Your Equine..
The health of your horse depends on many factors.
There are the basic requirements of survival: water, shelter, food and as horses are herd animals, companionship.
Beyond survival it gets a bit more complicated! Depending on what you want to do or achieve with your horse, from much loved companion to high level competition horse I will do my best to advise on what you and I can do to make your goals achievable - although sometimes it may be to suggest that they are not, but I will try to help you re-evaluate what your horse can achieve.
I can do a lot to change and improve feet but there is no way that any farrier can do this without the appropriate input from the owner.
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Nutrition
It is the owners responsibility to ensure that the horse is receiving the correct diet with proper balanced nutrition so that the animal can produce good horn that I can then work with. It is also important that the horse is kept within a healthy weight range as:
- being overweight stresses joints and the hooves possibly leading to laminitis it will also make it far more difficult for your horse to stand on three legs and may lead to bad behaviour which neither you or I want.
- being under weight stresses the entire body and will mean the horse will produce poor quality horn leading to problems with trimming and or shoeing.
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Physical health
Through good communication between owner and farrier often potential problems can be minimised and treated by the appropriate professional. This not only makes life better for the horse but in the longer term could prolong the horses working life and save the owner money. Prevention is better than cure. I am happy to work with your vet and often find the use of regular physiotherapy, sports massage, correct schooling and good saddlery makes your horse more comfortable and therefore my job a lot easier! Horses are amazing at compensating and often when lameness becomes apparent there
are many factors involved. I may improve the feet but if the horses body is still unable to move properly then it may not be properly sound, and therefore load its feet incorrectly. The addition of physio/soft tissue treatment is so important to the bodily health of your horse, and you may find the rider could benefit too, making the horse even happier!
As well as checking the horse is happy in his body and hooves a good saddler will help prevent problems arising from poorly fitting tack and a good trainer/instructor will help you to ensure your horse is at ease from the most basic training - learning to stand still and patiently to the highest levels of your chosen discipline.
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Working with Vets
Treating Lameness - limb related lameness is best treated with everyone working and communicating together. I am happy to work with your vet for lameness work ups and treatment and I am experienced at looking at xrays and discussing other diagnostic techniques that may have been used such as MRI.
Even in the sound horse the use of routine radiographs on some problem feet can be of huge benefit and speed up the process of recovery or improvement.
I will take referral remedial work and I am also happy to work with your existing farrier alongside the vets as two or three heads are often better than one!
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My happiest moments are when a ‘team’ helps an owner and horse achieve their goals.