Mark Johnson Farrier - another way?

16/09/2025

This was a bit of fun from 15 years ago now 😱 - attach to the base of a boot and go for a walk

Simply, change the function and Change the effect, I’m not interested in any deep debate, it was just interesting to do 😁

13/09/2025

Are you a hoofcare pro who wants to get the best out of their Scoot Boot fitting and interaction?

https://www.hoofbootfarriers.com/practical-2-day-course

07/09/2025

First up I think Red Horse products are fantastic! So nothing to do with that

This young lady is keeping the hoses leg low and into its body while treating keeping it and as comfortable as possible so nothing to do with that

The video shows perfectly the kind of behaviour which is becoming more and more prevalent, that sudden sn**ch of a limb away from us, as hoofcare providers, while bent over and in toward the horses body is what systematically wrecks our bodies

In this video you can clearly see the horse twitching from flies and the common utterance is “it’s the flies” or it’s whatever …

It’s not possible for those not in the industry to truly comprehend the impact of this but it’s often several times from the same horse magnified by horse after horse, day in day out - perhaps it’s our job and we should just “suck it up” but it didn’t used to be like this 🤷‍♂️

06/09/2025

She has put a deal of work into this and is well worth a read!

04/09/2025

3rd visit to this horse within the last 4 weeks, quite a heavy cob type but thankfully without the feathers

Laminitis can be fast moving and volatile but always the trigger has to be removed for a successful outcome

First visit to this desperately lame horse was simply to get its shoes off and onto one of the best beds in my opinion aubios, highly supportive yet conformable allowing full sole support and dynamic loading

The second visit was to perform what trimming I was able to with the horse lying down, I wanted to get some of the excess toe length off to facilitate an easier forward movement and reduce capsule stress

I don’t trim these horses aggressively as even minor adjustments can have a big impact on both hoof and whole body and I want to keep the horse as comfortable as I can during the process, preferring the little and often approach

Today we took this photo of the right front, probably it’s most painful foot, using these pads and with the horse willing to stand and now moving much better ( still far from right but way improved)! We had it standing flat, one foot on each pad but even like that the horse struggled to pick up the left front

So try this, place your hand flat on a table with your fingers outstretched and press down, then, lean forward with your forearm moving over the top of your hand and you feel the back of your wrist tighten, now, imagine your hand and wrist being sore and magnifying the pressure your putting through it, that’s no different here, with the compression on the already sore laminae and the increased tension from the DDFT the horse did not want to weight bear

By offering this conformable yet supportive elevation, the horse was then able to bear its weight on the right front, allowing the left to be trimmed

Ironically, due to its movement, I subtly reduced heel height and incorporated a soft heel bevel as the horse was beginning to display a pronounced heel first impact landing

This is all PERSONAL PREFERENCE TRIMMING, the horses personal preference, watching and responding to the feedback being given by the whole horse, not a tunnel vision “this is what the foot must be approach”

“If there’s a Pete Ramey method, I wouldn’t use it” - Pete Ramey

31/08/2025

If 6 years of wear doesn’t leave one with a basic understanding of biomechanics, I’m not sure what would?

The boots will be worn back to just forward of the tip of the pedal bone, run a line parallel to the front of P3 and project it out through the sole and that will be the optimum point of breakover

What does a Cavallo Boot sole look like after 6 years of riding? Here is a great comparison of new and old, from John Dye, "These boots lasted 6 years on my mule. Pictures don’t really do any justice but they wore thru front and back and have hardly any tread." We do recommend purchasing new boots when your sole tread has lost about 50% of its tread height.

27/08/2025

Here’s a date for the diary 👍

📣 The wait is over – here’s the incredible speaker line-up for the Horses Inside Out Conference 2026!

On 22–23 February 2026, we’re bringing together 11 world-class experts in equine health, performance, science, training, and welfare — all under one roof.

Meet the speakers:

Prof. Kevin Haussler – equine asymmetry & spinal health

Dr Sue Dyson – lameness & movement specialist

Dr Gillian Tabor – physiotherapy & rehabilitation

Dr Kathryn Nankervis – aqua training for symmetry

Dr Chris Pearce – dentistry & biomechanics

Prof. Meriel Moore-Colyer – equine nutrition

Gillian Higgins – biomechanics & anatomy

Dr Lee Clark – rider asymmetry

Roly Owers – welfare & ethics in performance

Dr Kirsty Lésniak – skeletal asymmetry

Ros Canter – Olympic & 5* Event Rider

Plus, a full exhibition programme, interactive sessions and networking opportunities.

🎟️ Early Bird Offer – Save 35% until 31 October!
Secure your ticket now and join us for a weekend of inspiration, discovery, and connection with the very best in the equine world.

👉 Book your ticket today: www.hioconference.com

25/08/2025

This is so poignant right now, not only has this summer in the U.K. created some very weird sh1t with hoof growth and it’s quality, if the weather forecast is right, we are in for another massive environmental change as rain hits which again will challenge many horses in our inconsistent environment

In the late summer and early fall, some horses seem to have hoof issues "out of nowhere." With no changes to their care, diet, or management, some seem to suddenly struggle with stone bruising and abscessing, hoof sensitivity, chronic thrush or white line disease, and even laminitic issues or founder.

Often, owners and even professionals can blame this on the season - dry weather leads to hard ground, and a breeding of flies that leads to fly stomping and sore feet. Makes sense, right?

But some horses are much more sore than your run-of-the-mill fly stomping pain. Some owners see their horses in pain and think they might even have to make a decision about letting their best friend go before winter hits.. and they just can't seem to figure out where things went wrong and why their careful management isn't working.

In this "mini episode," Alicia, host of The Humble Hoof podcast, talks about hoof issues going into fall, and one possible cause: undiagnosed or unregulated PPID (Cushing's). This episode dives into what PPID is, how to diagnosed and treat it, and how it can help your horse- especially this time of year.

You can hear the entire episode on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2025/08/22/late-summer-hoof-issues-ppid-mini-episode/

Edited to add: ECIR recently had a discussion about utilizing TRH stim tests year round. This study was referenced (not that it was done in Australia, hence why the results look swapped from the Northern Hemisphere). I am keeping an eye on this information for future testing!

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/jvim.16017

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 15% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

A special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.com

Also be sure to check out HayBoss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

22/08/2025

Thank you for such a lovely review of our first day (no pressure for delivering the second day now 😅)
We had a brilliant group of Scootboot competition winners attending and are so looking forward to tomorrow!