Moondance Farm 
Foundation Bred Tennessee Walking Horses and Paso Finos 

There are several factors that determine the potential for a healthy hoof on any breed of horse; terrain, diet, movement, and a proper trim. We are blessed to have the ideal terrain for rehabbing and maintaining hooves - sandy loam soil with an abundance of natural river rock. We must pay careful attention to controlling the other three factors that affect the hoof health of our horses (diet, movement, and a proper trim).

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Armed with the knowledge from the NRC Equine Nutrition Course, we feed our horses a diet of natural feeds and minerals. We have experimented with numerous feeds and supplements to find the best results, and are continually searching for better options to support our horses' good health. New Country Organics Equine Mineral and high quality forage are available free choice at all times. We strive to maintain new hoof growth that is consistently solid and healthy and frogs that are tough and thrush free.

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Because half of our horses are either in foal or youngsters, keeping them moving without riding them becomes a challenge. We can easily affect the distance they travel in the winter months by placing their forage source as far away from their water source as possible. The grassy season keeps us on our toes as we look for ways to keep exercise on the daily agenda.

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The final factor is not always as simple as it may seem. A natural trim is quite different from a trim to that prepares a hoof for a shoe and very few people are knowledgeable enough to trim a hoof for barefoot success. I am thankful to have been trained to recognize a properly trimmmed horse by Jenipher Helton. Jenipher maintains our horses' feet beautifully and aims to begin shaping all of our new foals' feet at around 1 to 2 months of age.

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We have sold horses to many wonderful people across the country. Some have preferred to put shoes on their horses and others have kept their horses barefoot. Our goal has been to sell horses whose hooves are as healthy as possible when they leave Moondance Farm so their new owners have a strong, stable hoof to ride their horses on no matter what path they choose.