Équin-Libre

11/03/2025

Support your horse's longevity with BEMER therapy💙

10/20/2025

09/05/2025

08/27/2025

08/14/2025

Intéressant

It’s been a minute, and I apologize for the lack of posts!
I’ve been quiet because it’s summer… and most in hoofcare know that summers can be a bit hectic. It’s when hoofcare pros are most at risk for burn out, and when the heat, humidity, bugs, and hoof issues can get to us.

I’ve made an observation lately that there are two kinds of hooves I see emerging in summer… ones that seem to get healthier and stronger in dryer weather, with rock hard walls and frogs, and feet that seem to absolutely fall apart and become less and less comfortable.

I think many of you would be able to pick out what causes the difference between the two…
Grass and metabolic issues.

The vast majority of the time, horses I see on grass in the summer, especially overgrazed paddocks, will have issues - whether as “benign” as thrush, hoof sensitivity, or some “seedy toe,” or as serious as laminitis and founder. The sugar levels in the grass push so many horses over the edge into uncontrolled metabolic issues, and we see the feet suffer.

But some horses seem to have feet that fall apart in July/August without explanation - no access to grass, no change in diet, even those with the best living environments… and in those cases, I typically end up seeing vets diagnosing PPID (Cushing’s) or seeing that their bloodwork is above range due to the seasonal rise and that their pergolide dosage needs to be adjusted. These horses can become sore “out of nowhere” or suddenly have hoof issues they didn’t have earlier in the year.

If your horse suddenly can’t handle walking over gravel, or has thrush you just can’t kick even with treatment and a good environment, or maybe they’re losing some topline or drinking and peeing just a bit more than normal…. Consider their metabolic health. Test them for non-fasted insulin and an endogenous (baseline) ACTH test and rule out metabolic concerns.

Your hoofcare provider will thank you!

06/30/2025

https://sonia-paquette.bemergroup.com/

06/28/2025

Protein can be a hot topic in equine nutrition. A lot of things can be "blamed" on lack of protein: poor topline, poor coat quality, muscle loss or poor performance, and more. But what does protein actually do for the horse? And what does it do for the hoof?

Once again, Dr. Eleanor Kellon, Dr. Priska Darani, and Dr. Fran Rowe joined the podcast to discuss amino acids - the building blocks of protein - and their importance for hoof health and soundness.

You can hear the entire conversation on any podcast app under "The Humble Hoof," or directly at this link: https://thehumblehoof.com/2025/06/27/equine-nutrition-protein-and-the-hoof/

And a huge thank you to Mad Barn for sponsoring our Podiatry Clinic this fall!

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

Cavallo Hoof Boots is offering 15% off a pair of Trek hoof boots at cavallo-inc.com with code HRN

A special shout out to Grid as New, Mud Control Grids – they are a game changer for any mud issues, big or small! – mudcontrolgrids.com

Also be sure to check out Hay Boss Feeders – haybossfeeders.com – for all your slow-feeding needs. I get my Hay Boss feeders from Mountain Lane Farm in NH!

06/06/2025

🔥🔥🔥🚨🚨La qualité de l’air sera mauvaise vendredi et samedi presque partout au Québec en raison des feux qui sévissent dans les Prairies.
Voici ce que vous devriez prendre en compte avec vos chevaux et les activités sportives.

Présentement autour de Montréal : 164
Estrie : 100
Québec : 152
Centre du Québec : 154

05/27/2025

Is your horse on Prascend?
If so, you may have been like this owner and put their horses pills pre-broken in half in a convenient container in the barn. Or maybe you prepare feed bags with all medications already in them.
You may inadvertently be making your medicine less effective. Pergolide aka the drug name for Prascend is very finicky and needs to be protected from light and air. The blister pack is filled with nitrogen and blocks UV rays. They can start to lose their effectiveness after only 24 hours of being out of the blister pack.

05/23/2025

L'importance de travailler avec vos chevaux et manipuler leurs pattes pour bien les rendre à l'aise avec le forgeron ou parreuse. Ceci mettra leurs vie en sécurité et plus agréable. C'est votre responsabilité.😉