Harlé Knights DEP - Equine Podiatrist

06/06/2026

Hi all! I’m due to put another Red Horse Products order in soon. If there’s anything you’re in need of, please let me know! 🐴

I use these products myself every day, and I think they’re fantastic. I sell them at RRP, which saves you on postage!

15/05/2026

I am out of office for the next week, as I am travelling back up to Scotland to spend some more time with the fantastic Touching Wild with Bonny Mealand and some beautiful feral ponies.

Any emergencies, your vet is your first point of call! Otherwise, I’ll be responding to messages when I’m back 🐴

13/05/2026

‼️ LAMINITIS WARNING ‼️ The weather is cooler, the Laminitis Risk app says the risk is low, and yet horses are dropping like flies. I’ve had half a dozen calls in the last few days letting me know of a laminitis diagnosis, and most of them are big warmbloody, finer types. Samson (pictured) is fine with careful management by the way.

I’m no grass geek, but I know that sunshine and rain along with mild temperatures make the grass grow extra fast. I also hear that last year’s drought forced the grass to send its roots down deeper looking for moisture. And the deeper you go, the more nutrients you find. Then when the conditions are right for growth…. Disaster.

Laminitis does not just affect horses with metabolic disorders or insulin resistance. The change from dry hay cut last summer to what’s growing out there now is drastic. The gut biome is set up for fibre and is suddenly being fed sugar which causes uproar on the inside. It’s a very easy trap to fall into, so please check pulses, supraorbital fossa (the concave place above the eyes) and crests daily. Be watching for discomfort when turning, footiness, fat pads, swollen sheath/underside, and puffy fetlocks. Please please don’t be caught out

25/04/2026

What a FANTASTIC CPD day with , learning all about Floating and Evo boots, and how to modify them to get the perfect fit. Pretty sure I’ll be getting the fit kit as soon as it’s available!

21/04/2026

Going to be a fantastic couple of days, for owners and professionals alike!

25/03/2026

The deadline is TONIGHT, have your say on the reform of the Veterinary Surgeon’s Act 👇

Proposed Changes to the Veterinary Surgeons Act - Your Voice as a horse owner matters

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/reform-of-the-veterinary-surgeons-act/consultation/

Consultation Closes on 25 Mar 26

The Veterinary Surgeons Act is currently in the process of being amended and updated. The proposals include changing the way Allied Veterinary Professionals (AVPs) are recognised and regulated in future. This means much of your regular equine care providers, including Farriers, Equine Podiatry Association Members and Equine Dental Technicians fall within the allied professionals definition.

A consultation is currently accepting responses from members of the public, and your views as a horse owner could help to shape the way our professions are defined, and how the services we provide are overseen and organised.

The proposed changes in summary:

- A broadening of the scope of the Act, placing those who own or work in veterinary practices within the scope of the act, even if they are not veterinarians themselves.

- Regulation of Allied Veterinary Professionals, potentially under the umbrella of the Royal College of Veterinary surgeons (potentially replacing the farriers registration council and the self-regulating professional bodies which already exist)

- A new requirement for Allied Veterinary Professionals to meet certain criteria (such a qualifications and insurance requirements), which we feel represents a positive change which has the potential to improve equine welfare.

I’m a member of the Equine Podiatry Association, and our current processes align well with the proposals in the reform for managing license and fitness to practise mechanisms, and we have an OFQUAL accredited qualification. The work we’ve done on this over many years means that our Association is well placed meet the requirements which are likely to result from the proposed changes.

However, we, and many of the other allied professions affected by these changes, share concerns over the governance options outlined in the consultation and whether they will ultimately represent the same level of freedom to choose who we use to provide our horse's non veterinary healthcare. If all the vets and allied professions are under the one Veterinary regulator, will that regulation understand the differences and concerns of the Allied Veterinary Professions, and will the regulation be proportionate to the size scale and risk of our businesses?

The reforms impacts both my profession and my hobby because I also value the support of the wonderful Allied Professionals that I use to support my horse’s health and wellbeing.

So I’d encourage you to take the time to respond to the consultation with your views. Particularly helpful to your Equine Podiatrist will be responses which include the following points:

- That you value having a Qualified Equine Podiatrist to help you to care for your equine's welfare, and why

- That a Regulated Equine Healthcare Industry which recognises different professionals with different qualifications who meet high standards will improve equine welfare, provided that regulation is fair, independently overseen by an appropriate independent body, and allows for incorporation of the existing qualified professionals who you trust and rely upon

- That you recognise that your Equine Podiatry Association Equine Podiatrist holds a recognised and comprehensive qualification and is a member of a professional body with membership requirements which have been benchmarked against the government's existing requirements for self-regulating professional bodies

- That you value your ability to choose between a range of allied professionals so can you utilise the services of the most appropriate professional for your horse's individual needs

Thankyou!

21/03/2026

𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗥𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺

The Equine Podiatry Association (UK) would like to highlight the ongoing DEFRA consultation regarding the proposed reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. We encourage all relevant stakeholders to be aware that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵.

The EPA UK welcomes the reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act and recognises the importance of ensuring legislation remains fit for purpose in supporting high standards of animal welfare.

However, we have concerns that the current proposals do not adequately reflect the input of Allied Veterinary Professionals (AVPs). We believe this omission represents a significant gap, and as such, the proposals in their current form are incomplete.

The EPA UK strongly supports a collaborative approach and welcomes the opportunity to work alongside DEFRA and other AVPs to help shape updated proposals.

It is essential that future legislation fully recognises and incorporates the valuable role that AVPs play in promoting and safeguarding animal welfare.

A more detailed statement will be released in due course.

Have your say by clicking the link below 👇

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/reform-of-the-veterinary-surgeons-act/consultation/

15/03/2026

Please read Emma’s post below, she puts it beautifully… I now have my own facilities to study anatomy. I never want anyone to feel uncomfortable or pressured because of course losing your pony is hard enough, so please approach me if donating legs is something you are interested in.

Trigger warning - discussion about euthanasia and dissections.

I would not be the EP I am today, if it wasn’t for the countless cadavers I have had the privilege to study. To really do this job justice, we must take a deep dive into the biology.

Whilst each cadaver leg I have worked on has taught me something, I often leave with some un answered questions. Without a history on the horse (as these cadavers usually come from the abattoir) my most unanswered question is ‘how did this horse present?’.

Whilst it will always be an emotional challenge for me; being able to perform a dissection on hoof that belonged to a horse I had worked with would give me a special and unique opportunity to learn more, develop my skills and ultimately help others in the future.

I have previously tried to have conversations with clients regarding horses being donated to me when the awful time comes to say goodbye but I have often left with a tinge of guilt, a sense of inappropriateness and just feeling a little sad having raised the topic.

I really do understand how big an ask this is and I can’t stress enough how much I respect a simple ‘No, that’s not for me and my horse’.

Instead of approaching individuals, I thought I would open up an invitation for my clients (and others if interested) to come and approach me to discuss the topic further.

I want to remain respectful for how tricky this topic can be so I will pop further details in the comments section below for those who want to read further.

Now on that topic, go and give your horses an extra cwtch from me ♥️♥️

13/03/2026

Lots of grass coming through at the minute.. A muzzle can be a fantastic addition if you struggle with weight gain or laminitis! Urban Horse have a great selection, and you can use code HARLE5 to get 5% off, and it helps me out a bit too ☺️

02/03/2026

Spring has arrived with an almighty bang this year. We’ve had two solid months of low pressure weather which brought cloud cover and rain. It’s been mild though, and mild nights enable the grass to grow. The last few days have been exceptionally warm with fantastic sunshine, but that means the grass is not just growing, it’s growing rapidly. The better weather is set to continue too. You might not notice the shoots coming through and you might think it will be a few weeks yet before laminitis becomes a risk, but in my experience this is never the case. It’s so important that owners take preventative measures BEFORE their pony starts to look a bit footy or their pulses become elevated. Last year I only saw two laminitis cases, and that’s because the owners I work with were all over it.

Please be all over it 🙏🏼