Barefoot North Hoof Care

07/11/2024

Hey everyone! I know it's only November BUT that pretty much means only one trim appointment left for many of you and then it's Christmas 😵‍💫 Boy this year has gone fast!

My last day of work for the year is 24th of December and I will be off until the 13th of January. The weeks immediately before and after my break will book up fast so if you want to minimize disruption to your schedule then get in quick to secure your next couple of appointment times!

I won't be available for emergency visits through this period either as I will be away for much of it and enjoying some much needed down time. If you have an emergency during this time call the vet. I highly recommend stocking up on your basic veterinary supplies prior to this period ;)

Thanks everyone 🙏

27/10/2024

Hind hoof of the same pony as the post below. Check out how high those heels were 😱

27/10/2024

New laminitic pony client who has made great progress in a short space of time thanks to proactive change in management by owner 🫶

And of course a realigning trim involving lowering heels and 'chopping toes'. Before photos are before first trim and second photos are after second trim.

07/08/2024

Hay for Sale. Te Hana-Mangawhai road. 300 bale's available $15 each.

Contact Grainne on 0275215271

18/07/2024

Great special

Winter Special for our Warkworth Area clients. First date locked in is Tuesday 30th July. Please email for a booking spot. Remember no hoof, no horse! We look forward to getting you ready for the season. Email [email protected] for one of the limited spaces

12/07/2024

Really cool little mare belonging to a local client if anyone is looking for a nice young horse that's already been well started!

06/07/2024

Sticky Balls! Finally made a first batch of the copper sulphate beeswax putty for treating seedy toe and white line disease.

Still working on the recipe but I quite like how these turned out. They are not quite as sticky as I intended but much easier to handle without gloves so going to give them a whirl next week.

I have a few pots of samples for clients to take for free IF you actually use them and report back- do they need to be firmer? Stickier? Or just right? Best in individual balls like this or prefer a block? Effective at treating seedy toe? Or needing more active ingredients? Bonus points for supporting photographs showing progress growing out seedy toe or Whiteline disease 👍

Contains: beeswax, pine rosin, tea tree oil, olive oil and copper sulphate.

If you would like to get your hands on some sticky balls just hit me up at next trim 😁

03/07/2024

🐸 Well the green frog paste is proving quite successful! 🐸

It was getting tiresome ordering Artimud in from Aussie so got to making my own brew and have been trialling it on client horses and my own over the last few weeks and it's doing a great job of dealing to the soggy thrushy situations.

It's similar to the artimud but different- more of a cream consistency like cream foundation rather than sticky clay.

Contains Zinc Oxide, Honey, French Green Clay and Tea Tree oil. Will have a few pots on me for clients if you want to grab one at your next trim.

15/06/2024

Thoroughbred hooves 🐎🐎🐎

29/05/2024

MIA this week sorry guys. COVID finally caught up with our household after however many years of dodging it! Planning to be back to work next tuesday but unlikely to be hitting the ground running at the usual pace so please bear with me. This week off is likely to affect the next 2 weeks of appointments.

Still testing positive today but the brain is starting to function again so will be getting in touch and trying to sort out the next few weeks of bookings.

Thanks for your understanding 🙏

13/05/2024

The secret ingredient to healing hooves!

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Time, consistency and... 👏 time 👏

If you are doing everything you can to help your horses feet and it's still not looking great. Give it more time!

It takes time to get them into a mess and it takes time to build them back up out of it.

19/04/2024

TGIF

Big week this week. Definitely looking forward to our family holiday! Back on deck on the 29th. Enjoy the rest of the school holidays everyone. 🐴

05/04/2024

ConTact C.A.R.E

There is something magical about treating baby horses. They almost seem to change before your very eyes.

I almost didn't recognise this little guy when I returned today for his second visit. He was also so very happy to be treated second time around after being very guarded the first time.

15 month old clydie x nati x Northland bush pony. I can't wait to see how he continues to develop over the next few months.

If you are noticing issues in your young horses development it's a great idea to get body work done early so that they can flourish and grow the way they are supposed to without flinchlocks and compensations holding them back and distorting the body.

Flinchlocks in the skeleton can cause obvious issues like skeletal distortions but it can also affect temperament, overall ability to thrive, ability to cope with stress and changes, coat health, hoof balance and development, gut health, coordination, muscle development, breathing and so on. Some of the biggest changes can sometimes be internal and not obvious in a photograph.

More photos in the comments just because :)

30/10/2023

Had an amazing time of learning at the Equine ConTact CARE Practitioner clinic this weekend. Thanks so much Camille and Lisa for facilitating a weekend packed with so much learning in spite of the horrific turn of weather. Juggling a change of venue in the mix on top of everything else!

So much new learning to put into practice! I am especially looking forward to doing some horse and rider treatments over the next few weeks and also getting a better understanding of the interconnectedness of the different systems that can be affected by impact injuries.

Feel free to get in touch if you would like me to visit your horse or would like a horse and rider treatment. 🐎🐎🐎

25/10/2023

I was about to write my own PSA but Anna beat me to it.

Please prepare for fly season. Fly spray your horse ready for trimming and have extra on hand and fly sheet, mesh sheet if they are still twitchy.

Too many farriers and trimmer getting injured lately so would like to minimise risk factors wherever possible. No one wants to be caught in the crossfire of a belly kick or whipped in the eyes by a swishy tail.

I will be carrying ripcord in a spray bottle to use as fly deterrent if necessary measures aren't taken. If you don't like the use of Ripcord then please ensure you have an alternative already sorted out 🙏

🪰🦟 Fly season is coming up 🪰🦟

People often exclaim that my job must be hard in winter when it’s wet and muddy. Honestly I would take mud, rain, soft feet and no flies over rock hard feet, dripping in sweat, being whipped in the face by horses swishing at flies and horses jerking, kicking and stomping any day!

Flies make our work more difficult and dangerous. Having horses pulling and yanking legs away all day takes a big toll on us, and even quiet horses can unexpectedly kick at a fly - one of the most dangerous is when they kick at their belly with a hind while we’re working on a front.

Please have your horse accepting of the spray bottle and fly spray on hand for top ups. Particularly sensitive horses may also need a fly sheet and boots / socks for extra protection.

Thank you for keeping us safe!

18/10/2023

Really enjoyed giving this little mare her second ConTact CARE Treatment today. We are working with her to help her with girthiness, overall touchiness and grumpiness and symptoms of gut issues/ulcers.

She's very good at communicating where she would like me to work and where she would not! Gotta love mares for their clear communication style ;) she also really wanted her little human close to her or in clear line of sight today for comfort and when we gave her that she was happy to be worked on and the flinchlocks just melted away ❤️

05/10/2023

Yes laminitic ponies CAN recover and grow back 'normal looking feet'. I posted about the pony 'Echo' almost a year ago. In the first picture he had been given two set up trims and a diet and management overhaul and although it looks ugly he was COMFORTABLE and all set to grow out that ugly lamellar separation at the toe.

These days he is trotting over stones and galloping up to the gate when I arrive to trim him 😊 the torn lamellar wedge is fully grown out!

03/10/2023

One of today's trims... what breed of horse do you think this hoof belongs to? 😁🤔