Wotan and me
In 1996, my horse Wotan was ten years old
and was extremely lame during a training
where we turned the right forehand too early
after a jump over a 100 cm barrier. An odyssey of diagnoses and prognoses began. Many tears of despair and sadness were shed.
In one of the most renowned clinics in Germany came the devastating diagnosis: terminal stage of navicular lameness. The deep flexor tendon would fray at the large holes in the navicular bone, like a pumice stone. That sounded logical to me. These diagnoses still exist. If you look closely into the hoof, you can see that the deep flexor tendon (TBS) cannot rub against these holes...
Today, these large holes in the navicular bone, the lollipops, would now be called ‘cysts in the navicular bone’.
See X-ray 1996.
Our story
At that time, we followed all the supposed treatments such as orthopedic shoeing, box rest, joint injections, medication and walking . This standard has not really changed much in the clinics still today.
Wotan's condition continued to deteriorate. My gelding was in a lot of pain. I had already got the phone number of a butcher to relieve him of his pain, as the clinic had recommended - someone who would perform the euthanasia right on the farm and save him the trip to the slaughterhouse or clinic.
By chance, I spontaneously decided to spend a summer on a retirement meadow on a meadow on the dyke of the river "Rhine" between Düsseldorf and Cologne. The expensive orthopedic shoeing had been torn off the horse during the first rain on the year-round pasture, which was definitely our "luck".
The best 20 years of my life (according to the time) began. One summer later, in 1997, I traveled with Wotan to a two-day hoof course.
On the first day there was an eye-opening theory. Luckily I had "coincidentally" had my Wotan in the pasture in the herd for a year, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with mostly species-appropriate feed and by chance without horseshoes. He was still ticking clearly, but without any major signs of pain, more like a mechanical disability, as I like to call it. Can you tell the difference?
On the second day, the editing took place in front of a running VHS video camera with wonderful documentation from the seminar leader. After editing, I trotted out onto the street with Wotan. Everyone present had tears in their eyes -> tears of joy flowed from all of us.
Back at the pasture fence on the Rhine meadow, things couldn't go fast enough. And then Wotan galloped over his pasture to his herd at a furiously fast gallop.
Unfortunately, after moving to Switzerland, I was unable to find this VHS video. I used this film to work on my horse for years. I literally inhaled the before and after pictures in many hoof books.
I always had 3-5 horses in my area whose hooves I was supposed to optimize so that they didn't have to be put down. I always managed to do that and it looked like magic. But there is a very simple physical and biochemical explanation behind it. In 2010 I began my training to officially educate horse people in Switzerland with a diploma.
"Here we are".
After several dozen hoof courses, I was asked to write a book for all the horse people who are plagued by hoof problems and are caught up in the odyssey of euthanasia proposals.
As soon as the book was finished, I was asked to translate it into English and French. We are working on that now.
I am grateful to be surrounded by wonderful professionals: a veterinarian, a human doctor, a surgical nurse, farriers, hoof school directors, hoof care specialists, osteopaths and many more. They all help me find photos and texts that reflect what we have discovered together. They are all contemporary witnesses who have identified the nerves like wire ropes in the hoof.
This must be carried out into the world: "Nerves like wire ropes in the hoof" 📒🐎📒
Better understand hooves, prevent and eliminate lameness.
Anyone who knows what hooves look like on the inside can easily imagine what they might look like on the outside to be comfortable. Comfortable means that no unnecessary pulling, pressure or squeezing is exerted on the delicate hoof corium, the lamellae, the fascia in the hoof and much more.
Shortly before his 31st birthday, Wotan lay down on his year-round pasture on a winter evening. It was clear that the time had come. Two days before, we had gone for a leisurely ride together. But then his heart was very slow and tired.
My dear soul mate has passed away peacefully.
Thank you, dear Wotan, for everything you have taught me.
