The Equine Hoof Care Specialist

22/04/2024

Barefoot farriery will always be the first choice as far as I am concerned, for all the reasons that we know so well. However, my first thought is longevity and soundness for the horse. For some horses, being barefoot isn't a good fit at a certain time.
I love that even though 'I' think that barefoot is the way, nature sometimes says "not for this horse, not in this situation, Tom. Try harder, think deeper". I love that nature doesn't obey! :-)
I fitted these shoes recently ( I know, you read right!) I fitted a pair of fronts for this dear boy, due to his laminitis. I believe this was the best thing for him at this time. These shoes are plastic with no steel insert which means that they flex with the hoof despite being nailed on. The great thing about these shoes is that they are like the 'Nike trainer' of the horseshoes, instead of the 'rigid clog like' steel shoes that we are used to. I nailed these on as I didn't think epoxy glue would cope for long, in our current climate. The plastic even absorbed the concussion of the nailing process. His Bute is being reduced as we speak and he looks much more comfortable.

06/03/2024

Hoof cracks can be tricky to deal with because they can be a symptom of a number of different causes. Understanding the cause of the crack is the key to understanding how to support the hoof to heal.The hoof crack that you can see here was a sand crack (extending from the coronet to the ground). The heel quarter was mobile from the rest of the hoof, which caused pain when standing. Luckily, I was able to stabilise the crack and nature did the rest.

24/10/2023

I love my job! Working with horses for a living is such a privilege. This is an outtake from one of my videos. Nemo had contained the cheekiness for the whole boot fitting and then this happened....https://www.capcut.com/t/ZmFVmEHpf/

24/10/2023

People often ask me "Which hoof boot is the best boot for my horse?" Take a look at this video. Thank you to The Hoof Boot Shop for providing these fit kits. https://www.capcut.com/t/ZmFVmnUKG/

21/10/2023

This short video demonstrates the application of the Hoof Armor to the white line, to prevent the build up of the sharp little stones throughout the trimming cycle. https://www.capcut.com/t/ZmFVmh8qw/

21/10/2023

Hello, Everyone. This is a short video demonstrating the removal of the little stones trapped in the white line. https://www.capcut.com/t/ZmFVmJjTV/

18/10/2023

https://www.loom.com/share/b8b9d882f49149a8905c27f64d8cd93d

Hi, I'm Tom Broadbridge, the Equine Hoof Care Specialist. In this video, I address the common issue of stones getting stuck in the white line of horses' hooves. I explain the importance of the white line and how it needs to flex. I also discuss the problems that stones can cause, such as infections....

25/08/2023

I thought my days of making bespoke Orthotic braces were over until I received a message asking if I could help Hunter. This adorable fox hound had damaged his carpus and when it started to heel and was feeling less painful, Hunter jumped a five bar gate. Guess what happened next? Yep, he was back to where he started and was very sore. I took a plaster cast of his limb and then back filled it with plaster of Paris. I had some thermoplastic in my workshop but had sold my vacuum former and frames. My wife is very supportive but using the kitchen oven was a test too far, so I bought a baby oven to heat the plastic. I made up a frame and using a Henry Hoover, formed the plastic over the positive model of Hunter's leg. See pictures below. He has so much character, I hope it holds & allows him to heal.

25/08/2023

Meet the beautiful Lula Blue; this lovely mare has had her fair share of bad luck but her lovely owner has got her out the other side with love care and persistence. Lula is barefoot on her hinds and needed boots. The Flex and Explorer boots fitted really well and so we discussed the pros and cons for each boot. The Hoof Boot Shop generously provide a £10 voucher for my customers for the first order. I'm looking forward to an update of how Lula gets on in her new boots.

25/08/2023

Time has flown and I can't believe how long it has been since I posted here. It's been a busy Summer!

07/05/2023

It's lovely to receive messages like this from customers 🙂

31/12/2022

I was really looking forward to meeting Bear again for his second trim, having met him for the first time when he was recovering from his laminitis. His owner has kept me up to date with his progress and has done a fantastic job in managing his rehabilitation. We now have the original radiographs and pictures for both trims. It will be great to see the next set of radiographs in February.

27/11/2022

I had the privilege of working with a little guy this weekend who has recently suffered with the dreaded laminitis. He could hardly bare weight on his left front when I saw him originally a week ago so we just trimmed that one. This weekend we were able to complete his first trim on all four. His owner has just messaged me with the fab news that he is comfortable, moving well and that his cheeky personality is already coming back. Obviously it's going to take time to get his feet to where they should be with further radiographs for guidance but comfortable is a great start.

30/10/2022

I had the pleasure of meeting Jo & her lovely boy Jasper today. Jasper was keen to learn about the hoof fitting service and the different boots he could try on.

11/09/2022

I am very excited to announce that Rachael from The Hoof Boot Shop confirmed our delivery of fit kits will arrive this week. Some owners have already booked their horses and ponys in for the hoof boot fitting service in Devon. I look forward to hearing from you to book you in for this fabulous service.

11/09/2022

Hoof Boot Fitting Service coming soon to Devon!

29/08/2022

What are people looking for in a barefoot hoof boot?

24/08/2022

My two new friends Benny and Sunny. Both boys were only trimmed three weeks ago by their previous trimmer. I can't believe how much the hooves had grown.

18/08/2022

Meet the lovely Minnie, she is only 5 years old and has some lameness issues. One of her issues is that she rolls over the lateral aspect of her left fore as the hoof lands during gait. This increases forces on the soft tissue and has caused some of her lameness. She requires stability to prevent further damage without shutting the foot down with shoes. I made & glued on a pair of skimpy, lateral extension thermoplastic shoes, which she completely obliterated by making impressive shapes in the field.
With further research I found the Easyshoe Performance which provide flexibility for normal hoof expansion & contraction, as well as frog/ground contact during gait. Having applied a pair of fronts, Minnie is now no longer rolling over. Let's hope they are more durable than the last pair. I didn't dress the adhesive bead around the wings of the shoe to prevent weakening of the bond which is less pretty but more functional.

17/08/2022

Barefoot and happy is my mantra as many of you will know and is definitely the gold standard in my view, but there are equine hoof care cases when more intervention is required than a barefoot trim.
I will never drive another nail or forge another steel shoe because I cannot unlearn what I have learnt as a remedial farrier. However, I have been looking at ways of supporting the lower limb structures when needed, with plastics without restricting the biomechanics of the hoof. I think this glue on shoe may be the answer. This shoe can flex with the hoof and allows expansion and contraction during loading and unloading. I must be impressed so far as I am slightly irritated I didn't design it myself. I will keep you posted...

17/08/2022

The boss's boy needed a trim.
This boy is particularly close to my heart.
Nemo has been through so much over the past 18 months and we are very lucky he survived his injuries. We will be forever thankful for the fantastic expertise and care from Chris Owens and the team at South West Equine Referrals who saved his life. The list of injuries included the laceration into the joint capsule of his fetlock joint that Chris opperated on (It was very much touch and go for weeks).
Nemo then suffered from a list of health issues in the aftermath of the incident which was expertly and lovingly managed by my amazing wife Jane Seymour. Her nutritional and equine management knowledge saved his life for the second time and he is now very well, very happy and very loved by many. A true one in a lifetime horse.

15/08/2022

This is so exciting ⭐

I am very excited to announce that I am now working in collaboration with The Hoof Boot Shop. This is a fantastic opportunity to help you save money and time. Instead of buying hoof boots that you hope will fit your horse, I can now provide you with the information to purchase the best fitting boot for your horse or pony. I will be available to fit a large range of boots from early/mid September. Please contact me for more information and book me for this fab service with no obligation to buy. I look forward to working with you.

14/08/2022

I am very excited to announce that I am now working in collaboration with The Hoof Boot Shop. This is a fantastic opportunity to help you save money and time. Instead of buying hoof boots that you hope will fit your horse, I can now provide you with the information to purchase the best fitting boot for your horse or pony. I will be available to fit a large range of boots from early/mid September. Please contact me for more information and book me for this fab service with no obligation to buy. I look forward to working with you.

14/08/2022

Everyone needs a day off to relax once in a while 😎🌞

27/07/2022

Definately worth considering!

27/07/2022

Very interesting article and well worth a read..

Across the globe, the welfare of sport horses is of growing concern, prompting the International Equestrian Federation to state that at all times the …

26/07/2022

The lovely Nero, he is such a character. When I first met him and removed his shoes, his tiny thin frogs seemed like they were screaming out for ground contact. Look at them now.

26/07/2022

Umm a basic view on diet, low sugar is key and so important but tricky to manage in the modern day!

I think understanding how your horse digests food and what it needs is more useful than being advised what to feed. Then you can make informed choices on what to feed.