PROBLEM: Lost shoes have you missing days of riding and training

SOLUTION: Hoof Supplements



Ever feel like you spend more time searching the field for yet another lost shoe than you do in the saddle? (Seriously, what does he do, bury them? How could it be gone?!)



Even if your horse isn’t throwing shoes left and right,… Continue

Well, it's summer and, well, Maggie was a bit over due (a week, mind) for the farrier.  I've never seen (heard!) her forge like that.  So, rather than tap tap tap tap tap our way even around the berry field, someone got a few days off. 

 

Which leads us to Maggie the long of frame.  Lesson last night, and, much to the chagrin of Miss Magnolia, it's time to shorten her up.  Oh sure, she'll go fairly forward in a longer frame.  The comment was sure, she's on the bit and nice, but…

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An abscess is basically an infection of the lamina.  Bacteria gets in, causes an infection and then white blood cells attack the infection.  Normally this would cause swelling but because this is in the hoof and the hoof cannot expand, pressure builds and results in pretty severe pain.  The purulent fluid (pus) that is the source of the pressure (product of the body fighting the infection) needs to find a way out.  Generally it takes the easiest path which could either be a hole in the hoof…

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Over 40 years ago when I got my first horse I never saw a woman under a horse trimming hooves.  I bought into all the people that said that only farriers knew enough to do a good job on hooves, and as I looked around ALL the farriers were men, strong muscular men.  However once I switched my horse to pasture board he just did not get his feet trimmed regularly.  Luckily I had his shoes taken off or the situation would have been worse!  One day I was in my local…

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Now I know it's not fashionable to have shoes on your horse, better for the hoof, blah blah. I've always kept front shoes on the big Mags, she toes in and works all through the winter. We briefly (it was a couple days before I could get them back on), had shoes off of her last winter. We aren't really going to try that again.



Maggie has great feet. Good solid wall, round, nice concavity, big ol healthy frogs. She's also 17hh of hard working dressage horse. My trainer suggested we try… Continue

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i have just bought a fell mare who has never been shod and is reluctant to pick her feet up.After 2 weeks with me I have managed to lift both back feet and the near fore, but no way will she pick the near fore up.I have tried reward with the other feet which worked and now she will pick these up without reward, but still the near fore remains planted.If I lean my weight against her she leans even harder against me and lifts her off fore as if to tell me there is a problem with the near but not… Continue

Just a warning about the use of cortisone shots in horses that are prone to laminitis. IMO don't use it. Our 17 year old broodmare had a severe bout with laminitis 10 years ago and is probably insulin resistant. She has had hoof problems for years though not another severe bout with laminitis since the original. We had her hocks injected with cortisone to treat inflammation that was… Continue

Please Pick Your Feet Up

Handling advice to make the farrier experience much more…

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The better your horse behaves for your farrier, the better job your farrier can do.



Let’s face it. No one wants to have to pick out a hoof with a horse that is behaving badly. Neither does your farrier. It’s hard enough to keep your own feet out of the way and not get stepped on on a good day, let alone trying to wrestle around with tools, nails, the owner getting nervous and the barn dog trying to grab a snack of hoof all while your… Continue

Welcome to this week’s slightly earlier edition of Equine Science News – I’m off to watch the dressage and show jumping competition Equita’Lyon in France this weekend and am flying to Geneva early Friday morning, but wanted to make sure that this week’s latest equine science news was still delivered to you all! So this blog post I’ll be chatting to you about laminitis, strangles and… Continue

I am wondering if anyone has the name of a great farrier for
1) correctional trimming and shoeing
2) draft horses
I am in the Newcastle area, east of Oshawa. Presently the farrier that is trimming and shoeing is just not experienced in these areas.
Any suggestions and references would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

If you have a problem with your horse, he starts acting differently than normal, here are some things to check:

• Get an equine dentist to check his teeth and do necessary work. Perhaps his wolf teeth have not been pulled, or teeth…

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