Barefoot South

20/11/2024

Horseshoes mask poor management. One day, hopefully soon, the equine community will collectively wake up and ask 'What have we done? Horses are highly sensitive beings. Not leisure vehicles or toys.

22/08/2024

QUARTER CRACKS

More than one cause but in this case a coronary band injury. Convention dictated it be 'held together' with a heart bar.

PHOTO ONE
Heart bar.
Yellow and orange arrows - coronary band split
Blue dots - outer hoof wall heavily rasped, compare pigmentation with photo two
Dark blue arrow - very under run heel
Magenta arrows - foot trimmed flat, stressing the crack despite shoe

PHOTO TWO
Deshod, recent transition
Yellow and orange arrows - coronary band split healing. Note no glue, staples or stitches. Just an understanding of hoof anatomy and maybe physics
Blue dots - pigment!
Dark blue arrow - heel buttress migrating backwards to where it should be
Magenta arrows - gap created before, aft and under crack to relieve stress

Barefoot magic!

injury

10/05/2024

Horses can excel in sport barefoot. More and more disciplines are proving this.

https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/barefootin-healthy-choice-soundness?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3pCI3Dpbb7BxRloj9Xng3mrciEfnZYKe-7RVrIx9DwmYpst9bxXlDUcC0_aem_AXZ4-RCaCMO5hUVHpLH4mTqqaAm5qK3Dsz5Zy8dHuEBzcUMwsHCVtZ7S6V2z1R-BbFXCTtj92oJIXtqGmBh02osy

Tradition dictates that racehorses should be shod to get good traction and to protect the hoof, but some trainers believe not all horses should be shod,

03/05/2024

*** WORM EGG COUNTS DO NOT DETECT TAPEWORM LEVELS OR ENCYSTED REDWORM BURDENS ***

I STILL get people commenting on my worming posts that they “do worm egg counts, so don’t need to worm”! NO!!!!!!!

Worm egg counts and targeted worming is brilliant, BUT only if you also use blood tests for both tapeworm (twice a year) and encysted redworm (once a year).

I still also hear of yards that don’t worm at all if the worm egg counts are negative. You are going to have dead horses if this is your method of worming, as WORM EGG COUNTS DO NOT DETECT TAPEWORM or ENCYSTED REDWORM!

Worm egg counts MUST be combined with blood tests for encysted redworm and tapeworm; if all 3 are negative, then no need to worm at all.

Please don’t offer advice on my posts, especially when it’s incorrect!

EDIT: the saliva test for tapeworm twice yearly, is fine, but blood tests are currently the only way to check for encysted redworm burdens. I won’t be offering any further worming advice on this post, as it’s simply to highlight a very important point. I put a lot of effort into sharing information about worming, so most questions being asked have been covered in my many previous worming posts, and I’m sure will be covered again. It seems an area that people really do struggle to understand!

03/05/2024

This is so true. Worm counts on their own are not enough. Encysted worms can be fatal. Blood test for tape and encysted

*** WORM EGG COUNTS DO NOT DETECT TAPEWORM LEVELS OR ENCYSTED REDWORM BURDENS ***

I STILL get people commenting on my worming posts that they “do worm egg counts, so don’t need to worm”! NO!!!!!!!

Worm egg counts and targeted worming is brilliant, BUT only if you also use blood tests for both tapeworm (twice a year) and encysted redworm (once a year).

I still also hear of yards that don’t worm at all if the worm egg counts are negative. You are going to have dead horses if this is your method of worming, as WORM EGG COUNTS DO NOT DETECT TAPEWORM or ENCYSTED REDWORM!

Worm egg counts MUST be combined with blood tests for encysted redworm and tapeworm; if all 3 are negative, then no need to worm at all.

Please don’t offer advice on my posts, especially when it’s incorrect!

EDIT: the saliva test for tapeworm twice yearly, is fine, but blood tests are currently the only way to check for encysted redworm burdens. I won’t be offering any further worming advice on this post, as it’s simply to highlight a very important point. I put a lot of effort into sharing information about worming, so most questions being asked have been covered in my many previous worming posts, and I’m sure will be covered again. It seems an area that people really do struggle to understand!

13/02/2024

LAMINITIS

Do you know a horse which has a gap between the shoe and hoof at the toe? Check the first photo. This is hidden laminitis.

Stretch - can impede mechanical efficiency, but the stretch itsel doesn't hurt. If the cause of the laminitis has been effectively removed then the pain goes too.

Too often correlation is mistaken for causation and then incorrect conclusions are drawn.

10/02/2024

'The Winter King'.

Cast seen carting hay bales. It is supposed to be time of King Arthur.

Hay baling was first introduced in the 1800's

05/02/2024

04/02/2024

ACUTE LAMINITIS

Last year this horse had acute laminitis.

Look at him now. Beautiful, naturally square stance. Not 'trained'.

Working most days.

Diet, Exercise, Environment and Trim

And most importantly an amazing owner and livery yard prepared to put in the work.

27/01/2024

Trimming days start early. Long day of working on performance horses, rehab horses and 'specials".

Good day though. They all had good feet thanks to the dedicated efforts of their owners.

22/01/2024

HEEL HEIGHT

Hoof capsule needs to be short in heel.

The least competent hoof is photo one. The most able is photo 3.

Look at the areas circled in pink.

PHOTO ONE
Just removed about 3/4 inch in height. More to go. Horse has existing lameness in back of foot. Thrush not helping.

PHOTO TWO
Ex racer mid rehab. Beautiful heel bulbs and nice short heels. Competent over most ground.

PHOTO THREE
Post extensive rehab. Very neat, highly capable hoof. Competent for long distance and all surfaces.

If you want highly able, sound, super horses keep the hoof capsules as nature intended.

Diet, Exercise, Environment and Trim.