Georgina Ridal - Comprehensive Equine Podiatry and Equitation

21/04/2025

I have been trialling this Hoof Clay. And have been very impressed.

This clay is thicker and arguably stays in better than what I usually use.

I’ve been playing with it in central sulci, quarter cracks and white line disease.

I would recommend 👏

Evey Rosie Equine

27/03/2025

A very rare thing has happened and a rider space with Master Légèreté teacher Sylvia Stossel has suddenly become available for this weekend's clinic.

Sylvia is an extraordinary teacher, with a huge breadth and depth of knowledge about horses, and training in the French school. She has taken horses from the very beginning of their ridden life, all the way to the highest levels. She has also taught hundreds of riders and is renowned for her compassionate, clear approach.

She understands the principles of Légèreté in amazing detail, having spent two decades training directly with Philippe Karl. This sits alongside many years of training in Portugal with other masters of the French school.

This slot is open to any partnership with basic ridden work established (ideally all 3 gaits) and if you are interested in learning more about the application of Légèreté from a teacher of extraordinary quality.

Please contact Josh Daly for further details. You will need to get yourself and your horse to Naturally Light Equitation from the 28th -30th (this weekend!)

Email - [email protected]

17/03/2025

A huge change for a super boy. He has had a huge amount to contend with, including a Kissing Spine diagnosis, the subsequent surgery and the rehab.

I took his remaining shoe off in August, (he’d already removed the others) and he was clearly sore, both foot and body.

He was incredibly toe in, with very weak heels, thin soles and weak digital cushions. And had been needing sedation to be shod.

We got him measured up for Cavallo Treks with a 7llb EPS pad which he wore when he was out of his stable and then for his in hand walking following surgery.

He had a diet overhaul and we got him on Equimins Hoof Mender, which is really helpful for improving horn quality.

He spent a couple of months on box rest following the kissing spine surgery, in which time his owner was fastidious with his hoof hygiene. Scrubbing daily with a diluted Milton Solution and applying field paste.

And he’s since been hand walking in his boots and pads. At my last appointment we refitted him for the next size up of boot, as all of his structures are now much stronger and the old ones were too snug.

We’ve had a huge angle change at the toe, the pictures really don’t do it justice, but you can see the enormous event line that tallies with the shoes coming off. Hopefully in the next trim we’ll have a whole new hoof capsule on the ground. He’s already much less toe in.

And his frogs, heels and digital cushions have so much more strength and depth.

Excited for the next chapter for both him and his lovely owner ❤️

15/03/2025

Great post from Kate 👌

I love teaching partnerships shoulder in ❤️

It’s definitely not just an exercise for “dressage” horses. And when broken down into its component parts, with both horse and rider having a good understanding of them, it usually comes very easily.

And the benefits of it are huge 💪

10/03/2025

Watching these feet strengthen has been a joy.

He is six months out of bar shoes now and is sound and back to jumping 🙌

He has a new heel on the ground now, and his base of support is now much underneath him, giving him much more support.

And we just have a bit of toe to grow down until he has a full new hoof capsule. you can see the growth at the top of the foot is growing down at a tighter (more upright) angle. With just a bit of the old flaring to grow off.

You can also see how much fuller his heel bulbs are now.

11/02/2025

An interesting visual of the effect shoes have on the horses feet

11/02/2025

I am thrilled to say that I am now a fully qualified, LANTRA Level 5 Diploma holding Equine Podiatrist 🙌

Which means I have achieved:

☑️ Many, many hours of learning
☑️ 14 modules and assignments
☑️ 8 (6 months each) mentored case studies
☑️ 6 days shadowing fully qualified EP’s
☑️ 4 exams
☑️ 4 years of studying
☑️ 2 days of dissecting some very interesting cadaver’s
☑️ 1 baby and wonderful little human 🫣🤣🥰

I will now be joining the Equine Podiatry Association as a fully qualified member, which means that I am:

☑️ Fully Qualified to the highest level available in the UK
☑️ Fully Insured
☑️ Will be undertaking a minimum of 40hours CPD annually
☑️ Have access to a fantastic support network
☑️ Fully regulated

09/02/2025

Learning in the tradition of the Ecole de Légèreté.

There are many things we could do with our limited time, resources and finances. For horse people, taking a break from the care of their animals comes often at great cost and compromise. Getting time away from work, family, caring responsibilities and horse care - well, that is a big deal.

Why then do so many people take that short, precious bit of time and spend it sitting in a cold (or hot) indoor school watching other people ride for eight hours a day? They could be at the beach, or by the pool, or in a spa. Rather than wearing all their clothes and sitting on a hard chair with utter focus and absorption about the intricacies, detail and application of this tradition?

Many of these people have been coming for years - traveling across the country to watch and learn, for a decade or so. Bringing their hot water bottles or fan, their notepads and sandwiches.

The love of the horse does a quite remarkable thing to a human!

And we are enormously grateful to the dedicated, passionate, kind and supportive community of spectators who attend the Légèreté Teacher Training courses in the U.K. Without you all, there would be no teacher training: this really is a whole village approach to ethical horse training.

Without a group of interested people who want to learn and share this knowledge, there will be no bigger change. By taking this learning back to your own horse - maybe booking a lesson with an instructor - you too become another advocate for respectful methods of horse training. Change through positive example really is the most effective means.

The wider and far reaching impact that spectators and students have is something quite remarkable.

Over the next few weeks we are going to be asking this wider community to share 'Why Légèreté?'. What brought you to a clinic or an instructor in the first place? What differences has it made to you and your horse, what insights has it provided, and what skills has it given you both?

If you are one of the longstanding spectators of the teacher training - what brings you back year after year? We will be sharing interviews and case studies

Please comment below to tell us the difference Légèreté. has made to you and your horse, whether you have audited the teacher training clinics, or had lessons with an instructor.

Thank you to you all.
Love from, The U.K school of Légèreté

05/02/2025

Another fabulous clinic - thank you Catherine Marshall and the rest of the Foundation Course.

Very pleased with the progress in Pod (and me!) but loads more to work on.

Looking forwards to getting stuck in again and practising 👏

28/01/2025

Me and Pod are looking forward to a fabulous four days of learning 🙌

Excited to welcome some of my lovely clients along as well. 😁

21/01/2025

I recommend these regularly!

Fabulous for getting grit and stones out of white lines 🙌

“Top Tip Tuesday!”

Have you ever struggled to get the small stones out of your horses inner wall/white line junction? Using a regular hoof pick very rarely enables you to dislodge them. This is where a mini hook and pick set could be useful as it is small enough to clean out the smallest of stones!

15/01/2025

Zorro is a lovely rising 6yr old, showing you don’t need English tack or have big aspirations to do ‘dressage’ to have good solid training 🙌

A well trained horse is a well trained horse whether that’s in the school or out hacking (where arguably, it’s even more important you can control which bit is going where!), especially when you want to start doing gates and dealing with real life hazards!

We’ve been working really hard on his shoulder balance, because he was a bit of a wiggly worm and steering was a bit hit and miss.

But Flechi Doit and neck rein turns have worked a treat and he’s now light to the seat and rein aids and is starting to follow the hand really nicely.

It’s starting to come together beautifully, and I’m really proud of them both ❤️

12/01/2025

I thought it was time for Mickey to have some new boots 🤣

The boot on the right is one half of the original pair I bought for him back in 2011.

I often get asked how long hoof boots last. And the answer as with most things is “it depends”. It depends on the mileage, horse’s action, what they’re used for etc etc.

But these have been used for riding, turnout, laminitis rehabs and as a poultice boot for abscesses. They really have done some mileage.

And in fairness they are still usable now. They haven’t got any tread left, which is the main reason I’m buying some more. And they have a hole at the toe. But they’re still functional. 👌

Mickey doesn’t always wear boots for turnout on the track. But as an older boy who has PPID and who has had laminitis in the past his circulation isn’t as good as it could be. And I have found that keeping his feet warm with boots and sheepskin pads really helps him when the weather gets cold 🥶

I wonder if we’ll get 14years out of the new pair 🫣👏

10/01/2025

Make sure your horses are drinking enough water during this cold snap. 🥶

Try offering some slightly warmed up water, bring a flask or a boil some water just to take the chill out. You’ll be amazed at how much they want when it isn’t freezing cold.

If you’ve got a really reluctant drinker you could offer wet, mashes as well to make sure those fluids are going in 👌

Warm water is very Pod approved. He had two full buckets this morning 😁

08/01/2025

Really lovely to see these once quite poorly feet improving. (This was the poorliest of the four).

Another previously in long term bar shoes with coffin joint arthritis and gut issues who is now making super progress.

He’s had a bit of a gut rehab too, and his owner has been fabulously diligent

He had Equine Fusions and EPS pads to start with, to really help those digital cushions and start to rebuild his internal arch and keep him super comfortable.

But with lots of walking and hacking on varying terrain he’s been out barefoot quite a bit too.

He now has some close fitting Flex Boots on order, ready for some longer hacks on stoney terrain as we carry on strengthening his feet back up 👌

03/01/2025

A little bit about why I have chosen firstly to follow Philippe Karl's School of Légèreté UK and secondly why I have taken the leap to partaking in the Foundation Instructor Course.

I remember my first lesson, and it was just lightbulb 💡 after lightbulb 💡 moment. The difference in feel from Solo was and continues to be enormous ❤️

And I love helping other people to find that lightness 😁

If you want to find out any more about it, fire questions at me or come and watch for yourself at our next clinic 😁

Pod and I will be in action, along with our fellow trainee instructors 🙌

01/01/2025

Happy New Year!

It looks like we’re heading for a cold snap. So now is a great time to think about your plan for dealing with Encysted Redworm.

Westgate Labs have lots of great advice, and their flowchart is a great help.

If you have a horse at low risk, then think about having a blood test done.

If you’ve decided to worm, then you need to do it after a prolonged cold snap. And it looks like next week might be a good window for it 👍

❄️🐛🐴 There is one dangerous parasitic stage of the small redworm that we need to be particularly aware of at this time of year as it can have fatal consequences. Winter is the season to consider how we tackle the possibility of encysted redworm. This means either blood testing or treating with an appropriate wormer.

Between December and February follow the steps below:

1️⃣ The first step is to work out your horse's parasite risk level here 👉 bit.ly/CANTER-Risk-Profile-Table
2️⃣ Once you know your horse's level of risk, use our Winter Protocol flow chart to work out your next steps 👉 bit.ly/Winter-Protocol-FlowChart
3️⃣ Find out why winter needs to be treated differently to other seasons 👉bit.ly/WinterWorming

🦄 If you're on one of our subscription plans, then sit back and relax as we'll be in touch with you to discuss what action to take according to your horse's tailor made parasite control plan!