Equibalance Farrier Services

01/26/2025

I absolutely love being involved in good CE, my sponsorship is money well spent to bring this amazing event to our local region!!

Since some say these posts haven’t been showing up on their news feed, I hope this one does - because we have some exciting news about our October 2025 Clinic here in Amesbury, MA!

The clinic sold out in November, and we had an almost 20 person wait list. Due to the demand, we have added a FOURTH clinician, which allowed us to open up more “small group” sessions, and add more spots to the clinic!

Pat Reilly is a professor of podiatry to veterinary students at Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, and has published research on hoofcare and footing and its effect on movement.

At the clinic, he will help us look at biomechanics of certain cases, alongside Dr. Jenny Hagen who also has many research publications on hoofcare and biomechanics, and Ula Krzanowska helping us look at hoof balance and conformation, and Celeste Lazaris looking at upper body muscling and movement and its effect down the limb!

We contacted the wait list last week, and many opted to join us, but we still have a few spots left.

If you’re interested in biomechanics, hoof balance, how the upper body affects the hoof and vice versa, and looking at hands on cases to test theories, consider joining us this fall ☺️
A bonus is you will get to see beautiful New England fall foliage!

The link is on the graphic and I’ll also put it in the comments- just testing what works with the silly Facebook algorithm ☺️

Also a huge shout out to our clinic sponsors who are helping us to get these amazing clinicians here!:
Custom Equine Nutrition, LLC - what we feed our rehab horses to get the best feet possible!
Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners - an incredible educational organization with a wonderful hoofcare community
Kahn Forge, Inc. - fantastic farrier supplies and tools
Equibalance Farrier Services - one of my mentors and a great farrier in NH!
Hometown Hoofcare - a wonderful hoofcare provider in AZ
Crown Point Services - for your insurance needs!

We do have some sponsorship spots still open and some do include participation in the clinic, so reach out if you’d like to help make this clinic happen.

01/22/2025

We left cold NH and warming up down on Martha’s Vineyard!

01/21/2025

This is what it’s about!! I have been this horse’s farrier since he was a youngster and I sponsored his hoofcare last summer, well they came out at the top!!!! This is one of my favorite dudes to shoe because it’s a challenge and I need to be on my game when shoeing a 10/10 performance FEI horse of this caliber!! Way to go Alyssa and Senny!! So proud of you both!!

01/13/2025

01/10/2025

I had a wonderful time with a fellow farrier friend working on this course together, we both completed the course and are 2 of 3 total farriers in the US to have had Equine Locomotion Training. It was a fun course, it was a challenging course, and hands down I learned so much about how the whole body functions and moves with the gait. Big thanks to Dr Hagan for instructing our class!

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas! Here is one of my favorite hafflingers I trim, rocking his jingle bells!! Fig Newton takes his job seriously!! Take a listen!

12/20/2024

I can’t wait to try these!!!

12/19/2024

Can we really say it’s poorly shod?

The heels are contracted. The frog is narrow, thin, thrushy, and elongated. The heels bulb shape suggest the digital cushion is under developed. But is it poorly shod? How would you know from this view alone?

I’m curious to hear your thoughts.

It’s too easy to make judgments and jump to conclusions based off of one photo. There is always more to the story than what one photo could possibly convey.

Can we pause and ask a few more questions before jumping to conclusions?

I’m for building community and building bridges. Creating division by making posts that illicit some sort of emotional response based on a fixed belief system is not my jam.

I think as human beings we want things to fit neatly into a box, black or white. Life is just not that simple.

Of course, we know that metal shoes alter the function of the hoof but so does any other prosthetic device attached to the hoof, including boots.

Of course our creator made the horse functional and perfect as it is. Barefoot has the potential to be the Golden standard. But with human interventions and domestication, we have altered that. Injuries and compensation patterns have shifted the definition of ideal too.

Just like any athlete, pushing the limits of their sport they seek the tools to help them have that competitive edge, to be comfortable and function as well as possible, given the circumstances, then why do we demand that horses, who are also athletes, being asked to do unnatural things be asked to do it naturally barefoot?

I’m not saying that shoeing is the right answer nor am I saying that barefoot is the right answer.

I’m saying that the answer lies within as many factors considered for each horse and that the realm of possibilities is vast.

There is no one right answer or Ideal that is right for every single horse.

I think in order for our community to start coming together we need to start understanding that there are many roads to Rome and try to understand all the possibilities and factors for each horse. Only with more information and education and understanding, can we start to make decisions about trimming and shoeing that will actually serve the horse and bring us all together.

12/05/2024

It’s that time of year again!! Winter wonderland season! Few things to remember when your farrier is coming.

Let us know if you don’t have your driveway cleaned up.

Please have horses in with dry legs and feet if possible (dry clean stalls, pick feet and towel dry them)

Have in front of the barn plowed, shoveled, sanded.

Don’t dump water buckets where we park it just makes things so slippery and wet.

Blankets can stay on as long as they are dry, but coolers work excellent as there is less leg straps to get in our way.

If working in an environment where there is no barn but a run in shed, a shoveled path, a clear place to park, and a clean run in shed is excellent. Often times mats are snow and manure covered making the ground slippery, a good shoveling, some clean dry shavings makes all the difference!

I generally follow the school department for weather related schedule changes, today we had a 2 hour delay but I was able to keep to being about on time but this sometimes isn’t the typical norm for me. If I have a 2 hour delay it shortens my day as I need to be back home for school pick up as well.

We appreciate all the hard work for these storms for clean up and having horses ready!

12/01/2024

12/01/2024

List your Black Friday deals below!!

https://www.facebook.com/share/19MhcdKEYp/?mibextid=WC7FNe

For Black Friday Only

11/30/2024

Please share and donate!

Katy-anne Robertson with K.Robertson's Horseshoeing was t-boned recently w… Georgette Reninger needs your support for Help Katy-anne Replace Her Farrier Truck

11/29/2024

Love supporting the hoofcare community!

11/08/2024

Nothing makes me happier than a few new grazing green guard muzzles!!

11/07/2024

Scoot boot fitting! We use boot shells to determine the best size. This horse is transitioning barefoot from being shod after working at a camp. Scoots will keep his feet protected and supported while he transitions to nice strong healthy feet! Meet Lucky our model!

11/05/2024

In the event that your hoofcare provider has taken the time and effort to put glue ons on your horse - please please please, for all hoofcare providers out there, have well fitting bell boots that cover the back of the foot to protect your investment :) I promise, we will ALL be appreciative of them.

11/04/2024

https://www.americanfarriers.com/articles/14478-cold-weather-farriers-preparing-for-winter-hoof-care

By yours truly!

Often the off-season for equestrians in cold, snowy climates, winter requires thoughtful planning and routine farrier visits — even in horses that are turned out with little to no riding.

10/26/2024

Just wanted to give anyone an update, unfortunately I came down with Covid this past week, and ended up taking the week off. I am going to be sending messages to schedule and will be having to adjust the schedule to make some accommodations. If you have an appt within the next 2 weeks please let me know if you are flexible while I rebuild the schedule to get everyone in.

Feeling better each day, should be able to go back to work Monday, we will address all health concerns with my Covid personally. If you don’t want me around you just let me know we can figure something out!

Thank you