Kelly Brown Equine Podiatrist

02/01/2025

You might remember this one - she blew a huge abscess out of her frog and coronet band, probably due to a large toe crack. At this point, it looks as though the entire sole was affected and one side has peeled away. The new sole underneath is pretty thin, and thrush has bedded into the cavity. She can go out but needs added protection while that new sole is so weak. She’ll wear a boot/dry poultice to prevent further bruising/damage from stones and regular disinfecting to prevent the thrush. Movement (circulation and stimulation) will encourage faster healing, so hopefully the new sole will thicken pretty fast. The original crack has been packed again with red horse hoof stuff but the cavity is smaller since today’s trim which is a good sign

01/01/2025

As promised!! Proud to have mentored Adam 👌🏽Please follow his page, he’s in Norfolk

Welcome, and thank you for visiting!

I am a fully insured student Equine Podiatrist and Hoof Boot fitter based in Norfolk, committed to promoting the health and well-being of horses through evidence-based hoof care. I am currently studying a LANTRA-recognised and OFQUAL-regulated Level 5 Diploma in Equine Podiatry with Equine Podiatry Training Ltd (EPT), and I am a proud student member of the Equine Podiatry Association (EPA).

With over a decade of experience as a Barefoot Trimmer, my journey began with training under a farrier, which gave me a solid foundation in hoof care. Since becoming a student of Equine Podiatry, my knowledge and skills have significantly expanded, enabling me to approach hoof care with a deeper understanding and a more refined, science-based methodology.

Alongside my podiatry expertise, I have spent more than 10 years working as a horse handler, addressing a wide range of equine behavioural challenges. This experience has provided me with a deep understanding of equine behaviour, horsemanship, and the individual needs of each horse I work with.

My approach is rooted in a holistic understanding of equine welfare, combining my practical experience and ongoing education to provide tailored support for every horse. Whether it's helping with hoof health, fitting the right boots, or addressing behavioural concerns, my goal is to enhance your horse's comfort, soundness, and happiness.

I look forward to sharing more about my journey and working with you to support the health and well-being of your horses. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions or to schedule an appointment—I’d be delighted to help!

01/01/2025

Shared at the request of the owner. I saw this horse early in december, and his hooman thought it was important that others learn from their experience.

If your boot fitter doesn’t understand hooves on a scale of pathological to decent, how would they know the type of boot that would best suit the horse? Example: the above mentioned horse has been on a 4 week shoeing cycle because the hooves grow faster than average and he’s been in remedial shoes to correct negative angles in his hinds. It is assumed that this npa is a result of suspensory injuries, kissing spines and/or hock arthritis. He’s recently retired and in his early twenties, so the farrier, who the owner is very happy with recommended taking the shoes off, but on the condition he went into boots to help his soles improve, while in hand walking on hard surfaces as recommended by the vet. The farrier doesnt carry fit kits, hence why the owner sought a boot fitter. Only at the appointment did she learn that the fitter is your average horse owner that has never studied hooves. So, firstly scoots do not offer the protection or shock absorption that this horse needs. The heels are really low, so the trimmed foot sits too low in the boot, making it too big behind, and in order to encourage a horse to move comfortably he needs cushioning under those thin soles. Her farrier thankfully helped her to try on the boots immediately after the trim, and he saw off the bat that these boots were completely inappropriate. So, now he’s in a cavallo trek which has a thick soles, a therapy pad that will stimulate all solar surfaces and encourage the foot to improve, and he can walk on the stone track to and from the field with no issues. The TYPE of boot is so important. The TYPE of fitter is equally important. I love that more farriers are carrying fit kits now (and her farrier is booked onto a fitting course, yay!), but the lesson here is, even if the farrier can’t get to you for a few weeks, he’s got the peripheral knowledge that Sally from Iowa who fits boots on the side simply doesn’t have.

01/01/2025

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Back in november were very generous in sending me a big box of goodies, to help raise money for - my favourite charity/501c over in Uruguay. Dan pulled some names out of the hat today. Winners are:
Helen Fletcher
Kayleigh Ockendon
Alison Waller
Ange Moore
Emma Perkins
Rebecca Sketchley-King
Shelley Brady
Rhonda Simmons

Massive thanks to Red Horse, and to every single person who donated! You guys helped raise £402 for The Last Ark 🩶🐴🦄 🫶🏼

30/12/2024

Laminitis can leave hooves in a mess. In this case there is no current inflammation of the laminae, but a few months back she had some acute sink, rotation and gas pockets. This led to a laminar wedge, and blowing abscesses out of both fronts multiple times. Today i attended with her vet to trim under sedation, and we found some thrush pockets in the white line (seedy toe) in the front left. These were flushed out with red horse sole cleanse and packed with hoof stuff to kill any thrush and prevent mud from getting back in there. At the same time, after scraping a little pressure point off the sole at the toe, i found a current, actively draining abscess. I’ll never get used to that smell 🙈 It’s important not to pack abscess holes if they are still draining, so this one was left open. She’ll have a poultice on until it’s dried up, and for 3 days after that to give the hoof a chance to produce repair horn.

30/12/2024

An abscess that blew out the coronet band can cause significant damage to the tissue behind the wall, but as it grows out there will usually be a section of wall that isn’t really attached to the internal structures because the abscess itself caused a disconnect. What you see here is the pocket the abscess once filled, the wall that’s detached, and the repair horn that’s sealed the hole. It’s not pretty, but it’s preventing reinfection. He’s a horse who can be difficult to trim, so i didn’t top dress his hoof at the last visit. He has a little defect in a tubule or two at the toe which i didn’t spot at the last visit, so that’s been trimmed out today (outer wall only, pretty superficial), and treated with field paste.

22/12/2024

Still receiving donations for the last ark today. You guys are the best!! The response has been either “what a worthy organisation”, or “I love red horse stuff”. A few of you have said you’re donating in place of Christmas cards, which is a really lovely idea.

Whatever your motivation, I’m thankful. And the biggest thanks of all to who sent me a box full of treasure a month back. Please follow their account, they are currently running loads of giveaways. They are also a small family business, who use natural ingredients and gladly support charities like this one every chance they get 🫶🏼

21/12/2024

If you need inspiration in the darkest depths of winter, let it be from Megan.

So proud 💪🏼🩶

21/12/2024

I am soaked to my skin and I have the cold in my bones, but thanks so much to everybody who has fed and watered me this morning. And especially for unexpected gifts on top of donating (very generously, yes YOU Angela and Becky!) to

It’s a wonderful feeling, to be trusted with your furry friends’ hoof health, and I feel appreciated, so thank you from the bottom of my heart. On dark and miserable days, I remind myself how thrilled ten year old me would be to see me now, and to know I’m surrounded by such good, thoughtful people. It’s been a long week but I’m very happy with where life has brought me. I have a few more horses to see over the next couple of days before taking a break, but this is probably my last post for a week or two. Happy winter solstice to the northern hemisphere, and thank you again for being so kind, I really appreciate you, especially on days like today 🫶🏼

19/12/2024

Track liveries in warwickshire and leicestershire? Please tell me what you know of and state whether grass or grass free. Also, ems/laminitis friendly livery setups would be good to know too. I’ve had so many people ask me lately 🤞🏽

18/12/2024

I posted progress photos of Cheyenne’s left fore last week, but here’s the other front.

14/12/2024

July to December. Cheyenne’s feet have changed so much over the last six months. The growth rate is pretty good, and I think by early spring the last of that old hoof will have grown out. Interestingly the hoof quality has improved drastically, and the event lines are much less prominent. I suspect that this is down to something really simple like improved circulation and the addition of a mineral balancer. Looking at the tubules growing down from the heel, you should be able see the changes from one photo to the next. The hairline tells the same story from a slightly different perspective. Will post an update again in the spring

14/12/2024

13/12/2024

I was asked today why I haven’t been posting lately. The truthful answer is bad weather and seasonal affective lack of motivation. Anyway… Here’s one of Bob’s hooves. Bob is further down the page, the little cob with the magnificent moustache. He was terrified of me at the first visit, and i couldn’t rasp, only nipper. Second visit he was worried for a minute, then settled and gave permission to use the rasp. Today he offered me each foot before I even asked. Nice job Elliot (his hooman) for making this happen. I think it’s fair to say he’s happy to have his feet handled now 👌🏽

09/12/2024

Before you consider expensive “online markups” from a person who isnt there to assess the whole hoof/limb/horse/posture please read this:

Any advice worth taking, ESPECIALLY on hoof balance and trim quality, will not be given on line via pictures. Even if a fancy mark up App is used.

You need to see the whole picture.

You need to put your hands on that horse, watch it move, assess its environment, build a relationship with the owner and understand what they ‘want’ from the horse and are able to provide.

This job (when done properly) really isn’t as straight forward as people may think.

As an interesting example, when assessing Hoof Pastern Axis (which is just one of MANY things we assess when adjusting hoof balance) how the horse is stood will have a huge impact on what an x ray or photograph will show.

These 2 x rays below show 2 very different stories when it comes to HPA. What happened in between these X-rays…..we adjusted how he was stood!!

06/12/2024

Here’s an outtake 🙈😂 This horse has been on my books for years, but she’s emigrating and this was her last trim with me. I plastered her feet in artimud so that when she goes into quarantine next week she’ll be off to the best start, but then realised when I went to take pictures, I hadnt thought it through. 🙄

I don’t take hoof pics for the sake of it, but I do take pictures as standard because when hooves change, it’s good for me to have a record of what’s working (or not) and especially for owners to see subtle positive changes. The number of total strangers who tell me they found my page helpful, or that individual case studies helped their own horse is pretty heartwarming to be honest. Sorry not sorry that this isn’t a post that’s going to be helpful in any way ☺️

But, whilst I’m really going to miss this big ginger bombshell, I’m very happy for her and her family and their future in a warmer climate. Love you guys 🩶🩶🩶 safe travels and I’ll definitely take you up on that invitation to come stay 🫶🏼

04/12/2024

Cavallo boots every time for transitioning, if they fit. I have no affiliation with the company, i just rate them very highly

03/12/2024

to the rescue - this little Spanish horse has a deep central sulcus crack and some hoof wall separation. Field paste in the wall, and hoof stuff in the central sulcus. Job done.

I ran out of field paste today, so opened a new tub of artimud, and it smelled heavenly👌🏽