Not So far From Art Making

Christene Sandeson Horses Leave a Comment

I view the hoof trimming and art making as being related.

Both require spatial judgment, knowledge of structure, an amount of precision that lies in response to that structure, craftsmanship, decision making, an understanding of balance and it’s physical forces,  an ability to estimate lengths and widths, as well as other similarities. Additionally, when working with animals one requires a willingness to work with the creature and it’s owner.

I have found great enjoyment in travelling to the various barns where the horses live. Each horse has a personality and often presents a particular ‘hoof’ that requires special consideration.  For example, I enjoy thinking about how a heel lands and how it is depressed into the soil as weight is transferred to the toe.  An ideal hoof is somewhat cone shaped but many horses have an upright wall which impacts the off side of that hoof causing a flare or separation of the wall from the underlying laminar structure.  That is one of the challenges a trimmer tries to deal with as they balance both sides of a hoof.

The following photos show me trimming the front toes of 2 -year old “Loki”, a miniature horse owned by a 4H family.

This little horse has me right down on the floor and resting his hoof on my knee.

Before

After

If you would like to learn more about me and horses, please check out the Horses Page.

 

Christene

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