Rebecca’s Farrier Service

05/23/2026

No soy, no fillers, just really great nutrition 👌🏻

05/14/2026

Here’s what my brain sees-

Pink: Mapping the foot around the center of rotation for finding optimal balance (not a trim line, just a guide line) *also doing this one thing has helped vets that do rads on my client horses love me

Blue: finding the white line. It’s the junction between the wall and sole, and is your most consistent landmark, which is important when managing distortion in the hoof capsule. It also lines up with the shape of your cornet band. When shaping shoes it helps to line up your nail holes with the white line (and then also leave room for expansion, to try to reduce possible contraction)

Orange: center line of the foot following the central sulcus (center/middle crease in the frog) This helps me see if there’s more foot medial/lateral (either “side” of the orange line), I then cross reference this with the (blue) white line to see if there’s excessive wall/flare/distortion that needs to be trimmed.

Yellow: the right (medial or side closest to the middle of his body) hoof wall is worn in a more rolled pattern, whereas the lateral (outermost side of the foot) is more flat in the wear pattern. To me this says the load of the foot is heavier or more loaded on the medial side of the foot, which also lines up with the bar fracture circled in green. (Most horses load medially and flare laterally)

Not marked is the collateral grooves, which help me determine about how much sole depth I have to work with. Most barefoot horses on my books self manage their own soles so it’s rare I have to use my knife on them.

Taking all this into consideration within seconds of picking up the foot and assessing what and where to trim doesn’t happen overnight. This is also a healthy, sound horse with plenty of movement and good nutrition.

Continued education and taking everything with a grain of salt, complimented by asking your own questions, listening to the horse, and educating clients has helped me be so successful in the 8 years I’ve been doing this.

04/29/2026

Progress 👌🏻

04/23/2026

03/27/2026

Some before and afters. These were really cool as you can see a perfect layer of sole getting ready to peel out/exfoliate all on its own. This horse is a working guy so I leave him all of the sole I can. 👌🏻 The toe crack is being monitored as he’s currently sound

03/27/2026

Just a good foot with a simple trim 👌🏻

03/10/2026

Finally remembered to take some “work” pictures. This guy had a decent amount of hoof wall separation that was causing his hoof wall to pull away and break off. Cleaned up the trim, applied durasole(purple) and then not pictured was the artimud and then polyware wrap application. Wrapping his hooves allows for stability and good growth without the separation working against him.

03/04/2026

👀👌🏻

“Horses regularly trained with ground work are more relaxed when ridden”

A recent study of dressage horses in Germany that looked at rein length and tension revealed a surprising finding: horses who were regularly trained in ground work/in-hand work had lower heart rates during ridden work than all of the other participating horses. This wasn’t what the researchers were investigating, but it was clear in the results. From this, the researchers concluded that, “Perhaps horses trained in ground work had more trust in their rider.”

So why would it be true that horses who regularly learn via ground work/in-hand work are more relaxed? There are a few possibilities.

1) Horses trained regularly with ground work are more relaxed because their trainers are more relaxed. It’s possible that humans who take the time to teach their horses from the ground are less goal oriented and more concerned with the process. They may be more relaxed in general and foster this same relaxation in their horses. As you are, so is your horse.

2) Horses trained regularly with ground work have trainers who are more educated about a horse’s balance.

Their horses learn to move in correct balance which allows them to be healthy and sound in their bodies and, therefore, more relaxed. Physical balance is emotional balance.

3) Horses trained regularly with ground work understand the trainer’s criteria better. They have mastered the response to an aid before the rider mounts and know the “right answer” already once under saddle. They don’t experience any conflict when the rider asks for a behavior because the neural pathway has already been installed. They are more relaxed about being ridden because it rarely has caused confusion for them.

For us highly visual humans I think that ground work is often a better way to begin exercises because we are much better at seeing our horse doing the right thing than feeling it from the saddle. Often, my feel in the saddle is enhanced by the fact that I have watched my horse perform an exercise over and over in our in-hand work. It feels how it looks. In-hand work is also a good way to teach our horses because our own bodies are often more in balance when we are walking beside our horses. With the ground under our feet we are able to be more relaxed if something goes wrong and less likely to be so busy wrapped up in our own balance that we give our horses conflicting or confusing aids. It’s a good place to figure things out. I am a huge fan of in-hand work.

I’m glad to learn research revealed ground work is good for horses. Horses with a low heart rate are relaxed and relaxed horses perform better and live longer. In this day and age of people starting horses under saddle in under an hour and increasing monetary rewards for the “young horse dressage program“, everything seems to be done in a hurry. The entire horse culture seems to privilege “getting up there and riding your horse”. But as one of my favorite writers and accomplished horsewoman, Teresa Tsimmu Martino writes, “In today’s horse culture there are clinics that brag about starting a c**t in a day, as if the quickness of it was the miracle. But old horse people know it takes years to create art. Horses as great masterpieces are not created in a day. An artist does not need to rush.” We need more scientific studies like this one to encourage us to slow down and take our time with our horses.

So why were the horses in the study more relaxed? Likely it was a combination of all three factors – a relaxed trainer, better overall balance and clear understanding of criteria.

These are things that matter to your horse, and yes, will allow him to trust you when you ride. Take some time to slow down and work from the ground, learn a bit more about equine balance and teach new things in-hand before asking for them under saddle. You can take your riding to a whole new level and help your horse become more healthy and relaxed in the process.” - by Jen of Spellbound Horses

02/27/2026

https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.sutton.585/posts/pfbid0qzfGKzMdCuXy76VJgj1JSdtyXoXKC3mgA2eeU8AAM18vvX3dLgApzEs3cTHLMcJl

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02/16/2026

The Frog Test: A Case Study Every Horse Owner Should See:-

When evaluating a hoof, most eyes go straight to the wall.

Cracks. Chips. Flares. Growth rings.

But what if the real story is hiding in the center?

This case study proves one powerful truth: The frog never lies.

The First Impression:-

At first glance, this hoof didn’t scream emergency. The wall had some distortion. The heels looked slightly contracted. Nothing dramatic enough to cause panic.

But when we looked at the frog — everything changed.

The frog appeared narrow, elongated, and deeply cleft through the central sulcus. Instead of being wide and ground-engaging, it was recessed and tight. The central sulcus was deep enough to trap debris and moisture.

That was our first red flag.

Why the Frog Matters:-

The frog is not just a “soft triangle.” It plays a critical role in:

1) Shock absorption
2) Blood circulation within the hoof
3) Heel expansion
4) Load distribution
5) Proprioception (the horse’s sense of ground)

A healthy frog should be:

1.Wide and full
2.Slightly callused
3.Sharing load with the heels
4.Free of deep central cracks

When the frog becomes narrow and deeply split, it often indicates:

1) Contracted heels
2) Caudal hoof weakness
3) Lack of frog engagement
4) Possible thrush in the central sulcus
5) Chronic imbalance

And that’s exactly what this hoof was showing.

The Hidden Problem

Here’s where it gets interesting.

The wall distortion was actually a symptom — not the root cause.

The deep central sulcus suggested long-term heel contraction. When heels contract, the frog loses proper ground contact. When frog engagement decreases, circulation and digital cushion stimulation decline.

Over time, this can lead to:

1.Poor shock absorption
2.Increased strain on the deep digital flexor tendon
3.Compensatory loading at the toe
4.Eventual lameness risk

The frog was telling us this hoof wasn’t functioning efficiently from the back half.

And most owners would have missed it.

The Solution Strategy:-

Instead of just trimming the wall and making it “look neat,” the approach focused on restoring function:

1)Address heel balance carefully -not aggressively lowering them.
2) Open and clean the central sulcus to eliminate bacterial environment.
3) Encourage frog engagement with proper trim mechanics.
4) Improve environmental management (dry footing, hygiene).
5) Monitor over multiple cycles — because heel rehab takes time.

The goal was not cosmetic correction.

The goal was functional restoration.

Within trim cycles, the frog began widening. The central sulcus became shallower. Heel expansion improved. The hoof started loading more evenly.

That’s the power of reading the frog correctly.

The Takeaway for Horse Owners:-

If you only look at the hoof wall, you’re seeing the surface.

If you look at the frog, you’re seeing the truth.

Next time you pick up your horse’s foot, ask yourself:

1.Is the frog wide and healthy?
2.Is the central sulcus shallow or deep?
3.Are the heels supporting it properly?

Because small frog changes today can prevent major lameness tomorrow.

👉 Want to learn how to read your horse’s frog like a professional?

Follow for more real case studies that break down hoof science in simple, practical terms and help you protect your horse before problems become expensive emergencies.