I hate labels when it comes to hoof care, but I feel a
Strasser trim needs to be labeled.? I don’t know how to identify “Natural”,
but I know how to identify “correct”? vs. Strasser.
Strasser expects the coffin bone to lay in the hoof capsule
so that it is parallel to the ground (front to back).? Most horses need the
coffin bone elevated 5-7 degrees in order for the coffin joint to be correctly
aligned.? Thus, the coffin bone will produce a broken back coffin joint which
has been identified as the main cause of navicular pain by Bowker, T. Turner,
O. Balch, B. Page, G. Ovnicek, S. O’Grady, among many others.? IN
addition, a ground parallel coffin bone (in MOST horses) will also cause
excessive stress on the laminae because it causes the attachment of the coffin
bone at the extensor process to lengthen and stretch more than nature
intended.? It is this stress that begins the process that can cause mechanical
founder in horses trimmed in this method.
In order to achieve this ground parallel coffin bone, the
Strasser trim removed (or rather severely trims down) the bars in the back of
the hoof so that they no longer support the wings of the coffin bone, thus
allowing them to drop and become ground parallel.? Also to help this effort,
the heels are lowered to below the “live sole”.? ?In addition, the
sole is thinned dramatically around the frog area and in the seats of corn
areas.? The indicator that the coffin bone is ground parallel is a 30 degree
hairline (when looking from a lateral view of the hoof) and a front hoof angle
(measuring the dorsal hoof wall to the gound plane) of 45 degrees.? Most
healthy footed horses have a hairline of 25 -/+ degrees and a front hoof angle
of 53 -/+ degrees.
Newest research by Dr. Robert Bowker indicates that healthy
footed horses have strong bars that support the coffin bone as well as help
engage the lateral cartilage.?? Link to Dr. Strasser’s research of
Healthy vs Bad can be found here:
I have fairly extensive experience with the Strasser methods
since all of my horses (5 at the time) were trimmed that way for a year by a
Strasser certified trimmer.? In addition, this trimmer was my fiancé, so I
frequently went along to calls with him to watch him treat client horses and to
help educate the owners as to Strasser requirements. ??Plus, I was “in
the know” at the time, so I had access to the Strasser certified trimmer
email list (closed membership) and was able to read about other certified
trimmers issues. ?This method makes healthy footed horses sore.? And, in some
dramatic cases (mine and several other certified trimmers) the horses
mechanically foundered because of these methods.?
Of course, it all gets very political and emotional and the
Strasser crowd will just say that the trimmer didn’t know what they were
doing, but one can find instances of horrible things going wrong from all of
the certified trimmers (founder, pedal ostitis that didn’t exist before
the trim was started, ring bone that didn’t exist before, etc) not just
specific trimmers.? They’ll also say that each foot is trimmed uniquely.?
But, the fact still remains that there are specific parameters that must be met
for all hooves in order to be pronounced “healthy” by Dr. Strasser
(30 degree hairline, ground parallel coffin bone, 45 degree front hoof angles).?
It is the means to get there that may be unique to each hoof, not the final
outcome.
Now as to the contrast of Strasser vs Natural:? I don’t
know of any trim that has been identified with specific parameters as a “natural
trim”.? But, if we consider what several researchers have found as the
most natural trim (mother nature).? Then, they would fit into the parameters
that I listed above (53 + degree front toe angle, good strong bars, coffin bone
5-7 degrees caudally elevated, etc).
Please pardon me for being verbose and posting more than
what was asked for.? But, I want anyone considering this method to understand
that there have been horrible things go wrong with many horses because of this
trim.? Just looking at the logistics of what the trim does to the internal
hoof, it makes it easy to understand that it really is the trim that causes the
trouble……..not that someone misunderstood how to apply it. ??Horses
that are on soft, pliable ground may survive and actually do well with this
trim because the ground can take up support of the coffin bone after the
supporting structures have been weakened.? But, horses on hard ground will not
fair well with this trim IF it is done correctly and meets all the parameters.
Karen Standefer
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