Thoroughbred or Labrador??? Diva seemed very happy to see me today 😂
Loved trimming this gentle inquisitive soul today
Variable hay heights
These are amaaazing for your horses’ feet and bodies. I bought some chain and big carabiner clips from Bunnings and hang my haynets at various heights and locations round my paddock.
If you don’t have trees, you can install a tall pine post and hang haynets from that.
High haynets encourage squareness and are a good workout for their core muscles, as well as proving some variation from the monotony of hay being popped over the fence in the same spot each day.
DHC Hoof Clay
What better way to spend a rainy day than making a new batch of DHC Hoof Clay. Silky, creamy and infused with essential oils, Manuka honey and ingredients especially chosen for their bacteria and fungal fighting properties.
Perfect for putting in the cracks and crevices of hooves that can harbour thrush and other hoof conditions.
$40 for a 300g tub
Some sparkle to brighten up a winter’s day.
My handmade Hoof Glitter available for purchase later this year in a range of colours. Made with a natural base with no nasties. Water soluble. Great idea for Christmas
First batch of Dynamic Hoof Care antibacterial/anti fungal beeswax balls coming off the production line.
Locally sourced beeswax infused with powerful antibacterial/antifungal essential oils. These are designed to be pushed into the cracks and crevices in hooves where bacteria can hide causing thrush and white line disease.
I’ll be trialling these for stickability, effectiveness and ease of handling. Hopefully they will be available for purchase soon!
I’m using my time off trimming while my hand recovers from surgery to experiment with some exciting (and some fun!) new products.
Here is my sweet little product tester glamming up her pony’s hooves with Dynamic Hoof Glitter. This will be available in a wide range of super sparkly colours in time for Christmas ✨
The awesome sound of tough gravel crunching feet
Laughy Heel First Landing
Laughy showing off his lovely heel first landing. After a high level eventing career he is now happily barefoot and we have been working on building up the back part of his foot which was contracted from being in steel rim shoes.
Have a look at your horse’s gait, slow mo videos are great for this. The limbs should swing evenly and the heel should hit the ground first to absorb concussion.
Hoof care doesn’t stop with the trim. Recent research has shown that in the wild, horses spend a considerable part of their day browsing on bushes, trees and shrubs above ground level. This is beneficial for the horse’s overall body health which flows down to benefit the feet too.
Horses will generally stand square when browsing and you can see them engaging their core.
So for some passive physio, you can try hanging hay nets at variable heights.
(Disclaimer : this is general advice and not designed to replace the advice of your veterinarian or qualified body worker. If you are unsure if this is suitable for your horse, consult these professionals first).
I’m not sure if I want to eat it or slather it on as a mask!
If you could smell through your phone you’d be smelling a blend of ultra pure essential oils chosen specially for their proven antibacterial and anti fungal properties, Manuka honey and a base of French clay.
I have done a heap of reading of peer reviewed scientific paper into the efficacy of various essential oils and believe I have formulated a blend that is very effective on equine thrush and seedy toe.
When I get myself organised with a logo, container and labelling I will be offering these for sale.
This is what is sometimes referred to as a “council trim”. Just at a walk, every now and then, and without the concussive effects of metal shoes, this is a good way to do a bit of self trimming.
This horse had a high level eventing career and was always shod until 3 years ago. His current life and work level means that he is very happily barefoot (Scoot Boots when necessary). In the past 3 years he has successfully show-jumped to 1.10 and evented to 1* barefoot.
