Equiliberta

02/08/2025

What ya doin?

I am admiring this pretty sun burn free muzzle 😍

Did you know that horses kept off grass are less likely to suffer from sunburn?

I remember sunburnt noses on these pretty faces about ten years ago—back when they grazed lush, green pasture every day.

Since switching to a Paddock Paradise tracking system, I’ve noticed far more consistent health benefits. Even now, with a few patches of grass returning after the rain, the improvement is undeniable. Legs, feathers, skin, and lymph flow are in much better condition than they have prior lifestyle change.

At our last, nearly grass-free location, feather mite infestations were gone completely.

The missing puzzle piece in solving many equine health issues lies in the digestive system. We don’t need to rely solely on treating or managing symptoms—we can prevent them holistically by addressing the root cause. In most cases, that root cause is toxicity built up from hindgut acidosis.

If you’d like to learn more, I’ll be diving deeper into this topic at the PB Paddock Paradise Livery 6th Annual Open Day on August 16th. This natural livery has a lot happening on the day. I’d love to see you there.

30/07/2025

30/07/2025

Smooth operator 👩‍✈️

I always knew things will inevitably get easier. So we are down to roughly 2 hours. Fine tuning them details now. I love how Carys has opened up to trimming. I also had a pleasure working on Stan this morning 😍 No, no photos taken because we were so focused on getting the job done 🙂

Take the time it takes...
So it takes less time 😉

26/07/2025

This is so worth sharing, a universal truth.

No amount of “good” we try to bring in to help our horses heal will ever be enough—until we remove the cause of the problem. The source of toxicity. The “bad” that’s quietly undermining everything else.

I had this insight a while ago while discussing a client’s horse with a dear colleague. The client had spent a lot of money on high-quality herbs and pure products. But the horse was living at a Paddock Paradise-style livery where daily grazing was part of the routine.

I remember saying: It doesn’t matter what we try to use to soothe the symptoms if, at the same time, the horse is still eating poison.

Through that conversation, new insights emerged that helped us articulate one of the most overlooked causes of lameness—wrapped neatly into a single ‘pill.’ The kind that's a bit hard to swallow.

Yes—grass can be considered a kind of “poison.” Especially when it’s rich in fructans, which are known to trigger hindgut acidosis and encourage the proliferation of harmful bacteria like Streptococcus bovis.

This particular bacterium breaches the gut lining, enters the bloodstream, and spreads throughout the body—slowly poisoning it from within.

24/07/2025

Do you think I can do it?

I have been asked to trim a number of horses at a new place, thank to a recommendation by Georgie from Hoof Matters ❤️

This boy stands 20 hands and I'm due to trim him in few weeks time. This is yet to beat the books record 🙈

22/07/2025

Underrun heels

What in the barefoot trimming world is often professed as underrun heels is, ironically, an optimal heel length—cut back to its natural length. The irony is that the trimming methods based on Negative Palmar Angle (NPA) theory are the ones that create the underrun heels.

What is an underrun heel?

When you closely examine the angle of growth at the toe and compare it to the heel growth angle, it will become apparent that both are growing at different angles. Toe angles are always steeper than the heel angle of growth.

The best visual presented to date can be found in The Natural Trim: Principles and Practice, and it shows the heel trajectory of growth pushes it forward the longer it grows. This creates an unnatural stance and leads to contraction at the heels that more often than not leaves the frog “hanging.”

The natural trim method is often accused of creating NPA, which, according to the proponents of this theory, causes discomfort and lameness.

Negative palmar angles did not kill this horse.
Positive palmar angles did not save this horse.

Lamellar attachment does not transfer any weight onto the hoof wall.
The bone column does not carry any weight.

The truth is that...

P3 is buoyantly suspended inside the hoof capsule by the cardiovascular system that acts like a waterbed. The supercorium sustains P3 through its sophisticated hydraulic network.

The skeleton serves only approximately 10% of the body weight, and its primary role is to provide structure for the soft tissue.

The descending weight is equally distributed by the soft tissues that contrapose the body weight.

If the above claims were not true, how is it then that our own heel bulbs remain suspended within our foot? Why is our skeleton not pushing it right through the skin?

This horse died a slow and painful death that had nothing to do with the way the hoof was trimmed, but everything to do with the way it was fed.

It is lack of awareness on the owner's part and misguided veterinary practice that sees the quiet death of countless horses euthanized before their time.

There is only ONE cause of laminitis, not six or more, and it can be traced to the unnatural diet.

We live in a strange world, consumed by mind-made interpretations of reality. Because people severed connection to truth, they are trapped by darkness.

My diet recommendation leans on Jaime's research and observations of wild, free-roaming horses living in the U.S. Great Basin. His insights on a reasonably natural diet have been consolidated into the AANHCP Recommended Diet. His laminitis consultations have been saving lives for decades. Safe, naturally grown hay is key, along with carefully chosen products that make up the daily feed.

If this stirred something in you, feel free to share your story in the comments.

16/07/2025

A lot has happened yesterday, the day filled with new.

I did my first Paddock Paradise consultation for a client. We have deliberated on optimising the movement while creating a grass free environment. It is an exciting new project is am looking forward to see come to completion.

I have also visited one very bright gelding for the first time. I thought he needed some retraining in hoof handling, but as it turns out he's an absolute super star with trimming. So much so that he's competing with my boys in ranking 🙈 We did have to adress handling, food and personal space though. Food is an absolute weakness for Chico and we are going to use it to our advantage.

16/07/2025

Lots happened yesterday. Full on day filled with the new.

My first Paddock Paradise consultation is under way. I'm very excited to be helping my client make some strategic decisions on expanding the track and optimising movement while creating a grass free environment. We have good space to work with, and very sweet horses to care for.

Yesterday I also visited one very bright gelding for the first time. I thought he needed some retraining in hoof handling. As it turns out, he only needed some correction in hand. He is one of the best horses I've handled for trimming. Directly competing with my own two elephants 🙈 His legs were super relaxed in all 5 positions, just a treat to trim 😅 Chico's only weak spot is food, but we have now also addressed boundaries around food, and personal space. Honestly, he was a superstar to trim 😍

14/07/2025

This was a nice surprise from Mr. Jackson 😍
He got me a little prezie. I had been complaining that my tools don't have casing. I've been struggling here in the UK to find leather covers for rasps and nippers. I've learnt that this arrived from his online store, right from the US.

He also ordered this Diamond quality rasp that is apparently element proof. I'll have to save it for the toughest hooves though since its super sharp!

For any hoof nerds if you're looking for quality tools and equipment, or NHC books, you can find it all in one place:
https://jaimejackson.com/collections/all

14/07/2025

Someone's been keeping us busy while we're working our way through projects 😍

The back field is now mowed to make room for our learning space. I'm very blessed Charlotte loves learning just as much as I do. They say you need two for Tango 💃💃

Anyway, this paddock will serve as our "riding arena." It's perfect size and shape.

12/07/2025

Which hay nets I have found the best, and why I'd much rather import them.

My hay net order finally arrived—and they were well worth the wait! At 80 cm with 4 cm mesh, they’re the perfect size for feeding a reasonably natural diet. Slow-feeding nets can sometimes lead to hunger and food aggression. Unfortunately, I’ve seen it happen firsthand.

I’ve tried a few different brands over the years, and so far, Piece Of Hay is ahead of the game when it comes to durability—at least in my personal experience.

I really don’t like buying something just to throw it away a few years later due to a short lifespan.

Maybe it’s a cultural trait, common among Polish nationals—we do like to build things to last for generations.

Whether it’s cultural bias or not, one trait I truly appreciate is a long-lasting, quality product. Even with the import tax, I still saved myself money and time 🤗

“I only do it for my horses...” 🙈😆

You can check out the full range at: www.pieceofhay.pl