The Holistic Hoof / Alternative Equine Hoof Care

26/07/2024

I'm taking a brief break from the 29th of July till the 7th of August 🌴

12/07/2024

This is so important for proper rest and mental well-being. Now that I have a little family I really have to have clear boundaries.
People sometimes don't realize how much work it is to run a business, reply to up to 20 messages a day, bookeeping and work around childcare + run a household. But I love it and I want to keep loving it. ❤️

When a farrier puts down their tools for the day, it's important to respect their business hours.

Like everyone it's important to maintain a healthy work/life balance ⚖

Messaging out of work hours can feel like an unexpected guest arriving for Sunday Roast with your family to talk about appointments and horse shoeing.

✅ Studies show - people who maintain clear boundaries between work and their personal life have increased job satisfaction, productivity & overall wellbeing
✅ Studies show - people who felt obligated to respond to work messages outside of working hours experienced higher levels of stress and reduced wellbeing (University of Suss*x)
✅ Studies show - poor work-life balance is a significant contributor to stress, anxiety, and depression – (The Mental Health Foundation)

‼️If it's an emergency make sure you contact your vet as soon as possible‼️

🧠 Farriers - remember to lead by example & follow your own rules!

09/07/2024

It's always good to say goodbye to cracks 👌

24/06/2024

Happiness is when you are squeezed between two cute fluffy donkey kids 💖

22/06/2024

For all the donkey owners out there, less is often more.
Remember a donkey is very hardy and thrives in desert like conditions.

16/06/2024

I understand pretty is attractive but it doesn't mean it is functional.

Question everything

In today’s age with social media and now meta-AI we have to dig deeper. Soundbites and pretty photos of hooves, generate likes and comments.

But I have to wonder, do those things make you wonder and dig deeper or blindly jump on the bandwagon?

An unpopular opinion, but one truth is that no single individual has the answers about hoof care for every single horse. Hoof care is rather nuanced.

It is my jam to ask ‘why’ so that I can understand. I try to consider the possibilities and the variables that could make someone else’s ‘why’ makes sense to me. While I may have a different approach to addressing something, I try not to discredit the prior approach as there can be many roads to Rome. Variables change, horses change, and what was true six weeks or six months ago may not still be true now. The ‘why’ they made that decision then may not hold true now. Hooves don’t exist in a vacuum, free from change. They are changing and adapting all the time. Which in turn means that we often have to change and adapt our thought process for how we are going to approach a trim and potential shoeing.

I don’t live in either extreme of the hoof care world. There is a place for everything sometimes. The beauty of extremes is that it educates us and push us past comfort levels to open our minds to new research or understanding, try something new or different or better. I believe most answers lie somewhere in the middle of the extremes. Of course, there will always be some outliers, which is why we need to look at all possibilities and question what we think we know.

Most human beings want things to be black and white and fit into a neat little box, myself included. The reality is that is not how life works the vast majority of time. Social media will have you believe that everything does actually fit in a neat little box.

It is up to us to ask the harder questions, to get comfortable with being uncomfortable and not knowing. The only way we can better advocate for our horses is to get comfortable doing our own research and asking questions.

03/06/2024

Hi everyone,

A little business update . From the 1st of July 2024 I am required to register for Gst. This means changes to all my current prices and services.
I was very fortunate to keep prices fairly low and consistent for the 12 years that I have been providing Hoofcare to my clients.
To be able to keep servicing the Margaret River area and beyond, that also means that I have to be able to live here with my family, hence why I need to raise prices slightly and unfortunately Gst on top of it. I know lots of people doing it tough atm so this decision wasn't made lightly.

Thanks for supporting my business and for your understanding🙏

New prices including Gst are as follows:

♧Maintenance trim $65
20 minute trim for horses that stand well and pick up feet willingly.

♧Rehab trim from $75
A 35min trim for horses that have issues like Laminitis, seedy toe, hoof cracks ect. and need more time.

♧Heavy trim $85
For heavy breeds like Clydesdales, Gypsy cobs and other heavy breeds.
Those need to stand up well, otherwise I won't be able to do them.

Training trims available, starting at $65

♧Bootfitting $22
15min
I provide Bootfitting services for Scoot boots, Easycare Fusions.

A fuel surcharge per property of $10 will be added to my Harvey run.

I kindly have to ask to please pay invoices on time, I already give 7 days for direct debit payments. Otherwise I have a card reader with me for on the day payments.

Thanks 🙏

27/05/2024

The sugar content in grass, specifically non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) such as sugars and starches, can vary throughout the day and is influenced by the following factors:

Photosynthesis:
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, including grass, convert sunlight into energy. During the day, when sunlight is available, grass undergoes photosynthesis, producing sugars as a byproduct. Therefore, sugar content may be higher late afternoon/evening.

Respiration:
Respiration in plants involves the breakdown of sugars to release energy, similar to how animals respire. During the day, photosynthesis generally exceeds respiration, leading to a net increase in sugar content. At night, respiration continues, but without the offset of photosynthesis, sugar content may decrease and be lowest first thing in the morning.

Stress Response:
Stress factors, such as high temperatures, can influence the sugar content of grass. In some cases, grass may respond to stress by increasing sugar production. Frost can cause the sugars to be high in the early morning.

Growth Stage:
The growth stage of the grass can also impact sugar content. Grass that is actively growing may have higher sugar content during periods of rapid growth.
It's important to note that while the morning hours might coincide with lower temperatures and potentially lower stress levels for the grass, variations in sugar content can depend on the specific type of grass, environmental conditions, and other factors. Grass management practices, such as fertilization and watering, can also influence sugar content.

For horse owners concerned about sugar intake, especially in horses prone to conditions like laminitis, it's advisable to test your horse's insulin response following grazing.

For more information please call 0427 072 095 or book an appointment online https://avonridgeequine.com.au/book-an-appointment/

12/05/2024

Sand colic is commonly encountered in horses in Western Australia.

A popular “treatment” for clearing sand has historically been to routinely “oil drench” horses once or twice a year.

However, there is NO evidence to suggest that oil drenching is effective.

As this information becomes more widespread, the majority of horse owners have now moved to performing abdominal radiographs to identify the horses with large sand burdens and then targeting therapy specifically for these horses.

Abdominal X-rays are a simple, non-invasive method which can be performed on your property. It has been great to see owners, large studs and agistment centers moving away from routinely drenching all horses and instead performing sand X-rays!

A more effective method for clearing sand in horses with large accumulations is the administration of a combination of psyllium and magnesium sulphate. See results of a study in the comments.

Another reason to stop performing the “worm, bot and oil drenches” is because these worming treatments can promote parasite resistance in horses. It is also questionable how effective the worming liquid is when administered in a large volume of paraffin oil. Performing f***l egg counts and developing a targeted deworming plan is a much more sustainable way of managing your horse’s worming program.

For more information please call 0427 072 095 or book an appointment online https://avonridgeequine.com.au/book-an-appointment/

19/04/2024

Yes its autumn 🍂 but not yet the right time for worming.

Autumn worming - waiting for the first frost (mid April to June) and what wormer to use

The aim of modern worming practices is to reduce the number of times a year we worm our horses and only worming when required based on the evidence supplied by carrying out FEC (egg count) tests. However, ALL horses should be wormed at LEAST once a year (regardless of FEC results) and that "mandatory" worming time is after the first frost of autumn (mid April to June).
Why? because worming after the first frost of autumn means that adult bot flies have been killed by the frost and there is no chance of reinfection. Tapeworm larvae have moved into the correct part of your horses stomach, encysted small strongyles have emerged from their cysts (triggered by the cool weather) and are all susceptible to wormers. FECC advises not to wait till the end of winter to conduct this treatment as the larvae/eggs of bots and tapeworms may have already passed from your horse into the environment and you have missed your chance to break their lifecycle.
Not all wormers are suitable for the autumn worming. FECC advises that your wormer should have the active chemicals (ingredients) of Moxidectin and Praziquantel).
**Tomorrows FECC post will discuss which wormers to use and some general pointers about picking suitable wormers**

26/03/2024

Autumn is here, and it’s slowly but surely getting to the time of year for autumn dewormings. If you’re thinking about purchasing your pastes ahead of time, remember that to target bot fly larvae you need to use a paste containing an avermectin.

There are three avermectins: ivermectin, abamectin and moxidectin.

This autumn, for routine treatments choose a dewormer containing ivermectin or abamectin. Brand DOES NOT MATTER, it is the active ingredient that matters. Read the fine print on the box. Do not ask me for a brand recommendation – I do not have any, I will instead repeat “Look for a wormer containing ivermectin or abamectin”.

Now I’m going to go against the advice of vets and saddleries and pharma companies and advise AGAINST the use of moxidectin (Equest (Zoetis) and Ultimum (Virbac)) for routine autumn treatments. Moxidectin is the most potent of the dewormers we have for horses and as such should be saved the most to prevent drug resistance. Once there is resistance to moxidectin there is resistance to all avermectins – and resistance is slowly but surely developing. The drench boxes claim an egg reappearance period of 14-16 weeks, in reality it is closer to 10 weeks and I have had samples come through with high EPGs at only 7 weeks. Moxidectin should be saved for use in young horses, sick horses or those with very high burdens. Think of moxidectin as your fancy white show breeches – you don’t wear them out on a trail ride, you save them for when they are needed. Or if you do wear them out the trail, how many rides do you get before they’re ruined? And then you lament because you bought them in Europe on that one holiday you went on and they cost 350 euros and you can’t find the same again here in Australia.
That’s sort of how drug resistance works except finding new drugs is a lot more expensive and complicated than replacing your breeches.

Just remember – to kill bot fly larvae you need to use a paste with ivermectin or abamectin.

11/03/2024

I'll be in Germany from the 13 th of March for a catch up with my family.
I'll be back on the tools on the 8th of April. Hoping for a bit of rain in the meantime to soften those concrete feet 🤪
See you all soon ... Caro and Izzy Bizzy 🐕

09/03/2024

❤️ This ⬇️

Resist the Urge to Fix Everything

I feel like I need to be really careful how I word this post. Not even because it’s controversial, although it is, but because I feel like I firmly believe two things can be true at the same time and I could even see MYSELF getting into an argument if I read this post about this topic 😂🙈

Yesterday I took the day off for my birthday and had some nice down time, which is rare these days, and honestly amazing. It gave me the perfect amount of rest to get absolutely fired up about some posts on social media 😂

One such post was a friend of mine sharing some images of her now-sound horse and posting what his feet look like when he is most comfortable and moving soundly. Now, I know this horse’s entire saga of a story, and all the years of extensive diagnostic imaging this horse has had alongside corrective shoeing, joint injections, oral NSAIDs, and more, only to then be given the recommendation of euthanasia in the past due to lameness. It has taken my friend years of troubleshooting to find what keeps her horse sound and in full work- and a huge step forward in that was taking a minute to leave the feet alone. Once they were able to note his wear patterns and where he was compensating, their trim and hoofcare approach changed and they found he was much more sound and off all NSAIDs once they “listened” to the hoof more.

It resulted in an uglier hoof, a little more length, a little more flaring and deviations, but confidence and comfort over all surfaces and soundness to return back to full work for the last few years. As long as they don’t force their ideal onto his feet, he does well.

Now, I give this background because I want to emphasize that this horse has done better for years despite uglier feet. Yet the comments on her post went to downright rude… there were people telling her that her farrier was stupid and lazy and didn’t know what they were doing, there were people saying the trim was asking for heel pain and issues (which is exactly what he rehabbed FROM to now being sound), there were people laughing at her photo and her comments.. The amount of people who got absolutely OFFENDED that her horse had extra growth on his hooves… honestly, it got me defensive FOR her.

Because
1) as hoofcare providers, NONE of us have all the answers for every single horse
And
2) although an ideal may be “correct,” every single horse is an individual, and previous injury, conformation, and internal pathology can make the “ideal” impossible.

It is so easy to judge feet from hoof photos. I do it all the time without even thinking. It’s easy to look and think that XYZ horse’s HPA isn’t perfect, or their bars are laid over, or their walls don’t have uniform thickness all the way around, or the breakover isn’t as far back as we would like on “OUR” horses, etc etc etc.

But if that horse has said NO to every attempt at getting to an ideal, and has said YES to what has been done for the last few years with veterinarians even commenting on the positive changes in soundness that they didn’t think were possible, who are we to tell the horse that they are wrong?

Now here is where I want to be careful, because this is NOT AN INVITATION TO BE NEGLECTFUL. Do I constantly seek to get the hooves I work on in a better spot- asking for the foot to move towards that ideal? As long as comfort allows- 100%!
Do I have horses who clearly tell me that they want me to do something differently and that they can’t handle having nice little symmetrical feet? Absolutely.

My point in this is that we have to listen to the horse. And maybe next time you see someone post a horse’s hoof and mentioning that their horse is sound with weird feet- maybe ask some more questions about the situation instead of going all Keyboard Warrior Karen and making me grumpy on my birthday because of it.

Educating others on what we look for in hoof health is great. Tearing others down because their horse is more sound with feet you don’t like looking at isn’t okay.

Okay, I’m hoping that’s it for your regularly scheduled rants for a while 😂

Graphic shows a photo of my gelding’s “ugly” foot when he is his soundest due to soft tissue calcification, DDFT tears and impar ligament adhesions, bone spurs and navicular bone damage. Try to dictate his foot and he will tell you real quick that it isn’t okay.

09/03/2024

04/02/2024

This!!!

02/01/2024

A bit of a late happy New year to everyone 🎉🎉🎉

Going forward into the new year I have to close my books to new clients for now.
I am struggling to keep up and I always did pride myself to go the extra mile with good customer service and extra time for your ponies.
After a recent little ankle injury and then a nasty flu I have quite a backlog to get through, so please if you think I havent been in touch please send me a quick message. There was no intention of forgetting anyone. Just the last month of the year was a little roller-coaster but I'm back on track now 🫶

13/12/2023

A little reminder for what is still reality for many Tb's and SB horses.

The average age for a race horse to be broken in is 12-18 months old, thoroughbred and standardbred.

That being said it is common in Standardbreds to have older weanlings in harness. You can see from the photo below the uncomfortable posture and distress this weanling is in. Because of two year old racing the age of breaking in must be before hand. Some stables wait longer but the average age in my experience is 12-18months.

I have looked inside a 14 month old standardbred and you can find those photos on this page of every growth plate fully open above the knees on the caudal and cranial aspects. Studies that have been conducted focused on lower leg limbs while ignoring the hundreds of other growth plates and bones present in a young horses body.

Setting industry welfare standards are pointless if the horses body is being exploited on a fundamental level and not legislated against. When I was given this photo a few years ago, it was passed on to the industry body who sent “a stern email”. Since then stakes for 2 year old harness racing in New Zealand have been increased, making it the most profitable age group. Because of the echo chamber racing operates in the trainer felt safe to have posted this in a public racing page.

That echo chamber is done!

The internet will show the industry how disgusting this practice is. I have sat on this image for years feeling disgusted in myself for not sharing it sooner but I wanted to wait until I had the reach worthy of sharing it. I have been told of trainers who put foals on the jogging frame with their mothers. If the industry won’t set standards to protect the horses then the pressure will have to come from the outside! In a time where social licence is important to operate these things matter.

There are great racing people out there who are waiting and are treating their horses with kindness but you will be judged and accountable by your worst members because they make up the majority of racing in my opinion. I expect to get allot of flak for this post and I’m fine with that.

22/11/2023

‼️We’ve seen a number of laminitis cases recently in horses being fed new season meadow hay marketed as “low-sugar”. Given the welfare implications surrounding laminitis, this is an important message so please SHARE this post

🐴 In all cases, the horses were previously stable and their insulin dysregulation was under control for several years. However, since being fed the new season hay, their insulin values have skyrocketed with one horse recording a result of over 700uU/ml! There have also been horses who have reported a much higher insulin response to being fed meadow hay, compared to grazing on irrigated pasture for half a day! Each horse is different and it’s important to know your horse’s insulin response.

🐴 If you have a horse who is being managed for EMS or laminitis, please ensure your hay is tested for WSC and that value should ideally be less than 10%. Please also ask to see the test results so you can verify this value.

🚰 Soaking hay might help remove some sugars but the results are quite variable depending on soak time, volume of water and temperature. Don’t rely on this method to make the hay “safe”

💉 A blood test to measure your horse’s insulin levels to that hay is the only way to know their insulin response and determine their risk for laminitis

Contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment - 0427 072 095

04/11/2023

Very on point !

18/10/2023

Dietary management in horses with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is critical in:
1. Limiting the insulin response to oral sugars
2. Maintaining or achieving an ideal body weight

- Low sugar hay (

14/10/2023

Attention there will be a new price list from the 1st of November.
Fuel/travel is now included in trims and not charged separately.

06/10/2023

Its that time of the year again when our pesky friends are back.
If you please kindly carry some flyspray for our appointments, so I don't have to wrestle a horse trying to get rid of flies. I really don't want to get injured 😫
Thanks and much appreciated 🙏

30/09/2023

We will never see subtle if we continue to poke horses for visual purposes

I am sorry but I really hate videos where the poor horse is constantly prodded to show you the audience how sore or reactive a horse is for how will you ever learn to see the more subtle reactions if the professional is looking for that big response or reaction

If we are getting that reaction then we have missed the signs from 0-9 and waited till we have got to ten, when I assess a horse I try and never get passed 1.

Can you imagine being sore and having a professional keep poking only when you shout stop and then keep ignoring you, would you then trust that professional at any point in the future, would you then relax or would you be on guard???

Why do we think horses are any different in response to pain

What if we showed instead the subtle signals the horse gives off as we enter the stable, the glance as we place a hand on the horse, their face or movement pattern as we work around the horse. Wouldn't that be better for an owner to learn so we are not called in at level 10 of pain but instead level 1.

Wouldn't it better for the horse to be worked on when the pain is not at a super reactive level, why do we still need to see horses jump out of their skin as people grab, poke and prod

Try it yourself press your finger hard in between your ribs or press your finger on your sternum (sternum work should be always addressed very sensitively) and then ask how your horse would feel

We are there to help the horse not to prove there was pain and now there is not because isn't that our job anyway

It makes me cringe and I make no apologies, good hands never cause more suffering to the already pained horse

26/09/2023

19/09/2023

Laminitis is not a primary disease; it is always the secondary outcome of some event, ranging from sepsis, supporting limb laminitis, black walnut shavings, or endocrine disorders -- the latter accounting for the majority of reported cases. The causal agent of endocrinopathic or “insulin-induced” laminitis is insulin. Dietary sugar and starch, obesity, lack of exercise are factors that play a role in insulin regulation but are not the cause. Iron overload disorder (hyperferritinemia) from excessive dietary iron can be associated with insulin resistance and diabetes in humans and many animal species including equines but does not cause insulin resistance or laminitis. *(PMID: 32042647). Genetic makeup is likely the greatest contributor to the development of EMS and PPID. *(PMID: 32534851).

Exercise is by far the best way to maintain normal glucose and insulin dynamics in all animals. In cases where insulin is abnormally high (hyperinsulinemia), controlling the amount of simple sugars and starch (carbohydrates that stimulate glucose and insulin release) in the diet will help to lower insulin and reduce the risk of laminitis. Hyperinsulinemia can be transient. For example, a healthy horse with normal insulin can graze spring grass or eat a grain meal and can have high serum insulin concentrations that respond normally to the amount of simple sugars and starch in the meal. Within hours, insulin values return to normal. In contrast, an equine with EMS has an even higher insulin response to all meals, even meals with low sugar/starch, and fasting insulin is higher.

There are plenty of sedentary, overweight, grain-fed equines that don’t have EMS. Likewise, there are many older horses that don’t develop PPID. There are many horses with excessive iron in their diets that don’t develop iron overload disorder (IOD; hyperferritinemia). Yes, lack of exercise can lead to increased risk of obesity. Obesity can lead to increased risk of insulin resistance and inflammation of adipose tissue (fat) *(PMID: 36244309), but insulin-induced laminitis is not caused by adipose tissue or systemic inflammation. Dietary sugar will stimulate more glucose/insulin release. Hyperferritinemia is a confounding variable that can have a negative effect on many metabolic pathways and overall health, including EMS and PPID. What is the best predictor of insulin-induced laminitis? Insulin! *(PMID: 35263471).

This is not a matter of semantics – it’s basic physiology. In order for treatments or management to be effective, we must understand the direct cause. In a recent publication, the authors stress “It is crucial to continue to emphasize the importance of testing for insulin dysregulation in communication about endocrinopathic laminitis, whether in scientific publications, disease awareness initiatives, or continuing education events.” *(PMID: 34958881).

Of course, we shouldn’t ignore the other factors that play important roles in the management of EMS or the treatment of PPID. If able, introduce exercise to encourage weight loss and stimulate glucose uptake, reducing the demand to secrete more insulin. Limit simple sugars and starch in the diet. Analyze forage to identify mineral deficiencies and excesses. Feed a mineral balanced diet to assure a solid nutritional foundation to work from. Keep the focus on insulin as the central cause of endocrinopathic laminitis.

* Those interested in the preceding references can go to https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and enter the numbers in the above parentheses into the search box.

**For more information, download Dr. Kellon’s proceedings “Protein, Iron and Insulin” from the 2021 NO Laminitis! Conference here: https://www.e-junkie.com/i/11jjd. and https://www.ecirhorse.org/proceedings-2013.php

Kathleen M. Gustafson, PhD
Director and Research Advisor, ECIR Group Inc

17/09/2023

Dedicated to “Mack” miniature donkey.

Donkeys are not designed to be lawnmowers.
They are desert dwelling and live very happily on sparse forage. A bite here and a bite there.

Green grass and uneducated new owners caused this poor donkey to suffer and be surrendered to a donkey charity. I was gifted his feet at euthanasia.

Chronic laminitis.

Mack- your message will be told from this day and forever more. 🌈

I will be studying his feet soon and will share that education with you.

Join me and learn with me-

http://www.patreon.com/hoofstudies

My sponsors for September 2023 ❤️
Melissa LaFlamme; Equine podiatrist and teacher.
https://www.espacechevalmoderne.com/ecm-parage

Holistic hoofcare for horse owners-
Hoofcare professionals and educators specifically for horse owners:
http://www.holistichoofcareforhorseowners

Light foot mud control

https://www.lighthoof.com/

17/09/2023

30/08/2023

🧠 Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a slowly progressive degenerative disease of neurons within the horse’s brain.

⚠️ Untreated PPID cases due to false-negative ACTH results can lead to health issues like muscle wastage, weight loss, bacterial infections, and difficulty thermoregulating.

💉 The TRH stimulation test is considered the most accurate test for the diagnosis of PPID. This test has previously not been available in clinical practice but we can now perform the test on your property to help identify early cases which would otherwise be undiagnosed on with a single ACTH result.

🐴 There is no apparent breed or s*x predilection and the only documented risk factor for development of PPID is advancing age.

❗️Clinical abnormalities associated with PPID include hypertrichosis, lethargy, muscle atrophy, pendulous abdomen, polydipsia, polyuria, abnormal fat deposition, hyperhidrosis, recurrent infections, infertility, behavioural changes, insulin dysregulation (ID), and laminitis. However, mildly affected horses may only display subtle clinical signs, such as delayed shedding, which may not be easily identified.

To schedule an appointment for your horse, please contact us on 0427 072 095 or book online: https://avonridgeequine.com.au/book-an-appointment/

Kirkwood NC, Hughes KJ, Stewart AJ. Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) in Horses. Vet Sci. 2022 Oct 10;9(10):556. doi: 10.3390/vetsci9100556. PMID: 36288169; PMCID: PMC9611634.