Hoof & Whole Horse Rehab

05/10/2025

This will be amazing

Join us for a two-day journey through the horse’s anatomy. Discover the secrets that lie within the horse, and learn to tell its unique story. Scotland

01/10/2025

🐴 Let's talk about those mysterious lumpy fat deposits on your horse!

From a functional nutrition perspective, fat pads aren't just "extra weight" - they're your horse's protective mechanism when detox pathways get overwhelmed.

Common locations:

Crest of neck
Behind the shoulder
Around the tailhead
Above the eyes
Along the sheath/udder area

Think of these fat pads as your horse's "storage units" for toxins. When the liver, kidneys, and digestive system can't keep up with processing environmental toxins, metabolic waste, or inflammatory compounds, the body wisely stores these substances in fat tissue - away from vital organs.

This is actually brilliant design! The body prioritizes protecting the heart, brain, and other essential organs by sequestering harmful substances in fat deposits.

Supporting your horse's natural detox pathways through:
✅ Quality nutrition
✅ Adequate hydration
✅ Regular movement
✅ Minimizing toxic exposure
✅ Supporting liver health..can help the body gradually release and process these stored toxins safely.

Has your horse developed unusual fat deposits? It might be time to look deeper at their whole-body health!

15/08/2025

Interesting. Not enough people know about this.

11/07/2025

𝗛𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴🌡️ Conditions are warming up, with temperatures expected to hit 30°C UK in parts of the UK this weekend. High temperatures can cause havoc for some of our horses. Older horses, those that have underlying health conditions and heavier horses will be particularly affected.

Our top tips to help in the heat are:

• Ensure the water supply is good, and fresh clean water is available at all times.

• If you soak hay, limit this to a maximum of one hour immediately before feeding. The longer it is wet, the more acid producing bacteria proliferate.

• Aid hydration with soaked pelleted forages. Blue Bag Grass Pellets, LucieNuts and HayCare are all good, as is soaked PuraBeet. Store soaked feeds in a cool, ventilated area and ensure that they remain fresh (see our previous post).

• Horses lose moisture in hot weather even if you do not notice they are sweating. Salt is important for horses as their sweat is saltier than their blood. Provide a salt lick such as our Salt Lick Tub or add Summer Salt to the feed or water. Salted water is a great way to maintain electrolyte and fluid balance especially when horses are working but have plain water available as well.

• Be aware that horses turned out with no shade, or prevented by a dominant horse from using it, those in horse boxes (travelling or stationary), those wearing rugs (including fly rugs), and hairier horses can all be affected by heat. Bigger and heavier horses are more likely to be affected than slimmer models, as it is harder for them to dissipate heat.

• Go easy when it is very hot. If you are planning to ride, do so early or late to avoid the heat and choose the shady side of the track. Try to avoid fast work.

• If you are concerned your horse is overheating you need to call your vet, but in the meantime, it is worth hosing with plenty of cold water, keeping the horse out of the sun and finding any bit of breeze there is. A stable may not have sufficient air flow. Concentrate most on thin-skinned areas as the blood is nearer the surface – neck, shoulders, between the legs. Allow the horse to drink as much as they want (including salted water) and if they are not drinking, encourage this with grazing, soaked feed and wet hay. Soaked beet pulp (PuraBeet) is the best way to get a horse to 'eat' water as it absorbs 5 times its volume of water.

Please contact our Feed Line on 01728 604 008 or email [email protected] for free individual feeding advice for your horse. Our Feed Line is available Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.

10/07/2025

Great info

🚛PLANNING ON TRAVELLING HORSES TOMORROW? A QUICK REMINDER OF THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE!🚛

Many parts of the UK will see temperatures over 30°C tomorrow (Friday 11th July 2025). Currently its 33°C in my garden in Cambridge (6:30pm Thursday 10th July).

Current UK Government Guidance
🇬🇧Transporting animals in extreme hot weather🇬🇧
🐎You are responsible for the welfare of animals you transport.
🐎If you do not have a temperature controlled vehicle, you should:
not transport animals in temperatures over 30°C
🐎Check the ‘feels like’ temperature for the intended route if humidity is high

Guidance - Keeping farm animals and horses in extreme weather
How to care for animals on farms and in transport in severe hot or cold weather, floods or drought.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/keeping-farm-animals-and-horses-in-extreme-weather %20and%20Hot%20Weather

☀️ Welfare In The Heat on Animalweb! FREE CONTENT☀️
As the temperature rises, so do the risks to your animals’ health. That’s why we’ve launched a brand-new section on the website, packed with expert advice, practical tips and essential resources to help you care for horses, dogs and more during hot weather.

🧠 Learn how to spot early signs of heat stress
💧 Know what not to do when cooling down
🐴 Competing in the heat? We’ve got you covered
🚛 Travelling in the heat?
🐶 Cooling coats, mats, shade, hydration and more
🎥 Videos
🎧 Podcasts
📄 Articles
📌 Downloadable posters
🧰 How-to guides
👉 Visit Welfare In The Heat now and be heatwave-ready:
https://askanimalweb.com/heat-welfare/

PLEASE SHARE

06/07/2025

25/11/2024

Equines with a history of metabolic laminitis are often likely to get hoof pain in cold weather. Management including boots and leg wraps can make them more comfortable.

For more information about cold-induced hoof pain, go here http://bit.ly/2NtxR3h then scroll down to Dr. Kellon's proceedings from the lecture WINTER LAMINITIS at the 2015 NO Laminitis! Conference. Proceedings are free.

13/11/2024

This is an interesting study on balance pads for horses. We stock the Surefoot pads in the UK if you would like to try some for your horse.

Foam pads of varying levels of firmness are marketed to help improve equine balance, with veterinarians and owners reporting anecdotal success. Now, a scientific study on the use of balance pads has been published, and shows promising results.

17/05/2024