Balanced Stride

My work as a farrier has been varied and has taken me down many paths but, the one path that continues to surface has been that of "orthopedics". Although it is an area that is not often associated with the farrier trade it is an area that needs to be brought to the forefront of the horse industry and to today's horseowner.

The importance of orthopedic and therapeutic farrier work comes from being able to realize that the work that is accomplished by a farrier will control the comfort level that a horse will experience. The explanation as to how important the comfort of the horse is to me is explained through the link of "Sore Horse?".

The next point that I started to realize that just wanting a horse to be comfortable was not enough, I had to start to find the answers to the questions that had been raised within my own mind in trying to make horses as comfortable as possible. The basics that I found through daily questioned are best explained in the article I wrote titled "Basic Lameness Information".

I have written many different articles that do pertain to the horse and how it operates and are available through the link "Must Read Articles".

The link that is known as the "Monthly Article" is a new article each month that is either written by myself or sometimes I have guests write specific articles about their own specialty within the horse industry.

I have also written topic specific articles that pertain to new horse ownership, such as "New Horse?" that explains the responsibilities of horse ownership. It was specifically designed for new horse owners and people that are once again owning a horse after a long period to time.

There is an additional topic specific  that article is titled "Horse Problems" that explains the need for the building of relationships between the horse and the handler/rider.

Letters of Reference	Bob Burdekin Resume	Case Studies	Horses Shod

I have devoted my life to the horse industry. In my forty plus years career, I have evolved from a simple horse lover to a showman, a breeder, a trainer, a farrier and, finally, to a Horseman. A Horseman is a person who believes that the horse has a communication style and social structure that, if respected, can be understood. A Horseman is a compassionate individual who opens themselves up to what the horse and herd can teach them about their language, culture and behavior. Once that a human being begins to respect the animal by communicating with them on their own terms, they are then accepted into the equine social structure. That person has then become a Horseman.

The horse has to “accept” the Horseman into their world. You cannot break down the door and demand to be let in. Fear may get compliance, but it will never get trust. Trust, or friendship, is the foundation on which partnerships and progression are built.

In my experience, many people involved with horses today have a hard time accepting that real horsemanship is a process. We live in a society that wants everything “Now”…instant gratification. We may live in a ‘quicker-faster‘ world, but the horse does not.

I have progressed by developing a relationship between myself and a horse that lead to mental soundness as well as physical soundness, you cannot separate physical well-being from mental well-being. I have been witness to countless situations where animals were punished for what were believed to be behavioral problems but were really problems of lameness, ill-fitting equipment, and poor communication on the part of the rider/handler or failure to understand the horse’s attempt to communicate their discomfort.

I am a farrier; I use this particular trade to work with the WHOLE horse. The horse doesn’t end half way up their legs, by establishing sound feet, the legs are balanced for that individual and their natural gait is allowed to emerge. With improvement in posture and movement, the horse is more comfortable throughout their entire body. Comfort in their physical being allows the horse to relax and be more mentally focused on the rider and/or handler. I don’t just nail shoes on hooves; I analyze the needs and requirements of an individual horse so it can be the best athlete it can be. To do that, I have had to study conformation, body mechanics, anatomy and physiology. I developed this program to pass on this information to horse owners and professionals that want to be more knowledgeable guardians of their horse’s health and well-being. I hope that your careful studying of these principles and the practice of the acquired skills will answer your questions about how to evaluate and improve your horse’s natural movement.