The world of the equine foot is a complex one. Far more complex than the foot itself. For centuries, it was the farrier that attended to the horse's feet - a name that has become synonymous with shoeing horses whereas, in fact, it is merely the anglicised form of ferrier, the Old French word for Blacksmith – indeed, the Dutch word for farrier is hoefsmid or Hoofsmith. This principally military connection with the horse has given the farrier a position of control and is used to justify the 'centuries of knowledge' claimed. Despite this claimed knowledge, the farrier's art has essentially not developed beyond the adoption of new materials when they have become available – lightweight alloys, plastics – and the farrier is still practising an activity rooted in the Middle Ages.

More recently, there has been an upsurge of interest in 'natural hoof care' - a somewhat ambiguous phrase which is also the subject of criticism, although it could be argued that the context of the word natural, rather than the premise, is the main target; it is not the hoof care itself that is natural, rather hoof care that attempts to replicate natural use and wear. Certainly a praiseworthy development but one which also has its roots in the world of the farrier (the majority of the early proponents, and thus too the founders of many natural hoof care establishments, were trained as farriers).

Both the farriers and their modern-day 'natural hoof care' counterparts make great claims regarding the complexity of the equine foot and the care thereof. Many traditional owners will cite the fact that the farriers' training is three years, while ignoring the principal subject studied – how to shoe. The advantage the farriers have, is not their training but rather their united approach to shoeing. Natural hoof care has obviously seen a niche in the market and developed training schemes, quite naturally, along the lines of farriers' training. Here, however, there is something of a problem; the approach of the natural hoof carers is not unified. What is fairly universal, is the basic theory which still leans upon the traditional farrier's vision of the hoof.

What is also very universal, among farriers and natural hoof carers alike, is the mystification of the art. Obfuscation means that most people will consider hoof care too complex to attempt themselves; it also means that high prices can be commanded for natural hoof care courses which propose very dubious – and often non-existent – science and provide no recognized qualification whatsoever. Unfortunately many owners are unaware of this fact and when someone arrives toting false promise in the form of a so-called diploma (e.g. DAEP), they believe they are being served by someone with formal and recognized training. This is actually far from the truth – there is no country in the world that recognises such a ‘diploma’.

 

L'institut’s courses depend upon demonstrable scientific evidence rather than on perceptions – and misconceptions – derived from the practices of the farrier. We do not make a mystery of the science and we do not make a secret of the art. It can be studied and practised by almost anyone. All that is needed is an open mind, common sense and, for the practical side, a little muscle! Our cumulative knowledge spans more than sixty years - more than sixty years of unbiased scientific study, without the preconceptions that stem from a farrier's background nor from the traditional veterinary approach that is almost always based initially on the shod horse.

Why scientific evidence? Because the development of this form of maintenance of barefoot horses is the result of a process of reflection: observation, theorization, experimentation, as outlined on the homepage.

Far from mysterious, this is a clear and demonstrable practice which is open to anyone interested.

Some of the material contained within these courses was developed in association with Pierre Enoff from EQUILibre® in Porta, France.