Let me tell
you my story...
My name is Suzon and I
worked in the horse world for about 20 years. I have worked with
sport horses, show horses and breeding horses of many breeds from hot
bloods to warmbloods to drafts--horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.
Throughout my career the horse world taught me that
the horse's foot was located at the end of his leg. It has a hard
outer shell connected to the coffin bone by laminas. I could, of
course, name the structures of the foot, but really had only a
rudimentary knowledge of how those structures might function in the
big picture.
The horse's foot is
considered one of the most important parts of his anatomy. After
all, no foot, no horse. But the foot was always the mysterious
province of the farrier. The veterinarian might diagnose a foot
problem but it was the farrier who ultimately made the decision how to
treat it. Hooves and their maintenance were considered far
too "technical" for the average horse person to be fooling around with.
I admit, I bought into that for a long time.
So in the midst of this career, I met a horse whom
I eventually came to own. Her name is Chloe and when I met her
she was a 3 year old who had come in for training with some seriously
upright feet. For the next twelve years Chloe lived in a variety
of shoes designed to compensate for her "clubbed," contracted feet.
And she had some good farriers. And I "thought" she was sound.
However, throughout this period, Chloe had a
terrible time with the basic gait of canter. She couldn't
maintain a true canter for more than perhaps one pass around the ring
on a good day when she was really fit. We looked at her back,
her hocks, her stifles. Nothing wrong with any of them. It
was a mystery. She just had a weak canter and tried to canter
with her hind legs tied together, after a few strides she would swap
or break gait. I finally gave up cantering because it made her
upset and miserable. She was
screaming for someone to understand and no one could see it, including
me.
I finally quit the horse world
(the horse world and I were going in two different directions) and brought my
horses, including Chloe, home to Maine. I went through a number
of farriers, none of whom satisfied me. It was after I came home
that Chloe began to go subtly but undeniably lame in her right front
(her worst foot). Because I was unhappy with the way she was
shod, I finally had her shoes pulled but continued to have a regular
farrier trim her. Now not only was she subtly off, she was
sore for a week after every trim.
It was around this time that I started hearing
about the barefoot movement. At the same time I was also
strapped for funds as I was in the last phases of building a house.
I started thinking that if I did my own horses' feet, I could save
some money and maybe Chloe wouldn't be so sore if I didn't touch the
toe callus as I'd been reading on the internet. My farrier then
raised his prices and pushed me into action.
With a book in one hand and a rasp in the other I
began working on my beloved Chloe's feet. I researched
barefoot techniques for clubbed feet and
applied what I learned
carefully and slowly. I started our journey in the dead of
winter and by spring I was more than ready to ride again. So the
saddle came out to see how she felt. Not too bad. She was
at least even in front. And then after a week or two of walking
and trotting, it happened. She was very energetic one cold day
and I thought to myself that she felt like she "wanted" to canter.
I thought I must be kidding myself but I went ahead and cued for canter.
She struck off in a balanced rhythmic canter...on the bit. I
nearly fell off in shock.

After using my own horses as
guinea pigs, I continued my education into the field of barefoot
trimming and built a small clientele in my home state of Maine.
But my life continues to change and I have recently relocated to the
bay area in California. It is my plan to continue to build a
business as a trimmer and eventually gain certification with the
AHA. The rewards of seeing the horses I work on moving soundly
is a truly lasting high.
I am often asked, who do I follow.
What trimming "school" do I prescribe to? After studying the work
and theories of many barefoot specialists, if you had to pin me
down, I most closely follow the theories and practices of Pete
Ramey; however, I still study new material from many sources and
apply what works best in each case. What I practice first and
foremost is "First do no harm." I truly believe that doing
something that will cause the horse to be less comfortable than
before I started trimming him means that I have made a mistake.
Horses are all individual and a trim that works well for many horses
may not work on one. The goal is a healthy functioning foot
inside and out, not one that fits a particular set of measurements
or angles. Some feet need a dramatic change all at once to
make the horse comfortable, for many though, slow and steady will
get you there faster.
Click Here to See Some Case
Studies
**Photos and text copyright Suzon Murray 2006,
not for reproduction
without the express written consent of the author.**