Footloose Barefoot Hooves

18/01/2025

Shetland spam 🥹❤️❤️

It’s hard work getting your tootsies trimmed 💙

Thank you, as always to Footloose Barefoot Hooves for trimming our little herd this morning 🙏🏼

13/01/2025

Strong little barefoot feet 💪

13/01/2025

What do I see when I look at these feet? Highly functioning rock crunching barefoot feet.

Are they perfectly looking? Probably not. There's bits and pieces here and there we could improve.

Am I happy with them? Yes, because the horse is.

Will we try and improve them even more? Yes, of course!

13/01/2025

Sometimes I'm just not taking the right pictures and only see afterwards what I should have documented 😬🤦‍♀️
Top pictures are before the first trim. Bottom after the second trim. I just see the high heels and how that has shunted up the coronary band. Looking more relaxed after the second trim, and I can't wait to get the pictures I need for a full comparison next time!

13/01/2025

Youngster Welsh D feet. Aren't they beautiful?

10/01/2025

My little trim companion yesterday 😊

08/01/2025

Cute little Arab feet in the snow!

07/01/2025

Another . Can you see the kink in the wall?

07/01/2025

I wish I had better comparison pictures for this one!
This boy has a very wonky leg/foot placement (right hind).
Left/top pictures are from August, right/bottom from December.
I've made a courageous change to his trim and I think we're on the right track.
Although the heel bulbs aren't entirely straight yet, there are a big improvements in his stance, willingness to stand still to be trimmed, and balance between both heels (it's a shame the feathers hide some of the heels in December pictures...).
I'll be interested to see how much more I can nudge him towards a more balanced foot and leg.

07/01/2025

This boy presented with a hole at the toe of a hind foot at the last trim. We suspected an abscess, or potentially a puncture from a stone or similar.
On the most recent trim we got to see what had been happening underneath - a significant section of the sole had been underrun by an abscess. We're still not sure if the hole was the origin or the result of the abscess.
I've marked up where it has underrun as it's looking a bit messy. Potentially it has underrun in other sections of the sole as well, but the old sole wasn't ready to shed to reveal what was underneath.

07/01/2025

Pigment change on a hoof wall, 5 months between those pictures. I still don't have an inkling as to why this is happening; I only know it isn't from a bang, or pressure (such as a bandage or boot); so for now it's information, without causing us worry (until we know more). Only one foot as well. Maybe one day we'll find out...

07/01/2025

A hoof telling a sad story 😞 Laminitis on a pony. The angle change and step in the hoof wall tells of rotation/ possibly sink and lack of circulation to the coronary band during the event.

07/01/2025

This one is a bit of a random one 😄

I'm quite a geek when it comes to Welsh D pedigrees.
These three ponies share a lot of similar breeding with a lot of influence from one stud.
Their feet, although they are all most definitely "Welsh", are quite different though - the first one has quite round feet. The second has very oval feet. The third has round feet that are quite dainty. (The size difference between these three ponies is almost a couple of hands as well!)

Take home message? Appearance (and quality) of hooves aren't only defined by their breed - environment, nutrition, health, early years development, and so many more all play an important role.

07/01/2025

Recently someone made a comment about me: 'First blacksmith I've ever met that goes to the car to get a likit'.
😒😏

So be it. If it makes the trimming experience nicer for the horse, I'll advocate a likit. If hay does the trick, let's get some hay. If we need to do two feet, then take some time out, then do the other two feet, so be it. If your horse needs to be the first to be trimmed because watching other horses being trimmed first makes them upset, we change the order about.

Why should we comply with a set idea of how it's supposed to be done if it's not right for the horse?

I often ask where we should trim a horse, which way to point them, etc, because if the horse isn't mentally with us, it makes my job harder and potentially dangerous.

So if your horse needs their right fore done before the left fore, we'll do that. If a leg can only stretch so far, it will only get stretched so far.

Talk to me. I'm yet to meet a request that's too far out (although this is not an invitation or a challenge 😄)!

06/01/2025

Strong little hooves on an elderly Lady!

06/01/2025

Interesting transitional pictures of a horse that has moved to a yard where she can be on harder surfaces for longer periods of time.
In the bottom pictures, you can see a ridge at the toe; the section of the sole towards the frog has built up additional sole thickness to support the feet as they require added firmness/thickness on the harder surfaces.
I suspect we will see a more uniform sole thickness the next time I see her.
It's always so interesting to see when hooves adapt and change as their environment changes.

06/01/2025

Moving yards can be scary, but sometimes it really pays off.

Look at how the weight has come off this chap in 3 months! 🤯 And we aren't struggling with white line issues anymore.

He was so tightly managed before, but it just wasn't enough.

All because the grazing changed to grass that isn't as rich.

What a transformation!

02/01/2025

Ooft! I doubt my camera battery will take many hoof pictures today in that cold, so here's today's view from the office snap! Welcome 2025!