Karin Kelso-Equine Services

17/12/2022

Happy Birthday Dr. Kerry!!!

08/11/2022

31/08/2021

I've got some extra time in Petaluma and Sebastopol this coming weekend (Sep 4th & 5th) for a couple more donkey or pony trims

Text 707-301-5962 to schedule

31/03/2021

*insert cheesy horse quote here*

24/03/2021

SONOMA COUNTY CLIENTS!! Megan Hensley will be in the area at the end of april- early may!!

Get in contact with her if you want her to swing out and trim your critters while she’s in town!!

On the road again.... can’t wait to get on the road again !
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19/03/2021

Super cute lil founder foot that’s getting stronger and healthier every cycle through the help of horseshoes

18/03/2021

Love getting these messages from former clients that I am unable to serve anymore due to life changes/Covid/etc.
💓 Karin Kelso-Hoof, Body, & Spirit 💓 knockin’ it out of the park.... again!
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15/03/2021

these have been treating me well. kinda wanna get a second pair, maybe i’ll splurge on the pink gorilla ones 🙈🤠

13/03/2021

Thanks for the client referral 🤠🤠 It’s always a pleasure being able to improve the quality of life for these critters 🤠🤘🏻

Side by side before and after on an overdue 27 year old BLM b***o

07/03/2021

27/02/2021

Safe treats for PPID/EMS equines. For more information about diet, go to https://www.ecirhorse.org/DDT+E-diet.php. For individual help, join our free outreach group: https://ecir.groups.io/g/main

25/02/2021

B***O PLAY
B***o play is not for sissies. Although males seem to play-spar more together, females will also join in the fun. This photo series depicts a play session between a male (Felix LaRoux) and a Female (Luna Blue).

B***os are highly social creatures and are actively interacting with each other on a continuous basis. As an example, my little herd of 4 b***os are nearly always together. They pair off in various combinations for playful sparring and wrestling sessions; and at least once a day, they stampede around the habitat in a group ... noses in the air, honking and squealing through a cloud of dust. One-on-one chase is also a favorite and looks different than the stampede session, with ears back and head down, a side-kick is often added to punctuate the moment the leader is overtaken.

These social behaviors emphasize in many ways the importance of three basic b***o needs ...
1. Same-species companionship
2. Herd liberty
3. Space

SAME SPECIES COMPANIONSHIP
While the companionship of a BBF (best b***o friend) would be ideal, the companionship of another amenable equine can work. I have adopters who have successfully matched a new b***o to lonely full-size horses, mini horses and even a mini-mule. In fact, before Luna (the blue roan) had her BBFs, she would play in the same manner illustrated below with one of my horses, because b***os have the need to play and fortunately for Luna, I had one willing horse. Before my TIP B***os are adopted, they are turned out with the horses, which allows me to give the adopter some feedback on an individual’s tendency to want to form a relationship with a horse; but in practical application, the success of that relationship really depends on the acceptance of the horse, which will usually maintain the dominant position in the relationship. In my view, the least optimal situation would be one lonely b***o. In those cases, the b***o can tend to rely on the human as its BBF, which may be perfectly delightful to the human until the b***o shreds a favorite shirt; blocks and herds; or runs after his person with ears back and head snaking along the ground. I often see people taken aback, mistaking this last behavior for aggression, but it is play. All the same, a passing side kick in the stomach or being pushed around by the weight of a 500 # animal may be fun for the b***o but it usually isn’t for the human, who may be inclined to initiate disciplinary action against the b***o for his attempts at play, which won’t be understood as intended. It will only hurt the relationship. The solution is to add another b***o, and then the person can take her proper place in the dynamic. I often tell my adopters that a solo b***o is a more high-maintenance situation than two, for these exact reasons.

HERD LIBERTY
Because of the physical needs of these social herd animals, the freedom to move about each other and interact in space is paramount. It is not sufficient to keep them within eyesight or even adjoining stalls. The separation of even the thinnest fence inhibits their freedom of touch and interaction. This need for freedom of physical socialization is biologically hard-wired in. From play to the mutual satisfaction of body-to-body pressure on the back or under the jaw ... the freedom to touch and move about each other in space is a basic component of their complex language.

SPACE
For lack of understanding, many people may view a b***o as a stereo-typical Eeyore creature, solitary and slow. Don’t forget though that Eeyore is depressed! Once we understand the active social behavior of happy b***os, it is easy to conclude that they need physical space to explore, run, wrestle and play. This space can become even more valuable to the b***o — more of a habitat — with some terrain, variable micro-environments, and challenging footing.

In my experience, the best part about being able to provide a lifestyle that meets these basic needs, is the joy of watching them interact ... especially when they play.

Enjoy your b***os!
Wylde (\,,/) Williams

© 2021, M. Wylde Williams. All rights reserved.

𝙈𝙮 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 —
* 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵: https://pixels.com/profiles/wylde-williams
* 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺: instagram.com/WildB***oLife/
* 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗲: https://youtube.com/channel/UCF3t9-5-cqszAkXEqKWnfyg
* 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸: https://www.facebook.com/B***osForPeople/

21/02/2021

the ranch dogs were pretty excited when they saw me put on my farrier chaps. they know hoof trims = hoof treats 🤣 🐶 🐶

21/02/2021

what’s that saying? about the cobbler’s kids never having shoes?


before & after on my own overdue arabian 🙈🤠

15/02/2021

enjoying the breaks in the rain with cute horses 🤠🐴💚💙🧡

08/02/2021

Helping a foundered mini stay comfortable with a glue on set up ❣️ these shoes are designed to mimic the structure and function of a healthy hoof. I am able to lower the heels and back up the toe to increase break over. The impression material underneath the shoe also aids in stimulating and engaging the frog, and when combined with copper granules can act as a long lasting thrush treatment

08/02/2021

my kinda road sign

19/01/2021

I see a lot of rehab horses, with owners that are hoping to bring their horse back into work after a period of time off due to lameness. In my experience, the "return-to-work" approach can be crucial in maintaining soundness long term - we can't just hop on our horse because he's "sound now" and gallop off into the sunset (although wouldn't that be nice?).

This is a conservative plan targeted to bringing horses back slowly from soft tissue damage, but that being said, I have had varying cases of pathologies using this as a guideline with great results. I always say, you probably won't regret moving too slow when bringing them back into work, but you certainly might regret moving too fast!

This might also be beneficial for horses that have hoof related lameness issues where diagnostics have been inconclusive, and obtaining an MRI hasn't been feasible. I find many of my "navicular" clients do well with this protocol. As always, involve your veterinarian, hoofcare provider, and other members of your rehab "team" when incorporating management changes for your horse.

Special thank you to Dr. Martina Neidhart for helping with the rehab timeline in this graphic - she has been great with chatting with me about various ways to rehab these kinds of cases, and how biomechanics come into play.

14/01/2021

despite however many years i’ve owned my horse, if you ask me how many rides i’ve put on him the answer is always going to be 10 🤣🤠🐴

04/01/2021

i’m told my hair smells like straw quite often and i havent the faintest idea of why that could be 🤠🤠🤷🏻‍♀️

26/12/2020

marton is all smiles this saturday 😁

26/12/2020

if you scratch my back i’ll scratch yours 🥰😇

03/12/2020

sorry ya’ll but this 30+ year old dude is my newest bff

01/12/2020

well.... at least it’s cleaner? right?

17/11/2020

these little sass masters are my favorites to work with 🤠🐴 and there’s even a clean up crew on staff here 🐔

14/11/2020

Espy (short for Esperanza) was born with a birth defect - she has no back hoove… Rhianna Axon needs your support for Espy's new orthotics and physical therapy

13/11/2020

Here's a little (read: long and angry) post about what I like to call the spring time shuffle.

Around this time of year, every year, two things happen.

1. We get complaints from a handful of (generally predictable) people whose horses have been trimmed just fine for the last several months suddenly saying their horse was "trimmed too short" this last visit.

And 2. We get a massive influx of enquiries from new clients who are looking for a new farrier because their last farrier "trimmed them too short".

Now, I can understand this logic if you're either new to horses, or this happens on the first visit with a new farrier without warning. However, all the rest of you, need your annual reality check. (I honestly think y'all also need a reality check on realistic "soundness" expectations but I'll save that for another grumpy day).

It is the annual shuffling of clients between all the local farriers' books, because the clients don't want to face the real reason why their horse is shuffling around the paddock.

No farrier wakes up EVERY NOVEMBER and just randomly starts trimming horses shorter than they did the WHOLE REST OF THE YEAR. Generally we have spent the entire preceding year telling you the one same message while you shout "LALALA" back at us with your fingers in your ears.

YOUR HORSE IS TOO FAT!

Post-trimming sensitivity is one of the most obvious warning signs that you will get for subclinical laminitis. When this warning is left unchecked, guess what follows? ACTUAL Laminitis.

We have become so disconnected as a society as to what healthy and appropriate body weight REALLY is. My masters degree research found that most horse owners could accurately identify their horses body condition score on a on a scare of 0-5 where 5 is obese. Some would even jokingly ask me if they could write 6. However when asked about the appropriateness of their horses body weight most of these high scorers felt their horses body weight was just fine.

I see the same thing day in day out as a hoof care practitioner. And the reactions from owners range from flat out denial ("Cobs are meant to look like this, they have big bones" ... Bones don't jiggle Karen!) to just outright offence as though I've personally insulted them or "their horse" or that I am an unkind person for "fat shaming". Your horses feelings aren't hurt. You just don't want to face the truth because it makes you uncomfortable.

It is very sad for our horses that being able to see their ribs from a certain angle has now become more offensive to people than seeing the myriad of health and wellbeing issues humans are creating by letting their horses suffer through chronic obesity and a constant state of low grade laminitis. We need to look back to what nature intended for animals (and ourselves). We have an abundance of carb-rich food in spring following the clear lack of food during winter. Wild / Feral horses would typically lose a lot of body condition during winters. They have minimal grass access and often rely on on fibrous and low-carb mosses, roots, leaves, bark, and their body fat reserves. When animals are consuming less carbohydrates they become more insulin sensitive. When you're insulin sensitive you don't need as much insulin in your system to regulate blood sugar. Then spring comes along and body weight is rapidly packed back on with rich grasses. And with constant and excessive consumption of carbs comes insulin resistance. Which means more and more and more insulin has to get produced to keep blood sugar under control.

In our domestic horses we're so afraid to let our horses slim down in the winter, and keep them in a chronic state of obesity and insulin resistance year round. Because we hard feed them all winter to maintain their "condition" spring hits and they never became insulin sensitive enough to deal with it.

We can also see this insulin resistance in some athletic horses who are fed high carbohydrate diets also - its the horse equivalent of the "skinny-fat" human. The human peak marathon runner who carb loads and gets diabetes and heart disease. Sadly, many of the horses we see with these problems are on "feeding plans" owners have developed themselves using a generic website (often funded by specific feed companies), from vets, or equine nutritionists (who often work for feed companies). You can see the owners well-meaning intent and that's why this breaks my heart. The nutritionists who I respect and recommend are the ones who are the first to tell you that you do not add to your horses diet unless they aren't meeting their metabolic requirements from grass and plain hay first. If I have one more client with a fat, laminitic horse tell me their horse isn't fat and that they paid someone for their feeding plan of processed feeds, I will lose my s**t. I am SO passionate about your horses health, that this makes me angry!

(And don't get me started on the inflammatory responses from most of these refined oils that get added cause for some reason people think shiny = healthy).

And most people (including many professionals) are either ignorant of, or overlook, the roll of insulin on hoof sensitivity. Yet the fact that high levels of insulin lead to inflammation is widely know and accepted. And what IS laminitis? INFLAMMATION OF THE LAMINAE.

Your farrier has nothing to financially gain by telling you stop feeding your dadgum horse! Yet we get ignored to the point we often stop commenting to people. And then people say "Why didn't you warn me!?"

Then we hit the tail end of spring, and bingo, another year, another bunch of shuffling underworked and over fed horses, and another year of farriers suddenly shuffling a bunch of desperate "my-last-farrier-trimmed-my-horse-too-short-I-need-your-help" new clients in and a bunch of grumpy "you-caused-this-problem" ones out.

It is no coincidence that all the species of animals that man controls the diet of are the ones that regularly suffer from metabolic malfunctions. We are so smart that we are incredibly fu***ng dumb sometimes.

I also have a LOT of clients who will ask at each trim if I see any signs of laminitis in the feet. The thing is I can tell you there are low grade warning signs all year but nothing *new* today, and your horse could still go lame tomorrow. The biggest warning signs I constantly see are your horses weight, your feed bucket, and how dry your saddle blanket always is if you bother to exercise your horse at all. But you don't listen to this. You only seem to listen (for a week or three) if I can physically point out blood in the white line.

So, here's my rant for the day. We are getting generally s**tty with overwork by the end of the year and in need of a christmas holiday, and we are disillusioned with all these "unexpected" lamenesses in valley full of improved dairy pasture in the middle of unprecedented spring growth.

It needed to come out.

Someone has to say it.

I don't give a s**t if I've hurt your feelings, because I want to save your horses life.

31/10/2020

two very different sides to the same sky. say, would you like to watch the sunset, or the moon rise?

27/10/2020

check out these teeny tiny shoes!! when glued to a hoof, they provide extra support & cushion. i’ve had some great success using these bad boys to help a couple laminitic minis feel more comfortable on their lil toesies.

as of right now i am only offering this product & application to minis & small ponies. please message me if you’re curious about Eponas and whether they would be suitable for your lil one 💙

26/10/2020

the view from my office today— had a owner trimming session in the coolest of locations.

i always love encouraging owners who maintain their own horses’ hooves. i wish more owners took hoof care into their own hands! under the guidance of a hoof care professional of course 😉🤠

21/10/2020

upgraded my bucket briefcase! it might not be the spiffiest but y’all know i’m all about that functionality

20/10/2020

tis the season of creeping up behind people and yelling,

“ BOO 👻 !!!! “

16/10/2020

boy am i glad to have such a pretty rig to work out of. 🥺😍🤩

i’m really digging my NC Whisper Momma forge set up on my Bedslide 1000. it sure makes setting & packing up a breeze.

05/10/2020

Very proud of the newest rescues at American Made Mini’s, these two little ones lived in Oakland & were being ridden by a full grown adult before landing at the sanctuary 😳😤

They both stood well for their trims, I have no doubt we’ll be able to get their hoof imbalances squared away in just a couple trims 🤠🐴🐴❤️

The farrier made a special trip to the barn in order to get the new ponies’ feet squared away ASAP.

05/10/2020

i got stuck in some “traffic” during this morning’s commute 🐮

(don’t worry ya’ll, i wasn’t chasing momma & baby, they were running because they were late for breakfast)

02/10/2020

Northern California!!! Appointments available October 12-16th. Please message me ASAP if you’d like to get on the books, I’m filling up fast & only have a couple of open appointments left.

28/09/2020

BIG smiles after Luna (The Makeover Mustang) received her first trim last week 🤠🐴 Making sure that the first farrier experience is pleasant (for mustangs & babies alike) will help set that animal up for a lifetime of positive hoof care experiences.

Luna will be ready for adoption Mid-November! She’s made so much progress in such a short amount of time, she is already such a good horse. I have no doubt she’s going to go on to become a GREAT horse.

09/09/2020

SAC FOOTHILLS:
I have some open availability on MONDAY THE 14th

Msg me to get on the schedule