Cat Redwood Equine Podiatrist

27/08/2024

My grass has increased in length rapidly over the last two weeks. If in doubt take appropriate precautions and if you don't know what precautions to take contact your professional.

26/08/2024

Survey still open until 1st sept if you haven't already completed.

Give your view! 🐴

If you have a horse, pony, donkey or mule, share your approach to your routine hoof care and your experiences when accessing farriery and hoofcare provider services.

It only takes 5 minutes to complete and you will be helping a vital research project on the farrier industry.

Survey closes on 1st September 2024.
Take part here:
https://loom.ly/Oqms7es

24/08/2024

Sorry not horses. If anyone is looking for cats to do farm duties, lots looking for homes here. We adopted from Alley Cats and they were great with providing support with the process:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1i2GJpXX1wVoBVwM/

Morning ,
We really need your help , we have approximately 20 cats and kittens that will need out door homes , some of these need true feral homes and some will be better with the choice of being allowed indoors if they eventually want to choose this on their terms.
We always get lots of criticism for putting kittens in our door homes but before you criticise think about this

1) we only have a couple of kitten tamers , no body volunteers , if you want to complain then do your bit and volunteer , don’t give the excuse that you already have cats and Fido won’t like it , you have to use a room in your house away from your cats anyway and all our fosters bar 2 have their own cats !

2) feral kittens take weeks / months to rehabilitate

3) the longer our fosters are full the less cats we can help and let’s face it we get tagged into everything and everyone is surprised when we can’t help

4) some kittens do NOT like humans , this is a true fact , we have the experience to know this , if you force these kittens to live in 4 walls you can guarantee things will go wrong, they will be returned to us and then we have an adult cat that has lived in but needs to live out , this is a difficult cat to then find a home for

5) we work with a fantastic rescue Silth's Sanctuary who when they can will take kittens for taming ,they like us are full to the brim

6) we treat and respect Ferals as much as friendly cats , this means that potential homes are checked out, a contract is signed , cats are microchipped and obviously neutered , the new home supplies a dry safe place for the cats to sleep and food and water and seek vet treatment if they become sick ,all with our support and advice in the future.

So please don’t waste your time criticising us as we won’t listen , do your bit and become a fosterer or try and find some wonderful outdoor homes for us
please

We are overwhelmed and get asked multiple times aday to help people who have found cats and kittens in their gardens or work place.
Thank you
Karen & Susan x

23/08/2024

Happy Friday. The lovely Feller with his quite literally rock crunching hooves, his owner said he broke one in half on one of his walks out 🤣. He is only 3 and massive. He is doing brilliantly after recovering from some ailments and his hooves are looking fantastic. 😀

06/08/2024

When you have a small helper to entertain 😉. Anyone else got some hoof clipping art to share? 🤣

03/08/2024

What I did on my day off 🙈 Trimmed my own horses. Looks pretty though 🤷‍♀️

28/07/2024

This little lady had rotational laminitis on her fores, an abscess and one high and one low hoof when I first met her - a lot going on. Her owner is excellent and had asked for her bloods to be tested to see if she had PPID (often referred to as cushings) even though she wasn't in the age category people typically associate with the condition. Her ACTH levels were very very high and she was given medication which helped in her recovery, alongside appropriate diet, and trimming. She had little hoof boots for a short time, but has been pretty comfortable on most surfaces since the second trim in. 9 months later she has much more symmetrical hooves and only a tiny bit of stretch left to grow out, and is still super cute at around 7hh 😀

27/07/2024

New surface for our ponios on top of relaid mud control mats. With hopefully better drainage on this bit now 🤞 So far not getting kicked about too much. It is nice to have different surfaces for horses to walk on but they need to be suitable for the horses hoof health. 😀

25/07/2024

Another laminitic recovery. With careful dietary management, movement and appropriate trimming this horse has made fantastic progress. Just a small amount of stretch at the toe left to grow out. Look at the improvement in wall quality, frog quality and heel height 😍

19/07/2024

Mel Bhavsar - Equine Podiatrist is an excellent writer and she has explained why we choose trim cycle very clearly here 😀

https://www.mbequinepodiatry.com/resources?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1db3JdBkO1Zs2jw402DxpzLxxAFna0R5Pvoj2veaWXCAj5QKsVUs7aJSI_aem_ceNNeQh4S4g0NzrSD7L01A

Trim Cycles - Why do we trim when we do?

16/07/2024

I meant to post these pictures a few days ago but ran out of time.

This little mare when she first came to me several years ago had a high foot and a low foot and had been shod. To address the high/low foot we used boots and pads. She was comfortable on most surfaces but we needed to help her with even loading and the development of structures in her hooves. Alongside the boots and pads, body work was needed as she had tightness in her shoulder on the low hoof and a sticky stifle behind. She quickly developed much stronger, more symmetrical hooves. (shown in the first picture)

However, it was sometimes tricky keeping her frogs in excellent condition and she would sometimes develop deep central sulcus infections particularly in her hind hooves and she struggled to keep weight on in winter. But now it seems we have finally got the environment and feeding regime that suits her best and it is lovely to see how she has developed much thicker walls and more developed frogs since we started this journey with her a couple of years ago. She is a more chilled out horse in this environment too.😀 Good teamwork as always.

13/07/2024

8 year old 16.2 warmblood mare looking for a new person belonging to my client. If anyone is looking for a new addition I can send you the very detailed and honest information about her. 😀

09/07/2024

An amazing lady who left behind an amazing legacy.

08/07/2024

A lot of my equine clients have me well trained 🤣 I will post pictures of this beautiful girl's beautiful hooves later. 😀

05/07/2024

Rebecca is based up near Blackpool so can travel further north than me 😉 If anyone has anything suitable please get in touch with her.

02/07/2024

Sometimes it is good to look back to where you started and how far you have come. The top pictures are from two years ago when this horse had his shoes removed. Those bars !!!!!!!! He still grows significant bars, but nothing like the first trim. The hooves have made massive progress from where we started and the whole horse is significantly more comfortable. This horse had a full MOT with his new owner - cracked tooth removed, which lead to (presumably) better absorption of nutrients from his new improved diet and he became more comfortable behind, physio to deal with any problems in his body and shoes off allowing his heels to expand resulting in a more functional hoof.

02/07/2024

It was an absolute pleasure to help a client make these today. It took a bit of trial and error with the method but I think what we got will look great when it is finished.

27/06/2024

We love to celebrate good things here at FFHQ, so, to mark 2 major accomplishments this week, we have a FANTASTIC offer for you!! ❤️

First off, Ops Director Em passed her HGV theory tests 🎉🍾🥂🎊 So, soon we can take an even bigger truck and more goodies to all the shows 🚛🚚🛻

Secondly, building on her Diplomas and Bachelors degree, Managing Director Nia graduated from Glasgow University with her Master of Science degree in Animal Nutrition 🍾🥂🎓🎉

To share the joy of these accomplishments, we're giving you 15% off all Superfoods* until Monday!!!

Just enter the code SKILLS15 at checkout to redeem the discount 🦄🐴🦄

www.finerforage.co.uk/shop

*excludes pallets - but please contact us if you would like to order a pallet, and we can work with you to offer you the best price possible 🎉

26/06/2024

Somebody didn't get the message about species appropriate feeding and wanted to share my lunch today. 🤣

24/06/2024

It is hot with lots of these horrible things around the next couple of days. If I'm on my way to you please think about where is going to be most comfortable for your horse and me during their trim (shady and away from the flies) and apply fly spray if you can. I have found the Hedgewich fly spray very effective .

Thank you from me and your horse. 😀

04/06/2024

This is a really important survey. Please can my clients take the time to complete this survey 🙏

❓ Do you have five minutes to help The British Horse Society?

📝 We all know how vital regular hoof care is to our horses, ponies, donkeys and mules. To futureproof this care, The BHS needs your help to assess the availability of qualified farriers in the UK and the Republic of Ireland via this quick survey 🔗 forms.office.com/e/QjLDuMJqk3

🐴 If you’re over 18, they’d love to hear about your routine hoof care and your experiences when accessing farriery and hoof care provider services for the animals in your care.

🤝 Your insight will allow the BHS to work in partnership with other equine welfare charities, and the industry, to make access to the farriery profession easier so that, together, we can futureproof horse care in the UK.

03/06/2024

Not long left to take advantage of the early bird discount for The Jayne Hunt Memorial Conference !

Get your tickets via the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-equine-podiatry-association-presents-the-jayne-hunt-memorial-conference-tickets-830108044507

03/06/2024

Where has all the grass gone?...

“But there isn’t any grass on the field…” We hear these words a lot at this time of year, from the exasperated owners of fat horses fighting what sometimes seems like a losing battle with their horses’ weight.

Have you ever wondered why horses on a seemingly bare paddock can still gain weight?
It is worth keeping in mind, the picture of the un-grazed side of the field below. Of course, it can be very difficult for owners to monitor what a horse is taking in, but one thing is certain: when that side of the field is full of horses, it won’t look like this! That grass would be nipped off as soon as it poked up high enough to be nibbled!

Sarah Stoneham BVSc Cert ESM MRCVS gives this very good explanation of the problem which helps us to understand and monitor the amount of grass that the horse is consuming.
“UK grass growth figures (grass check GB) indicate that over the last week, average grass growth in the north west has been high. At the moment a small well-managed paddock, the size of a 40x20m dressage arena will be producing an average of 22.5kg of grass per day. The dry matter content of grass is currently only 20% which means it is 80% water, so a 40x20m area produces 4.5 kg of grass on a dry matter basis each day.
This has a calorie content similar to 4.5 kg of a conditioning hard feed. The grass is also high in sugar, 17.1% on average. So, the 4.5 kg of grass on a dry matter basis will contain approximately 770g of sugar! #

If your paddock is still looking as bare as it did earlier this year it is because your horse has eaten all the new grass each day.”

So, where has all the grass gone?... its inside the horse!

10/05/2024

Laminitis recovery. This lovely horse had already started his recovery before I met him and just needed trimming to support his owner's careful management. He initially developed laminitis on a "grass free" diet and he is a good reminder that grass is not the only cause of laminitis, there are many. He is now slowly and carefully being reintroduced to some grazing and is doing very well.

01/05/2024

The grass is growing for fun right now. Be careful 😬

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/U6jL5P5pZHEjFPEB/

It’s that time again! Please be REALLY careful with the grass this week. I have been out to a couple of horses (not native fat ponies, but a shod thoroughbred and a very fit/lean warmblood) who both have raised pulses and sore feet after being turned out for one day on “better” grazing. I also received a phone call this afternoon about a 3yr old pony with no history of laminitis, who is rocked back off her toes. Finally, tonight I came home to find that my own highland has a rock hard neck and looks bloated, even on very restricted strip grazed track. The grass out there is frankly dangerous at the moment. Please, please be cautious! Call your vet if you see any/early signs, and TELL YOUR HOOFCARE PROVIDER. They might need a longer appointment slot than usual, or a shorter cycle, or to ask you to request markers on your xrays, or to bring extras like therapy boots/pads, a different type of shoe, or they might just have some nuggets of wisdom.

(EDITED TO ADD THAT I AM IN THE UK)

27/03/2024

Clearing out my tools. Just thinking about what this little pile represents 😀

22/03/2024

This is a great podcast. It sums up a lot of things that we find important when maintaining a healthy barefoot horse.

Take homes:

1. Poor gut health, no hoof, no horse. (This is why as EPs we talk about diet and environment a lot)
2. Recovery takes time, how long, it depends!!! (Every horse is different, the environment can change unexpectedly and cause set backs or leaps forward, it depends)
3. Every horse is different so how should it be trimmed, it depends!!!!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/acVX6NEABnUBWUWd/

When Vicky agreed to have a chat with us we were ecstatic ! Vicky is a scientist in her own right and as she shares with us her journey with her much beloved horse Max, the lessons they learned and the influences those lessons brought, open up and...

18/03/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/7gQ9cxU6snXTaqja/

Ok everyone…well, Yorkshire folk in particular, I need your help 🙏🏼
I'm on the home stretch of my LANTRA Level 5 Diploma course, but I’m in need of 2 more Pathology Case Studies before I can even think about putting in for those dreaded final exams 🫣 and dare to dream of being able to call myself qualified 😬

To class as a suitable pathology case study I’m looking for a horse or pony with any of the following:
🐴 Current/ongoing undiagnosed or unresolved lameness
🐴 Laminitis
🐴 Navicular Disease/Syndrome
🐴 Significant Capsule Shift
🐴 Club Foot
🐴 Severe/Unstable Hoof Cracks
🐴 Significant Loss of Hoof Wall (maybe due to white line disease/seedy toe/abscess)

I also need owners that are willing to:

🙏🏼 Commit to a minimum of at least 6 months of regular trims (and hopefully ongoing thereafter)
🙏🏼 Be on board with a barefoot holistic approach, addressing the cause and not just the symptoms of the lameness/pathology
🙏🏼 Consider changes to diet, environment, workload or the use of hoof boots and pads, if needed to help progress the case

In return you can expect me to be:

✅ Closely supervised by an experienced and qualified EP acting as mentor, who will see the horse at the start and end of the process (and in between if necessary) and who is always available for any advice or support needed along the way
✅ Providing detailed visit reports after each visit with full sets of photos taken to monitor progress
✅ Willing to collaborate with the other equine professionals involved in your horses care to discuss the best way forward
✅ Punctual and Reliable
✅ Fully insured

🤞🏼If you have or know of a horse that may fit this criteria, based in the Yorkshire region, please get in touch or feel free to pass on my details.

Thank you ☺️

09/03/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/V7RvfRRagMESCd2b/