Private Pony Farrier Service

09/18/2024

First time using Refine Equine and I highly recommend Emma. I've never received such an indepth dental report (or really much of one at all even at the vet). Very reasonably priced and exceptional attention to detail

08/25/2024

Guess what!? One of my clients has a certified equine dentist in the family!
Refine Equine will be coming up to the wainwright area September 16-17. If you are interested in booking please contact Refine Equine directly.
$200+GST for a float with sedation. Extractions available at additional cost.
If you haul your critters to my client Jessica's home on one of the above dates, there won't be a charge for mileage.

07/20/2024

Just booked a second bovine client. Apparently, if it has hooves I trim it 😉. Horses and donkeys are my typical patients, but I've trimmed mules, a cow, and a couple goats. I'm game to try if you are! Just remember safety of me, the handler, and the animal are paramount. Regardless of the species, if the animal can not be handled (held still, feet picked up and manipulated) safely, then we have no business attempting to trim its feet at that time.

On another note, I appreciate all of my clients, both returning and new. I appreciate your patience with the booking process. I had some personal things that delayed the start of my spring season and put me behind. I have since caught up, but the work hasn't stopped funneling in.

I am currently booking into the 3rd week of August.

(Photo of my newest personal addition, Linus, just for fun)

07/16/2024

What is the true sign of success? When the scammers come after you... lol these nippers look to be absolute garbage in the scammers photos of the "actual product". Listed price on their other website is roughly $60. Not sure how they're gonna ship them from the US for $15-20 but I'm almost tempted to get a free pair of crap nippers to use as... I don't know, pliers? Or maybe I'll be surprised with semi decent ones... doubt it though... all in all probably not worth giving them my credit card info lol. The "office" was supposed to call me this morning to confirm shipping information and collect payment... weird, they didn't call... 😅

06/21/2024

And then there was this ray of sunshine.. 😄 🤣
This is far from his first trim. He knows better but refused to cooperate today.

06/20/2024

Not the most cooperative patient, but adorable nonetheless.

06/19/2024

New type of patient today. Very sweet girl

04/23/2024

Sometimes people suck. Some people are monsters. This little mule was intercepted on his way to slaughter. He was an absolute gentleman to trim. There is zero excuse for letting his hooves get this overgrown. Because his hooves were so over grown he has extensive whiteline disease in his right front foot. I think it's been atleast a year since he's been trimmed. He is not overweight. The white line disease in his case is purely because his hooves were not maintained for a very long time. The overgrown hooves resulted in stretching of the layers of the hooves which created a space for bacteria and fungus to get into. For $40-50 every 8 weeks or even every 16 weeks this could have been completely prevented. Thankfully because he is a mule and has donkey genetics, I was able to resect the hoofwall leaving the infected area open to the air (the fungi and bacteria that cause whiteline disease are anaerobic). These are before, during and after photos. After I took the photos I applied apple cider vinegar to the infected hoof to kill any bacteria or fungi that I missed.

In short, if not caught now (or ideally sooner) the bacteria and fungi would have continued to eat away at the connective tissue between the hoof wall and the interior structures, the hoof wall would have fallen off, the coronary band would have been damaged beyond repair, and the animal wouldn't have been able to grow a proper hoof wall ever again. Or, if the hoof wall stayed on long enough, the bacteria and fungi would have eaten deeper and deeper into the internal structures of the hoof causing pain and more irreversible damage.

03/04/2024

A couple of today's patients. 2 laminitic ponies and a donkey with white line disease.

12/29/2023

I hope everyone has had a merry Christmas and I wish you a happy new year. As the holiday frenzy slows down I will be contacting my clients to confirm our previously set schedule and taking on new clients for appointments. I don't know about you, but I sure am enjoying this mild winter so far. (Picture of my maiden mare Lloyd's Gem with her new born filly Sapphire this spring)

11/28/2023

I do not understand this common farrier comment about leaving the animals hooves long because they don't want to hit the quick. I have trimmed dozens of very over grown horse and donkey hooves and have never found the quick. A lot of horse owners and sadly farriers too, see a curled neglected hoof and focus on the toe and ignore the heel. Leaving the animal with an overgrown heel is doing them absolutely no favours. The "quick" doesn't remain overgrown like in cats and dogs. First goal with an extremely overgrown hoof is to get the animal walking back on a flat surface like they're supposed to. Second, leaving them longer to save the tendons and ligaments from excessive trauma doesn't make sense. A horse/donkey with a curled over grown hoof is walking on a rocker (like a rocking chair), meaning they are over stretching all of the tendons and ligaments in the back of the leg. If you get them back onto a flat surface but keep their heel long you are now keeping the back of the leg slacker than normal and stressing the front. It makes the most sense to get the hoof back to as close as normal as absolutely possible. Top dressing flairs off is very important for forming proper future growth. Removing sole to above the hoof wall is important for preventing bruising and abscesses. It is also very important to trim to a proper concave solar shape for proper natural cleanout of footing debris.

08/15/2023

One of today's clients

07/09/2023

Good day to bang out some horses get them all trimmed up and ready ! Great Horse is stood good. Got them all trimmed up. Great clients. ❤️

07/09/2023

Just another day with an apprentice !

06/16/2023

I'm looking to have this awesome lady come to the wainwright, vermilion, irma area in about a month but I need to drum up enough business to make it worth her while. She charges $90/horse and $70/mini. Please check out her page Epona Equine Healing. Let me know if you're interested in booking so we can coordinate a date.

05/07/2023

Currently the conditions outside are SOOO dry as I'm sure we're all aware. What you may not be aware of is this makes your horses hooves into rocks, trimming off the hoof wall and dressing of flairs isn't an issue but removing excess sole becomes nearly impossible. Please take a look at this article for how to help your farrier give your horse the best trim possible.

If you have a horse with dry hooves, you know how difficult it can be to trim them. Here are some tips on how to soften horse hooves for trimming.

05/03/2023

Getting back into the spring swing. In the last week have trimmed 4 riding horses, and 7 minis and even 1 goat between myself and my apprentice. Typical over grown hooves from the winter but nothing too major. If you need your critters done let me know!

09/05/2022

My apologies for any delayed responses. I was in ontario getting married and then on my honey moon. I also managed to injure my foot on my honey moon so am still a week or 2 minimum away from being back in full work.

07/15/2022

Just want to give a big thank you to my regular customers for sticking with me and welcoming my apprentice. I'd also like to give a big thank you to my new clients. Thank you all for choosing Private Pony Farrier Service. We look forward to continuing to partner with you all to maintain the hoof health of your animals

07/12/2022

Donkey day today! 6 miniature donkeys done today. Some gave us a run for our money but with perseverance and patience we convinced them to let us help them.

06/10/2022

Some of last weeks work. Before on the right after on the left front

06/10/2022

Some of today's work before and after

05/11/2022

Got the majority of my personal horses trimmed today. Spring has sprung if you need your animals trimmed feel free to contact me!

02/04/2022

Contrary to popular belief... your horses (donkeys, minis, etc) hooves still grow in the winter. Every spring I get calls from multiple owners claiming that their animals hooves are terrible and they need their feet trimmed ASAP. Just because you don't look at them regularly doesn't mean they stop growing. They may grow slower in the winter due to less nutritious feed but they still grow. I am available all winter. Please consider maintaining regular hoof trimmings even in the winter months

11/08/2021

A bit of blood, sweat and tears on a foundered pony today. Already walking way better.
*UPDATE* day after trim lil Elfie is 100% sound!! His feet are always going to grow weird but with regular maintenance this lil guy can continue to be a kids riding mount and learn to drive. Horses like this are why I love being a farrier