Charlene Barnard Equine Podiatrist DEP MEPA

15/09/2025

Sharing a fellow colleagues post as I’ve seen and felt this too! My shoulders are definitely feeling it! 😢

Something has changed in the last week.

This last week, I've had a worryingly high amount of horses snatching, pulling, sideways stepping/barging into me, and a hind foot in motion very close to my face.

I'm not sure what's going on, but I wonder if the drop in temperature and definite change to colder weather has switched on their hangry "need to eat as much and for as long as I can", and also creaky joints are now aching again.
I think we're past the autumn grass flush (from how the last few weeks have been), but it's still in the back of my mind too.

I'll need you guys to help me on this one; every one of those snatches and pulls could have put me out of work.

Please provide fibrous forage (ie hay) for them so they can hopefully settle for the trim. If they are looking uncomfortable or stiff in their movements, think about pain relief prior to the appointment (best to speak to your vet if you are unsure how to approach this one).

Let's see what this week brings - first up I'm in the Highlands covering for a colleague so she can do some research on wild horses in Mongolia, then back to my own later this week.

15/09/2025

Morning all! Just a reminder as it’s been wet please try your best to present your horses/ponies legs/hooves as mud free as possible, old towel drying is best. Also if it’s raining please can you provide shelter to trim if possible. Thank you in advance xx

20/05/2025

Gold star to Emma and Billy today! Soaking his hooves with wet towels and old rug! Thank you 🥰

14/05/2025

Borrowed from a colleague! 😬

Can't believe I'm writing this 🫢

Because the weather has been so dry, feet will be rock hard and with some horses with thick feet near impossible for my tools to get through!

Since I can't make my tools any sharper than they already are and magically double my grip strength, I would like to ask you all a favour - if you can, could you please soak these feet 30 minutes prior to my arrival, to soften them up a bit?

I know some horses stand better for that than others, so there's no limit to your creativity. You could:

- put a wet pad/rag/carpet cut-off in their boots and pop them on
- pop on a soak boot, kajak bag, or a feed bag (you'll need to secure that one with some vet wrap or similar) and fill with some water
- have them stand in a shallow tray/feed tub filled with a couple of inches of water (you can stand these underneath the haynet they are munching on, so they are less likely to walk out of them)
- have them stand on a soaked towel.

Your help is much appreciated.

PSA: unless your horse is a mini Shetland and needs only one foot soaked, you'll definitely need more water than in the above picture 😄

07/01/2025

“Top Tip Tuesday!”

A wire brush is a handy tool for keeping your horses hooves clean. It’s perfect for removing dirt and debris, ensuring the hoof stays clean and healthy. Regular brushing can help prevent the buildup of dirt and bacteria whilst also dislodging any small stones out of the inner wall/white line junction.

03/01/2025

Fantastic feed! All mine are on the superfood base and herbals blends! Xx

Happy New Year 2025!!

And do we have a treat for you?!!!

Flash Sale now on - with 25% off EVERYTHING online until midnight Monday!!!!

No code needed, discount automatically applies at check out

GO!!!!!

11/12/2024

Axel sporting his Christmas jumper this week!

09/12/2024

🙌🏻

Any advice worth taking, ESPECIALLY on hoof balance and trim quality, will not be given on line via pictures. Even if a fancy mark up App is used.

You need to see the whole picture.

You need to put your hands on that horse, watch it move, assess its environment, build a relationship with the owner and understand what they ‘want’ from the horse and are able to provide.

This job (when done properly) really isn’t as straight forward as people may think.

As an interesting example, when assessing Hoof Pastern Axis (which is just one of MANY things we assess when adjusting hoof balance) how the horse is stood will have a huge impact on what an x ray or photograph will show.

These 2 x rays below show 2 very different stories when it comes to HPA. What happened in between these X-rays…..we adjusted how he was stood!!

18/09/2024

Well that’s the EPA Conference 2024 done! Proud of our conference team for pulling it out of the bag! Lovely relaxed country setting for us to reflect and remember Jayne Hunt, whilst learning from some amazing speakers. Not forgetting some catching up with fellow colleagues! 💜

03/09/2024

Last week to grab your conference tickets!! Xx

🌟PLEASE SHARE FAR & WIDE🌟

We’re counting down the days until The Jayne Hunt Memorial Conference ! The final preparations are underway and we can’t wait!

Tickets are still on sale until the 8th of September so if you haven’t already got yours, click on the link below:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-equine-podiatry-association-presents-the-jayne-hunt-memorial-conference-tickets-830108044507

Check out the eventbrite page for details of the fantastic speakers we have lined up!

17/08/2024

🥰🙌🏻

Finer Forage Friday Facts:
Why we don't use Alfalfa at Finer Forage 🤓📖

🌱 Alfalfa is a legume, popularly fed as hay in the US, and as chop or pellets in the UK. It has low sugar and starch and high fibre content, so it looks like a good option on paper, until you dig a little deeper....

🌱 Alfalfa is high in nitrogen, or crude protein (not quality protein) which can be problematic, for the liver especially. Excess nitrogen can also cause issues with calcium and magnesium uptake, disrupt normal endocrine function, and lead to inflammation, particularly visible in the hooves.

🌱 Alfalfa is known to increase acidity in the hindgut, by propionate being the dominant VFA produced upon fermentation of alfala. Often, microbial disturbances might follow, as microbes that can't tolerate excessively acidic environments die off, and a cascade of resulting gastrointestinal disturbance and systemic inflammation ensues.

🌱 Alfalfa is an accumulator plant, in other words, it's one of those plants that uptakes toxins, so it can accumulate heavy metals if they're present in the soil where it is grown.

🌱 Alfalfa has the potential to upregulate the immune response - so it's a definite no-no for horses with sweet itch, allergies, or autoimmune issues.

🌱 Alfalfa has high phytoestrogen content, so it can disrupt normal endocrine function and responses.

🌱 Alfalfa has been shown to increase photosensitivity in humans, so it wouldn't be helpful to any pink noses in the summer!

🌱 Alfalfa has a very imbalanced calcium to phosphorus ratio, so should not be fed to youngsters, as it risks developmental orthopedic disease (incorrect bone formation in youngsters)

That's why we only use grass chop and nuts and never Alfalfa, at Finer Forage 🌱🌿🌻🌿🌷☘️🌼🌹

27/06/2024

It was a hot one yesterday! My Last client of the day provided me with a lovely treat! ❤️ thank you to all clients for the shade yesterday ! Much appreciated 😊