Holistic Hoofcare (HH) – Theory

Duration: 2 semester

This course is intended for people who would like to develop a more in-depth knowledge on horses hooves and learn how to look after hooves holistically rather than symptomatically, but are not necessarily interested in making this their career. Split over two semester blocks, it is delivered in a mixture of online learning, online meetings, and practical sessions.

The primary focus of this course will be on the WHAT is going on in the hoof and WHY certain aspects are a problem to the hoof and the horse.

To do so, the HH course covers the essentials in hoof anatomy, morphology, and function, but also focuses on the basic nature of the horse and its physiological and psychological needs for health, soundness, and longevity. You will learn which conditions must be present in a horse’s lifestyle for it to be healthy, and which conditions are harmful, including improper rider interaction.

The Holistic Hoofcare theory is offered in two formats:

1. as part of the Holistic Hoofcare Certificate, which is the pre-requisite to the Holistic Hoofcare Professional Course. As part of that, there will be regular online Q&A sessions and practicals throughout the year,
2. as a stand-alone theory course, which is intended for people who want to improve their knowledge on hooves and their importance for the rest of the horse. In this instance there are no regular video calls, Q&A sessions, and practicals. see this link for details and T&C’s.

In conjunction with the practical modules, this course is part of the Holistic Hoofcare Certificate (HHC) and forms a prerequisite to the professionals’ course (HHP). The HHP course will focus on the HOW problems get addressed and corrected.