Clicker Cowgirl LLC: Horse Training, Hoof Care, and Equine Wellness

17/01/2024

A very promising 3 month progress report for this Thoroughbred mare! 🦄
She has been booted in front which I believe has helped relieve some compensation in her hind end, in combination with the trim. Her owners have done amazing work keeping her hooves happy and dry and I’m excited to see her continued progress in the coming months 🤓

28/11/2023

I cannot overstate the importance and value of ECIR Group - Equine Cushings and Insulin Resistance for metabolic horses, equine caretakers, and beyond.

This Giving Tuesday I am donating to ECIR Group to help them continue their research and educational efforts -to owners and professionals alike- to achieve their mission of ending equine laminitis. Their DDT +E protocols (Diagnoses, Diet, Trim, and Exercise) has helped SO many people rehabilitate the metabolic horses in their care to a healthy, normal life - including me!

Their team puts countless hours into responding to owner's questions directly, promoting emergency protocols for horses in crisis, sharing the most up-to-date information + research, conducting studies on rehabilitation results, and so much more.

Dreamer came to our ranch this summer because she was really struggling with metabolic conditions later diagnosed as PPID + Insulin Resistance and it was a bit of a Hail Mary to see if we could get her healthy. I am so grateful for both the trust and willingness of her rescue, Healing Hearts Animal Rescue and Refuge, as well as the information provided by ECIR, which enabled us to rehabilitate Dreamer successfully and without breaking the bank!!

The top photo is of Dreamer at her most severe, right before she came to to California - she had a plethora of PPID symptoms and was exhibiting dangerous behavior that prevented the rescue from being able to safely medicate her on a consistent basis. The second photo is after implementation of the DDT +E protocols:

🌟 Re-diagnosis + 1.5 months of daily medication
🌟 A balanced diet with the guidance of a Mad Barn nutritionist (thank you Linaya!!!)
🌟 Trims every 10 days to 3 weeks + padded boots
🌟 24/7 turnout on a 1 acre dry-lot with herd mates.
💫 For those interested - we also did LOT of consent-based training to address the dangerous behaviors that she was displaying, and these behaviors generally improved in tandem with her feeling better!

Metabolic horses do need a bit more care and monitoring than your average healthy horse, but are still (of course!!) amazing horses to have in your family and caring for them has been so rewarding for me personally. If you've made it this far, THANK YOU, and here are my final hopes this Giving Tuesday:

If you have the means and would like to DONATE to ECIR, visit: https://www.ecirhorse.org/how-to-help-ECIR.php

If you have a metabolic or suspected metabolic horse in your life and would like more information, explore ECIR's website: www.ecirhorse.org

If you are interested in providing a loving home for a metabolic horse, or donating to support them while they search for their forever home, please visit: https://healingheartsaz.org/contact-us/

22/11/2023

Thank you to everyone who has entrusted me with their horses and donkeys since we've settled in Southern California!!!

While this is perfectly timed with the Thanksgiving holiday, I am professing my gratitude because each of you have helped me meet a small goal I set for myself and my business to aspire to achieve by the end of the year. Having started this business in three different places now, I know that these types of goals don't come easily, sometimes if at all, so I am brimming with gratitude for those of you who have brought me out to work together, referred me, and who have trusted me with some amazing cases since I moved here this summer. You are each a truly kind person who cares deeply about each horse's comfort and wellbeing -- and that is a really awesome thing to be able to say and to be a part of.

So thank you, for the trust and accountability you place with me, making what I do worth doing, for making it fun, thought-provoking + challenging in the best way, and of course for loving your horses. I really look forward to our continued partnership and progress together and wish you a very happy Thanksgiving holiday 🦄🧡

08/11/2023

Different boots for different horses.

It probably goes without saying that each of our horses have different needs, and this is true with hooves as well. Getting a boot that fits YOUR horse is essential to successfully booting for performance and especially for rehab.

There are a lot of big name boot brands out there, but unfortunately that doesn’t always mean they carry a boot that will fit your specific needs, which includes much more than just physical fit!

Each of our herd members utilize boots, and they are each in a different pair for different reasons! Padding needs, hoof shape, scarring, durability/comfort for 24/7 turnout use, etc.

If you have questions about what goes into finding the perfect boot for you and your horse, I’ll be posting about that soon! Or, you can reach out to me directly and I’ll be more than happy to work with you on your specific case 😊

01/11/2023

One of the few gals who I trust to give a barefoot trim while "barefoot" myself! I have found great joy in caring for the herd at my home and helping to facilitate their whole-horse rehabilitations. It's been an exciting, challenging, emotional, beautiful experience since everyone arrived earlier this summer!

07/09/2023

5 photos to take to track 💫 changes 💫 in your horse’s hooves
It is quite impossible to completely assess a hoof with just one photo, let alone a photo from an unknown angle. Use these photo angles to better capture the entire state of the hoof as well as create repeatable views to allow you to track changes over time. They’re also incredibly useful to convey the extent of any acute problems or injuries to any equine professional!
📸 FRONT VIEW
This is a dorsal photo of the hoof and the limb above it. Take your photo from the same level as the hoof’s hairline (3ish inches off of the ground), and stand back to reduce any distortion from the camera lens. If your horse has a twist, consider taking two photos - one from the front/center of the limb, and another from the front/center of the hoof. Try to shoot as centered as possible to keep your camera angle consistent over time.
📸 SIDE VIEW
This is a lateral photo of the hoof and the limb above it. Again, aim your camera at the level of the hoof’s hairline and stand back. This view is easy to capture off-centered, so a good guideline is to turn your camera until you see both heel bulbs at the back of the hoof, then gradually move your camera forward towards the front of your horse's hoof until the bulb at the inside of the leg stops being visible.
📸 SOLAR VIEW
Pick up your horse’s hoof and snap a photo looking directly down at the center of the bottom of your horse’s hoof. It’s easy to find yourself aiming off-center on this one, so check your camera to be sure it’s at the same angle as the bottom of your horse’s hoof and not tilted downwards or upwards. Try taking this photo from further away to capture the entire hoof and reduce distortion. You can always crop/zoom in later!
📸 HEEL VIEW
Pick up your horse’s hoof and tilt it away from you. Aim your camera centered at your horse’s heels and check to see that the toe is visible just above the “horizon” of the heels. Sometimes this can be difficult to do for horses who don’t want to extend their hind legs backward, so I often turn my camera upside down to be able to capture this angle appropriately.
📸 OBLIQUE VIEW
Pick up your horse’s hoof and bring your camera over to the side you’re standing on. There are two angles that capture the concavity of a horse’s hoof well, so whatever you choose, just be sure to stick with it. One is to photograph directly from the side of the hoof at a 90 degree angle from the heel, and tilted just enough to be able to see both heels of the hoof. Or you can take the photo at a 45 degree angle from the heel view, looking over the heel closest to where you are standing and towards the toe at the opposite end of the hoof.
Take these photos at regular increments - perhaps after each trim or each quarter year - to compare! My favorite app to use is PicCollage to create side by side comparisons of all the different views I’ve collected for a given horse.
Questions? Let me know!
For more details on these views, check out http://www.progressivehoofcare.org/good-hoof-photos-and-how-to-take-them/

15/08/2023

If you catch me looking at my phone, 9 times out of 10 I’m studying photos of a client's horse's hooves, gait or posture (just ask my husband 😂). Progress photos and videos are vital to my work because:

1️⃣ It allows me to see things in greater detail – especially slow-motion videos of gaits and landings!

2️⃣ It allows me to analyze how a horse is progressing over time and if any additional interventions are required.

3️⃣ It empowers me to offer my clients more attentive care - a photo captures so much more than memory. It would be impossible for me to remember the details of every trim on every horse to the same degree as photos can capture.

4️⃣ It creates accountability and transparency for myself and my client. Without documentation, there is no way to track improvements or set-backs and it leaves aspects of a horse’s health to mere guessing and subjectivity.

If you’re unsure of the state of your horse’s hooves, posture/gait, or just want to start tracking their progress, you can take photos and videos too! Many farriers and trimmers do not take photos or videos for a myriad of reasons, so it can come down to you to create that type of accountability yourself. Plus, you only need your phone to do it! Comment “📸” to let me know you’d like to see a post about how to take simple but accurate photos of your horse’s hooves!

11/04/2023

We’re moving to Southern California!

Our stay in Virginia was always going to be short since my husband’s schooling for the Marine Corps was scheduled for less than a year. In the time we’ve been here we’ve enjoyed meeting lots of new friends both in the military and in the horse community, experienced one of the mildest winters VA has had in a while (not a single day of snow, the CA gal in me rejoiced 😛), I got to take some amazing trips for work, and have gained an invaluable amount of practical knowledge about horse keeping and trimming in wet environments.

So, the ✨important stuff✨ to know:

💛I will continue to serve all my clients around the DC area and Richmond through MAY 10

💛I will reopen for business serving northwest San Diego County and western Riverside County on JUNE 10 🥳🎉

If you are looking for a hoof care professional in Virginia, I have referrals in several areas for you!

Even though relocation has its challenges, one of the many things it has taught me is how to provide remote support to clients in different locations. Please know that if you are a current or former client of mine (or even if you’re not!) that I’m always available and willing to offer support from afar via any number of modalities: phone or video consultation, local referrals, etc.

I can’t wait to share more content once we get to our new home-base 🥰. We’ve got some really exciting things going on and I’m thrilled that we’ll be able to settle and grow in California for the next several years. Military life is a roller coaster of adventure, but I wouldn’t trade this life with Trev for anything! We’re both so incredibly grateful that this next chapter will be bringing us back to California and, most importantly, close to so many of our family members and friends again after several years of being in different states.

If you’re also in the Menifee/Temecula/Fallbrook area and would like to connect, or know the area and have any fun recommendations, I would love to hear from you! I cannot wait for our arrival this summer. 🌞

22/03/2023

This sweet mare is so happy in her boots! She presented with incredibly thin soles and, as I kindly refer to them - "pancake feet", when I first saw her earlier this month. She was moving very slowly and cautiously, and was walking toe-first on grass and other terrains considered to be soft.

One of the first things her owner and I discussed were padded boots to offer her solar support and to encourage her to move more appropriately. I fitted her with Equine Fusion All Terrain Ultra boots and EasyCare Cloud pads on her front feet. We took some before and after videos and I'm so so pleased with the immediate improvement and relief it offered her. During our appointment her landings changed significantly in front, and her hind end movement altered as well. My favorite thing though is the expression on her face with the boots, when she realizes something has changed!

Her owner wrote to me that same evening and said that she had never seen this mare have that much energy or bounce in her step before. They even had videos of her rearing and playing around in her paddock. Yes, there's still a long rehab road ahead, but I'm thrilled that we're on track and that this mare is letting us know that she is feeling GOOD!

22/03/2023

A big heck yes to all of this!!!

01/02/2023

Sooo pleased with this guy’s hoof glow up over the last 4-5 months! Left and center photos are from his first trim and the right is 4 months later. He’s getting close to having a completely new hoof capsule!

This isn’t just trim mechanics though, his owner has been amazing about maintaining a forage based diet, providing minerals that complement regional deficiencies, and he recently moved to a massive living environment where he can roam all day with friends. So excited for what continued developments occur in coming months.

10/01/2023

— Some two month progress photos of Miss Luna! Specifically her front right hoof for today. If you haven’t seen the original photos, they’re from my post in November.

Luna has been living in a large pasture with a herd mate and stalled at night. She has been supported by boots and pads on her fronts to allow heel-first movement. Her owner has done both her trims since my initial first trim and is doing so so well!

Luna’s sole and heels are the most obvious changes, but I wanted to post the other angles of the hoof as well so that it offered more perspective and showed that, while a LOT of development has occurred on the bottom of her feet she still needs time to truly rehabilitate 💛

Go Luna go!

21/11/2022

— The order of boots has arrived! We received several different models which you can see and read about by swiping through the photos.

Since this was my first order from them, I’m excited to see how the measurements held up for each of the six horses (located in three different states!) who are going to try these on for size 🥰 I’m also very excited to have received two fit kits (slim and regular) so we can be even more accurate moving forward.

Equine Fusion boots are incredibly flexible and supportive. I am most excited for them because they are designed while keeping in mind horses who are transitioning out of shoes. They also offer some sleek yet still incredibly supportive performance boots as well!

Transitioning from shoes can feel daunting but I promise you it’s more often than not way way easier than you think!! Especially when you have protection like boots available from day 1, and a hoof care practitioner available to help you along the way 🤓

08/11/2022

Yesterday we removed the shoes on Luna to begin her hoof rehab journey!

Pictured are different views of her left front foot approximately 24 hours apart. The left photos are immediately after shoe removal and the right photos are 15 hours post-trim after an evening of turnout in a soft and grassy paddock. I rarely get to observe horses this soon after a trim, let alone after such an impactful first trim. I’m truly impressed by how her foot has begun to settle and further exfoliate in such a short amount of time.

Luna will also be using EquiFusion boots with therapeutic pads to help speed up her rehab journey 💕 Can’t wait to see her continued progress!

05/10/2022

I love being a self-employed hoof care practitioner, but I learned very quickly that you can feel quite siloed if you don't make an effort to connect with other professionals. Continuing education and sharing experiences has been my personal favorite way to do this - from riding-along with other trimmers, farriers and veterinarians to attending clinics and conferences.

This weekend is the Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners Conference and I'm SO excited to be visiting Denver, CO to attend. This organization is home to some truly fantastic and knowledgeable professionals and everyone I've met is eager to nerd out about hooves. I am also exceptionally grateful to PHCP's conference scholarship, which was granted to me for this year's event!

I'll be sharing as I can from this weekend if you are interested in following along!

04/10/2022

Someone give this gorgeous girl her forever home!

Folley has been trained with 100% +R/fear-free/clicker training by highly reputable trainer, Steph Bradshaw. All the details you could want are included in her post and Folley can be transported out of state if it’s to the perfect home 💕

28/09/2022

— Blueberry is rocking her new Scoot Boots! Her owner Brittany is excited to give Blue some extra protection when they’re out and about, since the grassy hills of Virginia can make softer hooves that are more sensitive to harder, slightly rockier terrain. We even saw Blue’s strides change within a few steps of being on the gravel with boots - from tip toeing to heel first!

Fitting Scoot Boots isn’t hard to do yourself, but sometimes horses can be between sizes, between trims, and it can be easier to ask a professional for help. I carry a stock of fitting shells for all Scoot Boot sizes, but can also help with sizing for other brands, or provide feedback on why boots might not be the best option in special cases.

If you’re interested in boot fitting, be it remote guidance or in-person fitting, I’m here to support you!

09/09/2022

This is an excellent post and also why I ask my clients to maintain a 4-5 week maintenance schedule. It’s often the length of time that allows for us to make progress and meaningful changes in the hoof before excess growth negatively impacts it.

But, that’s just it!

“Often.”

For horses needing rehabilitation the trim cycle may be more frequent, for horses who grow hoof very slowly, it may be less frequent. The cycle length may vary per horse, but the goal is always to build the healthiest hoof possible to ensure our horses wellbeing, comfort and longevity for years to come.

"Wow, you didn't even have to use your nippers! I guess that he didn't really need a trim yet, huh?"

As the summer winds down and we enter fall in this part of the world, we may see a slowdown in hoof growth and these kinds of comments come up every so often. The misconception is that a trim is simply to remove excess growth on the hoof - but that's actually not the case.

Our goal as hoofcare providers is to keep the horse comfortable and sound. We want to work to get the foot to function at its best, so the joints, tendons and ligaments up the limb can stay healthy for years to come. Our trim is about balance, equilibrium, and hoof health, not just removing gross length.

The last thing we want is to wait until the hoof growth is causing detrimental effects to the internal structures to try to remedy it; instead, if we can keep the foot at its optimal balance, then we can get ahead of issues before they start.

That means that often, our trims should even look fairly minimal. Finding a cycle length that allows us to do "less" actually allows for more targeted changes to the hoof capsule. Big changes don't just make for a nice looking before and after photo, they can have knock-on effects every cycle as the horse adjusts to new angles with the adjustments.

I always say one of my favorite things about hoof rehab is "suggesting" to the foot where I want it to be. If every cycle I'm doing two nipper runs to get the foot back to baseline, I'm probably not making much progress over time.

So next time you feel there wasn't much that needed to be done to the foot, consider whether it was truly because the hoof didn't need it, or whether it is actually simply keeping the foot comfortable and in balance with where it will function best. It's not about what we trim, but often about knowing what NOT to trim.