Footloose Holistic Hoof Care

05/14/2026

05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day 💕

05/09/2026

Is your horse secretly shrink wrapped?

I often describe horses as feeling 'shrink wrapped' when they are first presented to me. As many of you know, I am highly tuned in to the fascia of the horse. Over the past few years I feel I've developed a great way of 'unwrapping' horses out of this restrictive mess.

So thanks to the perks of AI I've made an image of what I imagine! I didn't think Elmo would take too kindly to me wrapping him in cling film, also not very eco!

Fascia is like shrink wrap on the horse’s body.
Imagine taking a powerful, athletic horse and wrapping layers of plastic tightly around it. At first, the horse can still move… but not freely. The shoulders lose range. The stride shortens. The neck stiffens. The back can’t swing properly. Breathing becomes restricted. Compensation patterns begin.

That’s exactly what restrictive fascia can feel like in the body and what I feel beneath my hands on the daily.

Fascia is the connective tissue web that surrounds and interpenetrates every muscle, tendon, ligament, nerve, blood vessel, and organ. It is one continuous system from nose to tail. Nothing works in isolation.

When fascia becomes tight, dehydrated, inflamed, or stuck from injury, stress, compensation, poor movement, repetitive strain, trauma, or even emotional tension, it creates restriction throughout the entire system.

A restriction in the shoulder can affect the opposite hind. Tension through the rib cage can alter breathing and spinal movement. Tightness in the jaw or poll can influence posture all the way down the front limbs. Restrictions through the thoracolumbar fascia can reduce engagement, impulsion, and fluidity of movement.

The body starts adapting around the restriction.
Muscles overwork. Joints lose freedom. Movement patterns change. Circulation and lymphatic flow decrease. The nervous system stays guarded and protective.

And often, the area showing symptoms isn’t the true source of the problem.

Because fascia connects EVERYTHING.

That’s why bodywork, movement, hydration, nervous system regulation, and proper biomechanics matter so much. When we release restrictions in the fascial system, we don’t just affect one isolated area, we restore communication and flow throughout the whole body.

A horse in unrestricted movement is fluid, elastic, powerful, and soft.

Remove the 'shrink wrap', and the entire system can breathe again!

05/09/2026

Spring grass may look harmless, but introducing it too quickly can have serious consequences for your horse’s digestive and metabolic health. 🌱🐎

Lush spring pasture is often higher in sugars and rapidly fermentable carbohydrates than mature forage. Sudden access can disrupt the hindgut microbiome, increase the risk of colic, diarrhea, and laminitis, especially in horses with insulin dysregulation or metabolic concerns.

A gradual transition is key:
✔️ Start with short grazing periods
✔️ Increase turnout slowly over several weeks
✔️ Feed hay before turnout to reduce gorging
✔️ Monitor body condition and weight closely
✔️ Use grazing muzzles or dry lots for sugar-sensitive horses when needed

Pasture management matters too. Waiting until the grass reaches at least 6 inches before grazing, and resting fields before they’re overgrazed, helps support both pasture health and safer nutrient intake for your horse.

Every horse responds differently to spring pasture. If your horse is at risk for laminitis, metabolic dysfunction, or other health concerns, work closely with your veterinarian to create a safe grazing plan tailored to their needs.

05/06/2026

Every horse owner should be able to identify some common problems. Most of them are diet related.

Strong hooves always need a high nutrient density diet.

Getting the balance right of magnesium, zinc and copper is critical, not just adding them in, but providing them in the correct ratios, matched to grass and hay, so they can actually be absorbed and used.

Magnesium plays a key role in metabolism and is essential for supporting a well-connected, resilient laminae structure. Zinc and copper are fundamental for keratin formation and hoof integrity, but without balance, absorption is compromised.

Protein drives hoof quality, but it’s not just “protein levels.”

Always we must address the availability of all essential amino acids across the total daily diet. Each element of your horses diet matters for balance and absorption. The body will always prioritise vital organs and systems first… so hooves only benefit when there is enough left over to build strong, durable horn, white line connection and frog health.

Our database of over 12,000 samples of forage shows us what hooves need.

What we typically suggest for hoof support:
• Copper: 400 mg
• Zinc: 1200 mg
• Magnesium: 12 g

Essential amino acids:
• Lysine: 10 g
• Methionine: minimum 5 g

You should increase methionine to 10 g/day where hoof issues are present

Then:
• Increase overall protein by 100 g/day using a quality protein source (500 kg horse)
• Consider adding a full-spectrum essential amino acid supplement (all 9 EAAs)

💡 Feed these amino acids in a small meal after work because this is when the body is most primed to absorb and utilise these nutrients effectively.

Balance first, matched to forage. Then build. That’s how you grow stronger hooves.

💫 Know a friend with a horse with poor hooves? Save this or send this to them 💫

05/06/2026