Equine Podiatry Wiltshire

11/02/2025

Ron Fields is offering 20% off Remount (liver detox) until Friday, and buy 4 get the 5th free on ULC30EX (digestive support).

I recommend Ron Fields products a lot, along with Trinity Consultants too. Supporting your horse's liver function and digestion is absolutely key to general well being and comfort, at the first sign of something being amiss, these are the products I reach for.

Proud to ProvideQuality Supplements for HorsesShop NowEquine SupplementsFrom just £23Shop Now Previous slide Next slide Previous Next Featured Products What Our Customers Say Gwen is now friendly and fit, you can see it in her eyes. We can do normal work like jumping and dressage. She no longer has...

01/02/2025

I attended a webinar with Sue Dyson this week, on Hoof Morphology, which was of course, very interesting. She urged us to view this video on YouTube about having harmony with your horse and WOW, I found it very emotive and powerful to watch.

Sharing the link, let me know what you think.

For me, it just makes me want to do better.

Full length feature film “Horses and the Science of Harmony” examines the nature of harmony between horse and rider through the eyes of 3-day event rider Bub...

24/01/2025

Nice little foot to finish the week on!

22/01/2025

First proper trim for this 2yr old mare, and given that only the week before, the vet had to relieve a painful abcess, I was quite prepared for her to be justifiably unhappy about me handing her feet.

But she had her brave pants on and was an absolute Super Star 🌟

Under all that flare and breakage, I see a nice little foot which will soon be revealed in a couple of trim cycles.

20/01/2025

Beautiful concavity on this little foot I trimmed today. 💗

When trying to improve a foot, good concavity is usually one of the last improvements to develop, and it can take a while.

Good concavity comes from having, what we call, a strong 'internal arch' which depends on a number of good structures to support it, such as the frog, digital cushion and laminae.

05/01/2025

I can totally relate to this!

I definitely fell into the 'Valley of Despair' about two months into my course. And now, even though I've since qualified, I would say I'm still on 'The Slope to Enlightenment' as, there's so much to learn all the time.

New approaches, new studies, new ways of doing things better. I'm not sure I'll ever reach the 'Plateau of Sustainability' as its like, the more you learn, the more you realise you still have to learn.

But I love that, I love learning more, especially about horses and their feet, so that's a good thing. 😅

21/12/2024

Tools down for Christmas!!

Time to give all my kit a good clean and have a jolly good rest.

Wishing all my clients and followers the merriest of Christmases!

Back on the 2nd Jan, see you on the other side.

🎄🥂✨️🎄🥂✨️🎄🥂✨️

19/12/2024

Here it is...my certificate awarding my Diploma!!

This means:
👉I've achieved the highest level qualification there currently is for barefoot trimming.
👉I can (already have) join the Equine Podiatry Association, which in itself means...
👉I am fully regulated and insured
👉required to evidence 40hrs CPD a year to continue my learning
👉have a fantastic support network

What a cracking end to the year!!

24/11/2024

Please recognise when your horse needs a trim and also the importance of short, regular trim cycles.

Heels this high means the frog will not be getting the correct stimulation from the ground (and weight bearing pressure from above) we call it Ground Reaction Force. Without GRF the frog cannot stimulate the internal structures within and essential blood flow is also reduced. As a result this horse has poor soft tissue structure at the back of the foot, presenting as a weak narrow frog and a weak digital cushion, both of which are really important structures to aid in absorbing shock and concussion, and basically staying comfortable and less prone to injury.

I'll be lowering these heels gradually over a couple of trims as I don't want to stress the joints with big sudden changes, then I'll watch those structures develop.

The horse may even change from a current flat landing to the ideal heel first, as he becomes stronger in the caudal aspect of the foot.

I can't stress how important short regular trim cycles are, most of my clients are on 6 week cycles, in the summer these often shorten to 4 or 5.

Please don't ask me to take you on unless you are as committed as I am to keeping your horse comfortable. 👌

18/11/2024

Delighted to say I have just had confirmation that I am now fully qualified!!

I'll shortly receive my certificate for my Level 5 Diploma in Equine Podiatry.

It's taken 3 years of study to complete 14 modules, 6 shadow days, 2 dissections, 8 (6 months each) mentored case studies and 6 exams...

Chuffed to bits!!

23/10/2024

A reasonably strong foot here that has a beautiful frog, good sole depth and reasonable concavity, but I would like to see a tighter white line.

The integrity of the white line is important as once it becomes stretched, infections are more likely to get in.

I expect over the next few months, with the grass growth slowing right down, I'll start to see this tighten up again.

18/10/2024

A nice, strong, functional foot I trimmed today.

Any of my clients recognise it?

02/10/2024

About 8 months progress here, which is about enough time (in a barefoot hoof*) for a new capsule to grow from coronet band, down to the ground. The tweaks we made to the diet really show in the better horn quality we have now.

I love how the feet can tell you so much.

* In a shod foot, it is thought it takes one year to grow a new capsule, because shoes hinder blood flow through the foot.

23/09/2024

Some horses just have masses of growth, you wouldn't believe this horse is on a 5 week trim cycle. Each time I'm presented with knarly over grown feet, loads of bar and very tatty often shedding frogs. This old girl is in her 30s and I find trimming her feet quite satisfying, like every trim becomes a glow up!

21/09/2024

A pretty good foot for this Golden Oldie.

👉 Frogs getting the stimulation they need to develop the back of the foot.
👉Bars nice and straight, telling me the heels are not contracted.
👉 Strong hoof wall, no white line disease or hoof wall separation, no flare.
👉 Tight white line, so no inflammation.
👉 Heels in the right place, ie, not under run and level with the frog.
👉 Good connection of the bar to the heel purchase area, giving stability to the back of the foot.

Just some of the things I look out for in every foot I pick up.

I love seeing the elderly ponies so well looked after.

❤️

19/09/2024

What an awesome, inspiring, also mind boggling two days at the Equine Podiatry Conference, learning about Negative Palmer Angles and the detrimental effects on the horse , Dentistry and how it affects feet, Pain and it's management in laminitis, Bit and Bridle fitting including Bitless Bridles, Saddle Fit checking, and also working with feral ponies.

Such great topics, delivered by the best in their field The Osteopathic Vet , Mark Johnson Farrier - another way? Jane Cumberlidge, Christian Egeler Theo Jones & Georgie Welge.

15/09/2024

MASSIVE kudos to Hugo's owner, he is doing so well on his weight loss journey (and recovery from chronic laminitis) each time I see him, he looks leaner. In January, his cresty neck was solid as a rock, now it's smaller, soft and wobbly. Fat pads all over, are melting away. He's less puffy around his sheath and eyes, can even feel a rib or two.

Dietary changes focused on changing the chaff to one free from Alfalfa and bulking agents like soya, changing from haylage to soaked hay, soothing the gut using Protexin, boosting liver function using L94 (followed by P45) by Trinity Consultants (I also like Remount by Ron Fields) a good mineral balancer - Progressive Earth, Salt to aid the uptake of Magnesium and Magnesium Oxide for its anti inflammatory properties.

We did try muzzling for turnout, but Hugo didn't take to it very well and after trying a couple of different muzzles we've given up on that, but he is now comfortable enough to do some light exercise, along with turnout every day, to also help with weight loss. The movement of course also provides vital blood flow to his feet to help them recover.

I'm really pleased with Hugo's progress, I can't achieve anything though without a TOTALLY DEDICATED OWNER, trimming alone won't fix laminitis, it's all in the day to day management. I fact, I wouldn't take on a lami case unless the owner was prepared to work with me, it's definitely a team effort.

(In case you're wondering...he was standing on an old rug in the top picture to help with trimming, placing something soft under the weight baring foot can make it more comfortable for them, to lift the other)