ProFloats Equine Dentistry

08/08/2024

This is why we check your horse for a bean when they’re sedated from having their teeth done. We call it a customer courtesy.

08/07/2024

This condition is caused by plant oils and minerals in the soil.

07/04/2024

Hey friends, be sure and keep your geldings sheath cleaned! Our Vet student who’s been traveling with us worked really hard on removing a large bean yesterday and this was her reward! He’s happy but….Ellie 🤷‍♀️

05/27/2024

I had a 7 year old horse that the owner was having issues when the bit was being used. Excessively chewing on the bit and head tossing, along with chewing on his food buckets. Look what I found. Old root fragments left over from shedding caps. These should’ve come out, long ago! He just need a little help.

05/15/2024

One of my favorite theraputic riding programs is in desperate need of a quiet large, draft type horse.
Something that can carry heavier riders. They often accept older donations for a tax write off. Sometimes they pay lower reasonable prices.

Please consider sharing your equine with children and adults with disabilities. They would benefit from an easy-going walk, trot or a slow jog horse. They’d enjoy daily grooming, baths, and lots of hugs and kisses.
They need usable healthy horses!
We work for these programs and they will make sure that your horse continues to get great care!
Please feel free to share! ♥️

02/15/2024

Vaccine and Dentistry Clinic
Saturday, March 23rd. 10-4

Bring your horses out for their Spring maintenance.

1372 Simmons Ridge Rd Road Vinton, Va.
Plenty of trailer parking and space for maneuvering your rigs.
Host Sandra Hurt
Martha Moses, DVM
Stephanie Surprenant, EqDt.
Prices on vaccines
6 way 55.00
4 way EWT, WN 35.00
Potomac +Rabies 32.00
Coggins 30.00
Full mouth balance 145.00 includes sedation

01/20/2024

A full house at the International Association of Equine Dentistry’s conference in Fort Worth, this week! 👏

11/12/2023

It’s that time of the year, stocking up on your winter’s supply of hay.
I have clients asking for hay suppliers. Let me know your location and what kind of hay you’re selling.
I’ll send you all clients or specific one’s according to their hay needs.
Remember, no Foxtail for horses.
Thanks!

08/30/2023

Why you should have your horses teeth floated and checked every year!

08/18/2023

Trying to help some of our good clients get to the bottom of an allergic reaction to something with their horse. Whelps, very itchy on face, body even whelps in the mouth. At first we thought it was something he consumed but then, we suspected it maybe a fly spray because we heard of a similar reaction at another barn in the area. Any problematic issues arise out there with others? Please feel free to PM me or call if you think you may have experienced similar reactions with your horse. We’d like to help get to the bottom of this issue and help get him feeling better, ASAP!

Update; The bloodwork came back normal and they basically don’t know what caused the reaction. He was treated with IV fluids and higher doses of dexamethasone to reduce the hives and swelling.
Their best guess is he consumed something that caused this reaction. So, who knows. He will be kept inside and off pasture for awhile in hopes the irritant will subside. I wish I had more information to share with you.
Thank you to everyone who gave feedback, in hopes, we could find a similar denominator. I have some awesome horse friends!

01/23/2023

Who dunnit? The Bookkeeper did it! We enjoyed the entire production!

12/14/2022

Another reason to move to Ocala

11/09/2022

One of my local barns near Natural Bridge is looking for Exercise riders for their horses. If anyone has experience and would be interested please call me on my cell or privately message me I’ll give you details.

09/29/2022

My horses have been barefoot for 18 years, ever since I read the science behind the way the foot/hoof works. Blood flow and movement go hand in hand to keep our bodies healthy therefore, it’s best not to restrict the movement the hoof needs to make. However, protection with boots is important when riding on rocky terrain.

We have been saying this for a long time, glad to see some reserch that bears it out!

This is what the barefoot world has been saying for about 15 to 20 years….. but glad it is finally becoming mainstream……..

August 30, 2022
New Research on why Barefoot Horses remain Sounder than Shod Horses
The barefoot movement is growing amongst top professional riders worldwide, and finally a comprehensive Swedish research project is to determine exactly why there are so many benefits from ditching your horse’s iron shoes and going barefoot instead.



By Helle Maigaard Erhardsen



Since the Olympic Gold medallist and World number one in Showjumping Peder Fredricson pulled the shoes of his horses and went barefoot, he has had far fewer issues with lameness, far less injuries to the hooves and lower limbs and not a single hoof abscess. And perhaps needless to say, his horses keep bringing home the gold like never before.



But why is that? For decades hoof rehabilitators and horse owners have experienced extraordinary results with taking previously shod horses barefoot, but there has been very little research done to support these results scientifically.



So far, fragments of larger studies and smaller case studies have proved how iron shoes increase concussion when the horse lands, how iron shoes interrupt the blood supply to the hooves and inhibits the hooves’ ability to contract and expand. And the renowned podiatry researcher Dr. Robert Bowker VMD has even described how shoeing can be the direct cause of caudal heel pain, also referred to as navicular disease.



However, with next to no specific research comparing the performance of a barefoot hoof to a shod hoof, the debate between pro-shoe horse people and anti-shoe horse people have relied mostly on belief, tradition and personal experience. Now, a new comprehensive research project by The Swedish Agricultural University (SLU) and Agria Animal Insurance is well on the way to scientifically determine the difference between the barefoot hoof and the shod horse hoof.

Swedish barefoot study 2022SLU Professor Lars Roepstorff and his team conducting research for the new comprehensive barefoot study with Peder Fredricson performing an empirical riding test in the background.



A Shod Hoof can’t Expand or Contract as much as a Barefoot Hoof



The Swedish research project is led by Professor Lars Roepstorff, who has been collecting data from empirical riding tests and in-depth interviews throughout the past year. The preliminary results from the first phase of data analysis confirms what smaller studies previously have found: Traditional horseshoes do affect the function of the horse’s hooves.

“The iron shoe locks the so-called hoof mechanism especially when landing after obstacles. The shod hoof can’t expand or contract as much as the barefoot hoof because the shoe inhibits lateral movement. It could mean that the blood flow in the shod hooves is inhibited, and this blood flow is important for the hooves to be healthy,” Roepstorff explained to Agria Djurförsäkring.

In this first stage of the study, the researchers have been focussing on measuring the internal movements of the hoof with and without horseshoes. Professor Lars Roepstorff found it particularly interesting to be able to describe the difference in how much the hoof was allowed to contract during the rollover phase:

“When the mechanism of the hoof is described, it’s often said that the hoof expands when it lands on the ground, which is correct. But we also see that the hoof contracts during the rollover phase and that movement is inhibited by horseshoes. That has not been described very well in literature before now,” Lars Roepstorff said.

Further analysis is to be made to draw conclusions on the actual consequences of the hooves moving less with shoes, like how this affects blood circulation, load and shock absorption.

Horseshoe nailsThe new Swedish research has shown that it’s not only the rigid iron shoe itself that inhibits normal, healthy hoof function, but also the way it is fixed to the hoof with nails.



Barefoot Horses are more Cautious where they put their Feet than Shod Horses



One of the advantages that Peder Fredricson has discovered since going barefoot with his top-level showjumping horses, is that the horses now can feel the ground much better and are far more careful with how and where they put their feet. He links this improved ground sensitivity, also known as proprioception, to the less injuries and lameness issues he has had in his horses since he took their shoes off.



“I think that adaptation to the ground conditions is part of keeping the horse’s hooves healthy and strong. Horses don’t see where they put their hooves, they only sense the ground conditions when they have put their hooves in the ground. With shoes, we remove the feeling from the hoof, so they can move unhindered regardless of the ground. Even in those situations where they really should have been a little cautious,” Peder said according to Agria Djurförsäkring.



Moreover, it is Peder’s experience that metal horseshoes can disguise an incipient injury, which makes it difficult to discover a problem before it turns into actual lameness. Differently, a barefoot horse will instantly display any discomfort:



“You can compare it to when we humans walk barefoot across a gravel field. It may look painful before the feet have hardened and adjusted, but when we get to the grass we can walk normally again. You need to learn and understand the difference between what temporary sensitivity is and what is an injury. Horses with shoes can go for a long time with an injury before it is noticed that it is lame,” Peder said.

08/30/2022

This was a 14 year old gelding who was very uncomfortable in his bit. He’d flip his head, shake and lean against the bit. I found buccal points with ulcers, and a hook on the 106 that made him very unhappy. These were just a few things that can be found on a horse that’s not given attention to the teeth. Please don’t forget, teeth need to be floated.

07/30/2022

Anyone in Botetourt need any hay today? We are cleaning out our barn and sold 30 bales off this trailer just now. Would like to empty it and get it back on the lot today.
8.00 a bale if you pick up a d husband will help you load it. Orchard mix, first cutting. Delivered will be more

07/25/2022

The morning Challenge! Oh good grief!
I hope this isn’t an indication of how my Monday is going to go!

07/19/2022

SOLD…A client has a very good price on this “Like new” medium size vest, if anyone is interested. I’m happy to give you her contact. I remembered a client mentioning she’d be interested but I can’t remember who…SOLD

06/23/2022

Sharp buccal points causing ulcers on the cheeks.

05/06/2022

Bedford area clients. Please be aware of any suspicious actions from animals in your communities. See the post below for details. I’m hoping most of you are vaccinating for rabies. A curious horse can easily be bitten on the nose or attacked and bitten, contracting rabies without the owners knowing. Be aware!

03/30/2022

The sharp edges of a horses teeth an easily cut through the skin. I’m careful when I’m feeling around, so you know this was a really sharp edge!

01/12/2022

Here’s a corner hook that’s an easy find for you horse folks, to tell if your horses are in need of some dentistry. If left uncorrected this can cause a gap to form between the # 102 and 103. Keep those teeth properly balanced and tightly together for a healthier mouth!

11/01/2021

Here’s a little trickery for Halloween 🎃
This was the lower incisor arcade of a miniature we saw last week! 👻

09/09/2021

How this for new technology? A halter that tracks and monitors your horses vital signs.

05/20/2021

Working with students interested in the Veterinary field is always a wonderful opportunity to give back. After all, I wouldn’t have the experience I obtained, without the patience and guidance of the generous Vet’s who helped navigate me along the way. 🥰