Footloose Barefoot Hooves

24/06/2025

Leading on from my previous post of the two donkeys, part 2.

This one is the daughter of the first donkey. Due to being unhandled, she got sedated today to have her hinds done and a second go at her fronts which we managed to start without sedation a few days ago.

She also had x-rays done and there is lasting damage to the feet, some of which limited what we could do today. Hopefully she will bounce back from the huge changes we made to her posture and movement and will be able to become the sweet donkey that she is showing glimpses of - after the trim, she snoozed on my side for ages, and kept coming closer with her heavy little head 🥹
Both of these will have the most wonderful home to look forward to, and I'm really wishing them the very best; they so deserve it after what they went through!

24/06/2025

Leading on from my previous post about the two donkeys...
First up this beautiful soul ❤️

Her hinds were completely curled under and her inside heel crushed onto the sole completely. Last picture also shows what this has done to her heel bulbs. Hopefully those will settle as everything scrambles into a more balanced way.

She seems to cope pretty well with the massive changes to posture and movement we made.

Now more correct movement hopefully will help the feet to grow more straight so we can continue with the rehab...

24/06/2025

It's been quite an emotional and challenging week here with the arrival of two not so incredibly well cared for donkeys with one of my clients.

I'll make a couple of posts with some before and after pictures in a moment, but want to show the stark reality of lack of hoofcare first 😞

21/06/2025

Oh these little donks ❤️ They so patiently let me do some hard hard toe shortening work (and we're not done yet!)
If you want to contribute to their ongoing care (they'll be seeing the vets shortly for a full checkup and obviously feet x-rays, plus any attention required as a result from the vet visit), you can find the gofundme link in the original post.

Massive thankyou to Sydne at Footloose Barefoot Hooves for coming over at short notice to get these girls started on their hoof care programme. Pumpkin also got a wee tidy up too, it was quite evident that he's kept his hooves in shape with his regular escapades running up and down the roads.

Patty and Penny however have clearly had the hardest times though as their hooves were so overgrown they were literally folding in half on some hooves, Patty even had a small metal spring wedged in one of them.

They are both clearly uncomfortable, as expected, with the drastic changes and it was all a bit much for baby Penny who for not being handled was very good with allowing her to do some of her fronts, but before she became overwhelmed we decided to leave here back hooves till Sydne returns to do my horses next week, when hopefully we'll have a vet on site to apply some sedation if required to do them properly.

The main thing is we are on the move to getting them back in track. I'm now in the process of trying to source a fencer so that we can make a permanent paddock away from the boys as electric fencing is not an option as Pete is still entire and we dont need to risk any more new additions 🙈🤣

When the time comes they can be out and moving freely and at peace to aid in their rest and recuperation outside of the stuffy warm stables.

I've no idea what that may cost so please keep sharing our fundraiser every donation is going to make it easier to get these little donks back on their feet 🥰
https://gofund.me/31baee9b

19/06/2025

Resharing this from a couple of years ago. How alfalfa can cause an insulin spike/response like high energy feeds.

The objective of the study was to characterize the temporal changes of phosphorylation patterns of mTOR signaling proteins in response to two dietary protein sources in insulin dysregulated (ID, n = 8) and non-ID (n = 8) horses. Horses were individually housed and fed timothy grass hay and 2 daily c...

18/06/2025

A horse that left my care a few years ago (very amicably; we were all so very sad!); the perfect set of circumstances mean we got to meet again!

(Top set of pictures from my last trim back then)

Some factors involved meant the feet weren't in their best shape when they came back to me in January (middle set of pictures; look at those contracting heels, especially on the right fore), but now we're back on track and the wee man is thriving in his new environment (bottom set).

To me these images show just how pliable feet are - it goes in both directions though.

18/06/2025

Following on from my previous post - here is a comparison of the right fore.
Top left picture shows a lateral (outside) loading of that hoof. The stance with the bony column not being straight may have been exaggerated on that picture, but is indicative of how that horse was loading her foot.
Bottom left picture shows the unevenness in how the heels were being loaded, with the lateral (outside) having a wider surface area .
Over to the right hand side pictures - we have a more harmonious stance and more even loading over both heels.

So what changed?
Two things. I adapted my trim based on The Hoof Architect 's work, and the mare lost considerable weight - I don't know how the latter exactly works, but I have seen some inwards rotations of hooves straighten up when a horse isn't overweight anymore. So I don't know what played a bigger part, but I'm glad something did!

18/06/2025

Following on from yesterday's post about the 9 month check-in and some beautiful heel development.

Here's another look at the feet from a different angle.

Often, when the back of the foot improves, the heels and the frog open up and get wider; in this case, frogs and heels were already as wide as they would be.
Instead, my eyes are drawn to the heel bulbs. They have filled out, plumped up, and gone from semi inflated balloons to rounded and fuller filled versions of their previous selves. This is an indication that the digital cushion is doing some serious work now!

Very pleased to see this.

If you wonder about the bottom pictures; the shunted heel and the uneven trim plane; I had to "rollercoaster" this one a bit; the unevenness is deliberate. I'll make another post about that element of developments in a moment.

18/06/2025

This case taught me so much about the ability of the hoof capsule to heal and how feet can still be functional with such a huge impairment.
And I pull it out every time a client gets worried about what will happen with that abscess exit crack once it grows further down.

Did someone say hoof abscess?

This one was a real challenge — a persistent sub-solar abscess that was initially explored by a vet, but later tracked and burst naturally through the heels. The resulting damage affected both the sole and the hoof wall, and compensatory weight-bearing led to flaring in the opposite hoof.

Today we’re excited to share a fascinating case study from one of our skilled full members, Sydne Pruonto, who managed the recovery of this hoof with expertise and dedication. Her detailed photo diary shows just how much insight and care goes into rehabilitating a case like this.

👉 Click the link below to read the full case study and explore the photo journey.
https://www.epauk.org/about-equine-podiatry/case-studies/extreme-abscess-recovery/

17/06/2025

Nine months check-in.

After a laminitis scare last autumn, this mare had some serious changes to her management. And it shows in her waistline and her feet! 👏👏

16/06/2025

Six weeks between these pictures.

11 weeks ago, this boy went onto a track system.
When I saw him 6 weeks ago, his soles were thin (pliable in places) and he had so little growth.

After my visit, his diet got an overhaul and his feet a round of protective Hoof Armor.

Now his insulin levels are down.
He has lost some excess weight.
His heels are expanding, his soles have firmed up, he actually had some growth to address, and he is moving well.

Go Dudley!

16/06/2025

Setup trim for this mare - very rewarding to help some strong feet perform a little bit better!