Natural hoof care is more involved than simply removing your horse's shoes and is not simple. Proper balance involves understanding bone angles, alignment of joints, foot length and direction.
A balanced diet, exercise routine, and the terrain in which your horse lives all influence the overall health of your horse's hooves. In the wild, horse hooves shape themselves based on the terrain. Horses who live in rocky or rough terrain have hooves which are shaped much differently than horses who live on grassy, rock-free, flat terrain.
Traditional hoof care requires routine trimming and shoeing. Often shoes are seen as the answer to lameness issues when in actuality, there are many factors which contribute to the health of your horse's hoof. Your horse's circulation is strongly influenced by its diet and consequently the health of his extremities. The hoof is composed of living tissue, thus any problems with circulation will affect the health of the hoof. When a horse suffers from hoof problems, it is important to review all aspects of its environment, i.e. diet, exercise and terrain.
An essential part of natural hoof care is trimming since today's horses are limited by the space they are permitted to roam and the type of terrain. A naturally trimmed horse will develop hard, callused feet that can stand up to wear and tear. When maintained correctly, and in balance with the rest of horse care, the naturally trimmed hoof provides a more authentic stance for the horse thereby reducing the risk lameness.
When natural balance hoof care is properly practiced, the overall health of your horse will be noticeable through reduced fees for vet bills to treat lameness, extended working life of your horse, and increase comfort of your horse and you knowing you are doing what is best for your partner and companion.