Barefoot Equine Services

28/12/2022

And that’s a wrap!

Today I trimmed my final two horses under the Barefoot Equine Services name and it is sad to see this part of my life finish after 5 years, but I am excited for the new chapters ahead.

I would like to thank absolutely everybody that has been along this journey with me and would like wish everyone well on their horse and hoof journey from here on out. I will miss each and every one of you.

Thanks,

Jacinta

03/12/2022

Please be patient with me as I try and respond to messages, my messenger has looked like this for the last 5 days with the odd luck being able to duck through to reply to a message before it’s gone again.

15/10/2022

To my valued clients,

As some of you already know, as of January 2023 I will no longer be trimming within the Mackay district. I will be informing everyone else in person that I haven’t seen since making this decision at our next appointment and will continue to try fit everyone in for appointments up until I finish up, but I have organised with a fellow trimmer to take over as many as my clients as she can.

10/08/2022

To those interested in trimming their own horses, Melissa has shared this workshop running in a few weeks. Please use the contacts on the flyer if interested.

18/05/2022

This is explained perfectly.

There are a million things I think about when considering a trim for a horse.

Their movement, diet, posture, environment, conformation, past injuries, internal pathology, metabolic issues, their comfort level, their job expectations, hoof wear patterns, what their hoof distortion/pathology is suggesting, etc.

My focus when assessing these becomes giving the horse the best trim possible based on all those factors. Sometimes that means putting the foot down for a second look mid-trim, seeing how they adjust their stance and weightbearing, letting the foot "settle' under weightbearing before making a small change, or watching them move again to see changes in biomechanics or loading, the list goes on.

I can't stress this enough: when horses stand well - meaning they willingly pick their feet up, and hold them up comfortably for extended periods of time - it makes my job exponentially easier.. but not only that, the horse receives a more considerate trim.

If we are spending most of the hoofcare appointment focusing on how the horse stands - or isn't standing - to have its feet done, our focus shifts away from the minute details of the hoof and body and movement that might affect our trim, and instead is centered on keeping ourselves safe and the horse comfortable enough just to finish the trim.

There is a marked difference between giving the best trim possible for that horse's situation, and "making sure we just finish the trim."

Sometimes, for a horse that is unable to stand well, all it takes to make hoofcare appointments easier is the owner working in between trims, picking up the feet and holding them up comfortably. Sometimes, professional training help may be needed. And of course, there's always the possibility of a pain factor that requires some veterinary diagnostics and intervention.

If you're wondering if your hoofcare provider is giving your horse the best trim possible, one question to add into the mix is - is your horse standing as comfortably and willingly as possible? If not, then some work on that might make a drastic difference in the trim outcome.

For those who might need more help with how their horses stand for the farrier, I have two podcast episodes on this topic:

Making Hoofcare Appointments a Positive Experience with Adele Shaw:
https://thehumblehoof.libsyn.com/making-hoofcare-a-positive-experience-with-adele-shaw

Farrier Friendly with Kristin Thornberry:
https://thehumblehoof.libsyn.com/farrier-friendly-how-to-support-your-horse-to-stand-well-for-the-farrier-with-kristin-thornberry

Pictured is a horse who stands immaculately for her trim 🥰

28/03/2022

Just a reminder to clients that I take very few bookings during the school holidays due to having my daughter at home with me, and with the holidays coming up in a week I am currently completely booked until the 20th of April.

06/12/2021

22/11/2021

10 handy facts about lameness

1. A forelimb lameness is identified by looking for the head nod. The head will go up when the lame limb hits the ground and down when the sound limb hits the ground. It is easier to notice the 'head nod', therefore when the head nods, it is the opposite leg that is lame.

2. Check for heat and a pulse. Inflammation brings blood to the area.

3. A horse with arthritic wear and tear (common in older horses), will often get better as he goes, which is known as 'warming out of it'. The lameness will usually be less obvious after a few minutes. Additionally he will often be worse on hard ground (tarmac) in comparison to the ménage. This is due to more concussion on his joints.

4. A horse with soft tissue damage will often get worse as he goes and is often lamer on a soft surface (ménage), as the tissue such as an affected tendon or ligament is being stretched more than it would be on a hard surface with no give.

5. A horse with bilateral forelimb lameness will be harder to detect as the head nod will now be apparent when both limbs hit the ground. However he will show a shorter cranial phase (his forelimbs will not come out very far from underneath him resulting in a 'choppy' gait).

6. If you are struggling to detect lameness get the Slo-Pro app for your mobile phone and record your horse. This will slow everything down until you train your eye into detecting lameness.

7. A hind limb lameness is more difficult to detect. If you watch the horse trotting away from you, the lame leg usually has more movement at the hip. It helps to attach white sticky tape to both hip bones to make this more obvious to the eye.

8. Putting a horse on a circle (lungeing), often shows up a forelimb and hindlimb lameness more easily.

9. If the horse looks lame on one limb, but has a stronger pulse in the opposite limb, it is usually because the sound limb has taken more weight to allow pressure relief of the affected limb.

10. A horse can look completely sound without a rider, and then almost three legged once someone is on board. Therefore if your getting a feeling that something just isn't quite right, do not just jog him up on the straight or on the lunge and assume all is well.

** Shoeing/trimming intervals should be kept as short as possible. Studies have shown that as the toe grows, the foot 'shoots' forward (long toes, low heel), putting excess strain on the flexor tendons. If your horse always looks slightly 'off' just prior to shoeing, then this is a very probable cause and it may be worth shortening your shoeing cycle.

As a horse owner, developing an eye for lameness is one of the greatest skills you can learn. This will not only allow you to have your horse treated more quickly, but will hopefully nip smaller issues in the bud before they escalate into far bigger ones.

E. J Westwood.

20/11/2021

Hi all,
At this stage I am currently unable to trim or takes any appointments until at least the 30th November at this stage as I am currently waiting for results back as to the extent of damage I have done on my knee after having an altercation with a horse on Wednesday prior. I won’t know how long I will be out for at this stage until I see the doctor again on Thursday to see my results and I will be messing every client I currently have an appointment with the reschedule and I am sorry for the inconvenience this causes.
This photo is 4 days after the accident.

23/09/2021

I will be away from the work phone from tomorrow to Monday so please be patient with trying to get in contact and I will get back to any calls or messages on Tuesday when I am back in the office. Thank you for understanding.

12/01/2021

To my valued clients,

For the past almost 4 years I have kept my price consistent since the day I started and any rises in cost I have tried to absorb, but unfortunately it’s come to a point where I am no longer able to cover those costs, therefore I am at the stage where I need to up my prices. All the clients that are currently booked in, your price will stay the same until your following booking and I am aiming to send everyone out a message over the next few days with new costs. I hope you can understand and I look forward to continue working with you all again in the future.

Thanks,
Jacinta

27/09/2020

To all my clients,
I would just like to let everyone know that Myschief will be joining me for at least the next week for every client I attend as we almost lost her two nights ago and will need to be kept an eye on regularly. I hope everyone understands and I thank you all, please let me know if this is not possible on your property and we will endeavor to work around you or try to reschedule for the next appointment we can without her onboard.

Thanks,
Jacinta