Movement

Often overlooked, frequently misunderstood; movement is very important to building good, sound hooves.*  Ideally that movement should be as natural as possible, and when the hoof is healthy enough, as much as possible.  Endless circles on the lunge or around the menage in isolation won't cut it.

Hooves have evolved to support a heavy animal; at speed, over long distances, and in the performance of a variety of balletic and/or warring manoeuvres, every day .  It's a two way street, the movement builds the capability of the hooves and the hooves with healthy robustness, permit that movement to take place.

Lose one and you can lose the other; grow one with TLC and you will be rewarded by growing the other too.

In the good old days of Yore :-) the rule was always 6 weeks of road walking before anything else happened.  This wouldn't be a bad place to start with a transitional hoof, but your horse may need to wear boots while her hooves get into gear growth wise, build sole and generally develop.

More importantly the carer/exerciser needs to learn to listen to, observe and respect the feedback they are getting from their horse.  If she needs to go on softer ground, let her, if she says 'actually those stones are really ouchy' then use boots until she has the foot to cope without.

I can't give you a 'prescription' even though I know that is what many of us would love.  Every horse and her hooves are individual and so require their own movement plan. What I can say is that consistency is pretty important.  The hooves I see struggling are often short on consistency of movement.

Often there is a flurry of activity for a week or two and the hooves gear themselves up for more, only to be let down with a month or two of not very much, followed by another flurry.  This, sadly is not helpful.  Unless the horse is really really lucky, her hooves won't respond terribly well to this regime.  They need to work, they need to have an idea of what work is coming so they can grow sufficient quality and quantity of horn to cope.

If you can't provide consistency, then make sure you provide boots, just in case.

I've gone over my books (other people watch telly, play with the kids, have a life, I look at hoof porn), and time after time, it is the hardest working hooves that survive and thrive.

In the UK we have an expression 'on your bike', well for barefoot maybe it should be 'get that hoof moving!'
* In conversation with farrier this week, we were on the same page with this; very interesting discussion.