Firenza Park Equine Services in Bayles, Victoria, Australia | Pet service

Firenza Park Equine Services

Locality: Bayles, Victoria, Australia

Phone: +61 405 981 595

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25.01.2022 It’s hard to believe it’s the same pony. Although we haven’t got as far as I would like I can’t deny that we haven’t got somewhere. He’s looking a million bucks at the moment and most of the time he’s a pleasure to work with. A very different kid to the 5yo I brought home from NSW. I can not wait to be able to get out and about competing with him post COVID. For whatever reason I fell in love with him the moment I worked with him, to the dismay of Bernie and every other pers...on around me at the time. So many times I have been told to sell him or retire him and it’s not that I disagree with their opinions but there is some part of me that can’t give up on this little pony. I got him not long after a had a pretty major fall where I was kicked in the head while riding out on the road and ended up in hospital with 12 stitches. I was very lucky, but it ruined my confidence. I have spent the last few years working on my anxiety when riding and surrounding myself with the most amazing people. He has taught me so much and I’m sure he hasn’t finished teaching just yet.

25.01.2022 One day you will tell your story of how youve overcome what youre going through now and it will become part of someone elses survival guide I saved this quote in August last year, when we had no idea what was to come. What a crazy year it has been but we will look back on this year and all the things we have learnt

25.01.2022 HOOVES & WINTER All this wet weather and muddy ground is causing havoc for those horses who are standing out in it 24/7. The wet weather leads to abscesses and is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria; thrush and seedy toe are massive issues through winter. What can you do about it?... 1) Give feet a break Winter tends to mean mud, and lot of it. It is important to give your horses feet a break from the mud. This could mean keeping them in a dry paddock, providing dry shelter in the paddock or bringing them out of the paddock to stand on a dry surface. Putting gravel down in gateways can be a great way to stop them from getting muddy. 2) Treat preventively It is better to be prepared than be caught on the back foot after an infection has started. The bacteria present in thrush grows best in a dark, moist environment that is low in oxygen. One of the easiest ways to prevent thrush is to regularly clean out your horses feet. Through winter we are big fans of applying an antibacterial solution, once a week, to prevent disease. We use chlorhexidine, diluted 1:4 with water. 3) Regular trims If hooves are left too long, they chip and crack. The chipping and cracking allow entry into the hoof for bacteria which can lead to seedy toe. In wet weather, these cracks can also act as entry points for abscesses.

25.01.2022 There is a purpose for every horse you meet. Some horses come into your life to test you, some to teach you and some to bring out the very best in you

25.01.2022 House keeping: It is now just over 6 weeks until Christmas. My last day of work for 2020 will be Saturday Dec 19 and I will be back at work on Monday Jan 4 2021. Now is the time to be booking your appointments around Christmas. I will be trying to push out most appointments as I can not fit everyone in early. Cancellations: Please remember to let me know as early as possible if you need to reschedule appointments. If you are unable to give me more than 24 hours notice I have... to charge you as I am not able to fill your spot with such short notice (50% of services booked). I also understand that it’s the silly season and sometimes we forget appointments. If you fail to reschedule your appointment or fail to turn up you will be charged the full price of the services booked. Also, if you need to reschedule I may not be able to fit you back into the calendar and you may have to wait an additional 6 weeks for another appointment. Pictured: Issy on the beach at Jan Juc on our first adventure post lockdown this week.

25.01.2022 I realised yesterday that I don’t put up enough pictures of the amazing donkeys I get to work with. I met this guy and his sister yesterday and they are just such sweeties I have a real love and passion for donkeys. I want to learn as much as I can about them! I feel like they tend to be a little misunderstood. They are the loveliest of creatures They are also much more high maintenance than most people realise. Unless you’re going to go out of your way to ensure they don’t eat too much and get adequate movement, please don’t get a donkey.

24.01.2022 #holisticfarrier We support the whole horse and all equine professionals regardless of age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, dietary preference, type of training, and choice of tools. If you agree please post on your wall using hashtag #holisticfarrier! Thanks @daisyhavenfarm for the post

24.01.2022 Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle

24.01.2022 New boots ready for some kilometres this weekend!

24.01.2022 Beginner dancers take intermediate lessons, intermediate dancers take advanced lessons and advanced dancers take beginner lessons -Oliver Pineda On Thursday Issy and I packed our bags and headed back to school. As we have come out of lockdown, we have noticed that Issy can get a little bit overexcited when we go on adventures. It’s not a big deal, but I don’t want it to turn into the reason that I leave her at home, instead of having her out and about with me. ... Coming out of COVID has been hard for everyone and I can totally understand why the world is so exciting when we’ve been locked up for so many months. It was fantastic to work with someone I trust to help me with the issues we have been having, as well as having a controlled environment to do it in. I was so worried about doing the wrong thing and potentially making the issue worse that I hadn’t really done anything at all. In reality I had all the tools to work on it, if I put in the effort, but I was lacking the faith that I could do it. The other issue I had is I didn’t want to be that person, looking like an idiot, training her dog in public. There’s a small part of me that felt shame around the way my puppy was behaving, so it was easier to ignore it. I think that many of us have these same feelings around our horses and their training. The longer you avoid it, the bigger the problem becomes and the harder it becomes to correct it. The little things that you practise day in and day out are the things that are going to get you out of trouble (or into it) when shit hits the fan. Habits take time to create and much much longer to break. Sometimes it can be super boring going back to basics but in the long run you will always be glad you did. No matter how much you try to avoid it, everything comes back to basics.

23.01.2022 STAGE 3 & 4 LOCKDOWN: To all of my valued clients With the current situation I have updated my procedures to keep us all safe. As a farrier, I am currently able to continue work but who knows what the future will hold. If anything changes I will be the first to let you know.... Masks are mandatory in Victoria. I require that you wear one if you are present while I trim your horses. Please dont make me ask you to put one on. Only 1 person (horse owner or handler) is to be in attendance per appointment. I know your kids want to come hang out but please keep them away. Im no good at being grumpy and tend to let things slide instead of being confrontational but its making me uncomfortable. It goes without saying, if you are unwell please stay home. The same applies to me. Even if you only have a cold, I dont want to see you. I will be requesting that you get COVID-19 tested (with a negative result) before we are able to reschedule. Please try to give me as much notice as possible to reschedule your appointment. If you have a yard or your horse ties up, Im happy to trim them without you present. I will not be working on difficult horses as we cannot ensure we keep our physical distancing measures in place. Please ensure your horse will stand quietly for trimming on the end of a lead rope. If you need to be holding your pony under the jaw on the halter then this puts us within the required distance. Where possible I would prefer to work on horses without the owner present or have the horse tied up. I will not handle your halter and lead ropes and expect that you and your children will not handle my tools. I will be using hand washing and hand sanitizer in between appointments. Hope you are all looking after yourselves and getting through these challenging times as best as possible xx Kathryn

23.01.2022 We didn’t realise we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun -Winnie the Pooh

22.01.2022 Bringing in the new year with a ride on the most clever red pony

22.01.2022 Hind foot of a great little horse who’s on a 6 week cycle. Healthy feet aren’t just ‘luck’, they are made by dedicated owners, supported by a team of professionals. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork

21.01.2022 This morning Roger and I took some time to hang out in the arena and enjoy the amazing sunshine. When was this last time you took 10 minutes to do nothing?

21.01.2022 Front foot on a young gelding. Nice healthy foot and frog

20.01.2022 Todays random thoughts: Issy and I went to a park in suburbia today. Im not sure if we are allowed to but at this stage I dont really care. We had 2 hours for lunch, between clients, and I am so damn sick of sitting in the car to pass time by. I also feel so guilty about Issy being cooped up all day. Today is probably the first time in 6 months or more that she has been allowed to explore a park thats full of smells and other exciting things. This is something that was a ...daily experience for us preCOVID but now its non existent. It was so interesting to watch her change in behaviour as shes normally so focused on me and listens for every cue I give. Today she avoided eye contact and was so busy with what she was doing that she didnt even notice when I ran away from her. Previously, mum running was the most exciting this in the world and HAD to be investigated. It reinforced for me that we have to be doing something super regularly for it to be normal. And when we take children, dogs, horses etc etc out into environments that are over stimulating they are going to struggle to concentrate. See more

20.01.2022 I got the opportunity to write this tonight and thought it was also relevant to everyone else: We are living through a pandemic. Theres no model of how its meant to be done. Everyone is struggling! Everyone is questioning what we are and are not allowed to do. We are all doing our best to get through this and the best way we can do this is by supporting each other. If you do not have anything nice to say then dont say anything at all. I understand that we are all stre...ssed and trying to work within the rules that DHHS and EA have placed on us. The current information is as clear as mud. It is up to each individual person to determine how these apply to them and their situation. I will not sit here and put up with people being unkind. Its not needed. You have no idea what people are currently going through, at any time, but especially right now. If anyone needs a chat etc please send me a message. Otherwise cuddle your ponies and we will hopefully be out of this soon See more

20.01.2022 If you are interested in learning more about hoof boots and fitting then make sure you sign up to join us on Saturday afternoon at Jindarra Park in Baxter. We had our first session tonight and had a lovely group who asked lots of questions and hopefully took away lots of new information and things to think about in relation to their horses feet and boots.

20.01.2022 ‘Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.’ -Thomas Edison

20.01.2022 Someone commented the other day that I don’t post many lateral photos of hooves so it’s on my to do list to do better Here’s one from today. I was trimming by myself, in the paddock, on the side of a hill. Lovely little foot. P.s. I do realise it’s a terrible photo

20.01.2022 Front foot on a young warmblood mare. Trimmed on a 6 week cycle

20.01.2022 Saturday Availabilities: I currently have a handful of spots available on my books for clients wanting Saturday appointments in areas between Koo Wee Rup, Pakenham, Beaconsfield and Pearcedale. These horses MUST be kept on a 6 week cycle and you will be waiting a few weeks to get into the cycle. I am also currently taking on new clients in these areas for midweek appointments. Pop me a message and we will see what we can work out.

19.01.2022 I finished reading ‘The Resilience Project’ last week (or maybe the week before, who knows, the weeks all merge into each other at the moment). It’s written by a Melbourne based guy named Hugh van Cuylenburg. I highly recommend the book and it’s a pretty easy read. One of the main ideas in the book is gratitude and being grateful for the things you have in every moment. As us Melbournites come out of lockdown I think we have so so many things to be grateful for; our health, our family, our friends, and the great things that living in lockdown has taught us. What are you grateful to lockdown for, that you wouldn’t have done or learnt if life had carried on as normal?

19.01.2022 Three days in Wagga done and dusted! 42 horses down and that should be my last trims for the year. Fingers crossed!! Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and safe travels over the holiday period. Thank you to my amazing clients for all the lovely presents

19.01.2022 I am so glad that restrictions are starting to ease. It’s so lovely to be able to get out and about a bit more, especially as the weather is starting to warm up. Issy looks forward to her beach visits.

19.01.2022 Last horse trimmed in VIC for 2020 @becmckelvie

19.01.2022 Hind foot on a young gelding who headed off to the breaker today!

18.01.2022 Equine Fusion boots are a great option for a lot of horses and ponies. They come in a massive range of sizes and are suitable for both rehab and/or riding. These are the no. 1 boot I recommend for rehab. They can be left on in the paddock and used with pads. Boots are a great option during an acute laminitic episode and can help to make them more comfortable. If you have any questions, pop me through a message.

18.01.2022 MANAGING LAMINITIS Already this year I have had many cases of laminitis and sometimes managing these horses is hard work. There are many causes of laminitis but the main one we see through spring occurs due to an overload of grass, high in structural carbohydrates. In these situations it is important that we are able to work alongside an equine veterinarian initially for diagnosis, followed by X-rays and blood work. In cases of chronic laminitis it can be important to test f...or insulin resistance and cushings. As a hoof care practitioner, X-rays allow us to provide the most accurate trim possible, taking into account the position of P3. Managing these horses is a balancing game of making sure they get enough movement while limiting their grazing. All horses require a diet low in carbohydrates and high in fibre. This means that sometimes they have to be locked up and off grass. Hay with less the 10% non-structural carbohydrates is the best option. This can be fed in slow feeder nets and in cases where we really need to limit feed we can double net the hay. Another option is grazing muzzles. They can eat and drink through the grazing muzzle but are limited with how much they can eat at once. If you are worried about your horse or pony it is important to get in touch with the professionals who work on your horse. If you have any questions feel free to pop me a message and Im happy to discuss anything or provide links to more information. See more

18.01.2022 It’s about time I started posting some more photos of shod feet. Put some fronts on the medium red this morning as he’s coming back into work. I’m a bit spoilt with his feet, so nice to work on!!

18.01.2022 Now that Shelley has finished her PhD she’s onto her next research project. Have you got 5 minutes to spare?

18.01.2022 Fat and shiny does not mean healthy! There are so so many issues with fat horses! We are coming into spring and need to be hyper vigilant

18.01.2022 Monty the donkey

18.01.2022 Cloudy days in Wagga make for a lovely start to some trimming up in NSW!

17.01.2022 Issy and I headed out for our walk this morning. We are walking 30 minutes a day for the days of PAWgust to raise money for Guide Dogs Australia. Unfortunately we arent allowed to go far from home with the current restrictions but we would love if you could support us, even just a couple of dollars. Are you and your puppy taking part in PAWgust? http://www.pawgust.com.au/s/32830/36254/s

17.01.2022 Chestnut, 4 white socks, big white blaze, stunning feet What else do you need in your life?

17.01.2022 COVID has meant I am required to be a little creative when it comes to lessons. With Spring in the air and the wind being a little ‘up’ this afternoon, Roger was on his toes. I decided the only way I was getting through today was if I had someone a little more committed to give me a kick up the bum. This wasn’t me getting on a horse that wasn’t ‘safe’, it was working with Roger where he was at today and seeing where we got to. I committed to pushing forward rather than sayi...ng I’ll try again tomorrow. Some days I’m really good at doing the bare minimum to tick the box and putting him back in the paddock as it’s ‘too hard’, but today I decided to do the hard thing and I’m glad I did as I’m feeling much better about it tonight. The first lesson I had with Shelley Appleton Performance Horses in November last year Roger was a bit ‘up’ too. We started with moving his feet on the ground, some canter therapy, and then baby basics under saddle. So as I moved Roger around on the ground, I put on my best Shelley voice and talked myself through it out loud. Talking about the things that he was doing that were good, and what we were looking to improve before we moved on. In 5 minutes he was settled and there were no red flags telling me not to get on so on I got. Again, I put on my best Shelley voice and talked myself through the onboard checklist. Can I move his feet and have his attention? I’m sure we all have that instructor/trainer that we know exactly what they would say in any situation. Channel their voice in your head as you interact with your horse. It may not be perfect, but nothing in COVID is... See more

17.01.2022 Equine Cushings Disease: Part 1 Last year I had the pleasure of attending a lecture with Dr. Kim Johnson from Yarra Ranges Animal Hospital. I never managed to get around to writing up my notes from the lecture but COVID has been fantastic for providing time for all those things we never get around to. Kim gave a fantastic lecture on PPID (Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction) which is also known as Equine Cushings Disease.... The disease is caused by a benign growth in the the hypothalamus and results in an increase in ACTH (Adrenocorticotropic hormone) production. Any breed is able to get it buts it’s more commonly found in ponies and Morgan horses. Older horses (15yo+) are more regularly diagnosed as they show more symptoms but horses as young as 7yo have been diagnosed. There are many symptoms and horses found to be positive can have any, all or none of them: Poor/patchy coat Excessive drinking/urination Muscle wastage/loss Weight loss Pot belly Bulgy fat pads over eyes Lethargic/docile Vision loss/seizures/narcolepsy Recurrent infections Diarrhoea

17.01.2022 Home safe! There is nothing better than being back in your own bed after a week away. I made the somewhat crazy decision to continue my drive home last night rather than break it up into two days. Today is a rest day and back into it tomorrow. There is something so lovely about driving long distances though, the podcasts and chats and phone calls and food and can’t forget our parkrun yesterday morning at Avondale University College. Absolutely stunning, highly recommend if anyone is looking for a parkrun in the area

17.01.2022 A little bit of feather

17.01.2022 Determining Balance -Part two Functional sole plane can be an integral guide to determining where internal structures are within the foot. Through hoof mapping outlined by The Equine Lameness Prevention Organisation (ELPO), we can determine the position on the coffin bone within the hoof capsule. It is widely accepted that the hoof should be balanced in a 50:50 ratio around the centre of rotation of the foot. We are able to map the centre of articulation of the foot which is ...found to be within of the centre of rotation. There are five ways to determine the centre of articulation of an equine foot. These five points should all be found within the same area of the foot, which can then be used to make an educated estimation of the centre of articulation. These points are; the widest part of the foot, the termination of the laminar in the bars, bar swells, 1 back from the true apex of the frog and the frog boob (Bicking, 2016). The bar swells match an anatomical landmark on the coffin bone which is found directly under the centre of rotation. The landmark on the coffin bone is found in the semi-lunar crest at the meeting of the bar laminar and the deep digital flexor tendon (Bicking, 2016). Due to this, the true end of bar does not migrate forward with the rest of the foot. The frog boob is the round part of the frog found at the centre of rotation, it is part of Ducketts bridge and more obvious in some horses than others (Bicking, 2016). A foot that Daisy mapped at a clinic a couple of years ago @daisyhavenfarm

17.01.2022 Front foot on a gorgeous Appaloosa gelding who is on a 6 week cycle.

16.01.2022 4 years since we were in Canberra at the Pete Ramey Clinic

16.01.2022 ‘One day you will tell your story of how you’ve overcome what you’re going through now and it will become part of someone else’s survival guide’ I saved this quote in August last year, when we had no idea what was to come. What a crazy year it has been but we will look back on this year and all the things we have learnt

16.01.2022 Just 1 1/2 weeks left of placement for 2020 before travelling home in time for Christmas! I’m looking to book trims in the lead up to Christmas and will have ...Kathryn from Firenza Park Equine Services here to give me some help to catch everyone up. While Kathryn is here she has offered to fit hoof boots for anyone who is interested. If this is something that would be of interest to you please contact me so I can ensure we put aside adequate time during your appointment. Kathryn carries fit kits for: Scoot Boots Equine Fusion Boots Easy care Gloves PLUS a range of other boots in different sizes so she can discuss what is going to be the best option for you and your horse(s). If you’re considering boots for you horse(s), send me a message and we can arrange time at your next trim for a fitting!

16.01.2022 Today was my second last work day of 2020 and we finished the day with a border collie party! The only thing better than a border collie is a group of them

15.01.2022 THRUSH Thrush is a bacterial infection commonly found in the frog. The bacteria found to be responsible is Fusobacterium necrophorum. F. necrophorum is found to be present in both animal faeces and soil samples. This means that it in common and regularly occurs in the horses natural environment. However, it is made worse by wet, muddy and unsanitary conditions as F. necrophorum thrives in a moist, dark and anaerobic environment. It is also made worse by narrow or contracted ...heels. Thrush eats away at the tissue of the frog, and if left untreated, it can affect the sensitive tissues. In most cases, horses dont become lame when infected but when these sensitive tissues are involved, lameness may occur. Thrush can be identified due to the distinctive odour, watery discharge that is often black in colour. It is imperative to get on top of thrush before it becomes a major issue. Infection can lead to loss of shape and integrity of the frog which can take months to regrow. Once thrush is present it can be challenging to get rid of. My favourite ways to treat thrush are with chlorhexidine and Artimud. For deep central sulcus infections, I have found that Hoof Stuff will treat and stay in the central sulcus for an entire trim cycle. It is important to keep your horses feet as dry and clean as possible. Make sure they arent standing around in the mud and clean up manure. As I precaution through winter, I often recommend spraying a disinfectant on the hooves once a week after the feet have been picked out. Pictured: the worst thrush I have ever seen. This horse lived in a small yard with 3-4 friends and a bale of hay. The yard wasnt mucked out and the horse didnt have its feet picked out between shoeings. This horses frogs bled as soon as his feet were picked out as all the flesh had rotted away and the sensitive frog structures were exposed.

15.01.2022 Hind foot, post trim, of a little gelding on a 6 week cycle.

15.01.2022 I dropped a pile of saddle blankets to Sara to wash and they were ready for pick up in a couple of days and they look like new! Highly recommend

14.01.2022 Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. -Thomas Edison

14.01.2022 This guy This is Flynn. An OTT Thoroughbred I first met when his current owner bought him. His feet were a mess and he was full of himself on the ground. His mum couldnt be present for his trim today but he stood rock solid the entire time and she needs to be congratulated for all the hard work she has put in to get this far. What a superstar!!

14.01.2022 Every so often a picture like this pops up and I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s real. Never in a million years did I imagine having both of these horses in my paddock Pic from 2015

14.01.2022 Scoots are seriously my favourite boot to use on my own horses. It takes me literally a minute to pick out both of Larry’s front feet and put his boots on. One of the main reasons I hear against boots is that they take too long to put on. It’s really no extra effort to put Larry’s boots on while I pick out his feet. @scootbootsdownunder

13.01.2022 References for Defining Balance: Bicking, D. (2016). Sole Mapping [Handout] Retrieved from: Daisy Haven Farm Glue-on Shoe Workshop, May 3 2016 Bicking, D. (2016). Terminology [Handout] Retrieved from: Daisy Haven Farm Glue-on Shoe Workshop, May 3 2016... Blog.easycareinc.com. Available at: http://blog.easycareinc.com//bringing-it-home-hoof-mapping Dressage Association of America. Available at: http://westerndressageassociation.org//understanding-dave/ Ovnicek, C. (2009). The Widest Part of the Foot. 1st ed. The Equine Lameness Prevention Organisation.

13.01.2022 Issy hopes your weekend was as good as hers; full of puppies, ponies and great smelling things to roll in.

13.01.2022 Determining Balance -Part four From the functional sole plane we can also determine where the coffin bone is placed within the foot. The length of the central sulcus of the frog projected forward from the centre of rotation gives the approximate tip of the coffin bone (Bicking, 2016). One of the most important parts of a trim is the point of break over. Break over begins when the heels leave the ground and start to rotate around the toe. Point of break over is the last point ...of the hoof to leave the ground. Ideally, we want the break over to be between the drop and the projection of the coffin bone (Bicking, 2016). When mapped, we can double the distance between the back of the foot to the centre of rotation to find where break over should be. Dave Duckett developed a method of shoeing which relies on two external solar markers. The first being named Ducketts Bridge; Ducketts Bridge is the mechanical centre of the foot and lies beneath the centre of rotation of the foot (Lancaster, 2017). The second marker is Ducketts Dot which is found behind the true apex of the frog on an average sized foot. This Dot is the centre of mass of the coffin bone and the projection of the extensor process through the frog. These points allow a farrier to determine where they should place breakover. In Ducketts research he has found that break over should be placed the same distance from the Dot as the distance of the medial wall to the Dot (Lancaster, 2017). Gene Ovniceck popularized the concept that the equine hoof should have of the weight baring surface behind the true apex of the frog (Ovnicek, 2009). Easyshoe Performance glued on with break over ground back

13.01.2022 The goal is not simply to ‘work hard, play hard’. The goal is to make our work and our play indistinguishable.

12.01.2022 I had the absolute pleasure of getting to have a sit on the gorgeous Mr. Darcy while visiting Heidi. He’s one of only a small handful of Gelderlanders in Australia and Heidi has done a fantastic job of bringing him along.

12.01.2022 Now that Shelley has finished her PhD shes onto her next research project. Have you got 5 minutes to spare?

11.01.2022 Nearly three years apart and I still love this fluff ball and her attitude

11.01.2022 Issy and I are counting down the days until we finish for the year. Our last day of work in Victoria will be on Dec 19 and then we are heading up to trim some ponies and boot fit in NSW. No rest for the wicked! Over the last couple of weeks we have had an influx of messages from new clients wanting appointments. It’s just not going to happen this year but we will be in contact about availabilities for 2021 once we have the rest of this year under control. This year has been absolutely craziness and I can not believe we have nearly made it!

11.01.2022 My not so secret, secret. I may have started back teaching a small handful of lessons. I can not believe how much I’ve missed it. There is nothing more rewarding

10.01.2022 Easyshoe Performance NG with Glue-U Shufill medium(dental impression material) and Artimud. This guy has been in this set up for about two years and he seems to love it. He’s had laminitis in the past but is super sound in these.

10.01.2022 Tonight I am thinking about how grateful I am to have the two best ponies in my life

10.01.2022 The pleasure I have had watching this little man grow up from his first trim while he was still on his mum to the stunner he is now and prepping for his first show @steph_yarralearidingponies

10.01.2022 Unpacked orders from @scootbootsdownunder and @innovative_hoof_care_australia this morning! I have artimud back in stock for anyone waiting!

09.01.2022 Each day I ride the little red pony we progress just a tiny little bit in a few things and other things take two steps backward. But bit by bit he gets a little bit stronger, a little bit braver and the more time I spend in the saddle the happier I am up there. Lately Ive been focusing on putting miles on Larry. Lots and lots of time in the saddle at trot and canter out in the XC paddock. Its really good for his fitness and its really good for my seat and confidence. This little pony is so much fun and Im really looking forward to getting him out and about. 2020 has been a really hard year in so many ways but I am so lucky to have amazing ponies and people around me

09.01.2022 Gratitude I am so thankful to have had the support from these wonderful professionals this year: Nicole Umback of Rock On Equine Services - sports therapy ...+ Mark Peel of Mark Peel Farrier. DipWcf, Cert III Aus, Eurofarrier Kathryn Christieson of Firenza Park Equine Services This year I have had too many unfortunate hospital trips, leaving me unable to trim for periods at a time, as well as University placements taking me away from Wagga for extended periods of time. My current incident is a spiral fracture of metacarpal 4 in my right hand (aka fractured bone in hand, which an animal did not do!). I am so lucky to be able to work with other professionals in the industry to help me get things done in the lead up to Christmas.

09.01.2022 "He was always so sound, I don't know what happened!" "She was fine, and then just foundered out of nowhere." "I swear the feet didn't look this bad a few days ...ago!" As hoofcare providers, we hear a lot of statements like this. A horse "suddenly" has navicular issues, or "randomly" comes up lame. The horse always had nice feet and then "suddenly" they have all kinds of issues and are a mess. The truth is, subtle symptoms of issues are usually present long before we might recognize distortion or pathology. That navicular diagnosis? It likely came after months or years of subtle improper biomechanics or hoof landings, and weak heels and frogs giving clues to an impending issue. The "sudden" laminitis? Probably happened after months or years of unnoticed metabolic concerns or dietary imbalances and sugar and starch excess, with maybe some footsoreness on stones giving clues along the way. Sometimes we just don't know enough to realize when our horse's feet and movement are giving us warning signs. And yes, sometimes our horses experience a trauma that causes issue in their feet or lameness. But more often than not, soundness issues are more like a repetitive strain injury- little insults building up over time until it's finally impossible to ignore. We can educate ourselves to be aware of healthy movement and hoof appearance, so it doesn't progress to something that's unhealthy. Are you watching for what your horse's feet and movement might be telling you?

09.01.2022 Equine Cushings Disease: Part 2 As the symptoms progress Cushings is easily identifiable through a long hairy coat. Sometimes they can have excessive, unexplained sweating and often they have laminitis. Laminitis is nearly impossible to control if PPID is present and not treated. Often PPID and IR (insulin resistance) present together. Early testing and treatment is essential. Testing occurs through a blood test conducted by your vet. As with most things, consult your vet. A... good relationship with all the professionals that work with your horse is important. Cushings affects the immune system and as such there are numerous ways that you can ensure these horses are kept as comfortable as possible. Treatment doesn’t 100% reduce the clinical signs but significantly reduces the severity. Tailored feed- taking into account any issues with laminitis, weight loss or weight gains Dental care Regular exercise Deworming- including regular fecal egg counts Farrier care Hair and coat care including clipping in warmer months

09.01.2022 Its absolutely freezing cold in Victoria at the moment. I hope everyone is staying warm. Im taking a few days off to catch up on the rest of life. Ill be back at it next week.

09.01.2022 Morning cuddles are what the weekend is for

09.01.2022 Do more things that make you forget to check your phone

08.01.2022 I’m about to do an order from Balanced Equine (Carol Layton) for mineral supplements. Would anyone like me to add some to my order for you? I can deliver it at your next appointment or you can pick it up from me. Will just save you on postage and have someone holding you accountable for feeding it

08.01.2022 Another day, another group of ponies to love! Made complete with butter chicken pies and vanilla slice

08.01.2022 Roger had to check in on Sarah today while she was doing stretches with him. I think it’s fair to say that he approves. Thanks for looking after the kids SC Equine Massage Services

07.01.2022 Why do we treat abscesses? This year has been one of the worst I have seen for reoccurring abscesses. When a horse has a suspected abscess I poultice with animal lintex and recommend changing the poultice every 24 hours. Soaking the foot in warm water with epsom salts can also be helpful. Until the abscess blows I soak the animal lintex in hot water and after it blows I use animal lintex dry. Poulticing the hoof regularly allows you to easily see when and where an abscess blo...ws and also keeps the area clean. Changing it regularly means that you have less chance of the poultice coming off and allowing dirt into the area. Abscesses want to leave the foot in the easiest way possible. When we poultice a foot we soften it and try to draw out the abscess so that the track the abscess travels is as small as possible. By leaving it alone we risk it causing more damage to the foot. Whilst this isn’t always the end of the world I like to think that most owners want to a) cause the least damage to the hoof possible and b) for their horse to be sore for the least amount of time possible. The pictures show a large subsolar abscess. The foot had an abscess a few weeks ago that I opened at the toe. It was left poulticed for 3 days after it blew. I think standing around in mud must have caused another abscess that wasn’t able to find its way out of the hoof easily and it has tracked the whole way under neath the sole and out of one heel. We poultice and treat abscesses to try avoid this from happening.

07.01.2022 What do you keep in your equine first aid kit? Its abscess season and this year seems to be bad. I always say if you have a first aid kit you wont need it and if you dont have one youll need it For abscesses my go to treatment is a poultice with: Animal Lintex Vet Wrap... Elastoplast Duct Tape See more

07.01.2022 Happy Birthday to the best friend someone can ask for Another year wiser Mr. Larry

06.01.2022 Each year I write on my to do list to write a super inspirational end of year blurb and it gets to New Year’s Eve and I’m like shit, today’s the day, what should I write? This year has been absolutely shit, for the majority, I feel. But we made it and we are going to head into 2021 with a new found appreciation for all that we have. This year has made us slow down, take a step back and reassess the things that are important in life Happy New Year Bring on 2021!!

06.01.2022 All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you. -Octavia E. Butler

05.01.2022 Being human is not hard because youre doing it wrong, its hard because youre doing it right. You will never change the fact that being human is hard, so you must change your idea that it was ever supposed to be easy. -Glennon Doyle

05.01.2022 Today’s random thoughts: Issy and I went to a park in suburbia today. I’m not sure if we are allowed to but at this stage I don’t really care. We had 2 hours for lunch, between clients, and I am so damn sick of sitting in the car to pass time by. I also feel so guilty about Issy being cooped up all day. Today is probably the first time in 6 months or more that she has been allowed to explore a park that’s full of smells and other exciting things. This is something that was a ...daily experience for us preCOVID but now it’s non existent. It was so interesting to watch her change in behaviour as she’s normally so focused on me and listens for every cue I give. Today she avoided eye contact and was so busy with what she was doing that she didn’t even notice when I ran away from her. Previously, mum running was the most exciting this in the world and HAD to be investigated. It reinforced for me that we have to be doing something super regularly for it to be normal. And when we take children, dogs, horses etc etc out into environments that are over stimulating they are going to struggle to concentrate. See more

05.01.2022 The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you will go -Dr. Seuss

04.01.2022 Happy International Dog Day!! Lets see some pics of your puppy dogs Today Issy and I walked a bit over 5km and she came home ready for a nap

04.01.2022 Defining Balance -Part five All of these concepts move farriers away from the concept of perimeter fit. They aid us to be more aware of the internal structures. Long term this will only be of benefit to horses as we see more biomechanically correct trims. These points not only allow a farrier to determine where they should place breakover in a shoe but also allow trimmers to determine where they can comfortably trim a hoof to. The trim is the most important part of hoof care, whether you plan to put a shoe on it or not. Mapping is not a replacement for radiographs, it allows for a more educated understanding of the internal structures when radiographs are not a viable option. If we needed to check our placement of centre of rotation this could be done through cross referencing with three dimensional mapping or radiographs.

04.01.2022 This week I will be presenting at Jindarra Park on Thursday and Saturday. We will be discussing the use of hoof boots for performance, recreation and rehabilitation. I’m really excited to be able to share my knowledge on boots and boot fitting. There are still a couple of places available if you are interested in joining us for either session. https://www.jindarrapark.com.au//boots-boots-and-more-boots

04.01.2022 Your competition isnt other people. Your competition is: Your procrastination. Your ego. The knowledge you neglect. The negative behaviour youre nurturing. Your lack of creativity. Compete against that!

04.01.2022 Determining Balance -Part One In a perfect world all horses would have flawless feet that self-maintained without human intervention. Sadly, our domestic horses dont live in this world and we have to provide them with regular hoof care for their hooves to remain in balance. While providing hoof care we need to be aware of the way in which we trim the foot in order for it to be the most functional foot it can be. To define hoof balance there are many factors which we have to ...take into account. We want the hoof pastern axis (long pastern, short pastern and coffin bone) to line up through the centre of mass. This is measureable through the use of radiographs and can be seen by the trained eye. The aim of a good, balanced trim is to perform a tight trim in order to keep the capsule close to the internal structures. To be able to achieve this, we as farriers, have to be able to identify the internal structures which we are trimming around. When trimming a horse we must also take into account their conformation. A horse with crooked legs is going to land differently to a horse with straight legs. The trim that is applied should have the intention to apply the least amount of pressure to joints possible. The length and slope of the pastern also affects the type of trim a farrier will perform. For a horse with an upright pastern we would aim for an upright hoof capsule, while for a horse with a longer, flatter pastern angle it may be acceptable for them to have a less upright hoof capsule. See more

04.01.2022 How does this foot look considering its the end of winter? I love looking after healthy and well looked after horses, and their feet.

04.01.2022 First day back at work and unfortunately the weather wasn’t as nice to me as while I was in Wagga. The rest of the week is looking better

04.01.2022 Happy Hump Day!!

04.01.2022 Issy and I have completed our last walk for PAWgust! In 30 days we have walked for 915 minutes, covering 76km. We raised a bit over $280 for Guide Dogs Australia. What a great way to spend August! http://www.pawgust.com.au/s/32830/36254/s

03.01.2022 Today I had the pleasure of working alongside another hoof care practitioner to trim some feet. It’s always so lovely to spend time with others working in the industry

03.01.2022 ‘Your competition isn’t other people. Your competition is: Your procrastination. Your ego. The knowledge you neglect. The negative behaviour you’re nurturing. Your lack of creativity. Compete against that!’

03.01.2022 This month, so far, Issy and I have walked 735 minutes and traveled 61km on foot. We are taking part in #pawgust2020, raising money for @guidedogsaustralia Im going to be a little sad when we reach the end of the month and theres no extra push to go on our daily adventures. Its been great motivation through lockdown.

02.01.2022 There is something so magical about winter. Being awake before the rest of the world. Watching the sun come up. The chill in the air.

02.01.2022 Happy Birthday Issy The bestest apprentice one could have!! I can’t believe that she’s already a year old! But on the other hand, it feels like she’s been here forever! We have had some of the best adventures together. We have so many more years to fill with adventures

02.01.2022 'Every centimetre of extra toe length results in an extra 50 kilograms of pressure in the leg’ -Renate Weller I’m lucky enough to live in a world where my clients are all on a regular 4-6 week trim or shoeing cycle. Every so often someone makes a comment that makes me realise that not everyone keeps their farrier appointments as regular as my clients. I look at keeping your horse on a regular cycle as ‘cheap insurance’. Regular maintenance helps to treat and prevent pathology... and distortion to the hoof capsule. In turn, this helps to prevent lameness and increase the chances of long term soundness. On top of this it gives you a second opinion on a regular basis of what is ‘normal’ for your horse. How their weight is going, how stiff they are feeling etc. It’s also quite common that I pick up on injuries and swelling before owners notice. Having a good relationship with your farrier can save you a lot of heartache when things go wrong. A few years ago I made a rule in my business that I’m only going to care as much as the owner does. This means that if I have an owner who goes above and beyond for the horse, follows things that I suggest etc I will drop everything to be there for the horse. @hockingnorman

02.01.2022 Are you prepared for summer? Now is the time to start organising boots for when you are wanting to get out and about! There are so many types of boots on the market and we are here to help with all of your questions.

01.01.2022 Defining Balance-Part three Research shows that the widest part of the foot is consistently found to be under the rotational surface of the distal interphalangeal joint surface (the joint between the short pastern and the coffin bone) (Ovnicek, 2009). When using the widest part of the foot as a way to locate the centre of articulation, care must be taken as the widest part of the foot is affected by the palmer/plantar angle of the coffin bone (Ovnicek, 2009).

01.01.2022 Last day of my break today and I’m getting ready to be back under horses tomorrow. I hope everyone had a lovely holiday period with their families and especially their kids.

01.01.2022 I feel like we fell out of the lucky tree, hit every branch on the way down and ended up in a pool full of cash and sour patch kids -Ted Lasso I am so lucky to be surrounded by the best clients, friends and family who support me in everything that I do with my business, ponies and in life. Thank you ... On a separate note, if you haven’t watched Ted Lasso, I highly highly recommend it. Best thing I’ve watched this year!