Ironbark Barehoof Trimming

31/07/2025

We couldn't have said this better ourselves 😁

Start handling your foal’s feet early and schedule prompt farrier visits to support healthy limb development and instill good manners for lifelong hoof care.

21/07/2025

An interesting read on sedation for horses whilst being trimmed. We mostly will refuse to trim a sedated horse, for various reasons...
For example 1. the flight response is so deeply ingrained in horses that this will often override sedation - with very little to no warning, the farrier is in an incredibly dangerous position as the horse suddenly attempts to escape.
2. A sedated horse may have lessened proprioception, so could inadvertently fall on the trimmer or be unable to balance itself successfully on 3 legs.
3. Pain can override sedation effects, and should be treated with appropriate analgesia, not sedation.
4. the recommendation that a vet be present to administer recovery drugs isn't always possible ... both vets and trimmers have busy schedules, and it isn't always realistic to expect vets and trimmers to have diaries which align :D

Over the years we've seen all of the above situations occur with sedated horses, and it's simply not worth our lives/livelihood to put ourselves in such a risky position.
Sedation is no substitute for good training. This should start with breeders, continue with trainers, and be maintained by regular hoof maintenance (cleaning the hoof out daily etc) from the owner

A veterinarian describes when sedation might be necessary for your horse’s farrier visit, common sedatives for farrier work, and safety considerations.

17/07/2025

:)

Your farrier plays an important part in your horse’s hoof health. Remembering a few simple things can help the appointment run smoothly.

10/06/2025

We can't emphasise these hints enough, especially the last point 🙂
We (the owner and the hoof care professionals etc) are all part of a team, dedicated to keeping your horse sound and healthy 🙂

Working in the equine industry is one of the best jobs out there (we reckon!), but it can be tricky sometimes with all the organisational and practical hurdles involved. There are lots of ways you as a client can make it easier on your equine professional whether it is your hoof trimmer, bodyworker, vet, saddle fitter, dentist etc. Here are just some things you can do to be a GREAT client! What else do you do to help your hard working equine professionals?

10/06/2025

This is SO interesting 🙂
It explains why we trim each horse (indeed each foot) individually, in an effort to find and then maintain the sweet spot to keep that horse functionally sound 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1B18nU3FtR/

01/06/2025

Some handy tips on introducing a new horse into your herd :)

Follow these steps to safely and successfully introduce a new horse to an existing herd.

10/05/2025

These points are impossible to overemphasise ... especially in the high-sugar "improved" pastures found in south-east Queensland.
Great for fattening cattle for early turn-off, absolutely terrible for long-term good health and functional old age for our beloved equines.
Knowing this, we believe it's our moral responsibility to try to alleviate the effects of laminitis as much as we can 🙂
The ECIR group is an internationally well-respected fount of knowledge in managing the insidious effects of metabolic issues in horses 🙂

Laminitis Alert: 80% to 90% of all laminitis cases are the result or metabolic issues. If your horse, donkey, pony, or mule has laminitis, assume that your equine has EMS/IR (Equine Metabolic Syndrome/Insulin Resistance) and start him or her on the Emergency Diet right away. Blood tests are also in order. Test glucose and insulin for EMS/IR, and if PPID/Cushing's disease are suspected, test ACTH. For details on the best ways to deal with and prevent laminitis, go here: https://bit.ly/2J4ZgYT

03/05/2025

We had fun at an International School of Integrative Hoofcare workshop with Daisy Alexis Bicking a couple of years ago. So good to spend days in the company of equally passionate hoof care providers 😊

28/04/2025

A David Landreville clinic we went to a couple of years ago :)
It's always interesting to hear other points of view :)

12/02/2025

80% to 90% of all laminitis cases are a result of metabolic issues. If your horse, pony, donkey, or mule has laminitis, assume that your equine has EMS/IR (Equine Metabolic Syndrome/Insulin Resistance) and start him or her on the Emergency Diet right away. Blood tests are also in order. Test glucose and insulin for EMS/IR, and if PPID/Cushing's disease is suspected, test ACTH. For details on the best ways to deal with and prevent laminitis, go here: https://bit.ly/2J4ZgYT

12/02/2025

This is handy as a reminder to try to minimise iron levels in all feeds and supplements given to your horse 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/share/19riEdKSAR/

The association of metabolic syndrome and iron overload, indicated by high serum ferritin concentration in humans, is well-known (Stechemesser, Eder et al. 2017). In other mammals, like captive black rhinos and its most closely related species, the horse, iron overload is primarily dietary in origin. Due to the similarity between these two species, horses were used as an alternative model by researchers studying the relationship between metabolic disease and iron overload in captive black rhinos (Nielsen, Vick et al. 2012).

Because black rhinos are critically endangered, and captive animals have diseases induced or exacerbated by iron overload, treatment and prevention is paramount to improve their health and longevity. Therefore, feeding protocols that limit dietary iron intake were utilized in captive rhinos. This resulted in the successful reduction of hyperferritinemia, an approach that should improve the health and longevity for this endangered species (Sullivan, Mylniczenko et al. 2020).

Excessive iron is stored in body tissues, spleen, liver, small intestine, and lung. In all species studied, elevated body iron storage is both a risk factor and a consequence of insulin resistance, while reducing body iron reduces risk and improves insulin sensitivity. Drs. Eleanor Kellon and Kathleen Gustafson described the association of hyperferritinemia and hyperinsulinemia (high serum ferritin and insulin) in horses (Kellon and Gustafson 2020). While emphasizing that high dietary iron is an unlikely independent causal factor in the development of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), they stressed that the association between iron overload and EMS in horses is worthy of research, as it has been in other species. Their publication was recognized by other researchers studying human Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Human type II diabetes (T2DM) with abnormal insulin signaling has been linked to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Researchers studied the brains of aged donkeys and found lesions similar to those found in humans with AD (Malbon, Lorena et al. 2022). They say, “The finding of shared neuropathological changes with humans opens the door to perhaps the most intriguing aspect; their (donkey and human) shared susceptibility to metabolic dysfunctions. The triad of T2DM, obesity, and AD are intricately linked in humans with insulin dysregulation one of the main common factors. Equids, in particular donkeys, are known to be prone to their own version of insulin resistance, in the form of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). An additional area of interest for further investigation is the link between iron levels, metabolic syndrome, and neurodegeneration. Ferritin levels have been linked to hyperinsulinemia in horses (Kellon and Gustafson 2020), whilst in humans altered iron homeostasis is known to occur in numerous forms of neurodegeneration.”

The ECIR Group Inc. encourages and supports further research aimed at increasing knowledge of the complex association and mechanisms surrounding EMS, PPID (Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction), iron overload, and neurodegeneration (McFarlane, Dybdal et al. 2005, McFarlane 2007). This is the time for research directed towards equines with EMS and/or PPID as a primary research model, instead of a secondary stand-in for other species.

REFERENCES
Kellon, E. M. and K. M. Gustafson (2020). "Possible dysmetabolic hyperferritinemia in hyperinsulinemic horses." Open Vet J 9(4): 287-293.

Malbon, A. J., S. Lorena, W. L. A., G.-M. Danielle, P. Georgios, M. Neil, S. Tobias, M. Bruce and H. Caroline (2022). "Alzheimer-like pathology in the parietal cortex and hippocampus of aged donkeys." Neurobiology of Aging 113: 7-14.

McFarlane, D. (2007). "Advantages and limitations of the equine disease, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction as a model of spontaneous dopaminergic neurodegenerative disease." Ageing Research Reviews Ageing Research Reviews 6(1): 54-63.

McFarlane, D., N. Dybdal, M. T. Donaldson, L. Miller and A. E. Cribb (2005). "Nitration and increased alpha-synuclein expression associated with dopaminergic neurodegeneration in equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction." J Neuroendocrinol 17(2): 73-80.

Nielsen, B. D., M. M. Vick and P. M. Dennis (2012). "A potential link between insulin resistance and iron overload disorder in browsing rhinoceroses investigated through the use of an equine model." J Zoo Wildl Med 43(3 Suppl): S61-65.

Stechemesser, L., S. K. Eder, A. Wagner, W. Patsch, A. Feldman, M. Strasser, S. Auer, D. Niederseer, U. Huber-Schonauer, B. Paulweber, S. Zandanell, S. Ruhaltinger, D. Weghuber, E. Haschke-Becher, C. Grabmer, E. Rohde, C. Datz, T. K. Felder and E. Aigner (2017). "Metabolomic profiling identifies potential pathways involved in the interaction of iron homeostasis with glucose metabolism." Mol Metab 6(1): 38-47.

Sullivan, K. E., N. D. Mylniczenko, S. E. Nelson, Jr., B. Coffin and S. R. Lavin (2020). "Practical Management of Iron Overload Disorder (IOD) in Black Rhinoceros (BR; Diceros bicornis)." Animals (Basel) 10(11).