Fit For A Queenie

29/08/2025

Due to a high number of last minute cancellations over the last few weeks (in one case, as I was getting in my car to go to the client), I am sad to say that I will be introducing a cancellation policy with immediate effect.
For appointments that are cancelled/postponed with less than 24 hours notice, you will still be expected to pay the full visit fee. For appointments that are cancelled/postponed with less that 48 hours notice, you will be expected to pay 50% of the visit fee.
Diary management is the worst part of the job, and every time someone postpones it means I have to ask someone else to rearrange in order to fit them in. Unfortunately, it seems to be the same people each time that I end up messing around in order to make the diary work. To those people- I am really sorry and am trying to do better!
Of course, I understand that life happens, but please let me know as soon as possible if you do need to change your appointment.
Thank you everyone - sorry for the grumpy post!

19/08/2025

We’ve been working behind the scenes the last few months on even more services we can offer…. 👷🏼‍♀️🥷🏼

Finally, it is here….

🌟‼️ hoof boot trial service ‼️🌟

Take our range of Hoof Boots out for a test ride. With our 14-day trial, you can get to grips with your fitter’s advised Hoof Boots, try out Hoof Boots before committing to ownership, or simply use a pair for your next pleasure ride or endurance event 🥳🥹

For more information👇🏼👇🏼
🔗 https://thehoofbootshop.co.uk/trial

14/08/2025

01/08/2025

Sorry, forgot to add the link to the post I was talking about earlier. Here it is!

What’s one thing I do differently as an equine bodyworker?

You won’t catch me hitting a client’s horse.
Not for biting. Not for pawing. Not for wiggling.
Not unless my safety is genuinely in danger—and even then, it’s a last resort.

At this point, I’ve been kicked. Stepped on. Bitten more times than I can count.
But I don’t see those things as “bad behavior.”
I see them as communication.

Because here’s something I live by:
All behavior is a form of communication—especially when the animal has no voice to speak with.

I remember working on a gelding who had been on stall rest for multiple injuries. To me, it was also clear he likely had ulcers. He was finally getting some turnout time again, but his body was holding a lot—tension, pain, frustration.

As I began the session, he tried to bite when I touched specific areas. Instead of correcting him, I noted the spots and gave him space. He was telling me what didn’t feel good. What overwhelmed him.

But the owner quickly jumped in, saying,
“He knows he can’t do that.” And gave him a swift and hard whack.

And in that moment, I was reminded just how often horses are punished for speaking up.

That’s why I will kindly ask owners not to correct their horse during my sessions.
It’s so important to me that I’ve even added it into my intake paperwork.
Because when we interrupt the horse’s feedback with discipline, we shut down the very communication I need in order to help them.

This is why I don’t “correct” horses during bodywork. I listen. I adjust. I meet them where they are.

Because the equine nervous system isn’t designed for confrontation—it’s built for survival.
And when a horse paws, fidgets, or even bites, they’re not being “bad.”
They’re saying, “Something doesn’t feel right.”

👉 Maybe that spot is painful.
👉 Maybe they’re overstimulated or emotionally overloaded.
👉 Maybe they’re trying their best, but their nervous system is still stuck in survival mode.
👉 Maybe they just aren’t able to have a deep session that day—and it’s my job to recognize that and adapt, or make the call that today isn’t the day.

If I were to meet that with force, I’d be shutting down the very trust I’m trying to build.

As a bodyworker, my job isn’t just to loosen muscles.
It’s to help your horse regulate their nervous system. To create a space where they feel safe enough to soften, breathe, and heal.

So no, I won’t hit your horse.
Even when they’re “misbehaving.”
Because all behavior is communication—especially when your horse doesn’t have a voice.

01/08/2025

THE DANGERS OF MIDDLE-AGED WOMEN WITH RASPS

Apparently, barefoot trimmers are “mostly middle-aged menopausal housewives.”
That’s the latest pearl of insight doing the rounds online.
And you know what?
It’s not entirely wrong.

I am middle-aged.
I am menopausal.
And I absolutely will talk about digital cushions, mechanical load, and mineral ratios while sweating through a fleece in February.

Let’s unpack it, shall we?

“Housewife.”
Interesting choice. We run businesses, keep yards going, manage clients, plan rehabs, and hold the line between panic and progress. If that counts as housewifery, we’d like a raise. And a stronger wheelbarrow.

“Menopausal.”
Correct. Which means the nonsense-filter is gone. Evaporated. We now say what we think. Kindly, mostly. Firmly, always. Our tempers are short but our memory is long, and we've lived long enough to know the difference between a setback and a story someone tells themselves to avoid change.

“Middle-aged.”
Yes again. We’ve done the years in the field. The hours in the books. The heartbreak of rehabs that didn’t go to plan. We’ve made mistakes. Owned them. Learned. Tried again. And now we turn up to each appointment not to prove anything, but to help the horse — even if that means saying something uncomfortable, or stepping back.

And while we’re at it — let’s talk physicality.
This work is hard. It takes strength, stamina, and steel-core endurance. We haul hoof jacks, wrangle draft crosses, trim in sideways rain and searing heat. We lift, carry, squat, and stabilise half a tonne of shifting anatomy — often for hours at a time, on less sleep than ideal and joints that don’t always cooperate. We don’t just know hoof mechanics. We embody them.

We’re not here to be trendy. We’re not here for applause. And we’re certainly not here to start industry wars.
We collaborate with professionals we trust. We ask questions. We listen. We refer when needed. And we’ve got the radiographs, case notes, and clinical outcomes to back it.

So yes: some of us are barefoot trimmers.
Some of us are menopausal.
And all of us are still standing.

What’s more dangerous than a woman with a rasp?
A woman with context.
And quad strength.

⚠️ SATIRE WARNING: This post contains irony, exaggeration, and the occasional hormone-fuelled truth bomb. If you're tempted to take it literally, step away from the keyboard and drink some magnesium. Not everything is a personal attack — but some things are cultural mirrors. Handle with self-awareness.

14/07/2025

Lovely day today- started Francesca Kneen off on her non-pathology case studies. Francesca is based in Plymouth, so if you're looking for an EP down that way she is looking for non-pathology case studies.
Then I trimmed Shadow the mini Shetland, and did some remedial shoeing on a chicken.
Just Monty the cob and Hagrid left to trim now!

27/06/2025

Hi everyone! The temperature is set to climb again so I have to ask you for help. Middle-aged Catherines start to melt once they're exposed to temperatures above 20 degrees. Please look after your Catherine by finding somewhere shady for the trim and getting your horse used to the shady area so the session can be as stress-free as possible. Please apply fly spray to your horse in sheep-dip proportions or be prepared to play wack-a-fly and wave a palm leaf (loin cloth is optional) to keep the bitey buggers away.
If you are able to soak your horse's feet ready for the trim that would be amazing. This can be achieved in a number of ways. If you're one of those lucky people whose horse will run their own bath and sit down with a magazine while soaking their own feet while you sip mimosas by the haynets, do that. If your horse dances the Highland fling just walking past the water trough, then you could try wetting some old carpet/towel and stand them on that.
Finally, your Catherine might need to take more breaks than usual, so please be prepared that the trim may take a little more time.
Thank you! 🏜

18/06/2025

The Equine Vet says: "Take it easy in the heat" 🥵☀️

After a hot few days, and with more warm weather on the cards into this weekend, consider reducing the level/intensity of horse exercise and avoid transporting your horse where possible over the next few days.

Horses should obviously be provided with access to shade and water, and can be cooled by the repeated application of cold water (there is no need to scrape them off after, leaving them wet after a cold shower or bath will cool them for longer!)

Look out for indicators of heat stress: an excessively high heart rate, high respiratory rate, incoordination, shaking and excessive sweating. If untreated, this can progress to heat stroke, which is a veterinary emergency.

Hopefully preventative steps are all you will need to keep your horses comfy in the hot weather, but our vets are on call 24/7 and can be reached on 01647 231246 if you have any concerns.

05/06/2025

31/05/2025

🦶 𝑻𝑹𝑰𝑴𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑫: 𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒐𝒐𝒇𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒁𝒐𝒐, 𝑺𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒚 & 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑬𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒔📅 16–17 July 2025
📍 Highland Wildlife Park
𝘏𝘰𝘰𝘧𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱.
This hands-on workshop is designed to help you understand and support the hoof health of minimally handled equids using practical, welfare-first methods. Working with cadaver limbs, you’ll explore:
✅ The structure, function, and adaptations of the equid foot
✅ How to recognise healthy hooves, and the early signs of dysfunction
✅ Environmental, dietary, and movement-based strategies to support hoof health
✅ Laminitis and metabolic challenges in non-domestic settings
✅ Cadaver dissection and trimming to lay the foundation for safe, confident hoofcare
Pre-course webinars will prepare you with the core knowledge so you arrive ready to learn by doing.

🌱 𝑷𝙧𝒂𝙘𝒕𝙞𝒄𝙖𝒍. 𝙎𝒄𝙞𝒆𝙣𝒄𝙚-𝙞𝒏𝙛𝒐𝙧𝒎𝙚𝒅. 𝙏𝒂𝙞𝒍𝙤𝒓𝙚𝒅 𝒇𝙤𝒓 𝒚𝙤𝒖𝙧 𝙨𝒆𝙩𝒕𝙞𝒏𝙜.
https://www.touchingwild.com/trimming-wild

23/05/2025

Sadly we have seen a handful of cases of Equine Grass sickness this Spring. So we thought it best to post some useful information .

Spring is associated with a higher incidence of Equine Grass Sickness, so here are a few facts about this often devastating disease:

Grass Sickness is a disease that affects horses, ponies and donkeys that results in damage to parts of the nervous system which control involuntary functions, with the main symptom being gastrointestinal paralysis.

The cause of Equine Grass Sickness is not fully known, however, we have had a breakthrough with recent studies suggesting that the disease is caused by a neurotoxin, nPLA2 (neurotoxic phospholipase A2). This neurotoxin is found to act on the neuromuscular junctions between nerves and muscles, and have similar effects to that of snake venom.

The plausible sources include ingestion of this neurotoxin in microbial organisms that colonize on plants and soils, in vivo production of the neurotoxin by gastrointestinal microorganisms, or by ingestion of plant nPLA2.

Equine Grass Sickness occurs in three main forms: acute, subacute, and chronic. The symptoms seen in these forms overlap where the main symptoms link to partial or complete paralysis of the digestive tract.

Acute/Subacute:
🌡️Sudden onset of clinical signs
🌡️Signs of colic
🌡️Difficulty swallowing
🌡️Increased salivation
🌡️Droopy eyelids
🌡️Foul-smelling fluid in the stomach which may be seen coming out of the nostrils
🌡️Faeces may be small hard pellets with a mucous coating
🌡️Muscle tremors
🌡️Patchy sweating
🌡️Rapid death (2-3 days in acute cases, 7 days for subacute cases)

Chronic:
🌡️Rapid weight loss
🌡️Mild intermittent colic
🌡️Reduced appetite
🌡️Depression
🌡️Narrow based stance
🌡️Difficulty in swallowing to variable severity
🌡️Muscle tremors
🌡️Patchy sweating

Prognosis of EGS is very poor. Treatment should not be considered in acute and subacute cases and euthanasia is warranted for the horses' welfare. In some chronic cases attempting intensive treatment may be deemed appropriate.

A higher incidence of cases has been seen..
🐴 Between April to July
🐴 In horses moved to new premises or piece of land within the last two months
🐴 In younger horses aged between 2 and 7 years old
🐴 With increased numbers of horses on pasture
🐴 With recent stress
🐴 In overweight horses
🐴 With mechanical removal of droppings and soil disturbances

Reducing/eliminating these risk factors will help to prevent this disease.

☎️ If you have any concerns or questions about Equine Grass Sickness or would like some more information on how to reduce your horse's risk, please do contact us or ask one of our team when we next come to your yard.

21/05/2025