Red Gum Equine Services

Red Gum Equine Services A student of the horse and part time barefoot trimmer doing my best to learn what I can and help a few horses along the way. Based in the Top End of Australia.

19/07/2025
When you saddle up your horse don't ever forget to pull the saddle pad up into the gullet of your saddle 👌 Doing this he...
19/07/2025

When you saddle up your horse don't ever forget to pull the saddle pad up into the gullet of your saddle 👌 Doing this helps keep pressure off the sensitive withers.

This 👇 1000% this. I could say more but read this as many times as you need to get it. Wise words.
16/07/2025

This 👇 1000% this. I could say more but read this as many times as you need to get it. Wise words.

Training Tip Tuesday:

TRUST THE PROCESS.

Yesterday while I drove my trailer out to the shop, I got caught up on the newest podcast to hit the western industry:the Gallop and Gossip Show.
Dude.
So good.
If you're not listening YOU'RE missing out.

In one of the episodes they talked about "trusting the process", and how many people are in such a hurry they won't let the process play out.

I won't lie. I see this everyday with young girls and their barrel horses. They ask for help, you share your experience, and then they tell you it didn't work. But for how long did you stick with it?

From over my 3 decades of experience, I know that
1. I don't know it all and won't know it all,
2. There is most definitely a process, and
3. It takes as long as it takes.

You cannot expect the same results your trainer or your mentor get -- in the same time frame. Your experience and skill-set limit you in that regard. But if you TRUST the process, keep at it, continue to study, learn, better yourself with feel, timing, balance, and the like, YOU will get there.

Your horses will get better as a result. But you can't quit the process in lieu of quick results because you're impatient. It takes as long as it takes.

If you don't have clinic or lesson money, it's likely going to take you even longer to learn what you don't know because you're not able to take advantage of the shortcuts other people have discovered. But still, TRUST THE PROCESS.

For most of you, barrel racing is supposed to be FUN. It's a hobby. You're spending money on it because you enjoy it. So, if you're not enjoying it, AND enjoying the process, find something else to do. If you are enjoying it, but want to win before it's your time, well, that's just not how this works. You've got to TRUST THE PROCESS.

Anyway, that's all I have for you today, folks.

But before you go -- I'm currently trusting the process on a young mare that I'm riding for a client. She's a little front-endy, hollow-backed, and speed control from our seat isn't great yet. But, everyday she gets a little bit better. And by the time I send her to her owner in Texas in another 60-90 days, she's going to know how to drive from behind, pick her front end up, have her shoulders follow the nose, and be able to carry a soft feel on a slack rein, with some impulsion and collection. I'm going to TRUST THE PROCESS.

Will you TRUST THE PROCESS?

Be sure to check out the podcast sponsored by SynNutra Equine -- I've been fortunate enough to be on their team for several years now. Their products are second to none. I'll share that story for another time, but if you'd like my discount code to give them a try - reach out!

Far out I love this. I realised early on in my semi- professional hoof care journey that you've got to, unfortunately, h...
14/07/2025

Far out I love this. I realised early on in my semi- professional hoof care journey that you've got to, unfortunately, have a pretty thick hide to be in this line of work. It's one of the reasons I'm not really offering lessons any more as there's only so much I can take mentally.

The Stuff No One Talks About in Hoof Care

Let’s talk about the stuff that doesn’t make it into the glossy social media reels. The things that don’t show up on the before-and-after collages. The bits that happen in the mud, in the rain, under stress, and under pressure — and almost never in perfect lighting.

We talk a lot about hoof shape, angles, diet, thrush protocols, and what makes a “good” trim — and all of that matters. But what about the things that sit just outside the frame?

Like the horse who’s been “barefoot for years” but is still mincing on gravel because no one’s addressed the long toe and underlying mechanics. Or the ones trimmed to textbook perfection, but still footy because their gut’s a mess or they’re in constant low-grade pain that no one’s chasing down.

We don’t talk enough about the cases that don’t go to plan. The rehabs where everything should be working but isn’t. The abscesses that keep recurring. The laminitic that relapses after a single wet week. The navicular horse that never read the rulebook.

We rarely mention the toll it takes on the people doing the work — owners, trimmers, farriers, vets — all quietly shouldering the burden of these slow, uncertain journeys. The missed milestones. The heartbreak of thinking you were turning a corner… only to realise it was just a brief plateau before the next problem hit.

There’s the horse who won’t pick up a foot anymore because he’s sore everywhere, and you’re left trimming a back hoof on your knees, soaked through, hoping your back doesn’t spasm before you finish. There’s the moment you clock that familiar blackened edge of white line disease, knowing this just became a much longer road than anyone signed up for.

And there’s the silence around owner burnout. The emotional and financial weight of hoof rehab, which can grind down even the most dedicated people. The ones who feel ashamed because they’re tired. The ones who feel judged because they need help.

The elephant in the room? So much of hoof care isn't just hoof care. It's nutrition. It’s turnout. It's the wrong rug. It's saddle fit. It’s stress and ulcers. It’s how much (or little) movement a horse gets. It's pain management. It’s the systemic stuff no one wants to deal with because it’s messy, or expensive, or inconvenient.

And it’s political too. No one talks about how divisive hoof care has become — how sharing an opinion on heels or wedges or diet can lose you a client or start a feud. How saying “it depends” is often seen as weakness, when it’s usually the only honest answer.

Most of all, we don’t talk about the emotional side. The weight of responsibility. The wondering: Did I miss something? Could I have done more? Am I doing the right thing?

Because real hoof care is rarely black and white. It’s a messy mix of progress and setbacks, of adapting to each horse and each environment. It’s hard-won experience, not viral reels. It’s about building trust, not just correcting angles.

So here’s to the owners who show up every day — muddy, tired, determined — doing their best even when the results don’t come quick. The ones who learn, adjust, and try again.

Here’s to the professionals — the trimmers, farriers, vets, bodyworkers — who quietly carry the weight of responsibility, who troubleshoot in the field and agonise over cases long after they’ve gone home. The ones who aren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know yet,” and who keep learning anyway.

Here’s to the rehab teams, the collaborators, the hoof nerds, the realists, the ones who listen to the horse above all else.

You won’t always get the credit. You won’t always get the outcome you hoped for. But this corner of the equine world is better because of you.

Let’s keep talking. Let’s keep questioning. Let’s keep going.

Because this is hoof care too — the full, muddy, unfiltered truth of it. And it matters.

10/07/2025

I follow a barrel racer on TikTok and here on Facebook (those who know me probably just fell off their chair in shock 🤣). I was scrolling the Tikky Tok one day and came across Outside the Turn working with a horse in a very familiar way, I checked out their other videos and found myseld hitting the like button a lot. Further investigation revealed that this person had indeed worked with Buck Brannaman (or was it one of his students 🤔 can't remember exactly) and was taking what they'd learned and applying it to barrel racing 👌

Anyways, here's a great little video that is worth watching, thinking about and putting into practice. Worth following her page as well.

It's just over 4 weeks until Anthony Desreaux from Reata Ranch Horsemanship is back in Darwin sharing his knowledge with...
09/07/2025

It's just over 4 weeks until Anthony Desreaux from Reata Ranch Horsemanship is back in Darwin sharing his knowledge with us and it's not too late to book your place in the arena 📝

It's only a small group this time so an awesome opportunity to get lots of one on one help from this awesome horseman.

Location: Darwin Horse and Pony Club grounds, Lagoon Rd Berrimah.

Dates: 9, 10 and 11 August.

Cost: $660 for all 3 days, if you can only make 2 days that's fine just let me know.

Want more info? Sure thing, send me a message, only too happy to answer whatever questions you have :)

Heads up.It's just over 8 weeks until I hit the road south to Tamworth 😁 I will be away and (thus unavailable for trims)...
06/07/2025

Heads up.

It's just over 8 weeks until I hit the road south to Tamworth 😁 I will be away and (thus unavailable for trims) from the 6th September through to 5th October.

📝What this means is that I'm starting to sort out my schedule for the next 8 weeks.

💥I will have limited to ZERO flexibility to reschedule if a time or day suddenly doesn't suit you.💥

Unfortunately some horses will go way overdue for a trim but this can't be helped sorry. I will try and contact everyone over the coming days to book times so please have your calendars handy!

I have room for a couple of clips if needed but contact me ASAP to book in.

Thanks.

📸 Trouvaille Double Agent looking absolutely amazing. Little over 9 weeks until I start working with the big fellar, can't wait 😁

I like my farrier. She's a bit different, got a few alternative ideas but basically does a decent enough job. My horses ...
06/07/2025

I like my farrier. She's a bit different, got a few alternative ideas but basically does a decent enough job.

My horses feet are rock hard at the moment, which I know makes trimming them so much more challenging and takes a toll on her physically, so I soaked the sand in my horses stable and put her in there for a few hours before my farrier arrived to try and soften them up a bit. Apparently this worked a treat and made it so much easier to get the layers of dead sole out and tidy up the frogs.

I like my farrier. I sprayed my horse with fly spray when she arrived, it's kind of hard to do a good job on a horse that's bothered by flies. I didn't get upset when she growled at my horse a bit as she was being a bit opinionated about having her back feet done. I might do some work with her on this before the next visit 🤔

I like my farrier. I'm not going to whinge about her and run her work down because my horse was a bit tender footed after a trim. Time got away on me and I forgot to schedule her in on time so there was a fair bit of foot to come off rather than just the usual quick tidy up. I'm also not going to blame her for my horses feet deteriorating a bit. That's on me, I really should have stuck to the schedule she recommended and kept up with treatment.

I like my farrier, I respect her work and knowledge so when she told me my horse needed some treatment post trim I did just that and will keep it up.

I like my farrier, I appreciate her work, I understand that she's still learning and I am certainly not about to sack her for the odd mistake. These things happen.

It's July 1 today which means new prices for trims are in effect.
01/07/2025

It's July 1 today which means new prices for trims are in effect.

Heads up.....my prices are changing 1 July 2025 ⬆️

It's the post I didn't want to do but unfortunately with the way things are going I need to increase the price for my trimming services.

🐴 Hoof trims will now be $70/horse.

🐴 Trimming lesson is $80/horse

❗️❗️❗️Horses that are difficult to trim will attract a fee of $20 in addition to the regular charge. This is non negotiable. I do what I can to bring my best self to your horse and keep my cool to do the best I can by your horse. If your horse is difficult to trim this eats into my day, reafs my body around, impacts the quality of my work and now becomes an unplanned training session.

Thanking you in advance for your understanding.

2 spots now available in this clinic. Best 2 weeks with your horse (in my case it's 4 weeks given it's a 4/5 day drive e...
28/06/2025

2 spots now available in this clinic. Best 2 weeks with your horse (in my case it's 4 weeks given it's a 4/5 day drive each way to get to it).

🚨 𝟭 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗳𝘁! 🚨

Only one rider position left for our 10 Day Intensive Clinic!

Book now to secure that spot!

Big Simon mid trim this morning. This horse was rather challenging to do his feet when I first took him on....... WAS, n...
28/06/2025

Big Simon mid trim this morning. This horse was rather challenging to do his feet when I first took him on....... WAS, not any more though 😁👌

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