Stepping Stone Equine Hoof Care - Angie Howard

15/01/2024

Trialling the Hoofboss on one of my horses Elle.

15/01/2024

Some more success with EasyCare Inc. The Ultimate in Hoof Protection Versa Grip Glueons. This time on hinds of a lovely Standy called Romeo 🥰 that did not like boots on the hinds but needed protection.

22/12/2023

To all the wonderful horses, ponies & donkeys I have had the absolute pleasure to trim this year (& their partners), from Spin Shari Elle Tempe Akim & me we wish you a fun filled Christmas. We hope you canter into the New Year with care. I know we will be & planning to be back at a full gallop in 2024.

12/12/2023

While hoof care is so important, you have to make sure that you are taking into account all the other aspects that goes into making a healthy hoof.

How many boxes have you got ticked?

All the things that are listed here are EQUALLY important!

11/12/2023

03/12/2023

Some great photos of Aggie & Folly competing on the weekend. And yes Follly is a barefoot thoroughbred.

Hi Angie.
Folly and I stepped up and completed our first Gr2 ODE on Sunday at Powranna. After a tense dressage test he was amazing cross country and we had a double clear. A pole in showjumping and we finished 5th which I am really happy with.
Wishing you a speedy recovery.
Aggie

02/12/2023

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

ACEHP 2024 are pleased to advise Professor Neal Valk DVM, DACVS will again be joining our lecturing team!

Neal Valk, DVM, DACVS is a board-certified large animal surgeon and a Clinical Assistant Professor of Equine Field Services at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. He joined the faculty of UTCVM in 2015 after more than 20 years in private equine practice in order to teach veterinary students the “art” of veterinary medicine. Introduced to the concept of Natural Hoof Care in 2004, he is a doubly certified barefoot trimmer who applies barefoot principles and techniques to clinical cases in his practice. An avid supporter of the barefoot concept, he lectures nationally and internationally to audiences of horse owners, farriers, vets and students. Neal is also trained and certified in chiropractic and acupuncture and utilizes his entire knowledge base to deliver truly holistic care to his animal patients. He resides on a farm in Greeneville, Tennessee with his wife Heidi, and their children, Nick and Lauren.

02/12/2023

Why should I get a worm egg count done?
As I talked about in my earlier post….
With worm resistance on the rise, a worm egg count (FEC), followed by a faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), is important to protecting our horses’ long term health. Without this important information, worming can be costly at best and ineffective at worst.

As a horse owner, you already understand the benefits of worming every 6-12 weeks, but do you actually know if the worming products you’re using are working effectively? A faecal egg count contains the answers…

Right now, you can get a worm egg count for your horse for just $15, as an introductory offer! To find out more, message me on 0438 572 887 or via messenger or email me at [email protected]

What is a worm egg count?
A worm egg count is a microscopic examination of your horse’s manure. A fresh sample of manure is collected and sent for laboratory analysis. There, a precise amount of the manure sample is mixed with a solution and examined under a microscope.

What results can I expect from a worm egg count?
Under a microscope, your horse’s manure will be examined at low magnifications to count the eggs present. Using a simple calculation, I will then be able to estimate the number of eggs per gram (EPG) to determine if your horse has a low, moderate or high worm burden. I can also identify the types of worms present.

When is a worm egg count needed?
You should have a worm egg count performed at least twice a year. A worm egg count should be done one week prior to worming, the result of this test will tell you if it is necessary to worm your horse. Followed by a faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) two weeks after which will show use of the wormer used was in fact effective or not.

How much does a worm egg count cost?
The cost of a worm egg count is inexpensive in comparison to the potential and vast health problems caused by ineffective worming.

Remember, the aim of a FEC, followed by a FECRT, is to make your worming program as effective as possible, while reducing the amount of wormer required. Not only do these important tests save you money, but they are imperative to protecting your horse from harmful parasites.

02/12/2023

Great new service in Tassie!

30/11/2023

Lovely video from a client to cheer me up. Glueon Composite Shoes still on for the lovely Appache.

26/11/2023

I've had surgery on a finger last week that will put me out of action for around 6 weeks. I will contact those who have horses due during this period to discuss your horses needs.

26/11/2023

Great chance to win a pair of these amazing boots! Ps love the colours!

🥳 Our birthday party is getting wilder and wilder! 🥳 This week, you could bag a pair of limited edition FlexPony or FlexHorse boots! If you win, you can choose from pink or turquoise boots, and can also pick the color of the neoprene gaiters and back straps. How cool is that!?

How to take part: Same as last week, all you need to do is comment on this post with a photo of your horse wearing Flex Boots, and write about why you love the boots, what do you use them for and how they are helping your horse. You can take part as many times as you want, as long as it’s always with a different photo and text.

The deadline for entries is on Wednesday 29th November 2023 at 11am GMT.

This giveaway is not endorsed, sponsored or administered by Facebook, nor is Facebook associated with this giveaway in any way. Full details at https://www.flexhoofboots.com/giveaway

18/11/2023

What makes "barefoot" work?
Dr. Robert Bowker has repeatedly emphasized that the malleable hoof horn responds directly to the trim applied to it, and to any permanent fixtures applied to it, as well as to the ground surface. When we trim, we are actually changing the internal structures of the hoof itself, including the bones. This can be positive or negative.

Historically, all methods of natural barefoot hoofcare have emphasized the importance of healthy living conditions as an active part of the process (originally taught by Dr. Hiltrud Strasser and Jaime Jackson). This crucial part is overlooked and downplayed by nearly all traditionally derived hoofcare methods right up to the current day. Instead, horse care "traditions" continue on unchallenged, even when they have been proven in various European studies to be detrimental to the horse (i.e. full time stabling; isolation stalls; stabling of young horses, etc.).

This is CRUCIAL because the barefoot hoof when in optimal conditions - or even "a little bit better" conditions - will adjust itself. When trimming errors occur, and they do, the horse can then self-trim just a bit to improve things. This "co-trimming" of the horse is so important to the success of barefoot trimming! This does not mean long intervals between trims; this means that the interval between trims, whether 2 weeks or 6 weeks, for a horse in good living conditions will lead to even further hoof improvement (remember that shorter intervals of 3-4 weeks are important when changing a problem hoof; not quite so applicable to stable, healthy hooves in very excellent living conditions).

The BETTER your horse's living conditions, the less important your trimming details become, as long as the hoof form is approximating a natural shape (physiologically, that means short toes and lowish heels so that the frogs kiss the ground and can correctly function and do their proper job). Conversely, with poor living conditions, your trim itself better be smack-down perfect, because there is little room for error (no self-adjustment).

When a fixed device is placed upon the hoof which allows for NO natural wear, such as any form of permanently attached horse shoe, there is zero opportunity for the hoof to adjust itself. Therefore, the farrier/trimmer takes full and total responsibility for the entire foot of the horse, its angles, its function, etc. Seriously, that is a little too much responsibility, being as there is no consensus on what is truly healthy or truly correct. Nature always wins. Happy Hooves! - Yvonne Welz

03/11/2023

29/10/2023

26/10/2023

26/10/2023

Hoof anatomy fun facts 🤓

01/10/2023

Vet in the Valley is looking for interest to attend Campbell Town in late October. We will be offering:

🦷 Equine Dentistry with Portable crush and scales
🎥 Gastroscope
🩻 High quality x-rays
💉Vaccinations and microchips
🩸Blood tests
😱 Shockwave
💪 Ultrasound
🩼 Lameness exams

Minimum numbers required to ensure our attendance. Please call 0419306182 to express your interest.

25/09/2023

A client running a helpful workshop.

25/09/2023

A great workshop!

19/09/2023

Trimming babies 🥰

07/09/2023

Latest update from Sponsored rider Brooke Whelan & her big fellow Kai.

💫 Monmouth Hickstead 2023

We won’t talk about the dazzle boards!!!!!!🤦‍♀️ Blown away by everyones support today. Love our club 💙🤍🤎 and a massive thanks to our amazing sponsor, we would not be able to do this without you!!! Stepping Stone Equine Hoof Care - Angie Howard

07/09/2023

Although we’re seeing a rise in owners taking their horses barefoot, there is still a huge amount of horses that fail to transition fully. Many owners associate barefoot horses with the simple absence of shoes yet fail to recognise the importance of providing a species appropriate diet and management that works to fulfil the horses needs on a daily basis.

Anyone who has transitioned a horse to barefoot before will know that this is often met with comments from their fellow equestrians. This can be ‘my horse is crippled without shoes’, ‘my horse wears down his feet’ or ‘my horse is ridden so he can’t go barefoot’. Despite the number of professional riders and horse owners riding, hacking, jumping, competing, eventing and team chasing barefoot, there is still this giant misconception that barefoot horses are unable to do what shod horses can do.

When a horse fails barefoot, it is typically due to an aspect of their diet, management or trim being off. Sub-clinical Laminitis takes the top spot for reasons many horses fail barefoot, causing soreness and discomfort over any terrain that isn’t grass. This is one of the warning signs that your horse is suffering from inflammation in the early stages yet is so often ignored and covered up with the use of shoes. We like to use the term ‘stuck a plaster on it’ when talking about this particular scenario because when shoes are used to mask their sensitivity, the underlying cause of inflammation is still compromising the body and often results in further problems down the line. More than often, the culprit is the abundance of grass we have in the UK and the idea of removing the grass can seem impossible or simply ridiculous when so many of us are led to believe horses eat grass, without considering the type of grass and the nutritional profile of said grass.

Additionally, there is also a widespread fear of riding horses without shoes and wearing the hoof away. Most issues or concerns regarding wear can be traced back to diet, movement and trim.

1) Diet affects the quality of hoof horn, the tightness of the white line and new growth. A hoof that has poor quality hoof horn that chips and splits is in need of a diet overhaul. Shoeing may help in the sense the feet ‘look’ better, but this will not remove the fact that the horse is struggling with the diet they are currently on.

2) Movement, with the correct diet in place, is needed to stimulate new growth. Without reoccurring hoof to floor contact and daily movement, the rate of growth can be drastically affected, playing into this idea that ridden horses simply can’t go without shoes. Many confuse self-trimming with hoof’s that don’t grow but it’s actually very difficult to self-trim properly in the UK with what we have available, so if your hoof care professional is taking little to no hoof wall off at each trim, then chances are your horse isn’t getting enough movement and this will be reflected when ridden.

3) Shoeing itself tends to cause a whole heap of issues for both owner and horse, one of which is circulation and upper body issues. Referring back to the hoof to floor contract, we know shoes can reduce circulation to the hoofs which again plays an important part in hoof growth. Additionally, upper body problems and conformation issues are commonly caused by shoeing and the tightness and imbalance they caused further up, sometimes contributing to uneven wearing of the shoe or hoof. A classic example of this is one of our most recent rehab cases Louie, who struggles with tightness through his hamstrings and SI area caused by contracted heels and deep central sulcus thrush inflicted by shoes (and diet).

Regardless of your reason for shoeing your horse, be it thin soles, flare, heel pain or arthritis, we need to remember that our horses are living, breathing animals and not machines. Rather than assuming your horse is just incapable of being without shoes despite being born with a perfectly good, intact set of feet, we need to be looking at WHY your horse can not go barefoot right now? Then, instead of brushing the problem under the rug, or in this case covering it with some pretty shoes, we address the problem so they’re not just ridable, but they’re also healthy and sound with their needs being met.

If your horse isn't sound without shoes, then they're not sound full stop.

Photo courtesy of Rebekah on her horse Dan - Ramelia's Hoofprints

07/09/2023

For anyone after a saddle fitter.

23/08/2023

15/08/2023

Why are farriers are so expensive these days!? 🤔
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