Pete Ramey är en stor källa till inspiration och kunskap inom hovvård och barfota rehabilitering. Gå gärna in och läs mera på hans hemsida: www.hoofrehab.com Han har lagt upp många matnyttiga artiklar på sin hemsida och när jag var inne och läste nyligen så tog jag med mig ett citat som ytterst väl belyser det som jag så ofta tjatar om till mina kunder: “Hoven är en spegel på hästens inre hälsa”. Här får ni det med Pete Rameys egna ord:

 Other signs that the diet is working against you are rows of ripples and/or red stripes lined up in succession down the outer wall. Any inflammation or change can throw a ripple or red stripe on the hoof wall, but typically if you see a continuous series of them lined up down the wall you can safely assume the horse is in a constant state of dietary distress. Obese horses, underweight horses, skin or hair problems… All products of improper diet and will almost always accompany hoof problems. No coincidence; the diet not only feeds the hooves, but the “skin” (the hoof wall is literally skin) is the first thing the body robs and starves when trying to save the more vital organs in the face of nutritional distress or disease. The hooves are truly our best window into the health of the whole horse; inversely, they are the first thing to noticeably “screw up” in the face of trouble. It is critical that horse owners understand this, because when dietary problems are affecting the hooves, they are also compromising energy levels, condition, recovery, performance, attitude, immune systems, bone density, healing… The entire health and well being of the horse.

Citat från den här sidan, som behandlar ämnet om sprickor i hovväggen.