Welcome to Hooves & Hounds! We are an equine and pet services business based in mid Cornwall. My name is Viki, I’m a lifelong animal lover and crazy horse lady.
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Experienced and reliable Cornwall based BGA registered freelance groom offering a wide range of equestrian and small animal services including transport, exercise and clipping. Fully insured and DBS checked, Hooves & Hounds is based in mid-Cornwall with over 20 years’ experience owning, handling and caring for a wide range of animals. I have an extensive list of services from daily home or yard ch
ecks through to the full ‘Show & Go’ package for complete support on competition days. I’ve had horses since I was old enough to walk and have an eclectic history of pets from dogs, cats and rabbits to snakes, stick insects and tarantulas. I live in mid Cornwall with my two daughters, our elderly Great Dane, two cats, four guinea pigs and two horses. I understand how special animals are to their families and that there isn’t always a one size fits all approach, all of my services can be tailored to suit individual needs and your animals will always be treated with the same care and attention that I would give to my own pets. Some of the services I offer are as follows (please see my Services post for full details):
Equine:
Transport
Clipping
Stable duties
Exercise
Holiday care
Show prep & plaiting
Attendant Groom for shows & competitions
Tack cleaning
Farrier/vet bring in/turnout
Small Animals:
Walking (1-1 or Group sessions)
Home checks
Holiday care
Pet taxi
No job or animal is too big or too small, if you need help with something that isn’t listed, please get in contact with your requirements and I will be pleased to assist.
Some much loved regulars and some lovely new clients this past week. I’ve not done very well taking photos though 🤦♀️
Call or message for availability over the next couple of months, bookings are getting very busy but there’s still a little space. Priority given to regular H&H clients but I will always try and accommodate everyone wherever possible.
Just some of the awesome animals I’ve had the good fortune to work with over the past month. Some treasured regulars and some wonderful newbies to the H&H family ❤️ As always it is an honour and a pleasure to be entrusted with your precious animals’ care.
I’m almost fully booked now for the summer and taking bookings into October so please get in touch asap if you need holiday care, ad-hoc/1-2-1 dog walking or any of my equine services.
Fully insured. DBS cleared. BGA certified.
How’s this for a bean 🫘?
This stunning boy’s owner had noticed a change in how he was urinating, with more frequent stop-start peeing and sometimes not going at all. This is often a sign of discomfort and always worth getting checked out. In this case once we discovered quite how large a bean he was harbouring it was obvious that the pressure on his urethra would have been making him very uncomfortable.
He was an absolute angel to clean, sometimes I do think they know you’re trying to help. Once removed he was very keen to ‘hang loose’ and was visibly happier. Lucky boy to have such a caring and observant owner who noticed a change and acted on it. These are the best results, being able to offer tangible relief to both horse and owner ❤️ We ended the session showing his owner how to check him herself so that any changes are easily picked up.
As always, please just pop me a message if you’d like to make a booking or enquiry about any of my services 🐴🐶🐱🐰🐔🐷🕷️🐑
Today it was the turn of my own big lad Louis. He’s quite an itchy boy and with the arrival of better weather has been a little uncomfortable so the best thing to do was to take it all off, give him a really thorough bath and rinse, and then we could see what, if anything else, needed doing.
True to form he stood like a gentleman, I do believe they realise quite quickly that you’re doing something to help improve their comfort and the minute I started on his mane he dropped his neck for me and leaned in.
We found a lot of dead skin and itchy bits under his mane which will be much easier to treat now. The rest of his coat has improved loads over the last couple of months and it was lovely to see clear healthy skin underneath that thick coat.
I’m not saying he wasn’t a rather dashing boy before his clip but isn’t he the most handsome thing you’ve ever seen now he’s all smartened up 😍
The second part of April 2024 was just as busy as the first! With so many of your gorgeous animals to look after, groom, feed, clean and generally spoil rotten the holidays have gone super fast. Thank you to all of my wonderful clients who continue to entrust your precious friends into my care. I love them all so much; taking care of them is a pleasure.
Please get in touch to discuss any of your animal care needs, I’m very flexible and have a lifetime of experience with many species. Fully insured and BGA certified.
Easter 2024 is a crazy busy one for H&H! Here’s some of the beautiful clients I’ve been privileged to look after in the first half of the holidays. More to come this week!
Please get in touch to discuss holiday cover for your pets or smallholding. No creature too big or too small 🥰
🔈Announcement: I am taking a break from horse transport. 🔈
I’ve absolutely ⭐️loved⭐️ getting you and your horses out for adventures over the past 15 months, but unfortunately the compliance costs of transporting commercially with a trailer are significantly higher than if using a 3.5t, which makes it really hard to offer you competitive prices and still earn a living. I’ve decided to take 12 months off from horse transport while I re-assess.
My aim when I started was to be able to offer a higher payload transport service within Cornwall. As most of you will know, 3.5t lorries are relatively restricted on what they can carry, which often makes it impossible to take two average sized horses without exceeding their payload. With my vehicle and trailer combination I am able to take greater weight and therefore transportation of two horses is possible. However in order to do this I have additional legal requirements to adhere to, and sadly those requirements are costly.
As I generally only transport within Cornwall and Devon I don’t have the opportunity to recoup the greater compliance costs within longer trips. And it would be unfair to expect local clients to absorb this. I have therefore decided to take a year out, to see how my business adapts to this change and to assess the local market demands.
In the mean time I’d like to sincerely thank all of my transport clients for entrusting me with your most precious cargo over the last year, it’s been such a pleasure. I may well return after a break, but in the mean time if you’d like my personal recommendations for local transport companies please drop me a message.
Have fun this season everyone, lots of love from H&H xx
Another day, another bean 🫘 Well, two actually, removed for these two gentle giants this morning. Always so satisfying to see and feel a horse visibly relax once the discomfort has gone ❤️ These boys were gentlemen, and both definitely knew I was there to help. Lovely lads ❤️
Please pop me a message to book. Discounts available for group bookings.
Say hello to the most wonderfully well behaved gent I have ever met! This beauty is 26 years old and was in need of a sheath clean. Due to an unfortunate foot abscess (anyone else noticed just how many of our horses have been getting abscesses in this ridiculous prolonged wet weather?!) he couldn’t comfortably make it up the long distance to his stable so I agreed for his sake we’d try to do the clean in the field. Not only was being in the field not a problem, but he didn’t even have a headcollar on. This absolute dude was the most unbothered boy I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. His clean took very little time thanks to his angelic behaviour and after removing several small and sharp feeling beans and some built up sm**ma in the outer sheath I thanked him for his tolerance and left him to his dinner. His owner told me he has been her horse of a lifetime and I can well believe it! ❤️
It’s been (or should I say bean 😉) all about the boys today. 7 lovely lads with one thing in common, everyone due a sheath clean 😄
We’ve had some good sized beans removed 🫘 some very well behaved horses 🥰 one hilariously queasy owner 🤢😂 (sorry for making it worse 😘) and hopefully now 7 horses feeling much more comfortable.
I love a whole yard booking, I get to spend time with lots of different owners and learn about their horses, and get huge satisfaction from everyone being happy at the end of the session.
Get in touch if you’ve got a yard needing a visit, I offer discounted rates for multiple bookings on the same day. Everything is done slowly and calmly, your horse’s wellbeing is my main priority. I don’t use twitches and I won’t push your boy if he’s stressed, I allow plenty of time when making your booking to ensure the job gets done gently. This approach has always worked for me and it’s incredibly rewarding helping to get your boys clean and comfy again.
💙 Thank you all of today’s clients, it was lovely to meet you all and especially to meet your beautiful boys 💙
Sheath clean today for this adorable cheeky chap!
Get in touch if your horse displays any signs of discomfort or unusual behaviour that could be linked to needing a clean. While symptoms are many and varied, and could point to a number of other things, it’s always good to start ticking the obvious and easily identified off the list when you notice any change in your horse.
Signs can include:
🐴 swollen sheath
🐴 not letting himself hang fully out to urinate
🐴 kicking out or towards stomach
🐴 visible/smelly sm**ma build up
🐴 bucking under saddle
🐴 difficulty or a change in urination
It’s important to remember also that some horses may not show any signs of discomfort but should ideally still be checked annually.
⭐️⭐️ Please get in contact if you would like your horse booked in. Discounts available for multiple bookings on the same yard. ⭐️⭐️
When you have the best clients ever and get told to have a fresh hot coffee and spend time doggo cuddling after a very snowy and cold walk ❤️ I love this little lad (and his Mum isn’t too bad either 😝)💗💗
Little bit in love with the latest member of the H&H gang 😍 Such a lovely natured young lad, I wish I had his energy!
If you have a dog or dogs that need 1-2-1 attention on their walks please get in touch. I don’t do group walks (but can recommend fabulous local people who offer that if you need it 😊) just dogs from the same household so perfect for dogs who are young, reactive or still socially acclimatising.
Wishing all my clients a very happy new year 🖤💛 Thank you all so much for supporting my small business this year, I look forward to seeing more of you and your wonderful animals in 2024 💛🖤
I really enjoyed clipping this big lad tonight, such a gentle boy who clearly loves his Mum a lot and enjoys all the cuddles 🥰 A short Irish clip to help him with his itchy skin and he’ll be much more comfortable. Thank you Ned for being such a super boy 💕 🌟
Availability is limited between now and December so please get in touch if you need to book in.
Another happy boy after a much needed sheath clean today. Such a lovely lad with the sweetest temperament 💕 He’ll be much more comfortable now he’s all squeaky clean down below.
Dinner today for these three thoroughly handsome chaps who are with me for holiday care this week.
Booked up now until January so please get in touch if you’re planning a break in the New Year 🌟
It’s floofy pony season all of a sudden! Now booking into November, drop me a message if your hairy pony needs a hair cut 🐴
Another happy boy after his sheath clean today, such a good lad throughout and hopefully feeling much better now he’s all squeaky clean 🧼
The H&H diary for November is getting full so please get in touch asap to book in; discounts available for three or more horses booked together.
Who knows what this is? …..
Yep, it’s the famous “Bean” caused by build up of sm**ma in a gelding’s urethral fossa, the cavity around the opening of the urethra itself.
Left alone they will build in size and can cause extreme discomfort for the horse, potentially pushing on the urethra and leading to painful urination, behavioural changes, a reluctance to drink and a number of other symptoms such as “girthiness”, tight back, swollen sheath and increased sensitivity. As prey animals some horses may not openly exhibit any symptoms but could still be in pain and harbouring a beany passenger.
It’s important to check and clean your gelding’s sheath every 6-12 months. Too frequently can disturb the delicate balance of natural bacteria present there, not frequent enough risks sm**ma build up becoming uncomfortable.
If you prefer not to do this delightful 😆 job yourself please get in contact for prices and availability. I am a professional BGA registered groom with a lifetime’s experience, a calm approach and full insurance.
A lovely couple of hours spent this morning with these two beauties. Working on horse and rider confidence out hacking and a little flatwork once back home. This partnership is growing and growing, I love seeing their progress ❤️
If you need any help with your horses, be it exercise, company, holiday checking, poo picking or even ragwort pulling please contact me for a quote.
Very excited to finally add these beauties to my clipper collection 😍 lightweight and quiet but still capable of a full clip if needed. Excellent for those more sensitive horses, those with CPL, any that find the noise or vibration of a full set a bit too much. Next purchase will be the super narrow blades so I can offer bespoke freestyle designs 😃 Clipping clients give me a call, I can’t wait to get these babies going.
There’s still a little space for holiday care bookings over the summer if you’re going away and need someone to love your animals just as you do. All animals catered for, big/small/feathered/furred/scaled/exotic please just pop me a message with your requirements.
Last day of half term holiday care was a good one 😃 I’ll miss seeing some of these babies every day but hopefully will see them again very soon!
It’s a busy week at H&H, lots of lovely animals on the books for holiday care including this bunch of beauties 🥰
I’m booking a few months in advance now, there are only a small number of sooner slots available, please get in touch to discuss yours and your pets’ requirements. All animals catered for.
Lots of happy holiday care ladies today 💕🐔
One of my most favourite types of transport jobs today: New Pony Day! 💗🐴💗
Picking up this beautiful chap and taking him to his fabulous new home; I love getting to be part of the excitement and happiness of bringing home someone’s new best friend ❤️
What a day for being outdoors 😃 Best moment today was spending time with gorgeous puppy Jacques again in a secure paddock overlooking the sea. Very many tennis balls were thrown, most of them retrieved… Lots of rest stops to cool down and have a cuddle, plenty of fresh water to drink. This lovely boy is so full of energy!
New doggo to the H&H family, and isn’t he just adorable 🥰 Looking forward to seeing more of this young chap!
St Dennis
PL26
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