CjS Equine Products & Farrier Services

09/06/2026

02/06/2026

THE SYMPTOM IS IN THE FOOT. THE CAUSE IS OFTEN SOMEWHERE ELSE.

A horse becomes footsore.

The natural assumption is that the problem must be in the foot.

Sometimes that's exactly what's happened.

An abscess is in the foot.

A puncture wound is in the foot.

A crack is in the foot.

The problem and the symptom occupy the same place.

But not always.

A horse lands toe-first.

What you see is in the foot.

The cause may be hock arthritis.

A horse starts wearing one foot faster than the others.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be a change in how the horse is loading its limbs.

A horse repeatedly loses a shoe from the same foot.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be a movement pattern that has changed because the horse is uncomfortable elsewhere.

A horse develops bruising in the same area over and over again.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be altered movement from joint disease higher up.

A horse develops contracted heels.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be persistent avoidance of loading part of the limb because something else hurts.

A horse grows noticeably uneven feet.

The symptom is in the feet.

The cause may be asymmetry elsewhere in the body changing how those feet are loaded.

A horse struggles on hard ground.

The pain shows in the feet.

The cause may be endocrine disease affecting the lamellae.

A horse develops laminitis.

The pain is in the feet.

The damage is in the feet.

Yet the process often begins with insulin dysregulation or other hormonal disturbance long before the foot shows it.

A horse develops recurrent abscesses.

The symptom is in the foot.

The cause may be chronic lamellar damage that has been present for months or years.

A horse struggles to turn.

The symptom may look like foot pain.

The cause may be the hocks.

Or the stifles.

Or somewhere else entirely.

A horse doesn't want to go forward.

The feet may be blamed.

The cause could be orthopaedic pain.

It could be gastric disease.

It could be respiratory disease.

It could be something else altogether.

The point is not that the feet are unimportant.

Quite the opposite.

The feet are often the first place the horse reveals that something is wrong.

But they are not always telling us where the problem started.

One of the most valuable habits in equine healthcare is learning not to stop at the first thing you can see.

The foot matters.

But it is attached to a whole horse.

And sometimes the foot is not the problem.

It's the messenger.

27/04/2026

Pixy is your little helper to tend to your horses feet!
Make your life easier and your horses happier 🦄

www.cjsequine.com

CjS Equine Products & Farrier Services

26/04/2026

Very refreshing explanation

The barefoot is NOT always the answer!!

There’s a conversation that keeps going round in circles.

“Barefoot is natural.”
“Shoes are bad.”
“Just trim it correctly and the hoof will fix itself.”

It sounds logical.

It just doesn’t hold up when you actually follow the mechanics through.

Let’s start with what we agree on.

A healthy barefoot hoof, in the right environment, under the right loading, is the best-case scenario. No argument there.

But that sentence has three conditions built into it that most people ignore:

Right environment.
Right loading.
Right horse.

We don’t work with that horse most of the time.

We work with domestic horses.

And the domestic horse is not a wild horse.

In the wild, poor conformation, poor posture, and inefficient movement patterns get filtered out. That’s Darwin. If the limb cannot tolerate load efficiently, the horse doesn’t stay sound. If it doesn’t stay sound, it doesn’t stay alive.

That filter is gone.

We now breed horses with conformations that would never survive long-term in a natural environment. Then we place them in managed settings that further alter posture. Stables. Arenas. Repetitive work. Artificial surfaces. Restricted movement. Rider influence. Equipment. Feeding patterns.

And then we say:

“Nature.”

That’s the first disconnect.

The second is even more important.

The hoof does not respond to ideology. It responds to force.

Specifically, it responds to impulse.

Not just how much force is applied, but how that force is applied over time, and critically, in what direction.

If a horse has good conformation and neutral posture, the ground reaction force enters the limb in a relatively balanced way. The hoof deforms within its elastic range. Structures share load appropriately. Morphology trends toward stability.

That’s your ideal barefoot.

But what happens when that isn’t the case?

What happens when conformation or posture drives off-axis impulse into the hoof?

Now the force is not entering the system cleanly. It has directional bias. Medial. Lateral. Cranial. Caudal. Rotational.

And here is the key point:

That biased impulse is not a one-off event.

It is repeated thousands of times.

That repetition is what drives pathology.

Because the hoof adapts to loading.

So now the hoof begins to change shape, not because it is “self-correcting,” but because it is accommodating the load.

Distortion appears.

Capsule migration appears.

Mediolateral imbalance appears.

Dorsopalmar imbalance appears.

And here’s where the barefoot conversation goes wrong.

These changes are often interpreted as “natural adaptation.”

They’re not.

They are maladaptations.

They are the structure reorganising itself around a pathological input.

Now we have a loop.

The posture creates off-axis impulse.
The impulse creates morphological change.
The morphological change alters proprioception and loading.
That altered loading reinforces the posture.

And round it goes.

A bi-directional pathological cycle.

This is not theoretical. This is what you see clinically every day.

And this is where the “just trim it” argument falls apart.

Because trimming is primarily reductive.

It can removes distortion. It can improves geometry. It can sets a better starting point. When there is enough foot to do so.

But it does not, on its own, change the force entering the system if the horse continues to move and stand in the same way.

If the horse is still delivering off-axis impulse, the hoof will simply return to the same pattern.

This is why people get stuck.

The trim looks good.
The horse improves briefly.
Then the same morphology returns.

Because the input hasn’t changed.

Now bring bodywork into this.

The hoof is one of the main entry points of force into the entire system. That force travels through fascia, muscle, joints, and the nervous system.

If that input is biased, the body has to compensate.

So the bodyworker releases the compensation.

But the input is still there.

So the compensation comes back.

That is not a failure of bodywork.

That is a failure to change the mechanical driver.

This is where intervention at the hoof-ground interface becomes critical.

And this is where the conversation needs to mature.

Because the answer is not “always barefoot” or “always shoes.”

The answer is:

What does this horse need to reduce pathological impulse?

Sometimes, a correct trim and appropriate environment is enough.

Sometimes it isn’t.

Sometimes you need an additive solution, not just a reductive one.

Something that doesn’t just remove material, but changes how force is applied. Especially in a working barefoot that has nothing to trim!!

That might be a steel shoe.

That might be composite shoe.

That might be a different interface altogether as technology evolves.

Steel is not perfect. It carries mechanical cost. It alters deformation. It is not biologically identical to hoof horn.

But dismissing it entirely ignores what it can do when used correctly:

It can change load distribution.
It can reduce pathological lever arms.
It can redirect force.
It can bring structures back within a tolerable range.

In other words, it can interrupt the cycle.

And once the cycle is interrupted, the system has a chance to reorganise.

That is the goal.

Not tradition.

Not ideology.

Not barefoot versus shod.

The goal is breaking the pathological loop between hoof, force, and body.

So when someone says:

“Nature would fix this.”

The honest answer is:

Nature would have removed that horse from the system.

We don’t.

So we either accept the constraints of the domestic horse and work within them, or we keep arguing theory while the horse continues to compensate.

And if we’re serious about welfare, performance, and longevity, that’s not a position we can afford to stay in.

I’ve spent years teaching the consequences of shoeing and I advocate for barefoot in most cases, so this is not about being pro-shoe and anti-barefoot, quite the opposite, but I am pro sound horses and equine welfare, and when we change the horse’s world from a natural one, including preserving poor conformation and creating poor posture, we have to accept interventions that mitigate the domestic reality.

Image shows a deformed barefoot from poor conformation that was driving a poor posture.

18/04/2026

The 6 P’s

Pretty Pixy’s being Packed for Pony lovers who Pride themselves on Precise hoofcare 🙌

Orders going out!
If you haven’t got your Pixy yet
Mullumbimby Rural Co-Op will have in store from next week

Or get yours online today
https://cjsequine.com

Don’t miss out on being able to tend to your horses feet easier 🧚 🦄

11/04/2026

The Life of a Farrier
Written by Rio Ramey

I am writing this as the daughter of a farrier.
If you are a horse owner, I encourage you to read this.

After watching my dad shoe horses for all 27 years of my life, these are the things I have come to notice—and the realities I wish more people understood.

⸻

As horse owners, we rarely stop to think about the life of a farrier.

We expect them to show up every six to eight weeks. We expect them to work hard, to do their job well, and to be consistent. We want loyalty from our farrier. We get frustrated when they cancel, when they run late, or when they choose not to work weekends because it doesn’t fit their schedule. We complain when their prices go up. And if they make one mistake, we’re often quick to move on to the next farrier.

But when did we forget that the people who care for our animals—farriers and veterinarians alike—are human?

Every person who provides a service will have bad days. There are mornings when getting out of bed is a struggle, when even an extra cup of coffee doesn’t help. Yet we forget this. We pay for a service, and once it’s done, we move on with our lives—riding the horse that was just made sound, heading to the next barrel race, maybe even winning money—while still complaining about the cost that made that performance possible.

We get upset when a farrier cancels, but we don’t see what may have happened the day before. We don’t see the kick they took from a difficult horse, the bruise the size of an orange on their leg, or the arthritis in their hands that makes it painful just to get through the next day. We don’t feel the constant ache in their back or the wear and tear from decades of working in the sun and on their feet.

This is not a pain that goes away. It is a lifetime of physical strain—chosen every day in order to provide care for the horses we love.

We complain about prices, but we overlook the cost of materials: steel, aluminum, propane for hot shoeing, fuel for trucks and generators. We question their schedules, but rarely consider how they spend their limited time off. Maybe they rope on weekends because it’s the only time they can. Maybe they’re watching their grandchildren compete. Maybe they’re simply trying to rest their bodies or attend church and give thanks for another day.

And yet, we insist on being present every time the farrier works. We don’t ask to stand in during veterinary procedures or x-rays, but we feel the need to watch every nail being driven into every shoe. Why? Do we not trust them? After years of consistent work on our horses, why is that trust still missing?

Scheduling, Respect, and the Reality of the Route

We also complain when farriers cancel—but rarely acknowledge how often we do the same.

As horse owners, we reschedule appointments, ask to “push a few days,” or try to squeeze our horses in at a more convenient time. What we don’t always realize is that farriers build their schedules carefully and intentionally. They group horses by location, working within the same area each day to minimize travel, reduce fuel costs, and make their time efficient.

There’s a reason many farriers stay within a certain radius of their home.

When a farrier lines up a day, it’s often a route—one barn to the next, all in the same direction, all within the same area. This allows them to work efficiently without spending hours driving across town. It saves time, saves money, and keeps their day running smoothly.

But when a client cancels, it disrupts that entire system.

That horse was part of a group—often on the same six- or eight-week schedule as others in that area. When you cancel, you fall off that cycle. Now the farrier has to figure out how to get back to your location, even though the rest of their schedule may be on the other side of town.

So they fit you in where they can—maybe a few days later, maybe a week later. But now you’re out of sync with the other horses in your area. And when they try to get you back on schedule, you may not want that timing either.

We expect farriers to drive anywhere, anytime—regardless of distance, fuel cost, or how it affects the rest of their day—simply because we weren’t available.

Yet we get frustrated when they can’t accommodate us.

We expect farriers to respect our time, but we don’t always offer the same respect in return.

The Reality of the Work

The life of a farrier is not for the weak.

There are long days and difficult horses. There are moments spent problem-solving, trying to figure out how to make a horse sound again. There are good days, when they come home proud of the care they provided. And there are hard days—days when they can barely stand up straight, when their hands ache with arthritis, when cuts and calluses cover their skin, and even holding a sandwich for dinner is painful after skipping meals due to a packed schedule.

There is also the emotional toll.

A farrier may spend months developing a plan, working cycle after cycle to bring a horse back to soundness—only to be replaced by someone cheaper the moment the horse improves. They watch as years of experience, study, and dedication are overlooked. They see clients leave for someone with far less training, only to be called months later when the horse goes lame again.

And still, many farriers come back—not for the client, but for the horse.

Because at the end of the day, their priority is the animal’s well-being, not the owner’s loyalty.

When you pay a farrier, you’re not just paying for a service. You’re paying for years—often decades—of knowledge. You’re paying for someone who studies anatomy, who understands every bone, tendon, and structure of the hoof and leg. You’re paying for someone who invests in continued education, attends clinics, performs dissections, and experiments with new techniques and materials in pursuit of better outcomes for your horse.

The life of a farrier is hard. And as horse owners, we don’t always make it easier.

So the next time your farrier is having a rough day, runs a little late, or forgets something small—take a moment. Remember the work they do. Remember the physical and mental toll of their profession.

If we can sit in a doctor’s or veterinarian’s office for an hour and a half waiting for care, then we can offer a farrier running 25 minutes behind a little grace.

Because behind every sound horse is a farrier who showed up—often at a cost we never fully see.

05/04/2026

This is exactly why we created PIXY 🙌

Cleaning out dirt and debris from white line crevices can be frustrating… 🤯
especially when a standard hoof pick just doesn’t get in there properly.

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✔️ Gets into tight crevices
✔️ Safer than using nails or screwdrivers

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Can’t thank Ester enough for providing such an awesome review 🙏

01/01/2026

Happy New Years everyone!
Hope you have a great start to the year 🐎

24/12/2025

Merry Christmas 🎄
Thank you to all our clients for all your support throughout 2025!
We wish you a lovely holiday period, enjoying family, friends and festivities.

See you in the new year!
Cheers 🥂
Steve and Carly

08/12/2025

📣 CANBERRA REGION ‼️
Doing a Farrier run to Canberra and surrounds Tuesday 16th, text Carly 0497759458 for appointment availability!