One of the hardest parts of working in hoof rehab isn’t the trimming or hoofcare, the diagnostics, or even the management changes. Sometimes the hardest part is asking the question: are we truly putting the horse first?
When a horse is struggling with their soundness, our instinct is often to find ways to keep them rideable. More support, more protection, more intervention. But sometimes the horse is telling us something different. Comfort should always come before performance, and “rideable” doesn’t always mean sound or thriving. Ethical hoofcare sometimes asks us to pause, step back, and reconsider our expectations as riders.
These conversations can be uncomfortable, but they matter. In our newest episode of The Humble Hoof Podcast, Becky Bawn, Kat Christieson, and Lisa Agius-Gilibert talk about the ethics of hoof rehabilitation, when it may not be appropriate to ride, and why putting the horse first sometimes means making harder choices.
You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under “The Humble Hoof,” or directly at this link.
For more information, visit:
hooftohorse.academy
