a clear and scientifically defined approach to the care and maintenance of the horse and of the equine foot.
of the progressive deformation and deterioration of shod hooves and of the pathologies associated with shoeing; from observations of the "natural" hooves of the horses at liberty in the United States by Jackson and Ramey, both also originally farriers by trade; comparison of the internal structures of the hoof, shod and unshod - in particular the atrophying or development of the digital cushion, among others by the German vet Dr Hiltrud Strasser and by Swedish Horse Hoof... From these observations is born the desire to reproduce the "wild" horse hoof by means of what is commonly called "natural hoof care".
of the function of the foot: what are the functions, what are the constraints of each element of the hoof, the foot, the skeleton? In this field, Pierre Enoff has contributed a great deal to the understanding of equine locomotion through his study of mechanics which have resulted in conclusions in complete opposition to the the traditional concepts (the hoof wall is not weight-bearing; the frog is the most essential organ of the hoof; caudal structures should be low). From this comes a rationalisation of the objectives of hoof trimming: conserving the optimal functioning of the foot, at the same time cleaning the zones attacked by bacteria: this is the "hygienic trim". At the same time, the importance of a holistic approach to the horse must be realised: feet, food, lifestyle...
putting into practice this theory through trimming has long confirmed its validity, on every type of equine - heavy horses, ponies, donkeys - and with regard to all equine activities: excursions and trekking, naturally, but also jumping and endurance. It has also allowed the healing of splits and cracks, flares and seedy toe, and the saving of many horses with laminitis or "navicular syndrome" from euthanasia…
L'institut was created to answer a need – to answer several needs.
The equine world is steeped in tradition – tradition that, despite all claims by the traditionalists, is very often far less than ideal for the horse.
The equine world is divisive – so much so that the central subject of that world, the horse itself, is at a major disadvantage.
Within this world, there is a slow progression towards improving the life of the horse with the concept of track systems, bitless and barefoot. But even this remains divisive and open to question, even by those that should know better, and is often derided by those who think they know better.
Conceived originally to address the questions and misbeliefs surrounding hoof care, shoeing and barefoot, practical experience has shown that those same questions and misbeliefs could be applied to the whole horse.
L'institut bases its courses on the demonstrable evidence of more than fifty years of unbiased, scientifically applied study, rejecting the perceptions – and misconceptions – proposed by the traditional equine world. Courses that challenge the very heart of the equine world because they bring into question many of the standard practices carried out by owners, trainers, veterinary surgeons, farriers and even barefoot specialists. In ALL of these disciplines, much rests on the old school traditions rather than on scientific evidence or even simple observations.
The spelling of Institut reflects the location of the establishment and the fact that the three principal languages in use all spell the word slightly differently.
