Australian qualified farrier with a focus on performance and lameness.
Hey guys!
Apologies to all those who've been trying to reach me but Telstra decided I didn't need my phone that badly while I was overseas!
I'll endeavour to get back to you all as the texts slowly come rolling in.
Ill write up a nice little synopsis of my time in Gili Trawangan but for now here's a sneak peak at what I've been up to!
Not the kind of Christmas present you want!
Unfortunately the excessively wet paddocks we all have after the past few weeks torrential rain are highlighting a tonne of underlying problems. Excess moisture reduces the strength of the hoof to resist deformation and in doing so increases the likelihood of old injuries and damaged tissue causing new issues.
This poor guy had an old pedal bone infection that was treated almost a decade ago and had been stable for almost 6 years until now.
In consultation with the owner and vet we decided barshoes would be our best option to reduce abaxial expansion and dental impression packing to provide passive support while allowing for open access to the crack for topical treatment.
The prognosis is incredibly positive for this guy but that's due in no small part to the diligent owner who had a heap of older radiographs on hand that gave me a decent insight into the underlying pathology, enabling an informed decision and subsequent course of action. I cannot stress the importance of prophylactic xrays, you never know when they might save the day!
Barefoot is best!
Today's lameness consultation. A chronically laminitic pony with resultant hoof morphology.
I generally find smaller horses respond better to being managed barefoot and on a drastically reduced cycle length through a laminitic episode. While a massive improvement was made in a single trim, it is vital that the horse receives regular and adequate hoof care above and beyond what would normally be necessary.
That said, while laminitis affects the foot the problem usually starts with metabolic dysfunction and as such treating the hooves in isolation of appropriate dietary and environmental analysis will yield limited to poor results.
2021 Golden Horseshoe awards!
There's a lot of reasons I do what I do. The science, the pursuit of learning, the physical challenge, the animals, and the fact I'm an uneducated and overthinking idiot.
You know why I KEEP doing it? These pictures. Every smile here is the result of years of struggles, laughing, joking, existential crises, crying, and bonding. I've seen some of you grow from children into adults, some grow from amateur horse owners to professionals and some hone their wit to the stage where they're almost ready to take me on (looking at you Kandy)! I've seen your career changes, marriage breakdowns and the rest. We've spoken through each and every trial; not because I felt obligated or because you were paying me to be there, but instead because I care.
You've been there for my screw ups, the times I've made big or little mistakes, the learning experiences, the successes, and the growth not only a professional farrier but also as a person.
I don't know many blokes who can honestly say they'd wake up and go to work tomorrow if money was not a primary motivator, I'm lucky enough to say just that.
Thanks!
Working with the team at Old Mill Vet Equine Service is always a pleasure.
Unfortunately this little guy found himself the recipient of a stray nail that punctured his DDF tendon through the back of his foot. Dr Slade Walker asked for a hospital plate to be fitted to help treat the wound site more effectively.
Typically I'd apply this shoe in a straight bar configuration however due to the position of the injury this would have obscured access and instead we went with a nice little handmade shoe with dental impression material.
Farriery and Foals!
A substantial focus of my business is consultancy work with boutique thoroughbred studs to assess and correct angular limb deformities (ALDs) in foals. The potential sales prices of these foals can be in the hundreds of thousands to millions and bent or rotated legs can have a massive detrimental impact on not only the bottom line but the future welfare of the individual animal.
Foal corrections are a controversial topic with as many treatment options as there are farriers. I remain a great proponent of remedial trimming as the predominant method of corrections, although I still regularly employ glue on extensions and casts as well as referrals for veterinary evaluation and surgery.
Trimming means that I can fine-tune the adjustments necessary and prevents the over-correction and shoe loss sometimes associated with glue on extensions. Minor adjustments can be made and monitored more effectively due to the reduced operating costs to the client; meaning it's far more financially viable for me to attend the foals at regular and reduced intervals. I feel this plays a massive part in the success I've had with this particular approach however it's important to note others have equal success with alternative methods which may be accounted for with different circumstances and environments.
This picturesque image is from one such consultation with the beautiful Marshall Thoroughbreds at Staghurst
I wonder if I can stare this leg straight?
Making use of technology!
Distortion can be the bane of many an OTTB owner's existences. As unusual and scary as the before hoof may seem it's vital that the underlying cause for the issue is diagnosed and addressed before any treatments can begin. In this case, a disruption to the medial coronet adjacent to poor hoof wall composition sparked enough alarm bells that I suggested the client should seek some X-rays to help develop a management plan going forward.
Working in conjunction with the team at Lockyer Livestock Vets we shot some radiographs that helped isolate the problem to the pedal bone where we found remodeling indicative of an old traumatic injury. Due to the relationship between the pedal bone and the hoof wall, this interferes with and compromises the integrity of the new horn.
As well as establishing the cause of the abnormality on the medial toe, the radiographs also confirmed the suspected negative plantar angle of -4 degrees with associated broken back phalangeal alignment.
The eggbar shoe was chosen to address these concerns as well as assist with pelvic instability while a therapy program works to promote appropriate muscle development. This shoe was chosen as it has the potential to substantially alter hind limb kinetics, is suggested to add rigidity to the capsule and therefore improve overall capsular health, and most importantly is pragmatically acceptable given the horse's husbandry arrangements.
We look forward to seeing what kind of difference we can all make!
Xray Vision 💯
Radiographs are some of the best value for money investments the discerning horse owner can make! The benefit of prophylactic X-rays cannot be overstated, and I cannot emphasize just how important it is to have a reference point when working on complex lamenesses.
Some of the benefits of yearly radiographs include:
• Diagnosis of problems while they are still in their infancy, often resulting in far more successful outcomes
• A reference point to start from when investigating a new lameness
• It provides a clear insight into the physiological balance of the horse's entire distal limb and means shoeing plans can be catered to the individual with unrivaled accuracy 🧐
• They remove the guesswork when formulating a shoeing plan for a horse that just isn't 'quite right'.
• They provide the perfect opportunity for a welfare check and general chat with your vet, not the mention great discussion points with your farrier. 🗣
The awesome team at Lockyer Livestock Vets has put together a wonderful package that I hope to see a heap of clients take full advantage of!
🐴🐴🐴
Some basic approaches to a few common issues. The grey horse in the before and afters currently suffers from metabolically induced laminitis and a welded plate across the shoe adjacent to the very tip of her pedal bone, in conjunction with impression material (dental putty), has kept her sound enough to live a comfortable life as a broodmare.
The solar, or bottom, pics are of a basic rolled/set toe modification on a campdraft horse suffering coffin joint degeneration which causes mild and intermittent lameness. The aim of the set toe is to reduce the most anterior, or forward, portion of the hoof and reduce the mechanical load as the foot breaks over. The actual effects are somewhat debatable however some horses, such as this one, improve substantially with such a simple modification. This modification, and others like it, are often easier and more effective to incorporate into a hand made shoe as opposed to modifying a store brought 'keg' shoe.
Protection comes in all forms!
Leather pads and handmade concave shoes with lateral roll for an old lytic lesion of the pedal bone. The pads provide protection to a sensitive sole while the handmade shoe enables safe nailing around the large resection of hoof wall necessary to treat the white line disease affecting the old injury site.
Simple solution for a hoof with poor integrity
Recent repair job.
Good afternoon guys and gals.
Today has been a dedicated uni day and while I was finishing up a zoom study sesh with a friend of mine it suddenly occured to me that I might be able to use the software to alleiviate some of my boredom into rambling narratives of the slideshow I had prepared for the recently cancelled hoofcare presentation at the local vet clinic.
If you guys like the format i'd be happy to play around and try and get a few more of these kinds of things done!
Thanks everyone! Stay sane!
Making the best use of our current situation by dissecting a laminitic hoof.
Good afternoon guys and gals!
What a crazy time to be alive! I hope everyone is learning to cope with the uncertainty and frustrations being thrown our way.
My apologies for not checking in but, as i'm sure you can all appreciate, things are just as crazy around here at the moment. With that out of the way i'd like to update you on just what we've been up to.
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Farriers as an essential service.
As you may well know NZ recently made a declaration that farriers, despite being intrinsically tied to equine welfare, were not considered an essential service. The immediate ceasation of all farrier work did however have a caveat for lamenesses and cases that were considered emergencies.
With this in mind the Professional Farriers and Blacksmiths Association of QLD (PFBAQ) in conjunction with the Australian Farriers and Blacksmiths Association (AFBA) have been actively lobbying the state and federal governments in the hopes of attaining this classification should further restrictions be put into place. We've also been in touch with the Australian Veterinarians Association (AVA) who have already been successful in securing an assurance from the minister for agriculture that they are to be considered essential services. So far (30/03/2020) these attempts haven't proven successful.
I'd like to reassure my clients that there is no current directive that stops us from carrying out work as we normally would, albeit with common sense hygiene measures in place to reduce the likelihood of exposure.
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Grant Forge & Farriery will be carrying out work as per usual with some changes to the way I will interact with my clients. As usual I will give priority appointments to lameness cases and vet consultations at the clinic or on property.
As per government recommendation I would ask that;
- clients remain at least 1.5m-2m distance from me at all times (unless unsafe to do so)
- If you are an "at risk" person or you are concerned then I would ask you to contact me ASAP about rescheduling your appointment or arranging to have the horses left in a safe area to enable you to stay away while I work.
- If your horses are unruly or rude please understand that I reserve the right to stop work at any point should I feel my personal safety is in jeopardy.
If you have any concerns regarding your appointment please don't hesitate to contact me on
Mobile: 0428726393
or
Email: [email protected]
Exclusively Equine Veterinary Service
**Please note important information**
Hi Everyone,
Regretfully we have decided to cancel the ‘No hoof no horse’ presentation scheduled for this coming Wednesday the 18th March 2020. We have decided to cancel to ensure the safety of our clients, staff and the wider community due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We appreciate your understanding and we will advise when the presentation will be rescheduled.
In the meantime if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact Exclusively Equine Veterinary Services on (07) 5411 4554.
Kind Regards,
Louise & The EEVS Team
Shoeing the performance horse.
One of the topics of the upcoming presentation for the "no hoof, no horse" seminar at Exclusively Equine Veterinary Services that i'll be speaking on is the shoeing of a performance horse.
Performance horses, ground interaction and the manipulation thereof is something i'm both incredibly passionate and intrigued by however it's far from a solid science.
Why does it differ from "normal" shoeing? At its essence, it doesn't. Every horse should be evaluated and treated in the same kind of manner however when we start talking about the performance horse we need to take into consideration a multitude of variables that ultimately effect a horses ability to perform at the highest levels. For the sake of simplicity and ease of reading i'd like to categorize this into two parts - shoeing for physiology/anatomy and shoeing for morphology.
Physiology/Anatomy - In a perfect world every horse could be barefoot and be blessed with straight legs, unfortunately it's not a perfect world. The conformation of the horse sitting above the 'plastic' and 'deform able' hoof capsule directly and ultimately influences not only its shape (morphology) but also it's physiological characteristics ie. bone modeling, sole depth, digital cushion development etc. These considerations must be accounted for when devising a program focused on improving the longevity of the equine athlete, maximising performance and minimising risk. Unfortunately this concept is intrinsically problematic as often times the utilization of shoe mechanics (the alteration of hoof-surface interactions) can have a direct and negative impact on the state of the hoof capsule -- shoeing for conformation faults can often times be detrimental to the health of the hoof which is where it becomes a trade off of necessary evil.
Morphology - Hoof capsule shape and form has multiple variables that influence what we see and deal with as hoof care practitioners. Sometimes this is caused by factors outside out control such as poor conformation, poor nutrition, pathology, lameness and prior damage to the hoof but sometimes this can also be a result of less-than-ideal trimming and shoeing practices. Great, we just need to do it right, correct? I wish it were that easy. While lameness in the horse above the coronet is predominately associated with conformation faults, over use injuries and acute trauma, some of which can be ameliorated by shoeing protocols aimed at giving back what nature removed, lameness in the foot is often times (at least in my experience) a result of a failing hoof capsule with poor morphology. Shoeing protocols aimed at managing hoof distortion in the performance horse can often be contradictory to protocols aimed at treating proximal pathology which, ironically, may have caused the distortions in the first place and a balance is needed.
So after all that, what's the take away?
Shoeing the performance horse is almost always a compromise. We're dealing with elite athletes being asked to perform abnormal feats of athleticism and while we as farriers can help with an array of mechanism designed to provide mechanical advantage it's always important to triage what needs treating.
Some before and afters of a bad abscess. After debridement of the affected tissues we opted to make and apply a quarter clipped straight barshoe with leather pads and silicone packing for solar comfort.
Laminitis!
For those of you fortunate enough to have never had to care for an acutely laminitic horse now's the time the touch the nearest piece of wood!
Laminitis is the single greatest struggle for anyone working as a farrier to deal with and as i've said all too many times in the past i'd gladly never see another one in my entire career.
Attached to this post is an example of a case i'm currently working that is currently suffering from the condition badly enough that the pedal bone has rotated through the bottom of the sole. After careful radiographic evaluation and consultation with the attending veterinarian a decision was made to debride the necrotic tissue surrounding the bone, trim the foot and apply whats known as a hospital plate in order for the wound to be treated in a semi-sterile environment while the horse is hospitalised.
There are many theories, stories and outright fallacies when it comes to laminitis but my go to has always, and continues to be, the teachings of Prof Chris Politt.
The chemical destruction of the bonds holding together the inside, outside and pedal bone are destroyed. While it's far more nuanced than can be adequately explained in a simple Facebook post, think of a hammock being held by two cords at either end - suspended in the centre. If one of these cords were to fail then the hammock will collapse.
After the flush of rain we've had following prolonged periods of devastating drought you may have noticed the grasses growing at unprecedented rates - laden with non-structural carbohydrates primed to trigger a laminitic event in even the most stoic of horses. Unfortunately for the horse, horse owners, vets and farriers alike, this isn't the only cause of the pathology which can make treatment options confusing, contradictory and downright frustrating.
So what's the answer? You're reading waiting for me to give you some kind of golden bullet, right?
There's none. The sad reality is that each and every case is individual, nuanced, multi-faceted and complex to the point of frustration. Etiology differs, treatments vary but the only thing they all have in common is the need for us to diligently watch and monitor our beloved animals
Prevention is ALWAYS better because, realistically speaking, there is no cure -at least as far as farriery is concerned. All we can hope to do is employ management solutions that aim to allow the body to heal itself - a concept kinda fitting for remedial farriery in general!
Rain days mean computer work but it's not always a bad thing!
Join us on the 14th of March for a presentation at Exclusively Equine Veterinary Service where we'll be speaking about farriery, horses and the nuances of farrier science.
One of the side effects of PPID can be unmetered hoof growth requiring more attention than what's usually required. While farriery is an integral part of the management strategy it only compliments the veterinary, dietary and management aspects and is not a solution to the underlying problem.
This is a Sidebone shoe. It is designed to lessen the impact of a hard lateral landing by softening the landing phase of stride on a horse suffering chronic overload of impact force to the outside of the hoof.
While not guaranteed to occur, the problem is usually associated with a fetlock varus or "pigeon toed" horse as a result of the way they move.
..... And then there's times when you need something special
Basics should always be the first port of call
As a horse owner, what would you like to learn about hoof care and farriery?
One thing I'm learning about rehabilitation is just how much muscle memory and reflex affect simple movement. I've been videoing myself to help analyse why I'm struggling with shoemaking post injury and improve my technique.
It really drives home the importance of a whole horse approach to performance!
I screwed up.
Warning: Long winded bu****it follows....
I lamed a clients horse. Not only did I lame it but it happened right before a major show.
Now I really should give you some context. This is a mild hi-lo horse that had been under my care for two years. In this time I've made every effort to find a balance between catering to the physiological challenges this creates as well as deal with the subsequent morphological issues For the most part i have been happy with my progress and management protocols.
As we are all more than well aware this drought has been the terrible. What's often unconsidered though is the changes that occur in your horses feet as a direct result of the environment. At the moment, and for quite some time now, I've noted what could be considered a "retained sole" or "extra sole" in almost every horse under my care. In years gone past I would have diligently removed this in favour of a more aesthetically pleasing finish on the foot when i'm done however i learnt the hard way a few years back that whether or not this occurs as some form of coping mechanism on behalf of the foot, it most certainly does provide some insulation between the pedal bone and these concrete like surfaces and the removal of such ends in an irate phone call because of a lame horse!
Back to the horse in question. Coming up to the important show i had advised the clients that we'd reshoe the preceding week so as to ensure the feet were immaculate for such a momentous occasion. Great idea, huh!? In preparation for this magnificent adventure the horse was to embark upon I paid extra attention to my finish, shoe fit and trim... too much evidently. You see in my attempts to make everything "pretty" i'd tidied up the sole -- no more than what i normally would in normal conditions, but these aren't normal conditions.
Cue lame horse and crap farrier.
Now i'm incredibly fortunate that these clients happen to be an absolutely lovely and understanding family (once the steam left their ears) and the horse is now back on track but the more I've pondered over these things the more i'm a fan of full disclosure. I screwed up and made a mistake, an easy mistake to make but a mistake nonetheless.
It's no secret that i'm a fan of education in all aspects, personal, professional and academic. For all the reading, learning and musing I've done there is one thing that keeps becoming clearer and clearer and that is the unknown. The more i know, the more i become aware of what I don't know and the less sure I am of what I do know.
So for those that haven't nodded off to sleep by my long-winded ramblings, by now you might be wondering "why post it?"
Here's the thing. I want my clients to be confident in me, i want them to know that i'm trying to do the best by them and their animals but i also want them to know that i'm not infallible. I want them to know that i'm striving for better and better at all times, as are most disconcerting practitioners. In the age of social media people can pretend to be whatever they want online. The amount of self anointed farriery gods that cast down their own interpretation of the horseshoeing commandments is mind boggling and it does nothing but muddy the waters for the poor horse owner who is trying to be a nutritionist, vet nurse, physiotherapist, competitive athlete, farrier, repro specialist and the rest in order to give their animals the best standard of care. I am always wary of anyone who is certain they have the answers.
The people I've learnt the most from are the ones who say......
"I don't know".
White Line Disease, or WLD for short, doesn't discriminate. Contrary to popular belief dry weather does not mean no hoof infections. Stay vigilant!
Hey all!
So as many of my clients will know the accident forced me to completely change my business. Unfortunately that's meant some of my favourite clients have had to find other professionals. Those that I've had to stop servicing I would like to extend my greatest thanks for your support for the duration we worked together. It has been a real privilege and I'll miss every one of you.
For those new to the page I had an argument with a powersaw, which I lost, that resulted in a severed tendon and nerves in my left hand. In the time I spent on reduced duties I made the call to reevaluate my priorities, time spent with my gorgeous wife and future career which led me to reduce my working area. I'm still more than happy to take on new clients but they must reside in the Lockyer valley and Ipswich surrounds.
I've always wanted to find a way to mesh academic study, theoretical knowledge and good fundamentals when it comes to a farriery practice and I think we've found new ways to deliver on that pledge. We have some very exciting business ventures in the pipework that will hopefully benefit you - the horse owning public. I can't detail too much yet but one thing I can say is it will invite far more interaction and question taking.
In light of all this change I've also applied and been accepted into a bachelor degree at CSU which I hope will only add to the breadth of service I'm able to offer you with my business.
I don't think I'll ever stop shoeing and trimming horses, I just love it too much, but I'm absolutely stoked to see what this next chapter brings for us all!
Kyal
It's easy to blur the lines between work and play!
Why don't my horses feet look like the pictures?
So you've been scrolling Facebook ( you know you're procrastinating right?) You've found a horse related post on Facebook that concerns hooves. Said product/poster/pseudo-expert promises that your horse can be better if you only invest in their service, product or witchcraft.
Sounds great right? I mean, you're not happy with how your horses feet look at the moment and your friends constantly remind about how long his toes are. It's obvious to everyone that your current farrier just isn't up to the task and add to that the fact he/she has the personality of a church fence; who came blame you for dreaming!
You're intrigued but the investigative journalist in you needs proof. You need definitive proof that what they're selling is what you're inadvertently in need of purchasing. You scroll on..... There, there it is! Proof! Luckily the advertiser has judiciously included the holy grail of unintended ignorance -- before and afters! They've taken what looks to be a terribly neglected hoof that was receiving sub-optimal hoof care and they've transmogrified it into the pinnacle of happy horse hoof health.
It's no secret that I'm not a fan of these kind of posts and any one of my clients will attest to the general disdain injected into any discussion surrounding the purported benefits of (XYZ) products being touted as the new be-all and end-all of equine excellence. Perhaps this is a failing on my behalf however and I feel I owe you a debt to explain just why this gets under my skin so much.
Hoof care as an industry is subject to the same injection of pseudo-science as any other aspect of life, even more so when you add a sprinkling of emotional attachment and animal welfare. Unfortunately/fortunately (I'll explain, hang in there) this is the problem.
We all want to do well by our horses. We all want the very best for their health and well-being. There are a plethora of people/companies all too happy to sell you this dream, at a price of course. Does that mean I am anti industry? Definately not. There's a time and a place for everything and some of these products even hold valid claims of benefit.
Hoof health is an incredibly subjective field and I'm incredibly dubious of anyone who is happy to sell fanciful ideals. The ugly truth is we've bred a species with little to no regard for hoof health, developed management and pasture strategies that directly and negatively impact hoof health but then to top it off we ask super human like performance from an animal not designed to withstand the rigors we place upon them. Poor conformation, poor feeding programs, poor riding, poor pasture, all these play into the actual health of the hoof itself.
Now here comes the farrier. I come along every 4-6 weeks and trim your horse, sometimes I even throw a shoe over my trim. I play the arbiter between you and your horse who is on a self destruct mission and God only knows what'll give out first, him/her or your wallet. 4-6 weeks of damage done to a foot and yet I show up with my superman cape expecting to fix all your woes.
It's comforting and reasonable to think, as an owner, that I've got all the answers. Sit down for this part ~ I don't have a clue! I'm using my experience, very limited knowledge of the fundamental sciences and a magic 8 ball to decide the best course of action for your horse which, might I add, seems to change every damned visit.
But Kyal! You're a qualified farrier! You should know this stuff!!! I trust my horses in your care! Anyone remember what I did to my own thumb a few weeks back with a powersaw? At this point in my life I'm not sure I trust myself to fart without a handful of spare underwear.
Hoof morphology and pathology follows somewhat set patterns, this is true. We can use fancy words like the Centre of Pressure (CoP) Centre of Rotation (CoR) and Centre of Body Mass (you guessed it, CoBM) as biomechanical markers to measure an estimation of locomotive effects upon balance (and vis versa) but we really haven't established the long term efficacy of such protocols nor even the proper short term usage.
I often hear the 'traditional' aspects of farriery spoken of with disdain. Tradition becomes tradition because it works. Empirical (experience based) evidence is a very pertinent and valid form of scientific observation and it pains me to see it treated with such disregard in favour of "new" technology. Now I should clarify here, I'm far from anti progression. I want to see this industry go forward in leaps and bounds. What I don't want to see is this perpetual cycle of crap masquerading as fact trying to undermine actionable knowledge.
My wish is to see new knowledge, products and innovation add to and compliment existing practice, not replace it. Like it or lump it the basics of shoeing horses have survived the test of hundreds, arguable thousands of years not because we had no other alternative but because it bloody well works!
Gatton
Gatton, QLD
4343
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