"...The following are some of the warning signs that a hoof care program is less than effective: Asymmetries of the hoof capsule such as toe flares or one very upright side and one very flared side of the hoof wall, long toe or heel lengths, atrophied frogs, overgrown bars, persistent thrush or white line disease, thin and weak hoof walls prone to cracking, slow hoof growth, thin soles, stumbling, soreness over uneven footing or on downhill slopes and finally overt lameness. If this sounds familiar, it may be time for a change. Where do you go once you suspect a problem? ...

...Conventional wisdom as well as current research supports the concept that environmental stresses more than any other factor influence hoof quality. It can be said that the hoof, like many other biological systems, is subject to the vernacular of "use it or lose it." For a hoof to be all it can be it must be kept balanced (a subject in and of itself) and it must be "exercised." For example, ranchers who wanted to maintain good hooves would put feed and water at opposite ends of a rough arroyo, forcing their unshod horses to exercise and maintain nearly ideal hooves. The hoof is tremendously adaptable as evidenced by the horse’s ability to thrive in very diverse topographies. If left to their own devices a horse will maintain the ideal by moving only as far as their hooves will carry them through a specific terrain." ---Ben Hufnagel, DVM