Here is a little background about me – I have been into horses for as long as I can remember but with non horsey parents. I had to wait until I was 17 and driving before I could purchase my first horse. This like many others was a thoroughbred off the track and shod all four – welcome Charli.

Over the space of the next 6-7 years, we had many hoof issues. I could see that the feet weren’t quite right, the farriers telling me they could fix it, then say that’s just how he is after 6months. I trusted them as trained professionals but was continuously let down. I had tried to go barefoot with my horse at around 3 years of ownership but soon discovered that he was unsound without shoes, there wasn’t a lot of information or support for barefoot either and I didn’t feel confident enough after 1 trim training session (that’s all I could find at the time), to take over the whole hoof care.

My big change came in 2019 when Charlie was telling me at each shoe change that he wasn’t happy. When the shoe came off, he would hobble and then fidget when the farrier would hit the nails back in. The farrier turned to me after spending an hour trying to nail one shoe on and still failed, and informed me that I had two options – hobble or get a vet to sedate him. This was a huge shock and one that I needed to set the wheels in motion to go barefoot again. This time I had nothing to lose as Charli was unsound in shoes at that point.

After a chance meeting with a local hoof care provider, we were soon on her books to be under her care. I was immediately interested as she started showing me how I could maintain him between trims (this was also to try to save money, as she was expensive).
After 5 months, my boy was sound barefoot. If we wanted to trail ride, we did neeed to use boots as he had sustained internal bone damage (ossification, calcification, and a small fracture to his pedal bone) and that was the best way we could help him. That was the moment I booked into a day workshop with the Barefoot Blacksmith. I was joining the next intake for the Diploma before the day had finished and was paying my deposit. And so the journey began…

A little more information to keep you up to date

• I am a Qualified Equine Podiotherapist
• I believe in empowering owners with information and education so they can be their horse’s best advocates. no hoof no horse.
• whole horse protocol – trimming, nutrition, environment, biomechanics
• I work with the horse, horse/trim training is a large part of my services, as well as the trim itself.
• I believe in helping the horse feel safe and training is around ensuring they don’t need to go into fight/flight or freeze. Watching the horses cues, through the face, feeling through their leg as I’m working or through their body.
• trimming to create the correct function of the hoof capsule. Changing and adapting how the internal structures sit, move, and hold in place (I think of a boney structure on a lazy boy chair for example).
• Education and Treatment of Pathological issues – ringbone, laminitis, correcting imbalances and maintenance.
• As the horse owner, you own and are responsible for your horse’s feet, this means regular trimming.