Well, that was a wet and windy few days!! 🌧We have had relentless rain here, and you can literally hear how wet we are! 💦 Thankfully, the mud mats have done a great job of providing somewhere dry and mud free for the horses, so that whilst they are eating hay their hooves will get a chance to dry out, which is vital when we are trying to maintain hoof integrity in wetter weather.
#paddockparadise #tracksystem #barefoothorses #naturalhoofcare #mudmats
Thimble was in a bit of a hurry 🧡🤍💨 This was just before the heavens opened, it all sounds a bit more splashy out there now! 💦
#paddockparadise #movementismedicine #barefoothorse #naturalenrichment
Getting their steps in 🐎💪
#barefoothorse #friendsforagefreedom #naturalenrichment #naturalhoofcare #motionislotion #movementmatters
These mud mats have been a game changer for us this winter. Although primarily, we got them for the horse's benefit, this area would have been a bog by now, which made poo picking and haynets really hard work. This year, with the mats, everything feels so much easier. We used roughly half a pallet on this run. Cue Beaky 🧡
#paddockparadise #tracksystem #barefoothorses #friendsforagefreedom #naturalhoofcare #naturalenrichment #horsesbeinghorses #mudmats #nomoremud #winter #muddyhorse
Pea gravel is definitely our preferred surface on the track, and the horses seem to love it, too! When deep enough, it provides a comfortably cushioned surface that spreads the weight evenly across their hooves, which makes it ideal for stimulating hoof growth and strengthening. The horses all seem to enjoy sleeping and rolling on it, and it drains well, making it easy to keep clean and usable all year round. The downside is that it does need topping up at least once a year as so much gets carried away in muddy hooves, but the benefits are worth the extra time and expense. Here is Tyson just finishing a good scratch and rolling session 🖤🤍
#paddockparadise #tracksystem #naturalhoofcare #naturalenrichment
Congratulations to sisters Dominique with Locker 🤎 and Arianne with Rebel 🤍 for winning second place at Poplar Park XC 👏🏇 Tony started looking after Locker's feet towards the end of 2022 just a few weeks after his shoes were removed. At age 21 he had the typical thin soles and underrun heels that are so often seen in shod horses. Rebel's human took a bit more convincing about removing his shoes because although he was only aged 14, he had a complex history with both sacroiliac and suspensory issues and NPA which had been managed using remedial shoes and wedges, until Tony removed them back in early 2023. Both horses have taken to life without shoes really well. Rebel's NPA has been corrected and he is now maintained on three weekly trim cycles. It's lovely to see them all out and about, jumping without shoes 👌
#barefoothorse #equinepodiatryinaction #naturalhoofcare #hoofrehab
This horses shoes had been removed approximately 15 months prior to the first picture and the heels had been lowered but no wall had been removed further forwards towards the toe. The client had understood that they were waiting for a new healing angle but this had never grown down any further than around the first inch and instead the toes had just got longer and the horse was now walking with a shortened and unnatural gait. After just one trim, the horse was immediately more comfortable and three trims on, the hoof is much more upright and the horse is able to move correctly with less risk of damage due to excessively long toes.
They all seem rather worn out after a good blast earlier! 🐎
#paddockparadise #naturalenrichment #motionislotion #horsesbeinghorses
Winter wollies in the sunshine 🌞
#barefoothorse #heelfirstlanding #paddockparadise #motionislotion
This lovely little exracer is Ruby 🐎 She had been barefoot for around 3 months when Tony took over her hoofcare back in July 2023 when there was evidence of rotation from laminitis, and with thin soles her feet were very splayed and underrun and she was very sore. Her rehabilitation has involved pad walking and some maintenance work from her humans in between Tony's visits, and she is now well on the road to recovery. Whilst there are still lots of improvements to be made to Ruby's hooves, she has just started jumping bitless and barefoot, she is comfortable hacking without boots and she can now use the hayfeeder in her field which is on rocks and had to be moved last year 💪🐴
Spot the photo bomb from Lily 🖤🤍 🥰
#barefoothorse #exracer #equinepodiatry #laminitisrecovery #naturalhoofcare #hoofrehab
Doesn't Beaky look fantastic! 🧡
#seniorhorse #paddockparadise #motionislotion #ppid #pssm #exracer #barefoothorse #friendsforagefreedom
Lilly's shoes were removed by Tony just over a year ago and despite being told previously that she would never jump, she doesn't seem to be doing a bad job!
#equineppdodiatryinaction #barefoothorse #noshoestolose
