Hoof Nation - barefoot trimming and paddock track systems

31/07/2024

Raffa giving me some tips on how he likes his toe roll.
This boy is a gentle giant and has the sweetest heart ❤️

28/07/2024

Some food for thought.

I struggle to comprehend the concept of starting a horses at such a young age.
Especially with the vast amounts of research emerging highlighting how slow their bones are to reach maturity.
Knowledge is power, we know better now we should do better and serve the best interests of our equine partners before our own ideals ❤️🐎

This original article was originally published in 2020 in Horsemanship Journal by Phillippa Christie Historically, traditional horsemanship has not taken the information available on physical and emotional development into account for the basis of age-appropriate training. There is a great deal of n...

25/07/2024

Happy Friday 😊

15/07/2024

03/07/2024

It honestly baffles me how there is a whole segment of the equine community that believes a horse can perform at an athlete level with feet like the photos shown on the left here. Or that there are "professionals" out there that believes this is acceptable...

These shoes were a bandaid remedy for (and in my opinion likely largely contributed too)
- Zero degree PA
- Founder/sinking
-Navicular syndrome
-Hi/Lo syndrome
-sub solar abcsess with live exposed tissue

This horse had 2mm of sole depth on this foot when radiographs where taken. You can see the compensation from toe first landing where the shoe is completely worn away.
The shoe had been shaped to the pathology of the foot - it is wider than it is long!

11 months on we have
- soft tissues development improving in the back of the foot.
- Centre of Rotation much closer to a 50/50 ratio
- drastically improved sole depth and some beautiful concavity developing.
- but most importantly a COMFORTABLE horse with heel first landings.

This horse has a deeply dedicated owner and we are now basking in the light at the end of the tunnel ❤️ its been a long road but I'm so proud of this team 🐎

This horses rehab has included
-An initial 3 cycles of glue on composites shoes with 3 degrees wedge pads
-2-3 weekly trims
- Diet overall
-hoof boots for comfort as needed.

01/07/2024

When the client takes "self trimming" to the next level 😂

Dougal is going to have me out of a job soon!

29/06/2024

Some great points from Mimicking Miles Barefoot Hooves

13/06/2024

*this*

**particularly the last one.

Recently, we came across a sign hanging on the door of the indoor arena. Something so simple, yet so powerful that we wanted to share with you.

Affirmations, simple reminders of the values we should uphold in our interactions with our horses.

While some may naturally embody compassion in their horsemanship, for many, it's a continuous journey of learning and growth. It's about striving to understand our horses better and improving our communication with them.

The relationship between horse and rider is built on trust, respect, and mutual understanding. It's about more than just executing flawless movements or achieving high scores in competitions. It's about building a connection—a partnership based on empathy and communication.

These affirmations serve as gentle reminders to balance the technical aspects of training with the principles of compassion. They encourage us to pause, to take a step back, and to realign our intentions with our values.

They remind us that the journey of horsemanship is not just about reaching the destination—it's about how we navigate the path along the way.

Save this image and next time you're at the barn, take a moment to reflect on these affirmations, let them guide you towards a more compassionate and rewarding experience with your horse. Today and always.

Are there any other affirmations that you value that should be on this list? Let us know in the comments!

11/06/2024

All time handsome lad Jesse modelling the new Hoof Nation beanie❤️.

The weather has started to be challenging with wind and (much needed) rain 🌧 for hoof care providers - how do you look after your HCP in the cold and wet months?

06/06/2024

Big, beautiful Monty ❤️Monty sadly has a lot of trauma behind getting his feet done. He is lucky enough to have a super committed Mum who works very hard utilising ESI and Postive reinforcement training to help give him the tools he needs to work through things.
Monty is on a 4 week cycle and we do two hooves every two weeks because thats where his capacity is at - its a lot less pressure for him and me and over all makes it a much more positive experience for him💕🐎

Bella Bee - thanks for the sneaky clip ❤️😘

01/06/2024

I'm here to advocate for your horse.

That means standing at the sidelines applauding if they can do it themselves, and putting my tools away if that's better for them.

But it also means helping when they can't. Donkeys on UK grazing. Laminitics with pathological growth. Transitioning feet that need added comfort to develop before they can perform. Feet that need that extra push to exist and perform in equilibrium.

If your horse doesn't approve of what would be a 'standard' trim, then they will get something that would get the armchair warriors shouting "You left the walls too long!" "Bars need to go!" "Get a new farrier!"
If your horse has flares and it causes abscess after abscess, they go. If your horse goes lame without the flare because the ligaments can't take it, they stay.

I'll bite my knuckles and step back. Ego has no place here and being humbled is always just one step away.

But I'll also step in if they need help. Why let them struggle or suffer because they should be able to cope and sort it themselves in the wild?

Ask the questions. Go down the rabbit holes. Educate yourself. Don't fall for cookie cutter approaches, look at the whole picture and engage a team of vet, physio, trimmer, and other professionals that will allow your horse to be the best version of themselves.

Advocate for your horse.

31/05/2024

I was lucky enough to have some keen equine minds join me for a cadaver trim and disection a couple of weekends ago.

These lovely ladies are going to learn some trim skills with me over the next few months and it all starts with an appreciation and understanding of internal anatomy of the distal limb. Going back to the basics was a great refresher for me as well! You really gain a different appreciation for the work by knowing exactly what the inside of a hoof looks and feels like - and to really observe the mechanics and interactions of all of its many structures and parts.

Jenny had a go at hoof mapping and by locating all the correct land marks used to apply a barefoot trim found the exact outline of the coffin bone on the solar surface of the hoof!

I'm really excited to continue learning with Jenny and Rachel ❤️🐎

26/05/2024

100%.

This is my usual speech at this time of year - but much more eloquent.

👣 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲

🐴 This is an article I have been wanting to put together for a very long time, however there are just so many points I wanted to address that it’s taken me months to get here.

🌧️ White line disease (seedy toe), abscesses, thrush, thin soles… These terms seem to describe this entire year if you own horses, so I’ve made it my mission to put together a detailed guide on how to prevent and manage these conditions as best as possible.

🦠 Unfortunately, there is no quick fix or magic solution, and it is physically demanding and time consuming to say the least. Horses are not designed to be housed in these sorts of conditions long term, and their hooves are just not equipped to withstand the issues that wet ground and mud can bring.

🧼 𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

I’m going to rip the band-aid off and start with the most labour intensive point and the one I look forward to the least with my own horses.

In these conditions, we need to be thoroughly cleaning every single hoof, every single day. When I say clean, I don’t mean use a hoof pick to flick out a bit of mud from either side of the frog and call it a day. I mean… invest in a good quality hoof pick plus a heavy duty wire bristle brush and scrub the entire underside of the hoof spotless. Not only will a wire brush uncover every little defect so that you are able to address it before it becomes something more sinister, but it will also promote circulation and stimulate frog health and sole growth because let’s face it, there’s not much stimulation coming from mud and waterlogged ground right now.

Regardless of your topical treatment of choice, whether it be bluestone, potassium permanganate, methylated spirits, iodine, apple cider vinegar, it needs to be consistent and thorough. Just like cleaning the hoof, these topical treatments need to be applied daily, with the exception of products such as bluestone + beeswax/vaseline which are designed to stay put for longer than a day.

⏰ 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐦 𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞

6-8 weeks is not a short trim cycle. There, I said it. An unsettling degree of pathology can work its way into a hoof that is going 6-8 weeks between trims, particularly if there is no daily maintenance being carried out. 3-5 weeks is a more appropriate timeframe between trims during these conditions; however, mid-cycle clean ups (a hoof knife or tool to nick out spots of white line disease) can still be necessary and can make all of the difference. Rogue white line disease can track a long way in a matter of weeks.

Please… Do not blame your trimmer or farrier for issues with your horse’s hooves if you are not addressing everything else that influences hoof health. They see your horse once every 1-2 months, you see them every day.

✅ 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

The most important part when it comes to addressing white line disease, separation, seedy toe that has already established. The bacteria that are responsible for these defects in the white line are anaerobic, which means they thrive in deep, dark, dirty crevices where oxygen is not abundant.

Resecting these pockets of pathology allows oxygen to kill and stop the bacteria in its tracks. You or your hoof care professional must be resecting areas of seedy toe or separation to prevent the progression of the disease.

Please note that if you are using treatments such as bluestone and beeswax to kill seedy toe, you must ensure that the resection is thoroughly cleaned, disinfected, and properly dried before applying a treatment that is going to seal off access for oxygen. The last thing you want to do is plug an unsanitary and damp pocket of disease with a ‘treatment’ that is going to hold in the dirt and debris for the bacteria to continue thriving amongst.

🏠 𝐃𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

Even if the majority of your horse’s paddock is waterlogged, providing them with an area of dry footing can make all of the difference for preventing disease and hoof defects. Consider investing in some well-draining footing to build up a stable area so that your horse can escape the elements and dry out from time to time.

Regularly removing manure and urine build up from highly frequented parts of the paddock such as hay stations, water troughs, and loafing areas can significantly reduce how much bacteria and disease your horse’s hooves come into contact with.

🌱 𝐃𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Diet and gut health influences hoof health greatly, so ensuring that your horse is receiving a balanced and species-appropriate diet can make all of the difference where their hoof integrity is concerned.

Trace element balance is vital for hoof growth, strength and pathogen prevention, so please invest the time (or money if research isn’t your thing) into ensuring your horse has what they need. Buying a biotin supplement is not going to fix your horse’s hooves if their diet is deficient in copper and zinc.

These weather conditions can take their toll on our horse’s psychological and physical health, so please make sure you are supporting their gut health where necessary. Continuing to load your horse with starch that feeds pathogenic gut microflora and contributes to hindgut pH disturbances is not going to support their hoof health. After all, the brain > gut > hooves are all linked.

🐎 I sincerely hope that this post helps someone and their horses. You are not alone if some days you feel insane and frustrated - I have those moments too!

💬 I invest a lot of time and energy into researching and writing these free information resources, so if you found this article interesting or informative, I’d love if you could leave your feedback in the comments and give it a share. 🫶🏼

26/05/2024

It was so wonderful to be able to head out and support my riding club today and a handful of beautiful barefoot clients at the Popping Pink Funday!

I'm so proud of these guys - calm and compassionate towards their equine partners ❤️ there were many wins for these teams today - regardless of the ribbons 🎀

23/05/2024

The urge to defend yourself-

Your teacher has pointed out some tightness or weakness in your horse, maybe a physical issue that needs more exploration.

There comes the pang of defensiveness, and the urge to explain, rationalize, and defend yourself rushes to the surface- “he gets treated and fed well! He’s much better than he used to be! He can’t have ulcers, he has no stress! I got him like this!”

It’s completely understandable. When someone tells you your horse is hurting, it’s easy to feel judged, or like you’ve poorly cared for your horse.

It’s important to understand, firstly, that horses are complex creatures, that domestic life can take its toll, that there is so much to learn and understand about helping them be truly well.

It’s important to understand that an observation is not an attack, but a pathway forward.

Anyone can miss or not see pain- especially if you’re close to the animal in question. It’s much easier for me to see glaring issues on another persons horse than my own, because daily habituation to their behavior and appearance allow me to draw conclusions of that as a normal baseline.

It’s important to understand that any and every horse can improve physically, mentally and emotionally - and that an observation of a weak point is the pathway to betterment, a door to walk through.

It’s important to understand that blame doesn’t matter, or help. If it’s your fault, so be it, if it’s not, so be it. It doesn’t always require gross negligence for a horse to be in pain- it can happen easily, and happens quite often.

Either way the path forward is in your control only. You are the one offered this information, and you can do something with it, or not.

When you are offered this door, it can be easy to perceive it as a punishment, a judgement, a closing, or an end. The reality is, it’s the only way forward - if one chooses to release defensiveness, fear of judgement, and takes hold of bravery and self discipline, a walk through this door sets you free: free to truly help your horse, and many others.

The doorway to true stewardship allows for a sharp and non critical eye to detail- choosing not to acccept mediocrity as the norm, and not to waste a moment wallowing in self pity, but instead selecting the courage to do what is right over comfort every single time.

It is a hard, but necessary task for the horse person dedicated to growth and to the betterment of horses.

18/05/2024

Let’s repeat it for the ones in the back - or front, depends how you see it:

We can train and manage and condition our horses - but we can’t change the fact that they are horses.

Horses are prey animals. Their whole existence is wrapped around the ever on going play in nature between prey and predator.
Their whole being has evolved around the behavior and skills they need to play this game.

They played this game more than 50 million years.
The 5000 years of domestication won’t change that soon.

Your horse is supposed to spook from noise and sight.
Your horse is supposed to bolt when it feels threatened.
Your horse is supposed to buck off what’s on his back.
Your horse is supposed to search for food.
Your horse is supposed to be buddy sour.

All what we call „vices“ is simply a surviving mechanism, implanted deeply into the DNA of every horse.

Your horse lives in a human world, where he has no handbook for in his genes. He is just being a horse.

It’s your task to show him trust, patience, calmness, strength, assertiveness and fairness. But you have to be like this yourself.

You cannot expect what you are not ready to give.

It’s your responsibility to help your horse navigate.

Acts of aggression, confining him, calling him names, defining him as „naughty“, does not teach or proof any horse to behave the right way. It only shows your capability of teaching a horse.

There are so many techniques, methods, tools and trainers all defining „bad behavior“ and their solutions, all hustling and managing around a horse to bend and press it into a form. All of them, that claim to be so knowledgeable, so experienced, so wise, have forgotten, that the horse is just a horse.

15/05/2024

The Connection Between Difficult Behaviour 💥and Sore Feet💥

I am going to talk about sore feet here because this is such a common cause of what people perceive as difficult behaviour. However, any issue the horse has that can cause it to feel uncomfortable doing what you are asking can also be the root cause of poor behaviour.

To get our heads in the right place, imagine if you had sore feet. They could be sore for lots of reasons. You could have blisters, they could be bruised, you could have arthritis, or I could be making you walk on gravel in bare feet! Anything that would make putting your foot on the ground and moving uncomfortable. Now, imagine if I were demanding and insisting you move....

How would you feel about me and what I was asking you to do? I bet you would complain, beg to stop, argue with me, and resist! If I ignored all this, I bet you would get pretty emotional with me...

I meet horses all the time that are complaining, arguing, resisting, and getting emotional.

Unfortunately, their owners are telling me the horse is being difficult, lazy, spooky, rushy, tense, reactive, naughty, sassy, silly, nasty, aggressive, difficult to float, and so on. They are seeing the behaviour and emotions but not connecting it to the root cause – which is sore feet‼️

I see sore feet because I observe the low, flat, short, choppy strides, the counter bending, and struggle to bend on a circle. The changes in stride and their line on hard, soft, or gravel surfaces. I see their emotions escalate the longer they are in motion. I see it etched in their body posture and muscles, the stress rings on their hooves, or the struggle with weight, either being too heavy or failing to thrive.

Many times it is only a hint, sometimes it is more obvious!

"But Shelley, my farrier, says their feet are fine...they are not lame...they rear, gallop around the paddock..."

Let me address these one by one because ALL are completely legitimate thoughts that can obscure considering sore feet😎:

1️⃣Your farrier says your horse’s feet are fine - No farrier has x-ray vision. While there are markers on the hoof that provide insight into the internal workings of the hoof, they are a guide only. I have not met an excellent farrier yet who has not told me about interesting cases that surprised them when a horse was x-rayed or scanned and what was found to be a problem. From thin soles to rotated pedal bones to arthritis to ligament damage. Also, judging a hoof is more than looking at a hoof. It is watching a hoof and observing how a horse moves on their feet that is also extremely important. Therefore, just because a farrier says your horse’s feet are “fine” does not mean they are not the root cause of your horse struggling and exhibiting difficult behaviour.

2️⃣Lameness - Easy to spot lameness is typically when the horse is sore in a single leg. If they are sore in all legs or have multiple sites of lameness, it actually gets harder to pick. This is because when only one leg is sore, the horse will adjust how it goes to compensate for that sore leg, and we see that as limping. When they are sore in more than one leg, that makes things hard and sometimes they cannot compensate at all! Therefore, they will not “look” lame to most people. This was one of the most crucial insights I have learnt in my understanding of horses and horse behaviour.

3️⃣Rearing and galloping in a paddock vs. under saddle - A horse rearing and galloping around a paddock under its own steam and full of adrenaline is a far cry from a horse with a halter or bridle on its head and someone sitting on its back. Another crucial insight I have learnt since I got a great little bit of technology called an Equestric Saddle Clip (measures various symmetries of movement in trot), is that when we ride, we force horses to move with greater symmetry or evenness. To be honest, I thought we did the opposite. When I got the clip, I thought it would be good to use to improve riding position as it would show how unbalanced we made horses. I actually found the opposite! We force horses to move more evenly, and if they are compensating for some kind of lameness or soundness issue, we stop this from occurring. Therefore, galloping around in the paddock, they can move in a way that is comfortable for them. But with us on their back or working them from the ground on a circle, they have less ability to compensate and move how they feel comfortable. We force them to move differently and remove their ability to compensate to reduce discomfort.

Therefore, hear me clearly📣 - if you want to have any chance of transforming your relationship with your horse and making your time with your horse less frustrating, you NEED to address the level of comfort in their feet. This needs to be done holistically as it involves ALL aspects of horse care, as each is a piece of the puzzle. From how their feet are protected (shoes or boots, this may be temporary but necessary), what they eat, where they live, and what you do with them, because ALL these aspects feed into a cycle of chronic stress that can ultimately lead to hoof issues from thin soles to laminitis and more.

Image📷: Incredible image of a horse sent by a client many years ago. Remember - being able to do this does NOT rule out the horse having a physical issue that can interfere with being ridden!

14/05/2024

When the vibes are chill ❤️ love how relaxed everyone is here.

When the horses have food, forage and freedom to meet their needs as herd animals it makes my job much safer.

13/05/2024

I have been getting a lot of enquires recently, my client list is at capacity.
To ensure I can continue providing a high level of service to all my lovely clients it's time to close my books.
I will reassess this in the new financial year.
Thanks for your understanding.

08/05/2024

Really loving the results of power tools. The level of meticulous detail that can be achieved is amazing ❤️
This was the first time I'd put a power tool to chief's hoof - he's such a cool kid 😎

07/05/2024

Great visual and reminder

15/04/2024

Honest and reliable advice. There's no industry regulations for what feeds are deemed "laminitis safe".
Feeding whole ingredient, high fibre, low sugar/starch feeds and protein where appropriate is a much healthier diet for your horse.

🥽 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗿 & 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗚𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲𝘀

💡 A topic that has been playing on my mind a little too much lately is feeding the laminitic or metabolic horse and how scarily contradictory it can become. In recent years, there has been a real shift of the spotlight towards sugar and starch and how they influence the laminitic or metabolic equine, and rightly so. What has become a little frustrating and confusing for some people simply trying to do the right thing by their horse, is the tunnel vision marketing focus on how low in sugar and starch certain feeds or supplements are, without any consideration or education offered to the other nutritional aspects that may influence how well a laminitic or metabolic horse responds. If you are thinking something along the lines of "is sugar and starch not the only thing to consider?!" then I encourage you to keep reading.

🌽 Sugar and Starch.

Yes, sugar and starch and grain-free compositions are absolutely a vital aspect of feeding and managing the laminitic or metabolic equine. Feeds that are tested at less than 10% combined sugar and starch are considered 'safe' for this category of horse. Even if featured in low concentrations, any cereal grain or grain by-product is worth avoiding for laminitic or metabolic horses as ingredient sensitivity despite low overall sugar and starch percentages can still be enough to tip some highly sensitive horses into a symptomatic state.

🤔 Okay so we've talked about sugar and starch.. so what else is there to consider?

🫘 Protein.

Not much is known about why protein can be a trigger for some laminitic or metabolic horses, but it absolutely can be. This is why I don't recommend lucerne or lupins as 'safe' for actively laminitic horses because despite being less than 10% combined sugar and starch, the protein seems to be an issue for some horses to digest and utilise without consequence. Sadly, there are countless times where I have been involved with an actively laminitic horse who is being fed a < 10% sugar and starch "complete" feed but is still symptomatic and not improving. The reason is almost always because of the high protein concentration OR inflammatory ingredients that are hidden amongst the ingredient list. If the protein % is higher than around 15% and the ingredient profile lists anything other than beet pulp, soy hulls, or lupin hulls, I can say with certainty that I would not recommend this feed to an actively laminitic or symptomatic horse.

⚖️ Digestible Energy.

Implementing "complete" feeds for laminitic or metabolic horses almost always means that the recommended daily feed rate ranges from 500g-3kg per day. If the horse is underweight, these calories wouldn't be an issue, however many laminitic and metabolic horses suffer from obesity and feeding anything more than a token meal for supplements would be incredibly counterproductive regardless of the sugar and starch concentration. Even when they are fed at the recommended daily feed rate, more "complete" feeds than not do not have fantastic nutrient profiles and it's not hard to imagine how easy it would be to onset deficiencies if we begin feeding less than the recommended daily feed rate to control calorie intake.

💠 Trace Element Profile.

A lot of "complete" feeds and supplements list an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink nutrient analysis which to the uneducated eye may sound great. In reality, when we are targeting hoof and metabolic health, these profiles often do not come close to stacking up when compared against the therapeutic servings that are necessary to support better hoof growth, coat colour, metabolism, muscle recovery etc. "Complete" feeds are rarely complete, I'm sorry.

🐎 I am really passionate about offering practical, current, and science-supported information resources such as this one. Sadly, a lot of feed companies have taken advantage of the sugar and starch hype in recent years and we all seem to have forgotten about the other dietary components that support our horses' health. Remember, there is no industry regulation stopping me from handing you a bag of corn and telling you it's laminitis-friendly, so just because it says it's laminitis-safe, complete, calming, low in starch etc., does not mean that it actually is. And lastly, horses do not need to be overweight to develop laminitis or metabolic issues, so don't assume that your ribby Thoroughbred or lean Welshy is safe by default!

12/04/2024

Sass Queen Fern shed some frog steaks today.

Could not miss the perfect "devil" pony photo op....

This pony is so cute. I die.

10/04/2024

Set up/Glow up ❤️🌞🐎

05/04/2024

I will die on this hill. Great advice.

💬 𝙁𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩

😯 This is one of those posts where I've started thinking about a topic and then word-vomited my thoughts into an article. So... please enjoy this look into my brain for a moment.

🐎 I have assessed and formulated hundreds, if not thousands of horses' diets in recent years, and I'd be lying if I said there weren't notable trends when it comes to flavour-of-the-month brands or supplements and feeding practices. What I find quite interesting, and a little bit sad, is how often I come across feeding protocols for a single horse that blatantly contradict each other. Here are some examples:

1️⃣ The owner won't feed hay, or won't feed enough hay, but is more than happy to feed buckets upon buckets of chaff daily.

🌾 I get that hay is expensive, hard to source, hard to store etc. (I'm in this boat too, team!) but it is just not a like-for-like match to chaff where digestive physiology and digestion are concerned. On a per kilogram basis, hay is typically cheaper to buy than chaff is, so if you're happy to feed a kilogram of chaff, why not substitute this for a kilogram of hay for the additional benefits of increased saliva production, slower digestion rate, and natural ulcer prevention?

𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘭𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯...
2️⃣ The owner is happy to buy and feed a fancy, sparkly packet of "ulcer preventative" but won't invest in feeding more hay.

🌾 Again, hay is expensive, but so are a lot of ulcer-targeting supplements, and some of them aren't even as good as they claim to be. Long-stemmed roughage is the best form of ulcer prevention money can buy, and it also helps to remove sand from the gastrointestinal tract, prevent colic, and acts as a natural prebiotic.

𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘪𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴...
3️⃣ The owner willingly buys and feeds a digestive supplement that contains prebiotics and probiotics to keep their horse's gut "happy," but continues to feed grain-based or grain-dense feeds that half the time aren't heat-treated to aid in increased and safe digestion.

🌾 Maybe my purpose here is to just sound like a broken record, but long-stemmed roughage and high fibre feeds are the most effective (and cheap!) means of providing a natural prebiotic which feeds beneficial gut microflora populations. Of course, there are absolutely horses out there who need additional digestive support such as those who are immunocompromised, actively training/competing, or on antibiotics, however it pays to make sure that you're actually feeding a species-appropriate and digestive friendly base diet before reaching for the digestive or anti-ulcer supplements.

4️⃣ Owners who hyperfixate on what's in the bucket and not what's in the paddock or hay net.

🌾 Whether it's weight gain or weight loss we are trying to achieve, the bucket in which your horse spends 30-60 minutes eating out of per day rarely has as much influence on their waistline as what they spend their other 23 hours per day consuming. 100g of copra meal is making your horse fat? No, the short, stressed, "hardly there" grass they nibble at all day long is far more likely to be the issue! Your horse is underweight? Let's put lots of quality hay in front of them alongside a balanced hard feed before we start worrying about adding feeds that are labelled with words like weight gain, fatten up, build...yuck. 🤣

🐴 As much as what I do in terms of Equine Nutrition Consultations has A LOT to do with what goes in your horse's bucket daily, I would so much rather see people invest their money in good quality roughage sources instead of the shiny "fix it" supplements and feeds that aren't necessarily the healthiest, safest, or cheapest choices.