California Riding Magazine • June, 2009

Chronic Lameness?
The solution may be simpler than it seems.

by Jane Rangel

Competitive sport horses are athletes of the highest caliber and it takes a structured program to keep them fit. Yet even under the most careful and watchful eye, many sporthorses suffer from chronic soreness and lameness. Increasingly, trainers and owners are relying on a barrage of pain medications and injections to keep their horses in the ring. Occasionally, one comes across a Grand Prix jumper or dressage horse that subsists on little more than alfalfa and grain. Many people may attribute the horse’s health to luck or superior genes.

Not so, claims Ron Ramirez, sporthorse farrier for over 25 years. The answer, Ramirez says, is right under your nose, or rather, under the horse’s nose. It’s in the hooves. Ramirez asserts that the overwhelming majority of lameness issues in horses stem from improperly shod feet. The key to a sound and healthy horse, he says, is simple: a balanced trim and a properly fitted shoe.

Ramirez’s assertion sounds logical, but a quick walk around a showground tells a different story. Scores of horses are fitted with complex shoeing aids, wedge pads and bar shoes, to name a few. These devices are meant to correct a horse’s lameness problems, but according to Ramirez, they are often the root of the problem.

Ramirez’s shoeing background is impressive. For 20 years he studied under Bob Marshall, a five-time world champion farrier. Ramirez was also competitive in the American Farrier Association, repeatedly placing in the top 25 in national competitions. Ramirez believes his formal training has allowed him to develop a correct standard of shoeing. He is skeptical that the typical apprenticing style of shoeing is an adequate way for young farriers to learn the trade. “These young guys apprentice themselves with more experienced farriers, and then eventually go out on their own. But who is to say that their mentor was practicing proper shoeing?”

Here’s what the hind foot looked like before Ron shod it.

The same hind foot after being shod.

A finished look at a front foot.

Simple Shoeing Rules

Ramirez’s years of training reinforced two basic but crucial rules. The most important part of shoeing is the trim: the alignment of the hoof capsule to the coffin bone. The trim is the foundation. It allows the weight of the horse to be evenly distributed. The second rule is a shoe that is properly fit to a balanced trim. Ramirez is adamant that the shoe must be burned onto the foot. “No side clipping! This applies unnatural pressure on a foot’s blood supply and this can actually distort the coffin bone,” he says. “The shoes must be burned on, not hammered.” Ramirez also scorns the idea of using factory produced shoes. He complains that factory shoes are too wide and flat and that they create slippage. Ramirez hand makes every shoe for every horse he works on.

Ramirez explains the lameness problems that are derived from many shoeing jobs. If the toe is left too long, it can force extra pressure onto the heel. The result is a heel that appears too low. Farriers will then sometimes apply a wedge pad, which is supposed to elevate the heel, but if the foot were properly trimmed the wedge pad would be unnecessary. Instead, with the long toe and wedge pad, the foot will still be unbalanced, and now the uneven pressure is distributed elsewhere. A foot with extra length is forced to walk in an unnatural way, which creates lameness, and often results in mandatory hock injections and blown suspensories. But when a horse’s feet are in alignment, those problems go away. Ramirez also believes that many vets lack an understanding of shoeing and don’t recognize the importance of a balanced trim. They are often the ones prescribing shoeing aids.

In a trade where corrective shoeing has become the norm, Ramirez’s minimalist approach seems almost radical. But his ideas are logical, and several top trainers, as well as vets, praise his approach. Ramirez comments, “The horses I shoe have very little lameness. My clients can attest to that.”

Dressage trainer David Wilson is one such client. “I have used Ron Ramirez for over five years, and there is not one horse in my barn that wears standing wraps at night, nor are any of my horses in bar shoes or wedge pads. Our horses range from 3 years old to Grand Prix, and they are all on a competitive show schedule. Our vet bills have dropped by 70 percent.”

Veterinarian Heather Mack also fully supports Ramirez’s methods. “The balance of the hoof is an extremely important part of the equation. In Ramirez’s work, there is nothing jacked up, stuck out, no chemicals, rarely a bar shoe. His work is harmonious. He shoes my horses and all of my clients that use him have a much easier time keeping their horses sound and happy.” 

Ramirez remarks, “We used to conquer continents on horseback. Now many horses can’t trot a circle. What happened? Let’s get back to the basics: back to natural soundness."

Do you have questions about your horse’s shoeing? E-mail them to Ron Ramirez at rgrinv@yahoo.com and we may publish it, along with Ramirez’s response. Check www.ridingmagazine.com for updates on upcoming articles. Author Jane Rangel is a freelance writer.