Natural Neddies Equine Podiatry

03/08/2026

Urgent plea for your help. please please try your hardest to soak your horses feet for at least an hour just prior to my trim appointment. Trugs, buckets, soaking boots, standing on old soaked towels, wet cloths in the bottom of hoof boots, soak an old carpet, anything you can do to help me is greatly appreciated! This is the difference it makes of you soak them! About 1/4” of excess hoof wall and shifting sometimes solid and uncomfortable retained sole, that may end up bruising your horses soles! Big thanks to Kate and Maisie and Kath and Ash for modelling for me today!

30/07/2026

Can’t even eat my lunch in private!

22/07/2026

Demelza - French Classical Equestrian Consultancy - Yoga and Psychotherapy is a client and a phenomenal equestrian & teacher, what a fan opportunity if you are free this weekend!

Due to last minute cancellations there are two spaces available at my clinic hosted by the excellent JB Equestrian, situated ten minutes from the Bicester junction of the M40. This Saturday 25th July.

Come and learn the best way to ride! Your hirse will love it!

Please contact either myself or Jess Burborough. Private and shared sessions available. Teens and adults.

13/07/2026

Listen to Clive, he talks sense! If I say no, it’s for a good reason. I’ve already had my fair share of broken bones thanks to horses both at work and for pleasure, I don’t need or want anymore Thank you :)

10/07/2026

Important information on legislation around Hoof Care in the UK.

🚨 MASSIVE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES AHEAD FOR UK FARRIERS: What you need to know 🚨

The government just published a major White Paper ("Our vision for a thriving veterinary sector") that outlines the biggest overhaul of animal healthcare and veterinary law in 60 years.
While the headlines are focusing on vet fees and pet clinics, this directly impacts us as farriers.

The government is replacing the old 1966 Veterinary Surgeons Act. For the first time, farriers are officially being recognized under the law as part of the broader "allied veterinary professional" team.
Here are the fast facts on what's coming:
🔹 "Licence to Practise" System: The current registration system is being modernized. Moving forward, everyone in the equine healthcare loop including farriers will operate under a formal "Licence to Practise" framework to legally perform specific hoof care and animal health tasks.
🔹 Protected Titles & Defined Roles: The new Act will protect professional titles and give a single regulator the power to clearly map out what tasks each profession is legally permitted to do. The goal is to let everyone work to the full extent of their training while keeping things crystal clear for owners. Farriers will have the title RAVP (Farrier). This stands for Registered Allied Veterinary Professional.
🔹 Barefoot trimming will eventually come under full regulation.
🔹 New "Fitness to Practise" Rules: Disciplinary structures are shifting to a modern "current impairment" model. Instead of just penalizing past mistakes, the focus will be on whether a person currently poses a risk to welfare, opening up better pathways for support and rehabilitation.

🗓️ The Timeline:
Defra and the British Veterinary Association have stated they are actively targeting parliamentary time to get a draft Bill introduced to Parliament next year (2027). Farriery will be amongst the first professions to be implemented along with Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Nurses. This is likely due to the fact there is existing legislation framework available.

This is going to completely reshape how our industry interacts with veterinary regulation. Keep your eyes peeled as the industry associations start consulting on how our specific scope of work will be defined under the new board.

Read the full government paper here if you want to dive into the fine print:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-vision-for-a-thriving-veterinary-sector/our-vision-for-a-thriving-veterinary-sector

Thoughts on this? Let's discuss below. 👇

05/07/2026

I like the idea of the owner holding the legs 🤔 would save me a lot of backache!

30/06/2026

At a recent webinar, Kelsey Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (LAIM), the Hodgson Chair of Equine Studies at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine, shared new insights into PPID and EMS, including risk factors, hyperinsulinemia-associated laminitis, and the role of SGLT2 inhibitors in managing insulin dysfunction.

Read more at the link in the comments.

22/06/2026

That’s the last of my 3rd year Areion Academy Fledgling’s completing their final shadow day with me. Thought I would test out Freya Undrell’s stamina skills in this ridiculously hot weather, so I gave her Marty to trim as her final case study 🙂 he may be beautiful but he is not at all helpful! She’s done a fab job even though sweat was dripping in her eyes. Good luck to you Freya with your final exams next week and to all my other fledgling’s as well 🙂 You are all going to make fantastic Equine Podiatrists!!!!!