Hoofbeats Equine Service, LLC

06/24/2026

🔍Have you ever had a situation like this?

📱 Telehealth is available!

Text us at 804-561-5590 or click to make an appointment online: https://hoofbeatsequine.com/request-appointment/

06/23/2026

Our summer grass has suffered a significant drought, and because of this, the sugar content in the grass is very high after the recent rain.

If your horses are overweight, easy keepers, or prone to laminitis, please use caution! As always, we are here if you need us. Send us a text at 804-561-5590 or book an appointment online: https://hoofbeatsequine.com/request-appointment/

06/22/2026

Petey is dearly loved and used for trail riding. Petey has become progressively more uncomfortable up front. In recent months, his farrier has noted that Petey’s RF leg will tremble and nearly give out when his LF limb is flexed. The farrier has to give Petey frequent breaks to get his feet trimmed. Since falling on a trail ride last year, he has been tripping more frequently, worse on the RF.

Read more about Petey's here: https://hoofbeatsequine.com/blog/petey-the-appaloosa/

06/21/2026

Summer is officially here! It’s the perfect time to reassess your horse’s routine—from hydration and nutrition to exercise and turnout schedules.

A seasonal check-in helps ensure your horse stays in peak condition while enjoying the longer, sunnier days ahead.

06/19/2026

Stronger Together: The Power of Collaboration

The best outcomes for our horses happen when we work as a team. Whether you’re a veterinarian, farrier, trainer, bodyworker, or saddle fitter, we all share one goal: the horse’s health and well-being.

When we bridge the gap between our fields, we provide a 360-degree approach that isn’t possible in isolation. By communicating openly and respecting each other’s expertise, we catch issues earlier, develop more effective solutions, and provide a higher, more unified standard of care.

Let’s keep prioritizing communication and cross-disciplinary teamwork. When we align our expertise, the entire industry advances, and our horses live better lives.

06/18/2026

Warmer months bring more than sunshine—they also bring flies and pests. These can cause irritation, stress, and even health concerns for horses.

Using fly masks, sprays, and maintaining clean surroundings can make a big difference. Comfort matters, even in the smallest details.

06/17/2026

Public Service Announcement: Call before you dig!

Abscesses in the foot typically erupt near the white line or eventually travel up the hoof wall to erupt from the coronary band. It is rare that we see a true abscess near the tip of the frog or in the quarters of the sole. It is tempting to try and dig these abscesses or soft spots out, but digging too deep or in a dangerous location can lead to permament damage and even euthanasia. Treating a bone infection is extremely difficult and expensive with a guarded prognosis.

This gelding has an infection in his coffin bone. Lysis, or degeneration of P3 has started. You cannot predict how deep you can dig without xrays of the foot. Please call us before you dig. It could save your horses life.

Questions? Call us at 804-561-5590 or make an appointment online: https://hoofbeatsequine.com/request-appointment/

06/16/2026

We are so proud of these ladies who are bringing light and truth to such a controversial topic. Keep up the good work!

🚨 THE "ECVM" DEBATE: THE GAME-CHANGING NEW EVIDENCE EVERY HORSE OWNER NEEDS TO SEE 🚨

If you own a Warmblood, Thoroughbred, or sport horse, you’ve probably heard of ECVM (Equine Complex Vertebral Malformation).

For years, a massive debate has raged between horse owners and traditional veterinarians. Owners frequently share heartbreaking stories of horses suffering from unexplained neck stiffness, stumbling, or sudden behavior changes under saddle. Meanwhile, the mainstream veterinary establishment has often remained skeptical, arguing that because up to 40% of some horse populations have these C6/C7 variations without ever showing symptoms, it should be viewed as a "normal anatomical variant," not a disease.

But a groundbreaking new 2026 study has just completely changed the game. Leading researchers Dr. Sharon May-Davis (the anatomist who first discovered the condition), Dr. Audrey DeClue, and Kate Workman have published a peer-reviewed paper in the journal Animals that finally bridges the gap between science, veterinary imaging, and what owners are experiencing on the ground.

Here is exactly what this new research means for YOU and your horse:

1. It highlights the "Domino Effect" Inside the Neck 🧩
Skeptics have long argued that a slight bone variation doesn't automatically mean a horse is in pain. However, this study looked at the most severe form (Grade 4 Aplasia), where a crucial bony anchor point on the 6th neck vertebra (C6) is completely missing and transposed onto the 7th (C7).

By examining these cases, researchers showed that this skeletal defect creates a severe domino effect on the surrounding soft tissue:

The Muscles: The longus colli muscle—the absolute core stabilizer of your horse's neck—is left severely altered or completely asymmetrical because its structural anchor point is missing.

The Blood Flow: In 13 out of 20 cases, the malformation actually deformed the bone channel (foramen transversarium), which could directly disrupt or destabilise the vertebral artery, which supplies vital blood flow to the horse's brain.

2. No More Veterinary Guesswork 📸
In the past, vets struggled to diagnose this accurately on a live horse because standard field X-rays of the lower neck are notoriously hard to align. This study changes that. The researchers successfully established a precise, concrete protocol using specific bony landmarks. Vets can now reliably diagnose this severe structural deficit in live horses using standard field radiographs.

3. It Validates Horse Owners 🐴❤️
If you have been told your horse is just "being difficult," "resisting contact," or "unwilling to work," this paper provides a massive sigh of relief. It indicates that these severe structural variations could be directly tied to localized neck pain, neurological coordination issues, and severe biomechanical instability. It isn't a training issue; it is a physical defect.

What should you do next?

Look at the Whole Horse: Because symptoms like stumbling or stiffness overlap with other issues (like kissing spines, ulcers, or hock arthritis), traditional vets worry owners will stop looking for answers once they see a neck X-ray. Use this new data as a tool, not a catch-all.

Talk to Your Vet: If you have a horse with unresolved, chronic neck pain or unpredictable behavior, ask your veterinarian about this specific 2026 study. Vets now have an exact radiographic blueprint to look closer and get you definitive answers.

Our horses can't speak, so they rely on us to look past the surface. This new research gives us the power to finally see the full picture, make informed breeding decisions, protect horse welfare, and provide our equine partners with the exact care they deserve.

📝 SCIENTIFIC PRECISION UPDATE: To ensure we interpret this brilliant new data with absolute clinical accuracy, it is important to note a specific detail regarding the study's scope!

While the paper provides an incredibly compelling, highly logical anatomical framework for why these horses experience issues—mapping out exactly how the longus colli muscle and vertebral artery are structurally altered—it is an anatomical description of end-stage, symptomatic horses rather than a dynamic biomechanical study. Because it didn't include a healthy control group, strict science means it doesn't prove direct causation or the exact firing mechanics of the pain itself.

What it does definitively prove is a massive game-changer for diagnostics: veterinarians now have a validated radiographic blueprint to accurately identify this severe Grade 4 defect in live horses. It gives us the structural pieces of the puzzle so we can stop guessing and start looking closer! 🎯

If you are interested in reading the paper here is the link below:
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/16/3/482

06/15/2026

In this new episode of The Horse First, Dr. Audrey DeClue and Dr. Sue Dyson discuss the importance of a rider's checklist from the stall, tacking up, and under saddle for assessing a horse's physical well-being with considerations to determine if your horse is lame: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-riders-daily-checklist-in-the-ridden-horse/id1435735981?i=1000771384024

06/13/2026

Trust is at the heart of every horse-human relationship. Consistency, patience, and positive reinforcement go a long way in strengthening that bond.

Whether you're grooming, training, or just spending quiet time together, those small moments build lasting trust.