Rachael Bishop - Student Equine Podiatrist

07/01/2025

Have a look at the website to find out more! It’s great having the knowledge and
support of other EP’s up and down the country, especially when starting out! Better for us and your horses!

The Equine Podiatry Association was launched in 2006. It became a self regulating body for Equine Podiatrists in the UK.

You can find out more by visiting:
www.epauk.org

02/01/2025

First trim of 2025 was the gorgeous Dusky, one of my original case studies from last year 🥰 Not his most flattering angle but he kept coming in for more scratches 😄
He was closely followed by Oreo, who insisted on helping!
Happy New Year everyone!

24/12/2024

🎄🐎Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all my lovely clients and friends! 🐎🎄

Tried to take a nice Christmas photo of my two but it’s always a struggle to keep the spotty one off the naughty list 🙈😆🎄🎅

17/12/2024

🎄🤩 Like and share The Hoof Boot Shop ‘s post to be in with a chance of winning some goodies 🤩 🎄

With Christmas getting ever so closer, we have some exciting goodies to give away for you and your horse! 🐴 🎅🏼 🎁

Share this post, follow our page, like & comment with a Christmas emoji to be in with a chance of winning the below products from Horse Leads and our favourite 100% British Wool Insoles 🤩😍

Winner announced 7pm Christmas Eve 🥳

12/12/2024

🌟Friday Favourites 🌟

https://www.westgatelabs.co.uk/news/

🪱 Wormers! Yes we’re predominantly looking at your horses hooves but their whole health has an important part to play!

🪱Worms that are resistant to the medication we use to worm them are on the rise, and worryingly there are no new wormers in the pipeline. Not good news for the future if your horse has a heavy worm burden and the treatment no longer works to clear it.

🪱🥶This time of year always seems to cause more confusion with lots of different worming advice to treat encysted redworm (that doesn’t show up in a worm egg count) and when its recommend to time your treatment depending on the weather. Is it cold enough? Why does it have to be frosty? Can you test for it?

🪱 🤓 Westgate labs is a great informative website to make sense of it all! Loads of advice on how to keep the worm burdens low in your horses, advice on how to test for which worms and when, and lots of info based on current research, the situation with resistant worms and the best practice for keeping track of the worm burdens and treating your horse. It’s a great resource and well worth a read if you’re unsure!

We share what's going on in our business and the latest developments in parasite control

11/12/2024

Some lovely positive changes for this gentle, older gentleman!
He’s had shoes on for most of his 20+ years and has previously evented, so now enjoying a quieter life hacking and living out with his little herd.

Over the last four trims we’ve worked to balance how he loads by encouraging him to use his caudal foot a little more. By slowly bringing the heels down, and treating his deep central sulcus crack with hoof stuff to make him more comfortable we are now starting to see some subtle changes 🥰 …

🧐 Straighter bone alignment
🧐 Coronary band straighter and more relaxed
🧐 Event lines on hoof wall less prominent with less deviations
🧐 Frog less atrophied and starting to have more ground contact
🧐 Bars supporting the heel with better attachment
🧐 Deep central sulcus crack opening up
🧐 Heels becoming more even, relaxed and less contracted

29/11/2024

🌟Friday Favourites 🌟

While we’re on the theme (see previous post) this Friday’s favourite has to be Hoof Boots !

I’ve been using hoof boots as an alternative to metal shoes for just over 10years now, and since there are so many new different types and shapes, I have been offering hoof boot fitting as a professional service (think saddle fitter but for boots not saddles!) for nearly a year to help owners find the best solution for their horses and ponies.

We started our journey in 2014 with Cavallos to help protect our elderly pony’s hooves from wear and give him support when hacking on the lanes and tracks (not many others to choose from then!) and in 2017 I purchased my first pair of Scoot boots for Oreo as he had started to do more roadwork. When Arbie was struggling with one wet winter we used some nice soft Flex boots and pads … and now we have a full boot rack of Scoot Boots, Explora Magics, Flex boots and Equine Fusion to dip in and out of 🤦🏼‍♀️😄 🥾 👠

I love the flexibility of being able to add the protection and support of boots if and when it’s needed, and then being able to whip them off to allow the horse to be barefoot for the majority of his/her day! There are no lost shoes to find in the field or missed shows and clinics, no shoe related injuries to worry about (for horses or humans!), and no holes or breakages to the hoof wall!

Boots can be useful :
✅ when transitioning from shoes
✅ when a horse is difficult to be shod but still needs protection
✅ for rehab from injury or laminitis
✅ to protect thin soles
✅ to prevent excess wear
✅ to prevent uneven wear
✅ for extra comfort over rough terrain
✅ to reduce concussion on joints and absorb impact(great for arthritis)
✅to give extra traction (and some boots can now take studs)

… all whilst allowing the hoof to continue to move, grow, and flex as it should. 💪 🐎

There are pros and cons to all of the boots.
❗️different types of boot vary in shape and fit
❗️some are easier to put on / take off than others
❗️there are lots of boot and pad options to try and get the best possible fit , but half a tonne of horse with a strong twisting action vs a boot ? Sometimes it is trial and error to find the boots that work.

Mince pie 🥧 to anyone who has made it this far down (I can waffle on about boots all day 😄)

If you’d like any more info or help with hoof boots, or to make an appointment for a Hoof Boot fitting in the Bath / Bristol area please get in touch .

26/11/2024

🤩

We’ve decided to start our
⚫️BLACK FRIDAY SALE ⚫️
a little early this week….

Go and treat your horse to some new hoof boots this winter 🖤

🔗 https://thehoofbootshop.co.uk

15/11/2024

🌟Friday Favourites🌟

The humble ‘Hay Cob’ 🍽️ 🌿

Thinking about feeds today and thought I’d share my current favourite.
These are such a versatile feed, they are low sugar and starch, (values vary between manufacturers) forage based, and can be soaked into a mash and used as a hay replacement for horses unable to eat hay.

This time of year when it’s colder and horses may be drinking less and having less water intake from grazing , adding soaked hay cobs are a great way to add fibre and extra water to their diet to keep thier tummies moving!
Soaking them in warm water makes a lovely winter mash that smells delicious 🌱💦🌿

(Always introduce new feeds gradually to keep the microbiome in your horse’s gut happy 😊 )

09/11/2024

Yesterday was all about the girls! 🐴
💕Hoof boot fitting for a lovely big thoroughbred mare needing some extra support and comfort after coming out of shoes.
💕Hoof boot fitting for a tiny little Welsh who needs some front boots to cover the harder ground when hacking.
💕Trims for a lovely little cob mare (youngster) who I’ve been trimming since the beginning of my journey to become an EP.
💕 🌟 last but not least , the gold star of the day has to go to this teeny little Shetland mare, Pumpkin, who had been unhandled/uncatchable for a year (unable to have any hoof care) before I met her at the end of the summer, and yesterday she let me trim both her fronts and bring them forwards for a toe tidy! She’s still very nervous, trimming takes patience and it’s still a work in progress, but look at the changes in these teeny tiny hooves 🥰

(When your hoof stand is too tall, the Ariat composite toe work boots are a great alternative!)

31/10/2024

🕷️ 🎃👻Happy Halloween 👻 🎃 🕷️
Spots are great for Halloween spiders!

(Featuring the lovely ‘Steve’, my daughters first pony ☺️)

29/10/2024

Arbie modelling his hoof clay this eve before venturing back out to his paddock in the dark 🌙 We’re missing summer already!

28/10/2024

Heels 👠 !
Have a look at the back of your horse or pony’s foot - this is what we’re aiming for, nice bouncy, shock absorbing structures that are free to move. Beautiful 🤩

A heel bulb admiration post. This is one of my favourite views of a horse’s foot as it is the heel structures that often dictate how comfortable a horse is.

I see two bouncing tennis balls here -plenty of structure for the horse to land into.