Catherine Larose Horse Hoof ExpertWelcome to the hoof health blog. My name is Catherine Larose and I guess you can call me a “hoof junkie”. I was thrilled when Scott asked me to write this blog, as I have witnessed first hand how proper nutrition is the cornerstone of healthy hooves.

I have been trimming professionally for 8 years in the Montreal area and have over 100 horses under my care. My clients participate in many disciplines from trail riding, to dressage, barrel racing, jumping, carriage driving and endurance.

I also teach and assist horse owners interested in caring for their own horse’s hooves. I do my best to keep up to date with the latest research by reading everything I can and by attending conferences each year.

I have met many trimmers and farriers over the years and I have learned something from each of them. I don’t agree that there is one “be all end all” trimming technique and I try to keep an open mind. I have seen many horses with what many consider “textbook perfect” feet that are dead lame, and horses with less than-perfect-looking hooves that trot barefoot soundly over rocks.

Although there are some basic fundamentals, it’s important to adapt the trim to each horse based on the current health of their hooves as well as the environment they live and work on. We must learn to listen to our horses, as ultimately they will let us know what the best approach is for them. I believe that bare hooves are best, but one should never say never, and I will occasionally use composite shoeing during my rehabilitation process.

In the upcoming blogs, I will try and educate interested horse owners in recognizing healthy hooves and offer tips on developing and maintaining them. I will do my best to answer any questions you might have. Looking forward to hear from you!