The Hoof Wizard is a visual aid. It is one more tool to use to help you provide proper care and comfort for your horse.
What Is the Hoof Wizard?
What Does the Hoof Wizard Do?
How Do I Use the Hoof Wizard?
What Is Balance?
What Is "Top-Down" Balance?
Why Is Balance Important?
Why Should I Care If My Horse's Hooves Are Balanced?
Does Balance Affect More Than Just the Hoof?
Can My Horse's Hooves Be Balanced All At Once?
How Often Should I Use the Hoof Wizard?
Do You Recommend the Hoof Wizard For Every Horse, Even Foundered Horses?
Can I Use the Hoof Wizard On My Foals?
How Often Should I Use the Hoof Wizard To Evaluate My Foal's Balance?
How Is the Hoof Wizard A New and Dynamic Approach To Hoof Care and the Comfort Of My Horse?
The Long and Short Of It
What Is the Hoof Wizard?
The Hoof Wizard is a flexible, cuff-like hoof balancing aid that safely fits around your horse’s hooves.
Back to top
What Does the Hoof Wizard Do?
Using the Hoof Wizard you can create a reference line that helps you to visualize how the hoof should be modified in order to bring the joints of your horse’s leg into perfect alignment. When the joints are aligned the hoof is said to be in balance.
Back to top
How Do I Use the Hoof Wizard?
The Hoof Wizard is simple to use! Here are the steps:
1. Mark the center of the toe using the center of the hoof, which is indicated by the central cleft of the frog.
2. Then place the Hoof Wizard on the hoof so that it is positioned with the Toe Mark in line with the center of the toe and the upper edge (the Hairline) parallel to your horse’s hairline.
3. Finally, draw the Balance Line using the lower edge of the Hoof Wizard.
When the ground surface of your horse’s hoof is parallel to the Balance Line that you just drew, you can be confident that your horse is in balance.
Back to top
What Is Balance?
Our definition of balance involves two components: (1) the hoof capsule, which is part of the foot that we see, and (2) the bony structures of the limb, which extend from deep in the hoof capsule upward. A balanced horse stands on a hoof capsule that is perfectly shaped, and a bony column that is perfectly aligned.
When in balance, the energy created by the movement of the horse is evenly distributed throughout the structures of the foot, limb, and body. The even distribution of this energy allows potentially harmful effects to dissipate without injury to the horse.
Back to top
What Is "Top-Down" Balance?
One of the ways the horse accommodates imbalance is by deforming his hoof capsule. The earliest evidence of this deformation is at the hairline of the hoof.
Traditional balancing technique looks at the ground surface of the hoof. Unfortunately, the ground surface of the hoof can be flat, and apparently "balanced" while completely ignoring the early signs of hoof deformation and imbalance--those occurring at the hairline.
As a result, traditional ground-up balancing technique often makes imbalances worse, rather than correcting them.
The Top-Down technique of the Hoof Wizard looks first for hoof deformation by using the hairline as its starting point.
Back to top
Why Is Balance Important?
A balanced hoof allows your horse’s feet and legs to function at peak efficiency, absorbing shock and concussion. Balanced hooves distribute the enormous pressures generated by your horse’s movement in such a way as to minimize stress and injury.
In addition to preserving your horse’s soundness, a balanced hoof also helps your horse’s way of moving. Of course, if your horse feels good, if he is so comfortable that he is unconcerned about his feet, he will move freely and with energy. Even more important, balanced hooves give your horse greater confidence to move energetically because his legs, particularly his hind legs, will be more stable and he will have greater traction.
Back to top
Why Should I Care If My Horse's Hooves Are Balanced?
Many injuries that cause lameness in horses are cumulative injuries--little traumas that may not lame our horses if they happen only once but that can cripple them if they happen repeatedly. You probably know of a horse that is suffering and lame because of side bone, navicular syndrome, or bone spurs in the knee, fetlock, or pastern joints. Worse, your own horse may have a tendon or ligament problem. Or maybe he has quarter cracks or split frogs that are diseased with thrush?
These are all cumulative injuries that develop over time after repeated mini-traumas often caused by hoof imbalances.
With properly balanced feet, your horse is far less likely to suffer with these injuries. You will keep your training schedule or make that long awaited trail ride with your friends, and you won't have those huge medical expenses rehabilitation inevitably cost.
Back to top
Does Balance Affect More Than Just the Hoof?
Proper balance of your horse's hooves affects far more than just the hoof. Keep in mind that the hoof is the only foundation that your horse has to stand on. If that foundation is not balanced, if it is misaligned with your horse's leg, it puts unnatural stress on all the joints of the lower leg, all the way through the knee. Stress is a bad thing. In this case, stress often causes pain.
Regular use of the Hoof Wizard guarantees the proper alignment of the joints of the horse's lower limb. If the joints of the lower limb are aligned then the horse is far less susceptible to stress related lameness such as muscle pain, arthritis, torn collateral ligaments, and fracture. In short, the Hoof Wizard saves your horse from unnecessary discomfort and saves you the time and money that difficult to diagnose and treat lameness can cost.
Back to top
Can My Horse's Hooves Be Balanced All At Once?
It depends. Some horses, those with excellent hooves, good growth, and minor imbalances will correct all at once. Others will take months, sometimes years to rebalance.
When making adjustments we have found that when we are doing the right thing we are helping our patients feel better, no matter how little or how much they allow us to do. We try to keep in mind a paraphrase of the Hippocratic Oath that our physicians take:
Above all else, we must do no harm.
Back to top
How Often Should I Use the Hoof Wizard?
You should use the Hoof Wizard to check balance whenever your horse’s hooves are maintained and in between times to make certain that your horse’s balance is holding.
The hoof is a dynamic organ. It changes with any change in your horse’s environment. Season changes, nutrition changes, work load, even the type of work that we ask of our horses will affect the balance of his hooves because these conditions affect the way the hoof grows.
Back to top
Do You Recommend the Hoof Wizard For Every Horse, Even Foundered Horses?
The Hoof Wizard should be used to balance your horse’s healthy hooves. It will not cure disease—founder, abscess, tendonitis, white line infection—or repair degenerative bone disease. We wish that it did! If your horse is suffering with these or similar problems, you should contact your veterinarian for guidance.
We do believe that these problems will repair faster with a better long term prognosis if you maintain your horse’s balance throughout the recovery period.
Back to top
Can I Use the Hoof Wizard On My Foals?
You can and you should! Foals are particularly tricky to balance because we tend to look at them as if they were mature horses. Because of this, we often make changes in their balance that cause conformation faults once they do mature.
To use the Hoof Wizard on foals, find the line on the Wizard that is labeled Foal/Pony Line. When evaluating your foals, minis, or ponies, place this line parallel to the hairline, leaving the top edge of the Wizard higher than the hairline. Then follow the same procedure that you would follow when evaluating your horses.
Back to top
How Often Should I Use the Hoof Wizard To Evaluate My Foal's Balance?
Because foals develop so rapidly and because imbalance can permanently affect your foal’s conformation and future soundness, you should check their balance with the Hoof Wizard frequently. Checking every two weeks is reasonable.
Back to top
How Is the Hoof Wizard A New and Dynamic Approach To Hoof Care and the Comfort Of My Horse?
The Hoof Wizard turns the theory of balancing your horse's hooves upside down. Previous theories have worked from the bottom up, looking first at the ground surface of the hoof. Ground up balancing is difficult at best because too many variables act to change the interpretation of the horse's specific balance and alignment needs. How the horse is standing, the surface upon which he is standing, and even his level of anxiety can change the interpretation of his specific problems and what should be done to correct them. Often, this ground up approach to balance results in improper joint alignment, discomfort, and poor performance.
Using a TOP DOWN approach, the Hoof Wizard finds balance by interpreting the hoof's response to uneven pressure and concussion resulting from imbalance. This unique approach guarantees proper balance and alignment as indicated by the elimination of hoof capsule deformation. If the hoof capsule does not deform, then the concussive forces acting on the hoof are equalized and the hoof is perfectly aligned with the horse's limb.
Proper alignment and balance enhance comfort and stability of the horse, significantly improving the way horses move and work.
Now you can be part of this change by purchasing your very own Hoof Wizard.
Back to top
The Long and Short Of It
The Hoof Wizard is a visual aid. It is one more tool to use to help you provide proper care and comfort for your horse. Whether you are veterinarian, trainer, horse owner, farrier, or hobbyist, our hope is that the Hoof Wizard will emphasize the great importance of balance to your horse (and you!) and that it will give you a new and fresh way of helping your horse live and work comfortably.
Having the Hoof Wizard to use does not eliminate the need for a farrier. Quite the opposite, we believe that you and your farrier must work together to effect the greatest positive change for your horse. Likewise, we believe that the veterinarian who uses the Hoof Wizard simultaneously with treatment of limb and soft tissue injury will effect a more lasting and successful treatment.
Acupuncture and massage therapy will have far longer lasting results if the horse is standing comfortably on balanced hooves and legs.
In short, the Hoof Wizard brings you peace of mind. You can ride confidently or treat with greater success the horses who give us so much and ask so little in return. In the end, by using the Hoof Wizard you will help the comfort of your horse, whether pleasure horse, competitive horse, or pasture ornament. Letting another day go by without having the assistance of the Hoof Wizard could possibly be another day your horse is hurting, even if you can't see it.
Back to top
The Hoof Wizard is the best teaching aid ever invented.
There has been too much emphasis by farriers on fixing lameness after it occurs and not enough concentration on managing horses’ feet to prevent lameness before it happens. Everyone misses on balance. It was great to be able to use the Hoof Wizard to show the guys at my last clinic (there were about 300 people there) that even when I was being careful I was still a quarter to an eighth of an inch off.
Dave Farley
One of the foremost educators, clinicians, and farriers in the country.
My name is Nathan Catlett. I have been a farrier for 11 years. I have been using the Hoof Wizard for the past 3 to 4 weeks. I have found that this product has improved my balance of the hoof and even the leg alignment. The hoof wizard takes the guess work out of balancing, even on horses with incorrect conformation. I find that this product puts balancing on an elementary level, so even an untrained eye can see what needs to be corrected. I personally would recommend this product to any farrier, vet, or horse owner; whether they are new or a seasoned veteran.
Nathan Catlett
Cornell University Graduate
Regarding the balance of a horse's feet, I have found the Hoof Wizard to be a useful starting point for discussion between the veterinarian, the horse owner, and the farrier. It reduces confusion by providing a frame of reference for making adjustments to the feet. It gives us all something to look at and a way to communicate our goals.
It has helped me personally to focus my attention on the balance of the foot. It has improved my eye. It is another tool in my toolbox, not my only tool, but a useful tool. And I am learning to trust it.
To summarize, the Hoof Wizard is a useful tool for balancing a horses feet, for giving the eye a frame of reference to balance the foot, and most importantly, perhaps, for creating a frame of reference to open a conversation between the veterinarian, the owner, and the farrier about how the balance of a horse's foot may impact that horse's conformation, lameness, and performance.
Dr. Derrick Vandrey, DVM
Rose Hill Veterinary Practice
Washington, VA
BEFORE HOOFWIZARD: My Westfalen gelding Ptolemy was lame, appeared depressed, and clearly was not moving out under saddle in a freely forward manner. To my surprise, the cause was my farrier’s inaccurate trimming and shoeing methods. He had unintentionally thrown my horse’s feet into a terrible state of imbalance. As a result, the hoof imbalance created sorness in Ptolemy’s joints
AFTER HOOFWIZARD: When HOOFWIZARD was employed, it demonstrated clearly how my horse’s feet were “imbalanced”. Immediately after, Ptolemy improved remarkably; he stepped out evenly under saddle, and I was relieved to see him happier and more comfortable. I had my old horse back, and from now on I will insist my farrier use HOOFWIZARD to ensure hoof soundness for my horse.
Sandra Brannock, Designer
When I was approached by your company about testing the Hoof Wizard I agreed to do so because I recognized the need for a visual aid to help farriers balance horses’ feet. As a member of the American Farrier Association, I have had a chance to work with many farriers around the country. They also agree that the Hoof Wizard fills a longstanding need for an easy to use, reliable aid for balancing horses’ hooves.
After working with the Wizard, we were impressed by how well it worked, whether on ponies, foals, or mature horses. We found that we were seeing balance better and making better choices for the horses we worked on. Now, I for one, use the Hoof Wizard on almost every horse I do.
I feel that I am a better farrier now that I have this simple looking but helpful device. You never know it all.
Great product!
(Name withheld by request)
One of the ways the horse accommodates imbalance is by deforming his hoof capsule. The earliest evidence of this deformation is at the hairline of the hoof. 
