Kristy's Hoof Care Services

14/03/2024

Hello everyone.
I have decided to no longer trim donkeys.
I find them to be very unpredictable, they need special care and understanding when trimming and this in most circumstances puts me at a higher risk of injuries.

I will also not be taking on any more Clydesdales/ ClydeX I really struggle with the bigger hooves after having carpal tunnel surgery on both my hands last year.

Horses that can't stand still for trimming or have a tendency to kick I also can't do.
I am also a mother as well as self employed and my son needs me to come home in one piece.

Farriers aren't some kind of superhero, chances are if you can't pick up your horses feet safely and confidently then we are likely to have issues too.
Hoof trimming is risky enough without having to work with ones that are more likely to cooperate.

I love my job and would like to be trimming for as long as possible so my risk management protocols are very important.

Thank you for understanding
Cheers
Kristy

29/02/2024

Dr. Robert Bowker says that the majority of horses have a LONG TOE and a narrow frog. Long toes are considered "normal"! From the apex of the frog to the hoof breakover, a measurement of 40-50mm is TOO LONG!

If you see a long toe - get the toe SHORTER! With a shorter toe, the central sulcus returns back to the bottom of the hoof (instead of on the rear of the foot). The position of the frog's central sulcus is a very simple way to know if the frog is beginning to function properly. The frog is the most important component of the horse's foot, and shortening the toe will allow the frog to begin to function.

Read MORE about this in the February issue of The Horse's Hoof Barefoot News! Sign up for this free monthly barefoot horse care e-newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway

Check out Hoof Help Online! We provide helpful advice for shortening toes and improving hoof health. A unique platform for learning: You receive exclusive content you won't find anywhere else, plus a barefoot trimming course, community access, recorded livestream video events, 80 issues of The Horse's Hoof Magazine, 1000's of photos, 100's of articles, 70+ videos, FREE App and more! Learn more at: https://members.hoofhelponline.com/

Happy Hooves! - Yvonne Welz

28/02/2024

Hello everyone,
Just a heads up for anyone wanting to book an appointment.

I am completely booked up for 2 weeks at this stage unless I have any cancellations.

My next available time for appointments isn't until Monday the 18th of March.
I have time available on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of that week.

Please note I am only available during school hours 9am-2:00pm as I have to be back home to pick up my son after school. In some cases I can arrange a pick up person so I can attend later appointments if needed.

If anyone would like to book in for trims or Scoot Boot fitting/sales please contact me ASAP. Either message on this page or call or text me on 0447011645

Thank you 😁
Kristy's Hoof Care Services

24/01/2024

🌿🌱 THE LOW DOWN ON SHORT VS LONG GRASS FOR HORSES🌱🌿

Equine nutrition has progressed in leaps and bounds these past few years. I am pleasantly surprised at how quickly things are moving in the right direction.

That said, I still hear people talk about how they want their horse to lose weight so they put it in a paddock with, ‘nothing in it’. The ‘nothing’ they refer to is usually very short, stressed grass of one or two species, with a decent spread of w**ds popping up for good measure.

Understanding the effects of grazing on short grass versus longer grass is crucial for any horse, but particularly for those with endocrine issues or a history of laminitis (usually caused by endocrine issues).

Somewhat ironically, these horses are often the ones who are purposely put on short, overgrazed grasses with the objective of keeping weight off.

🌱There are many reasons why short grasses cause issues:

⚫️ Short grass is constantly trying to grow. Therefore it will store its sugars and starches (Non-Structural Carbohydrates or NSCs) to prepare for improved growing conditions. Growing conditions won’t improve as your horse will continually keep eating it down, but the sugars will stay there.
⚫️ Because NCSs are predominantly at the base of the plant, each mouthful has a high NSC:fibre ratio. Typically the sugars are lower, and fibre higher, towards the top of the grasses, so the longer the grass, the less sugar and higher in fibre it is. A high fibre, low sugar diet is what a horse’s gastrointestinal system is designed to eat.
⚫️ The higher the grass’s fibre content, the lower the NSC intake will be.
⚫️ Eating longer grass means the horse has to chew more. This not only slows down their intake, but increases saliva production. Saliva helps to buffer stomach acid and helps to prevent ulcers and other gastrointestinal issues.
⚫️ A healthy (non-metabolic) horse eats until they have a specific amount of fibre in their stomach. Eating grass with a high-sugar and low fibre ratio means a horse consumes a lot of high-sugar grass before it feels satiated. This is why you might see horses with ad-lib hay standing around in the shade more than you will see horses with short grass doing the same. Horses with access to high-fibre hay can go and eat, then rest. Horses that need to eat all day to feel full will rest less.
⚫️ Because a horse’s front teeth (incisors) work so well, they can eat enough to stay fat on grasses that are 3cm - 4cm. Ponies can do the same on grasses that are even shorter (1cm - 2cm).
⚫️ Grasses grown specifically for lawns have their growth points very close to the ground so the plant can cope with being kept constantly short. These grasses have been selected specifically for this. Overgrazing results in only the 'lawn' type grasses surviving - so the result is a monoculture; just one or two species of grass. In addition, lawn type grasses are typically not ideal grasses for your horses to be eating a lot of.
⚫️ Horses are more likely to pick up sand while grazing short grass than they are on longer grass.

🌿 Property owners who want to take care of their paddocks should also keep in mind that:

⚫️ Short grass plants have short root systems that cannot reach far down in the soil for nutrients. A short root system results in much less organic matter in the soil, causing soil compaction and poor drainage (not to mention less carbon sequestration).
⚫️ Short, sparsely grassed areas in a paddock quickly turn to mud in wet weather and become dusty very quickly in dry weather. Both lead to soil erosion.
Short grass plants are not as able to outcompete certain w**ds as longer grasses are.

🌱 How long is short?

Clients need to fill in a form to get a diet consultation and I ask for a description of their pasture as part of the process (both written and photographic). I was once astonished at the difference between what they tell me the grass is like, and what it is actually like.

A lot of owners describe grass that’s around 3cms long as, ‘heaps of really good grass’. Because of this misunderstanding of what good grass is, they then don’t offer any additional hay. I end up having a lot of discussions with clients about grass. Sometimes we chat more about pasture and hay than the diet itself which is understandable as grass is complicated!

Short grass is generally shorter than 5cm (2.5 inches). However you need to look at the average height across your pasture as you will (hopefully!) have several species of grass available to your horses. There may also be areas they use as toilets which they won’t eat unless they’re almost starving. While 5cms is pretty short, in reality, on many horse properties, the grasses are as short as 1 or 2 cm.

Many horse owners think a paddock full of grass that is 5 cm long would be regarded as too long. At 5 cm, the plant is just about reaching the stage where it has 2 to 3 leaves, and it can now start to make a rapid recovery, using its stored sugars/starches for growth; at less than 5 cm it becomes stressed.


🌿 Why is longer grass better for horses?

⚫️ Longer grasses are healthier and typically not stressed (so they have less NSCs).
Taller pasture plants have a higher fibre-to-sugar ratio than short grass. As mentioned above, this is ideal for a healthy gastrointestinal tract.
⚫️ Longer grass typically allows for more biodiversity (i.e. less monoculture).
⚫️ Longer grasses have a longer and thicker root system. This results in more healthy nutrients being brought up from deeper layers in the soil.
⚫️ Longer/thicker roots equal better soil protection which means less mud or dust. Obviously this is good for the ground and for your horse (less mud is better for a slew of reasons), but it also means plants may be able to be grazed in wetter conditions for a longer period of time.
⚫️ Longer grass shades out and outcompetes many w**d species.
⚫️ When the roots are longer the plant can ‘trades' some sugars for other nutrients such as amino acids. When the grass is short and stressed, it hangs onto excess sugars.
⚫️ The horse has to eat from the top; this means they need to eat the higher fibre, lower sugar part before it can get to the higher sugar part of the plant (at the bottom of the plant).
⚫️ The horse has to chew more, creating saliva to buffer stomach acid.
⚫️ Horses walk more when grazing longer, more diverse pastures as they seek out different plants.
⚫️ Longer grasses mean horses are essentially also browsing, not just grazing, this variety of eating postures is good for them biomechanically.
⚫️ Horses pick up their feet more if they live in paddocks with longer grasses, this is also good for them biomechanically.

🌿 Why is longer grass better for your property?

⚫️ Longer grasses shade the soil in hot, dry conditions. This keeps it cooler and reduces evaporation. This, plus the increase in soil organic matter, helps hold water in the soil for longer. This means your grass can keep growing even when it hasn’t rained in a while.
⚫️ Longer grasses provide a habitat for insects, small mammals/reptiles, and ground-nesting birds.
⚫️ With their longer/thicker root systems, taller grasses sequester more carbon than short grasses and even faster than trees! This is improved when the plants are repeatedly grazed and then allowed to regrow (as part of a rotational grazing system), as it effectively pumps carbon into the soil.
⚫️ Taller pasture plants keep the soil warmer in cold weather.


🌿 How long is long?

In a rotational grazing system of land management, the grass is regarded as tall enough to resume grazing when it is approximately 15cm, or just before it goes to seed. When the grass plants have been grazed down to an average height of 5 cm, horses should be removed and the grass given the chance to rest and recuperate.

Won’t free access to long grass make my horse fat/ter?

This answer to this question requires a whole other very long article and is dependent on many other factors. However, provided you do it sensibly, then in my experience, no.

Of course you can’t just let your horse have free access to endless lush, early spring grass, especially if you have high sugar grass species such as rye. If however, you have grasses that are lower in sugars such as fog, and/or you wait until it’s a little drier then your horse is less likely to gain weight, AND it’s a whole lot better for your horse’s gut AND also for the pasture itself.

If your horse has had their grazing restricted to overgrazed, short grasses for a long time (particularly if they also haven’t had access to hay) then you need to make a slow transition to longer grasses. If you suddenly give them access to long, lush grass then they are very likely to gorge and then they will gain weight.

🌱 What about horses on agistment?

Having a horse on agistment makes things more difficult, but not impossible. Ask your agistment owner if you can rig up some temporary fencing (i.e. pigtails and tape) within your paddock to rest part of it, or set up a track system so you can have longer grasses. Setting up a track next to your existing permanent fencing also encourages more incidental movement and means you can restrict grazing at the height of spring and then allow your horse onto the longer grasses when it’s safe to do so. I suggest approaching them from a ‘paddock/pasture preservation’ point of view and use all the above reasons as to why it will be better for their land, as well as for your horse.

*credit to the Equiculture website which was used as a resource for this article

24/01/2024

Great information!

***ANSWERS TO THE TOP THIRTY MOST COMMON NUTRITION AND WORMING QUESTIONS***

I updated and added to this every year for a while, but I haven’t done that for a few years now! I’ve added to the list with some info about grass and pasture specifically as I’m finding that these are the things that horse owners struggle to understand the most.

1. If there isn’t adequate pasture, your horse needs hay. 1.5%-2.5% of its body weight per day. It’s all well and good getting what’s in the bucket right, but roughage is the key to a healthy gastrointestinal system and without a healthy gut you just can’t have a healthy horse! A lack of roughage can lead to colic, ulcers, a lack of condition and a whole range of other issues. In fact, even if you do have adequate pasture, chances are your horse will still benefit from some hay.

2. From an owner's perspective, the most difficult part of equine nutrition is understanding grass. Balancing the diet is relatively easy, but unless you understand pasture and its effects on individual horses then you’re going to struggle. Start your ‘learning about pasture’ journey now or get in touch with someone that can help you.

3. The sugar and starch in grass isn’t constant! If you’re having grass issues then the safest time to let your horse onto pasture is just before the sun rises as the grass has used up its sugars to grow overnight. Sugars are highest in the late afternoon just before the sun goes down. This makes the safest times to graze are between about 4am and 9/10am. Obviously you’re unlikely to wake up in the middle of the night to put the horse out, but letting your horse out for a few hours between waking up and going to work/lunch is a good start. *Note that if the temperature at night drops to below 5C this will cause the grass to 'shut down' and store/accumulate sugars. So if this is the case your horse shouldn’t be allowed onto grass for that day.

4. Plan ahead for all grass-related issues. Don’t wait until the spring grass has sprung, get sorted early. If your horse is affected by grass then it’s much easier to prevent the problem then it is to fix the problem. Like with all things horse (and life), prevention is better than cure!

5. Feeding your horses a VARIETY of roughages is beneficial. Every webinar about horse nutrition I have listened to lately has suggested that variety helps the gut to be healthy, and a healthy gut leads to a horse with less behavioural issues.

6. Further to the above; The brain and the gut are closely related, Google ‘gut-brain axis’ and enjoy your trip down the rabbit hole.

7. Horses are designed to graze and browse, this means that always feeding them at the same height isn’t mimicking their natural environment. Mix it up a bit and think about how this might assist with some ‘passive physio’.

8. Magnesium is not the answer to all your issues. Neither is turmeric.

9. Get creative with your paddocks. Use temporary fencing to restrict intake and keep horses on more mature grasses and reduce how they selectively graze. Incorporate a track system, use slow feeder nets, you can also add logs and natural obstacles to help your horse’s body and brain.

10. Lucerne isn’t high in sugar. Rye/clover, oaten and wheaten hay probably is. Teff, Rhodes and native hays are likely to be lower in sugar than ryegrass-based hays (often called pasture/meadow) and cereal hays, but unless it’s tested you can’t know for sure. I’ve seen high sugar Teff and low sugar oaten, so testing is the only way to know.

11. Your horse is very unlikely to be getting all it needs from grass/hay (no matter how good it looks). It very likely needs at least copper, zinc and selenium and also probably iodine, sodium and chloride. Find a supplement that contains AT least the first three/four and salt will replace sodium and chloride.

12. Mineral blocks are mostly salt and molasses - they do not and cannot replace the minerals your horse needs (i.e. the ones missing from grass and/or hay). None of them. Even the good ones. Your horse would have to lick for Australia to get what it needs.

13. Your horse probably needs salt added to its diet, almost certainly if it's in a lot of work and it's summer. A salt lick may be okay if your horse isn’t in very much work. If it’s in work and the weather is hot you should probably be feeding at least a tablespoon a day. Horses need electrolytes in winter too. Pool salt is probably fine in most instances, but it’s not food grade. Many horses prefer fine salt, but some find coarse perfectly acceptable.

14. Your horse doesn’t need any more iron. There’s plenty in everything they eat. Don’t buy a supplement with added iron in it.

15. Soy isn’t evil, but if you’re not keen on it, feed something else. Some horses don’t do well on soy, but some cope just fine. H**p meal is a great alternative to soy.

16. To put weight on your horse, first feed more hay. If you’re still struggling add lucerne hay. If you’re still struggling then you can try beet pulp, soaked cracked lupins, copra or soy hulls. If you can afford it, add up to 150ml of food grade flaxseed oil as well (not the furniture one, that one is for furniture). If you can’t afford 150ml of flaxseed oil use ½/ flaxseed oil ½ canola oil to maintain a decent omega 3:6 ratio.

17. Topline is a combination of a good diet containing adequate essential amino acids (such as lysine) and correct work. An under-conditioned horse can’t have good topline. If your horse isn’t getting enough protein and amino acids it can’t build or maintain topline. Beet and grains don’t contain enough protein. If your horse is in pain or has a poorly fitting saddle it’s also not going to be able to build good topline. If your horse isn’t moving well biomechanically it’s not going to be able to build good topline either. It’s not always the diet.

18. Ulcers are tricky. If you can afford it, have your horse scoped, it’s the only way to know for sure and it’s cheaper than omeprazole. If you really can't afford it then first get your diet right, provide enough roughage, reduce stress. Stop any grain and processed stuff. Try an over-the-counter product. If that doesn’t work try a vet prescribed omeprazole product. If that doesn’t have any effect your horse either doesn’t have ulcers or you need to scope.

19. There’s research to support that getting the omega 3:6 ratio in the diet right is important. This means it’s very likely that feeding flax or chia or h**p oil is a good idea. You also get a free shiny coat for your efforts! No other vegetarian oil besides flaxseed, chia seed or h**p oils (h**p is a little different, but still a great option) has the right ratio of omega 3 to 6 and may promote inflammatory conditions.

20. ‘Complete feed’ in MANY instances just isn’t that good, claims of ‘low GI’, ‘cool/calm conditioning’ and ‘laminitis friendly’ is mostly just marketing. Some of them are okay, but some are little more than expensive chaff. Yes, some people get good results sometimes, but doing some research and doing it yourself in most instances will get you better results, will be more affordable and give you more control over your horse’s intake.

21. If you’re looking to reduce your feed bill (because horses = poverty) then think outside the box. Net your hay (it lasts a lot longer), buy rounds and put it in nets, consider if your horse really does need that super expensive gut supplement ongoing (maybe it does, but maybe it doesn’t) and make sure your diet is balanced. If your horse isn’t getting minimum protein requirements then it’s going to struggle regardless of what else you’re feeding.

22. If your horse is overweight DO NOT rug in winter. This is your opportunity to reduce weight before spring comes and provides excessive sugary goodness to make your horse fat and footsore. If you have a normal-keeper then you may need to provide extra hay to keep it warm in winter. If you have a hard keeper you probably need a rug and more hay.

23. If your pony/horse has laminitis, lock it up completely off grass and feed actual tested low sugar hay at 1.5%-2% of its body weight per day. If you don’t have access to this hay, soak your hay for 30 minutes in warm or 60 minutes in cold water. This will also leach minerals so make sure you’re feeding a good quality mineral mix and salt. If it’s laminitic and thin see point 16 (noting that each horse is different and some won’t tolerate some feeds).

24. If you’re going to lock a horse up, you MUST feed it hay (see point 1). Slow Feeder nets are godsends for fat, greedy, bored ponies, so is exercise. Exercise will actually stimulate the insulin response AND cause weight loss. Diet alone can't do this.

25. If your horse is prone to laminitis it more than likely has an endocrine issue (Cushing's or Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS)). Cushing’s and EMS are on a spectrum. If you’re spending the money on pergolide/prascend spend the money on asking a qualified nutritionist for a diet that’s specifically tailored for your horse and its needs. If your horse has an endocrine condition then diet MUST play a major part of the management strategy. An individual diet plan can be created for less than the price of a fancy saddle blanket.

26. If your horse has an endocrine issue then you must have a plan for spring/autumn grass and put it in place BEFOREHAND. It can reap a huge amount of damage in a very short space of time.

25. Many horses can't gain weight if they're in pain, under a lot of stress or have issues with their teeth, feet, saddle, stress. Good horse health always requires a multi-pronged approach.

26. Just because you don’t see parasites in your horse’s poo doesn’t mean it doesn’t have worms. Just because your horse looks fine doesn’t mean it doesn’t have worms. Just because it looks terrible, doesn’t mean it does have worms. 20% of horses carry 80% of worms. There are excellent odds your horse doesn’t need worming more than once or twice a year.

27. Dentists aren't farriers, bodyworkers aren't dentists and vets aren't nutritionists. Do you expect your GP to operate on you or manipulate your spine?

28. Worming is easy (promise!). Equest once a year after the first frost and do faecal egg counts in between (every 8-10 weeks unless you just wormed with Equest (moxidectin/praziquantel) and then you can wait 14-16 weeks). Rotational worming every 8-10 weeks is completely outdated; even pharmaceutical companies agree. If your vet doesn’t, find a new vet.

29. Pinworm often needs addressing from the inside (with a wormer) and the from the outside (diluted neem oil and/or vaseline spread around the a**s for several days each afternoon prior to and after worming). This is because adults lay eggs outside the a**s at night and crawl back in in the morning. Yep, gross.

30. Random people on the internet do not know what to feed your horse! Everyone has an opinion, but that doesn’t mean they’re right. Chopping and changing your horse’s diet based on what someone on Facebook says isn’t the answer. If you want your diet to be specifically tailored, or you have a problem that can’t be solved by the above, contact a qualified and independent nutritionist. Getting a diet made up by a feed company for free is great, but do you think they are going to recommend products other than their own?

15/01/2024

Hello everyone! Happy new year!
I am back at work and very busy already!
Taking bookings for early February as I am pretty much booked up until then unless I have any cancellations.
Please bare with me if I don't get back to you straight away I will do my best to reply as soon as I can.

Cheers
Kristy

21/12/2023

That's a wrap! I am officially done for the year!
Thank you to all my wonderful clients new and existing.
Looking forward to a much needed break.
I will be back on the 8th or January.
I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Christmas and New year.

22/11/2023

I am now fully booked until I break for Christmas on the 21st of December.
Unless I have any cancellations I won't be able to take anymore bookings until after my Christmas/new year break.

19/11/2023

Hello everyone,
Christmas is approaching quickly!
I have limited spots for trims between now and when I am having time off.

I will only be doing on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, unless I really need to book another day..
I'm burning out a little with being soooo busy lately, need to slow down a bit.

I will be finishing up work for the year on the 21st of December and I won't be back until the second week of January.
If you need to book in for trims please contact me ASAP and I will do my best to fit you in.

Thanks
Kristy

26/10/2023

Love some pony kisses at the end of a busy day ❤️
This boy and another gelding are looking for new homes asap.
Both are 16 year old Thoroughbreds

26/09/2023

Just a shout out to all my wonderful clients who have been recommending me to others looking for a barefoot trimmer.
Thank you all for your support ❤️

15/09/2023

Hello everyone! Happy Friday!
I am back up and running after my second carpal tunnel surgery.
Wish I had done it sooner the relief has been instant!
Anyone needing to book in trims before the crazy spring hoof growth starts please send me a message.
If the messaging on this business page doesn't work please send me a text, 0447011645.
And I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Thanks
Kristy

24/08/2023

16/08/2023

Hello everyone! I'm booked in for my second carpal tunnel surgery for the 30th of August. I will be having 3 weeks off work after the surgery.
If you are needing to book a trim please contact me asap so I can do my best to fit you in before I have time off.

03/08/2023

I have a saddle for sale if anyone is interested. Near new condition!
Wintec 2000 all purpose
Interchangeable gullet system
16" seat comes fully mounted with optional saddle blanket too.
$300 ono

12/07/2023

One of my clients has a beautiful gelding for sale. Really lovely solid type. Gentle soul wants someone to love and fuss over him. Typical brumby, has great feet!
Click the link for more information and contact details for the owner.

https://www.horsedeals.com.au/listings/solid-waler-gelding?fbclid=IwAR3cBBPxF2sLB38uHbHOJnJ7F9jQJRm2H63oGDQFBn3XMESaSR0ySjZi0vs

Major has a beautiful floating trot and a kind nature. He is very quiet and gentle to handle with definitely more whoa than go. Built like a tank he loves trail riding so would suit any sized rider who wants a solid horse that’s not too tall. Has been ridden out on his own and in company. He is ve...

12/07/2023

Back at work again after carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand.
Instant relief! Wish I had done it years ago!
First job today, 4 beautiful Brumbies 3 Bogong brumby mares and one SA brumby gelding, the chestnut who is also currently for sale.
Love being back at work!

21/06/2023

Hello everyone! Sorry I am currently out of action for the next few weeks.
I have just had carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand today.
Once healed I will then have my left hand done.
Hopefully be back trimming in no time 😁
Thanks
Kristy

12/06/2023

Good morning!
I have had a cancellation for this Thursday if anyone is needing trims I have the day available.
Please send me a message to book in. Or if the messaging on here is not working text or call 0447011645

08/06/2023

Anyone with horses needing body work.
Highly recommend Cass ❤️

17/05/2023

How Long Do Scoots Last?

A lot of factors come into play when determining this.
How does the horse wear its hooves? Does the toe drag on the ground? Is the horse balanced in its muscle-skeletal system? How does the horse land - toe or heel first? Or perhaps with a bit of a slide? What type of surface is the horse being ridden on? Soft, hard or abrasive? How are the boots stored when not in use?

After taking all these variables into account we can confidently say that on average, Scoots will last for 1000 km/620 miles.

Here is a Scoot that has been worn for recovery purposes 24/7 for five weeks on a track system of compacted road base and soft material. As you can see it still has plenty of wear left.

16/05/2023

I am in Mansfield today 16-5-23
And have room for 2-3 trims before I head back to Benalla.
Message or call me asap if you would like to book in. 0447011645