Frances Hughes | Local service

Frances Hughes

Phone: +61 411 022 398

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24.01.2022 Bob’s facial hair was the envy of all the other 14yo boys

22.01.2022 Razz and Little John. Don’t be fooled by the cuteness. Evil walks amongst us shaped as a pinto pony. Biting, kicking trampling farrier murdering rat.

16.01.2022 Grazing muzzles. Are you a lover or a hater? For many horses they are a life saver, especially in the lush pastures of Gippsland where I work as a trimmer. If y...ou want to try a muzzle or are having trouble making yours work, here are my recommendations and tips. 1. Horses get distressed having their nostrils enclosed ( this also goes for fly veils with nose covers). There are muzzles designed to be open around the nostrils (eg. easy breathe ) and with the cheaper muzzles I chop out some webbing with a Stanley knife to open up that area. The flexible filly muzzles seem to be well regarded and very light and airy. I fitted one to a horse recently and am hopeful that it will work well long term. 2. Muzzle whenever the horse is turned out on grass for it to be truly effective. I like bringing them in for part of the day for hay and muzzle free time. Then the horse will associate the muzzle with good times 3. Be prepared to add some sheepskin or neoprene padding on the nose or cheeks to improve fit and prevent rubbing. 4. If Neddy is a Houdini, plait the headpiece into his mane and/or put a head stall on over the top of the muzzle for extra security until he gets over it. 5. Don’t be afraid to make alterations. As mentioned above, make sure the nostrils are clear. If you think the grazing hole is too small, make it bigger! (The easy breath muzzles already have quite a large grazing hole) 6. There can be a lot of wear and tear on these devices in the spring time. Try and have at least one spare around in case the muzzle needs repairs. T-Rex tape and cable ties are handy 7. Safety. Grazing muzzles tend to have safety straps with Velcro to help prevent accidents. If fixing harder with plaits or a head stall, ensure there are no objects around that Neddy can get caught on. There is always a risk, and here we have to weigh the risk of injury with the risk of laminitis. Each horse, environment and situation is different. I hope this helps anyone who is having trouble limiting access to grass this season. Thanks Pauline Keil for suggesting the post. See more

15.01.2022 De-doo-de-doo-Danny in his dancing shoos

15.01.2022 Jorrit says no to power tools. Don’t be like Jorrit.

14.01.2022 Ryder, off the track thoroughbred and sophisticated gentleman

11.01.2022 Get your wormers ready for when the bots have finished. This is maybe the most important time of year to treat. Current best practice includes Faecal Egg Counts (FECs) as an important part of an effective worming program, and they are very cost effective too.

10.01.2022 Tara, rhymes with I’ve-got-a-huge-fat-arsa, Australian Stockhorse

08.01.2022 Understanding Equine Cushings disease (PPID). Cushings is now thought of as an age related oxidative stress disorder. Examining this degenerative process also helps to explain why some younger horses also test positive to the disease and respond well to medication. Exposure to agricultural chemicals, the stresses associated with competition, injury, and obesity, all cause oxidative stress which can trigger a cycle leading to PPID. I have seen three horses/ponies under the age of 10 with a positive diagnosis, so don’t ignore this condition as a possibility if you feel your horse is chronically unwell. https://gettyequinenutrition.com//ppid-progression-can-be-

07.01.2022 Have you been thinking of developing a track system for your horses but don’t know where to start? This video explains the various things you should consider while showing you around their fabulous track. https://youtu.be/YHurNwnRINE

07.01.2022 Casper. If only he could remember what he came here for

06.01.2022 Mika - 16yo Appaloosa, working equitation mount-under-sufferance. Champion tree pruner.

05.01.2022 My horse herb garden is part of my track system and I am so pleased with the way it is flourishing. The horses nibble and scramble among the herbs and logs, mostly picking out the blades of grass and ‘weeding’ the garden for me. Occasionally they chew the comfrey down but it seems to only take a few days to recover. I love the Bacopa and Chamomile and have several varieties of each. Bacopa for brain function and Chamomile for calm, does that mean smart and sensible horses?

05.01.2022 Tuppy. 20yo buckskin mini pony with very small ears.

04.01.2022 Come on Jimmy, lay those lovely lips on me

04.01.2022 Chess. 13yo orange Andalusian

04.01.2022 Billy. 14yo quarter horse mare. 3/4’s fat, 3/4’s muscle, there’s a lot of billy to love.

03.01.2022 Die Kinder Mancini, the golden child #akhaltekehorse

03.01.2022 Cupcake - Appaloosa pony, protector of sheep, she can make those wooly buggers go where they’re told!

03.01.2022 Grazing muzzles - your questions answered! In this study, muzzled ponies did not suffer from increased stress. This is often a concern for horse owners when considering their options. It also showed that ponies may over compensate food intake if muzzled only part of the day, actually gaining weight! So if you are muzzling, make sure it is 24/7 or have pony off the grass for the periods their face is at liberty.

02.01.2022 Chess : Iberian washing machine

02.01.2022 Wally. Retired Haflinger. Well, actually, he’s still technically a Haflinger.