The Holistic Hoof / Alternative Equine Hoof Care in Margaret River, Western Australia | Pet service

The Holistic Hoof / Alternative Equine Hoof Care

Locality: Margaret River, Western Australia

Phone: +61 448 973 856

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• Medical and health
• Pet service
• Alternative & holistic health service
• Nutritionist

25.01.2022 Client goals A fed farrier is a happy farrier

25.01.2022 Spring has sprung and its time to be on top of your worming schedule. Ideally you would start this with an Fec (fecal egg count) to see what your horses status is and assist you to make your worming program more effective. Spring time is a good time as it is warming up and which makes it ideal for egg to larvae development. We are looking for low , medium and high egg shedders. If your horse is a low shedder there is no need to worm at this stage but definitely redo the... Fec in a couple of months time. All horses should at least be wormed once a year, best time would be autumn/early winter. This way you target all the worms at once including bots. Young horses and med/ high shedders should be wormed more regularly, or in case of a medium shedder tested regularly with FEc. Im ready to do your FEC counts now. Price per horse is $15 If your horse is a high shedder I will definitely recommend to get in touch with your vet for treatment advice. Pm regarding sample collection or drop off See more

25.01.2022 Sunny and I wish you a beautiful start to the week

24.01.2022 Too important not to share. I was originally taught many years ago to trim the heels down to improve caudal loading of frog and tissues. But usually horses are the best teachers and quickly let you know that's not the way forward. ... I was lucky to attend 3 clinics with Daisy Alexis Bicking were we evaluated over hundred radiographs before and after trimming which was a real eye opener. Hopefully in the future I'll be able to attend more

24.01.2022 How and when to use endurance gaiters.

23.01.2022 I have to say my clients are amazing, but they are some good points to share.

23.01.2022 40 year old Standardbred, 8 months since last trim I wish they would all look like this. Yes central sulcus needed some attention, but otherwise the self trimming is amazing. The other 2 horses were the same.

22.01.2022 Make sure your supplements don't contain iron as your horse will get enough from hay and pasture.

22.01.2022 What a fun day yesterday. One of my clients gifted me with a harmonica to be able to make music with her donkeys Hopefully next time the others will join in too!

21.01.2022 This post says it all.

21.01.2022 To all my clients , followers and friends. I wanna thank you all for your continued support throughout this challenging year. Many of us including me were put through the ringer and being tested in one way or another. However in many ways it brought us closer together and showed the true meaning of community and friendships. Many of you know I'm going into the new year with a little present expected to arrive in May I want you to know this is not the end of my services ...to you. I'm only gonna take a little break from the end of February. Many of you will be in capable hands in the meantime. I absolutely love my job and I wouldn't be the same person without it. It brings immense fulfillment into my life looking after your horses. My plan is to be back by early September starting with 2-3 days. So I wish you the bestest transition into the New Year, over everything stay healthy and may happiness and love be around you always. Much love Caro & Sunny See more

20.01.2022 Using proprioception to reduce imbalance with the use of bell boots

19.01.2022 Good on ya New Zealand

19.01.2022 Flashback Monday! Did this boy a few years ago. He had pretty advanced caudal heel failure with an obvious NPA. After I studied with Daisy Bicking it became obvious how widespread this problem is and through hoof mapping the external anatomical landmarks of the hoof it was much easier to make an educated decision how far I could go in my trim and still have a sound horse afterwards. Unfortunately this boy in the picture is no longer with us for other reasons. He was a true gentleman to trim

18.01.2022 Any horse person is familiar with the words GROWTH PLATES... these are properly referred to as EPIPHYSIS and are located on both ends of each bone the same in... every breed. This means that the ends of the bones are not attached until ossification is complete. WHICH ALSO MEANS early backing (before skeletal maturity) can displace the epiphysis. So... when does a horse skeletally mature and how do we know this? For centuries horsemen have known that horses mature in their fifth year at which time saddle training would begin. This does not mean that the horse didn’t have preparation ground work... a really easy way to know if a horse is skeletally mature and ready for weight bearing on his back is when he or she has grown in his last permanent teeth which would be the 3rd molar. It is safe to say larger and longer necked horses may mature 6 months to 3 year later... what age should a horse be backed? The training process of weight bearing on the back should begin somewhere around 5 years of age and because training should be a slow process, beginning at a walk for several months, the horse’s body can adjust to this new load over his horizontal back. Proper training of a horse should take between 8 to 10 years before he is considered fully trained. This also allows for the appropriate time needed to build muscle at a natural rate . . . . . . #anatomyart #horseanatomystudy #equineanatomy #equinemassageandbodywork #equinetherapists #equinewellnessmagazine #equinewellness #horseart #equinesculpture #sculptureanatomy #horsetraining #horsetrainingtips #horsebreeding #horsemanagment #horsesnature #naturalhorse #horsemanship #horseshowing #horsegirl #babyhorses See more

17.01.2022 More seedy toe. Look at the rubbish that I got out of the hole. This one went in about 2 cm! And these was a lot more rubbish still in there. This is what ma...kes it hard to treat if you can’t get the treatment right up to the top of the infection. The infection is eating away at the hoof wall, inside ( in the middle hoof wall layer). It’s already eaten the lower part so it’s now active and busy eating at the top. If there is all this debris plugging the hole, then the treatment can’t get to where it needs to. Many farriers/trimmers will remove hoof wall to expose the area to the air. This will kill the microbes but is pretty ugly to see. I like to remove as much debris as I can then use a white line treatment and plug the hole. Repeat every 3 days. I am struggling myself with this in my 23 year old gelding. Poor boy also has Cushings so his feet are not as good as I would like. With every trim I measure the debth of the seedy toe. I think we are finally winning . Many have their own tried and tested methods. And they key is not to get holes in the first place- regular balances trims - bare or shod, are your prevention. http://www.patreon.com/hoofstudies My supporter: Australian Farriers Conference https://www.australianfarriersconference.com.au

17.01.2022 Do you stretch hoof care appointments out?

16.01.2022 I'm able to offer FEC counts to my clients now to target individuals that are high shedders.

16.01.2022 It always amazes me what regular trimming can do. This one is from 5 years back or so. The trim cycle before I started doing this horse was simply too long + nutritional deficits. But all that I provided at the time was a 5 weekly trim. At the end we had a very healthy functional foot

14.01.2022 WORMING HORSES IN SUMMER TLDR: Avoid it, unless your horse is actually sick. Why do we worm our horses? If your answer is to make them healthier, than that... suggests your horses have clinical cases, i.e., they are actually sick. Worms rarely cause clinical disease in adult grazing livestock, unless there are underlying conditions (poor nutrition, compromised immune systems etc etc). The modern method of worming focusses on decreasing the spread of worms, rather than removing worms from the horse. Basically, modern worming is IDing and treating the ‘super-spreaders’; limiting how much they spread worms to other horses. Worming horses with high egg counts will limit the number of infective larvae on the pasture. In summer, we don’t have to use chemical wormers to limit infective larvae on the pasture. Instead we can just use what comes for free each summer in Australia: the sun. Hot dry weather (emphasis on the dry) will desiccate the eggs and larvae, if manure pats are broken apart. Intact pats can maintain enough moisture to keep eggs and larvae alive. So over summer, you can move from collecting manure to harrowing to break apart the pats, or if you are lucky enough to have dung beetles, they will do it for you. In addition to summer worming being pointless in the strategic worming regime, here are some other points why worming is not a good idea over summer. 1. Wormers, especially the mectins, have detrimental effects on the insect life that break down manure, such as dung beetles 2. Worming horses will remove the adult worm burden that is living in balance with the horse. If the horse also has encysted larvae, these may suddenly emerge from their over-summer hibernation to fill the void left after worming and you get a colic type disease known as larval cyathostominosis. 3. Ideal time to worm is mid-autumn if you worm late summer, you will need to worm again in autumn, so to the summer treatment is a wasted treatment Down here in Southern Victoria we still have a few weeks until the hot, dry weather properly sets in, and so some horses may still require a last spring-time worming, especially if they are young. FECs are still the best method to ID if your horse needs a treatment. Summer is the easiest time for parasite management, as all you need to do is make sure you harrow/break up the pats, and keep on top of removing bot fly eggs. If you do get a FEC performed, it may be worth considering if the worming cut-off EPG value should be increased to 500 EPG, rather than the normal 200EPG.

13.01.2022 Kissing Spines - also known as Spinal Crowding Syndrome Both horses in the photo below have kissing spines. The top one looks like the classic picture of a ba...ck that may have kissing spines, the bottom one has a back that looks better than many horses I see that are out competing at local shows and he also has kissing spines. Kissing spines refers to a condition in horses where two or more of the spinous processes (the flanges of bone sticking up from each vertebra in the spine) are positioned so that they touch or rub against each other. A horse with kissing spines may develop back pain, bone cysts, arthritic changes, and other problems (Kentucky Equine Research). Kissing spine is often secondary to another issue and is often the end of a problem, not the start of one. For a horse who has not been ridden or strengthened correctly or has another chronic (long term) complaint that they have been compensating for, kissing spines are the end result of a larger, more complicated picture. The good news with this, is that it can be reversible when managed correctly. A horse with kissing spines will be reluctant to flex its back, therefore it will not use its body to the fullest extent. The horse will tend to alter its posture and way of going to compensate, which creates imbalances that put undue strain on certain muscles, joints, ligaments, and tendons. Causes of Kissing Spines - Congenital/conformational - Incorrect rider/horse weight ratio - Weakness and instability in the multifidus muscle group - explained in detail below and how to rehab this - Incorrect riding/training - Lack of core strength - Lack of postural stability - starting horses too young or too much/too soon Signs and symptoms of Back Pain in horses - Cold backed - Fidgeting when being groomed or tacked up - Nipping or kicking out when having the girth tightened - Misbehaviour under saddle (bucking, rearing, kicking out, head tossing) - Dragging one or both rear toes - Inability to get the correct canter lead on way - Awkward in gait transitions - They have shifting lameness - Stiff to one side - Inability to flex or collect I am aware that lots of these are symptoms of other biomechanical dysfunction but the most important thing to note here is that if your horse has been having regular bodywork (with the appropriate qualified professional), saddle fits well and it is still not improving, then there may be something more going on - this requires a vet and x-ray to diagnose. A note on cold backed horses - 99.9% of the time there is always a reason. You cannot simply say - 'my horse just does this'. No, they don't. They will have a degree of discomfort somewhere which may be related to muscle tightness, restricted vertebrae, pain in the ribcage, ulcers, incorrect saddle fit, kissing spine, shoulder pain, incorrect rider-horse weight ratio or that they are simply not strong enough through their backs to perform what is being asked of them. Diagnosis Diagnosis of kissing spines needs to be done by your veterinarian and can be made based on history, physical examination, thermography, and radiography. The affected vertebrae can be in the thoracic or lumbar region but are often those that are positioned directly under the seat of the saddle. Sometimes four or more vertebrae are involved. Treatment Physical Therapy As osteopaths our approach is a holistic one. To manage kissing spine, we'll need a treatment and management programme that involves manual techniques as well as a rehab programme. To manage kissing spines long term, this rehab programme will be what you will have to do with your horse for the rest of its career. It is important to make sure that the horse is functioning its best in all areas of its body so that there is no extra loading or unhelpful compensatory patterns happening over the top of the spinal problem. This will require a combination of spinal mobilisation, myofascial release, specific soft tissue techniques, stretches, cranial and rebalancing techniques. The Multifidus System and Carrot Stretches There is a complex system of muscles that run under the spine called the Multifidus System. These are the body’s ‘core’ muscles and need to be strong and short to counteract spinal dipping and keep the gaps between the processes open when carrying the rider. Simply asking the horse for more forward effort in an effort to engage the quarters will not build the Multifidus system, particularly if the spine has learned already to dip as the horse is working against himself. When our horses become more mature and we ask for work in a more advanced outline, the muscles over the spine can become very tense as they further attempt to defend the spine from the potentially uncomfortable twisting of an active gait, while the increased impulsion and muscular tension creates a critical counter force leading to further compressions of the processes. At that stage, there is a possibility for kissing spine to develop, where the vertebrae have become kinked by the strong Longissimus Dorsi muscles in spasm, and the spinal processes start to touch/rub one another. A secondary effect of the spine losing elasticity is that kinetic force is thrown forwards towards the shoulders as it can no longer be absorbed through the horse’s centre. This pushes the lowest part of the cervical section of his spine, the base of the neck, downwards between his shoulder blades and robbing him of forehand ‘suspension’, plunging him downhill, onto the forehand and heavily into the rider’s hand making straightness and balance physically impossible It is likely that advanced cases may have spinal interference in the C6, C7, T1 which contribute to the bracing resistance found in the rein contact of affected horses (Visconte Simon Cocozza - https://www.horsetalk.co.nz//help-horse-kissing-spine-goo/) Carrot stretches are the best exercise to engage the multifidus system. Carrot stretches are dynamic mobilisation exercises that create spinal mobility and core stabilsation in which the horse is trained to move its chin to a specific position by following a piece of carrot/treat. The positions you need to do 5 times a week for a horse with kissing spine and weekly for prevention are - 1) Chin-to-chest in which the chin was moved as close as possible to the chest bone 2) Chin-between-knees in which the chin was moved as far back as possible with the bottom of the nose at the level of the knee 3) Chin-between-fore fetlocks in which the chin was taken as far down and back as possible between the fore fetlocks 4) Thoracic/Sternal lifts - pressing your fingers into the sternum of your horse and asking it to lift and hold its back in flexion 5-7 preformed on both the left and right sides of the horse 5) Chin-to-girth in which the horse stretched laterally (to the side) until the chin reaches the level of the girth 6) Chin-to-hip in which the horse stretched laterally with the chin moving toward the point of the hip 7) Chin-to-hock in which the horse stretched laterally toward the hock reaching as far back and down as possible The horse should encouraged to hold each position for 5 seconds and then be rewarded with the piece of carrot. For a rehab programme each of these exercises should be repeated 5 times, 5 days a week for 3 months. This programme is the human equivalent of around 45 abdominal crunches per day. Gymnastic exercises In less severe cases where you are still able to ride (as well as do your ground work), gymnastic exercises will help to maintain top line and abdominal strength. - Long and low leg yield with the horse bending its neck down and away from the direction its yielding - encourages the hips to rotate in the opposite direction from the shoulders - Bend and stretch at walk on a small circle - encourage lots of inside bend and a lowered head position - Turn on the forehand - builds the lateral and rotative pelvic control muscles, as well as simultaneously lifting the spine and separating the spinus processes. Start with quarter turns and graduate to full turns - Walk pirouettes - develops the thoracic sling range of motion, encouraging the horse to carry his thoracic spine higher between his shoulder blades. Start with half pirouettes and graduate to full. Changing or refitting saddles is helpful for many horses with kissing spine. Make sure you check your saddle fit regularly as the fit will change as your horse develops and changes its way of going. Medical treatment Unless the Kissing Spines are very advanced, most veterinarians will likely recommend starting with a conservative, medical approach to the treatment of this condition. These are methods to control the pain and inflammation and therefore break the muscle spasm cycle. One of the most common methods of pain and inflammation management is corticosteroid injections, as well as, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, veterinary acupuncture, therapeutic ultrasound and shockwave therapy. Veterinarians may recommend surgery for Kissing Spines as the first treatment option or after an unsuccessful course of medical and physical therapy. Prognosis While every case is different, the majority of horses with Kissing Spine that are diagnosed, treated, and rehabbed appropriately are able to return to work. Some will be able to perform at their previous level while others may need a step down in order to remain comfortable. While the formal physical therapy program may have ended, trainers and riders should continue schooling horses in a frame that encourages a rounding of the back, self-carriage, and balance as well as maintaining multifidus strength with carrot stretches - just less regularly than in the rehab program. Links to sources https://ker.com/equinews/kissing-spines-horses/ https://www.horsetalk.co.nz//help-horse-kissing-spine-goo/ https://www.paulickreport.com//kissing-spines-a-manageabl/ https://thehorse.com//exercises-to-strengthen-equine-back/

12.01.2022 Donkeys originated from the African dessert, so a lush environment will effect them if they are just let to roam free. Mimicking their original environment with tuff grounds and dry lots will let them see to live much healthier lives...

12.01.2022 Just a reminder to every one to ensure your horses vaccinations are up to date. Strangles has recently been diagnosed in racehorses in Western Australia. Strang...les (Streptococcus Equi) is a bacterial infection that occurs in in horses and affects the upper respiratory tract. An infected horse can present with a number of symptoms, including mucopurulent discharge from nostrils, enlarged sub mandibular lymph nodes, elevated temperature, inappetence and lethargy. The disease is rarely fatal if managed correctly. Strangles is endemic in western Australia and occurs mainly in in spring and summer in younger horses. It is spread from horse to horse by close contact or can be transmitted by contamination of shared tack and gear or by contamination on handlers’ clothes and hand. Good hygiene measured prevent the spread of strangles. Isolate any suspected case of strangles from other horses on the property, ensure that you do not share tack and gear between affected and non-affected horses. Use good hand hygiene and wash hands and gear thoroughly after use with soap and disinfectant (chlorhexidine or betadine) Vaccination is the best insurance for prevention of strangles in horses. This vaccine is often given as a combination with tetanus and is known as 2 in 1. The vaccine is given initially as a course of three injections 2 weeks apart in foals then boosted in adults every 6 to 12 months. If you suspect your horse may have strangles samples can be taken by veterinarians for PCR testing to confirm whether the infection is Streptococcus Equi or not. Although strangles is not a reportable disease in Western Australia it is under the rules of racing. This means that all Thoroughbred or Standardbred horse trainers or owners must report to Racing and Wagering WA immediately if they suspect or know that they have any cases of strangles on their property. #murrayvets #equinevet #equinestrangles #horsehealth See more

10.01.2022 Be prepared, I'm doing my best to be prepared too for you and your horse

09.01.2022 Its that time of the year to get the fly spray out. Please have your own fly spray ready on appointments or with very sensitive horses fly rugs and veils. I know the fly sprays are not cheap but we only need them for a few months a year. I will carry some on me too but will charge $2 per horse if I have to use my own. Thanks for your compliance.

09.01.2022 This beautiful barefoot foot belongs to endurance horse Max. He's been barefoot for almost 2 years now and was fully shod before we transitioned him. He is doing most of his training rides barefoot and is booted at the fronts at endurance rides. Doesn't he have sexy frogs Especially for this time of the year with all the rain we had.... Also I find over and over again the best feet belong to horses which get plenty of movement over varied terrain. See more

09.01.2022 Is it finally time to question traditional steel rim shoes? Collapsed, contracted, prolapsed and run forward feet have become such common place that they have ...become normalised. Are they a product of traditional farriery? Is it a coincidence that a broken HPA is also ubiquitous? When a horse comes out of shoes, studies have shown positive morphology. Increased hoof angle, increased digital cushion depth, increased heel height and an improved toe:heel height ratio and as a result improved HPA. Roepstorff (2001) found that frog support padding with shoes created functionality closer to that of a barefoot and Casserley (2018) found inproved hoof morphology in horses shod with padding. It is clear that the caudal structures of the hoof are paramount in hoof health, yet a perimeter fit shoe reduces its functionality. The future of farriery will look to create protection while maintaining optimal function. We should be asking 2 questions. 1. Does this horse actually need shoes? 2. If it does how can we mitigate the unintended consequences of adding protection? Further information in the captions. This subject has been discussed in these articles. . https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com//hoof-pastern-axis- . https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com//the-unacceptable-n . https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/barefoot-vs-shod . https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com//haemodynamic-mecha See more

09.01.2022 For my donkey lover friends. Great article with Megan Hensley the donkey trimmer extraordinaire . I just simply love her, her approach to donkeys is like no other and I learned so much from her. She speaks about the difference between donkey and equine feet, health issues and diet. https://thenaturallyhealthyhorse.com/qa-with-megan-hensley/

07.01.2022 Ok peeps - time for a bit of a REMINDER!. I'm running out of breath to keep repeating myself of the recommended implementations necessary to avoid, manage or r...ehab laminitic horses this season. My website has currently wandered off into cyberspace and until I have the time to get that up and running again, I will be using this page for updates. This is copied and pasted from a file I have written for reference. I also have a 2 dedicated spaces for laminitic rehabilitation on our property in the Southern Highlands with enclosed stables and large yards. If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot/do not have the facilities or time management available to manage a laminitic horse. Horses are discussed at length prior to admission and must come with veterinary reports and radiographs. Contact me if you are in desperate need. Feel free to share this post if you think it may be of help to anyone struggling. 2020 LAMINITIS SEASON - SYNDEY/SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS Julie Wright Diploma Equine Podiotherapy Certified Equine Myofunctional Therapist. Equine Laminitis Rehabilitation Agistment Wingello - Southern Highlands NSW 2020 LAMINITIS SEASON Laminitis is not a death sentence but management takes 100% commitment. We follow and recommend the principles set in place by the ECIR Group (Equine Cushing’s and Insulin Resistance Group) www.ecirhorse.org If your management this year is complete turnout on pasture without limited (safe hours) grazing, be prepared for the worst. This is a summary of an emergency plan for pasture induced laminitis however, nothing will replace strict management this season! We follow and recommend the principles set in place by www.ecirhorse.org Recommendation is to graze early morning (between 3am and 10am) or a variation of hours within that and have a dry lot with access to low sugar and starch hay. D.D.T + E = DIAGNOSIS, DIET, TRIM AND EXERCISE DIAGNOSIS Laminitis can affect any horse or pony, especially with this exceptional season we are now experiencing! Great for fattening livestock but not so for horses. Vets are the only horse practitioner who can diagnose but if you recognise the symptoms of laminitis, your hoof care professional can usually help you assess and will then direct you to your Veterinarian for further testing. Your hoof care practitioner may also be the one who picks up the subtle signs at your regular trim appointment prior to the horse showing laminitis symptoms. Please follow their advice. Referring to a Veterinarian may involve blood samples to check for PPID (Equine Cushing’s Disease) or EMS (Equine Metabolic Syndrome). It is highly recommended that the veterinarian also performs radiographs of the hooves to check for any rotation or distortions which will also allow your hoof care practitioner to have a clearer picture of what is needed for the rehabilitation stage. Please discuss these options with your hoof care provider and veterinarian so they may work together for the best outcome for your horse. Whilst waiting for diagnosis remove your horse from all grazing and restrict to a comfortable yard which is dirt/sand/shavings whatever area you have available. If you don’t have a suitable area available GET BUSY NO EXCUSES. DIET REMOVE THE INSULT! This season in Australia we are seeing so much pasture induced laminitis! Remove your horse from grass immediately and ensure you have a safe secure dirt/sand yard for them to be confined. This is not cruel, this is your responsibility as a horse owner to implement the emergency actions needed for your horse to have the best chance of recovery. 1. Try to estimate the weight of your horse. If you have not recently had your horse on a weigh scale, you may like to try a weight tape to estimate their current weight. 2. If your horse needs to lose weight, feed is to be weighed and fed at the rate of 1.5% of bodyweight per 24 hour period. If your horse does not need to lose weight, feed 2% of their bodyweight per 24 hour period. This percentage includes the hard feed portion of the diet. A RECOMMENDED SUITABLE DIET for EMERGENCY IMPLEMENTATION LOW SUGAR/STARCH HAY Preferably tested to have a value of below 10% when combining ESC + STARCH. This will generally rule out the following hay which will not be suitable for feeding: Clover, Rye Grass, Oaten Hay, Wheaten Hay, Lucerne Hay. Hays which *may* be suitable depending on Feed Test results: Rhodes, Native Grass, Teff*, Mixed Pasture* (these have been know to regularly test over the recommended 10% so please be aware). I find this is the biggest issue when trying to help laminitic horses. Feed stores quite often supply unsuspecting purchaser’s meadow hays (which are pure rye grass) or Teff Hay which has not been tested (but assured to be low ESC+starch) which turns out later to be tested way above the amounts that have been quoted. Another frustrating aspect of sourcing suitable hay is the client’s unwillingness to actually do the legwork. I would love to have a magic supplier or hay which I know is 100% suitable with a never ending supply of your choice of packaging of the hay but in reality, no-one is going to be able to provide that for you at this point in time so get off your butt and start investigating what is available and how you can make it work for your current situation!. Ask around ask your farrier, ask your vet, ask your horse friends, check out marketplace and gumtree or get together with some friends and get a bulk load of TESTED hay. This is so difficult for many (I understand) but the right hay is out there please don’t just sit around waiting for it to turn up on your doorstep without some effort on your part. If you provide a good quality tested hay and your horse won’t eat it, do not give in and offer alternatives!. I’ve never seen a horse starve themselves with good hay in front of them. Soaking hay soaking for 1 hour in water may help remove up to 30% of the sugar content in hay which is the best course of action to take on untested hay no matter what the feed store has told you. Leave to drip dry in the shade before feeding out. HAY NETS will become your best friend so invest in a few. We use and recommend GUTZBUSTA (www.gutzbusta.com.au) If your horse has not used hay nets before, they will take a little time to adjust, however most do so very quickly. You may like to help them get the idea of this by pulling some hay out through the holes in clumps until they adjust. Hay weighers are also available from Gutzbusta and will take the guesswork out of working out the amount of hay to feed per 24 hour period. HARD FEEDS REMOVE ALL PREPACKAGED HARD FEEDS IMMEDIATELY. Replace with the following (please note this is not a balanced diet but is an emergency diet until hay analiysis can be done). It will provide your horse with the immediate needs whilst ensuring the diet remains low in sugars/starches. *MICROBEET/SPEEDIBEET (Soaked Beet Pulp) An excellent feed which is low in sugars/starches and soaks up easily in warm or cold water to which you can add the extra necessities of the emergency diet to. To reduce the iron content of the beet pulp, rinse and soak 2-3 times prior to the main soaking. You may need to use a kietchen sieve for this process. Soaking usually takes 5 mins in warm water and 10 minutes in cool water. Please note when weighing beet pulp this measurement is done as a dry weight (before soaking). Add to this: Iodised Salt 1-2 heaped tablespoons for a horse (approx. 500kgs) Magnesium Oxide 3 grams per day for a horse (approx.. 500kgs) Vitamin E 2000iu per day for a horse (approx..500kgs). Linseed (ground fresh) approx. 100 grams for a horse (approx. 500kgs) (Above is recommended by the ECIR GROUP) however I usually recommend adding a good quality basic mineral mix such as Best Guess from www.balancedequine.com.au to the above recommendation. If you have a full mineral profile on your hay, you may be able to tweak the above a little with help of a nutritionist familiar with laminitis as you move through into the recovery phase. IODISED SALT available from the supermarket as an emergency purchase or through stockfeeds in larger quantities. If using the Best Guess supplement, you would not require IODISED SALT, just plain salt as the Best Guess contains iodine. MAGNESIUM OXIDE available from stockfeeds or from Balanced Equine. VITAMIN E best supplemented in the form of the Human Gel Caps. LINSEEDS available at stockfeeds or in the supermarket. Use a coffee grinder to grind fresh at every meal. Chances of the above diet being balanced are very slim however remember this is an emergency situation and requires you to remove all supplements apart from those listed above to establish ground zero. TRIM I’m sorry to say that if you cannot implement the DIAGNOSIS AND DIET for your laminitic, then your trimmer or farrier is not going to be able to purely trim out the laminitis. This is a long term plan that needs to be set up with your trimmer and will need to be adjusted depending on what they are seeing in the hooves at each visit. Initially, this may be every fortnight for a couple of cycles until they are happy with the progress. Let’s not underestimate the importance of having your hoof care provider very familiar with and trained in (and lots of experience) with laminitic hooves. To have these people in your corner is something you MUST cherish. Please help them help your horses by making a plan and sticking to it. For specialist laminitic trimming (overgrown hooves, severely lame horses, horses that cannot stand for more than 30 seconds with a foot lifted etc etc) expect the charges from your trimmer to be more per visit as there is usually more time taken (and sore backs for your trimmer) than a regular trim. This and the fact that the appointment will usually run longer discussing progress/housing/diets/exercise etc and they may be diverting off their usual run to see you more as needed. Your trimmer has no doubt been dealing with more than your case of laminitis this season so please be mindful that they are probably a little run down as well from seeing old and new clients battling through this horrific laminitis season. HOOF BOOTS WITH PADS Necessary for the comfort of your horse and for moving your horse around when it comes time to start some hand walking/light exercise. There are many types available from specific therapy boots with thick pads to riding boots which can take a 20mm pad and be used later as a riding boot. Your trimmer will usually be able to measure and fit the most suitable hoof boot for your horse. Your trimmer or veterinarian will usually be able to consult with your when its an appropriate time to start introducing light hand walking or light (non ridden!) exercise. Please don’t think that the minute your horse starts to feel a bit better that it is time to get riding again. Bare Equine Australia has been fitting and selling boots for 15 years so are familiar with styles available. www.bareequine.com.au

07.01.2022 Great video on hoof landing.

04.01.2022 Cross-grazing: do you do it? Here is our house-cow and the young heifers, mowing down the horses' spring/summer paddock. Cross-grazing is an excellent way t...o help 'clean' paddocks: as the cows eat the grass they'll ingest infective horse worm larvae, however will not be infected themselves. And vice versa as horses can be used to clean up paddocks after sheep/goats/cows as ruminant parasites will not infect horses. Rotating horses and cows/ruminants between paddocks is another useful pasture management method to reduce parasite loads. See more

04.01.2022 Holiday !!! Sunny and I both need a holiday, so we are taking some time off from the 15th of August to the 26th. I you have an emergency please get in touch with your vet.... We will be back soon

03.01.2022 Definitely not the way to go and this will definitely upset your farrier. I always check with new clients if they can pick up their horses feet without having a fight. Dont expect your farrier to train your horse on the day of appointment. Unless you of course arrange this. We need to book extra time.

02.01.2022 Did you know that all of our models come with readily marked drainage holes on both sides? Just pick a drill bit matching the size of the already marked circle and drill right through. And just like that, you never have to worry about water again!

01.01.2022 Slow feeder hay nets back in stock :-) Greedysteed Large hay nets: Green 3cm holes = $36 Black 4cm holes =$30... Those nets are literally indestructible. I had mine for 8 years with no damage . Fantastic for soaking hay in.

01.01.2022 Always looking forward to trim this gang. I think each of them is trying to beat each other on good behaviour when I trim them