Natural Balance is more than just a horseshoe!  It's a hoof science that takes into account the entire biomechanics of the horse and treats each foot as an individual.  The shoe is just one component in the protocol of helping a lame horse become sound and keeping the sound horse healthy.   In fact, sometimes the protocol doesn't even call for a shoe!

In our farrier practice, we evaluate each horse before and after shoeing to look for signs of tension on the deep digital flexor tendon, symptoms of pain in the toe or heel region, and any other signals that can help us discover problems that may be causing stress on the laminae or on the ligaments of the navicular bone.  

Not every horse has a perfect build but every horse can be trimmed and shod to best meet its unique conformation.  Our objective is not to maintain the toe and match the "hoof/pastern angle" to every foot but instead, to manage the toe by identifying distortions and offer a healthy "functional angle" that will distribute the load evenly.  This naturally takes undue stress off of key tendons and ligaments while providing maximum blood flow for a healthy laminae, and the correct biomechanics that will impact the skeletal system from the coffin joint all the way through your horse’s topline.  The wall of the toe was never intended to bear weight!  The result is a sound and happy horse that can maximize the potential of the conformation it was born with.

Does my horse have hoof distortions?  Here's a great article that can help educate you on healthy hoof function. 

Using these ingredients, we've had amazing results treating horses with lameness issues such as severe laminitis, Cushing’s disease, navicular problems, club feet, stumbling, forging and other soundness problems and pathologies.

We believe in educating our clients in the process to help them better understand what’s going on inside the hoof capsule.  Along with a pre- and post-shoeing evaluation, we will map out the bottom of your horse’s foot to show you its condition.  This includes finding the location of the coffin bone, identifying any distortions in hoof growth, and monitoring positive changes in sole, heel and frog depth as your horse is introduced to proper support and correct breakover of forward movement.  We also believe in working closely with your equine veterinarian to determine the best course of action in severe pathology cases.

You've caught my attention...  Where can I learn more?

Natural Balance science can trace its roots to the wild horse research and studies done by Gene Ovnicek in the 1980’s and its “common sense approach” to identifying the differences between Mother Nature’s wild foot and the domestic foot.  What’s the difference between the foot of a foal born in the wild and a foal born in a stable?  Nothing!  It’s what happens directly after birth that causes the changes that so drastically occur with time.  Even though our horses don’t live in the wild, by using cutting-edge science and technology, we can come close to offering the same kind of support system and functionality that Mother Nature intended for Her horses to keep them sound and happy.

For further education on Natural Balance science and how we can help your horse, please visit:

• Equine Digit Support Systems - Pioneered the wild horse research.  You'll find some great tutorials and study reports that are definitely worth reading.      
• The folks at Mission Farrier School have documented some case studies of severely crippled horses who experienced amazing recoveries after being introduced to these principles.  Lots of detailed photos!