Rural Roots Ranch

12/12/2022

We often jump to the conclusions that stress is the primary cause of equine gastric ulcers. However, too much sugar in a horses diet can be a significant factor too, as was the case with my horse.

Save your money and pass on gimmicky products such as Purina Outlast as it contains a high amount of starch and molasses which are both sugar!

A horses diet should consist of 10% or less of non-structured carbohydrates (NSC). And horses with ulcers should NOT be fed grain or processed food as 1) it takes additional stomach acid to break down the grain and 2) gravity…the grain is heavy and sinks to the bottom of the stomach which pushes acid up to the top, which so where most ulcers are!

This report is a great case study on sugar and equine ulcers.

https://paulickreport.com/horse-care-category/study-diet-change-imperative-for-ulcer-resolution-in-horses/?fbclid=IwAR2K7KvnW99m8Q1eZ5mGf669J67PRqefg0sYPFf34gn8eebNbLysaGDdP9I&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

When a horse begins ulcer treatment, the way he is managed is often scrutinized; alleviating stress will hopefully mitigate ulcer recurrence. A new study out of Denmark shows that management changes alone may not be enough — adjustment to the horse's diet should also be considered. A low-starch di...

11/24/2022

Happy thanksgiving!

08/09/2022

Remember the elf shoe pony? Here she is four weeks post trim. I’m happy to share that her owner says she’s now running around the pasture and is back to her sassy self. 🙂

07/31/2022

I met a new client today. This horse will be another rehab due to poor farrier work. All four hooves are very long and the right front hoof has a crack due to having too much leverage because of being long for such an extended amount of time. The heels are also severely under run, especially on the left front. It will take some time to get things back where they need to be, but I’m happy to have this horse on my books to help. 🙂

07/14/2022

Continuing education is vital to maintaining your skills and learning about new practices in the industry. Today is day one of three intense training days Ida Hammer holds for her graduates. I’m happy to be in attendance!

07/03/2022

Rehab update: Rehab started on April 24th. Not bad for only nine weeks progress. I’m still working on getting the heels back where they need to be, but this pony is wearing her feet well between trims. Even better? She’s standing much better for me. Why? Because her feet don’t hurt! That’s a BIG win!

07/01/2022

Who can relate?

06/12/2022

How it started and how it’s going.

There’s still plenty of work to do, but such a drastic change such as this, it will take some additional time to get this mini back where she needs to be. Overall, a satisfying trim knowing she has some relief.

06/10/2022

Truth. I found my former farrier costing me a lot more time and money in rehab work. That is why I learned to do barefoot trimming and haven’t looked back since. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. As a horse owner, educate yourself on the basics of hoof care so you know if your hoof care professional makes the grade in keeping your horse sound and healthy.

05/31/2022

Horses often suffer from either “lack of farrier disease” or “poor farrier disease”. This mini suffered from the latter. I’m happy to have this senior cutie under my care for rehab with proper barefoot trims. 😁

05/20/2022

Who can relate? 🙋‍♀️

05/13/2022

My feelings exactly.

05/12/2022

Here is a rehab I did on my pony Levi. I adopted him in August 2020. The bottom three pictures show just how long his hooves were. He had event lines (ripples) from laminitic events (inflammation caused by poor diet, most likely) and bruises (most likely from pressure points because of his long hooves). The top two pictures show his hooves in December 2021 and April 2022 after being on a proper diet and regular barefoot trims. Event lines and bruises are long gone and his hooves are in proper alignment and his body feels SO much better!

05/09/2022

Need you horse fitted for boots? I can do that!

05/05/2022

My new nippers from Shadowfax Forge came today! I’ve heard nothing but great things about both the quality craftsmanship and the customer service…and I can confirm those claims are correct! Check out the balance of these 12” nippers! I can’t wait to try them out!

https://www.facebook.com/Shadowfax-Forge-1459593664298683/

05/05/2022

05/04/2022

Happy May 4th!

05/02/2022

04/29/2022

*Edited to add…”horse’s hooves”. 🤣

04/28/2022

These are great illustrations of what hoof angles should and should NOT look like. The next time you’re with your horse, take a look at their hoof angles and if they’re not where they should be, talk to your hoof care provider to see what corrections can be made.

https://www.facebook.com/1058078750932264/posts/7206267912779953/?d=n

04/26/2022

A little bit about me…I’m Angie Wagner and I’ve been around horses since I was a kid. I found my way to barefoot trimming after a bad experience with a farrier who caused more pain to my horse, Axel, who was already battling ulcers. I was lucky enough to find a barefoot trimmer to take Axel on, but not after a panic due to the lack of trimmers in my area. Thanks to the trimmer I found, and the horrible desperate feeling of hopelessness, I decided to take some classes with Ida Hammer and I was hooked. I knew I wanted this “hoof nerd” knowledge and that’s why I completed my whole horse certification in September 2021. I’ve now been trimming Axel and his little brother Levi for almost two years now. I look forward to helping more horses and their owners in the future!

04/24/2022

Nothing’s more satisfying than a fresh barefoot trim. This pony was trimmed just 2 1/2 weeks ago by a farrier. It will take awhile before the hooves are back where they need to be. Long toes pull the hoof capsule and internal structures forward which is a very common issue with farriers “pasture trims”. I’m looking forward to seeing this pony’s progress!

03/31/2022

It’s that time of year…please watch your sensitive horses on that spring grass!