Island Hoofcare

06/11/2024

❤️SOLD❤️
Bainbridge Island, WA

2000 Thurobilt Extra-Tall/Extra-Wide Warmblood Size 2-Horse Slant Trailer
Great trailer I have owned for the last 6 years, brand new floor within the last year, spacious & reliable trailer (I have been using it as a 3 horse)

10/10/2024

Great info from the Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners conference that I hope all my clients take the time to read 😁 this takeaway post is about obesity, laminitis, insulin resistance, and PPID (Cushing’s) 🐴

12/09/2024

Super important post as we head into fall! 🍂🍁

🌾It's laminitis season....

Who is at risk?
Overweight horses with fat pads on shoulders, rump, withers
Horses with high insulin
Horses who have had laminitis in the past
Horses with past/present signs of subclinical laminitis
Horses who are overdue for vet check/new bloodwork to check their status whether on meds or not

Prevention first:
OFF the grass completely if you already have warning signs
Muzzle ON if your horse is overweight or suspicious for IR
Turn out overnight or morning only, OFF the grass by mid-morning
Keep a regular trim/shoeing cycle, now is not the time to skip or push appts back
Ask your farrier if they see anything concerning
Get bloodwork done with your vet to check insulin

Warning signs:
Sore after a routine maintenance trim
Bruising or stretching in the white line
Unusual bruising in the wall
Event lines, especially if wider at the heels
Sore over gravel/hard surfaces when sound before
Shorter strides
Flat or toe first landings
Reluctance to turn in a circle
Lethargic, dull, moving less in turnout
Increased digital pulse in one or more feet
Increased rate of hoof growth

If you see multiple warning signs:
Call your vet - it may be time for bloodwork and hoof radiographs
Call your farrier - it may be time to shorten your trim cycle temporarily and/or have your farrier consult with your vet

There are always signs before a full blown laminitis episode -- if you are concerned about your horse, continue reading up on insulin resistance, laminitis, founder, seasonal changes, and check in with your professionals.

09/04/2024

We are less than 2 weeks out from my hoof health seminar at the Bainbridge Saddle Club! 🐎

Come learn the things I wish horse owners knew about the all important hoof! 🧲

If you are planning on attending, please register in advance at this link: https://www.bainbridgesaddleclub.org/event-5635309

21/03/2024

Join me for an afternoon all about hooves at Bainbridge Island Saddle Club! 🐴

April 20th at noon - free for members, $5 for non-members 🐎

26/01/2024

12/01/2024

With the dramatic drop in temperatures, it’s important to take some extra steps to look after our ponies 🥶

Keeping forage in front of them 24/7 is the best internal heating system we can give! 🌾

Access to heated buckets to increase water intake 🪣

My herd loves warm soupy mashes with extra salt! 🧂

10/01/2024

Every 6 weeks, the SAFE horses get pedicures. They are accustomed to the nip of the clippers and the shhhk shhhk of the rasp as it passes over their hooves, trimming them down to a healthy length. Some try silly little maneuvers on occasion, pulling their feet away or refusing to rest them on the stand, which requires our kind and patient farriers to hold them between their legs. Most everyone does well, however, even with the occasional quirk.

Domino is no exception to this. As an older gentleman, his slightly wiggly tendencies mostly arise from what we assume is discomfort (versus a youthful belligerence or a playful testing of boundaries.) He is on equioxx for his joints these days, which certainly helps some, but holding his feet up for extended periods has to be challenging for him. We don’t fault him for it, rather we find ways to be accommodating to his aging body.

After her first few sessions with Domino, our farrier Kenzie had an idea: trimming his hooves via power sander. This miracle of modern technology does more than just sand surfaces, it saves farrier’s hands and allows for an even “trim” of the hoof in half the time. The orbital sander is no new tool in a farrier’s toolkit, but it was new to our horses, and so when she floated the idea past us, we couldn’t say how Domino would react. If you’ve ever fixed a fence or repaired a shelter by a horse, you likely know that something about power tools captivates most horses, but standing at a distance while a drill drills or a saw saws is quite different than feeling the vibration of a tool being used on them, right under their chin.

But Domino was an incredibly brave boy, greeting the loud unknown without fuss. He didn’t seem to mind the feeling of it nor did the smell or sound bother him. And because of the power of the tool, he was able to get his feet done in record time, making it an overall more pleasant experience.

Since then, Domino has been seeing not only the farrier, but the sander every 6 weeks, and he and his hooves are happier for it!