Equine Podiatry Consultations
Much more than just barefoot hoof trimming
Our equine podiatry consultation is a holistic review of the horse; its history, living habitat, work load, general health, conformation, posture and of course, how these all affect the hooves.
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Often new customers seek us out because other hoof care professionals or approaches haven't helped solve their problem. Our integrative, holistic and inclusive approach to hoof care creates positive results in our clients' horses.
If you have an issue with your horse that has not been solved or you wish to prevent injury to your horse, please get in touch – we would love to help you!
Equine Podiatry Consultations
Every new client starts with an initial consultation appointment. This is an opportunity for the horse, owner and Beccy to all get to know each other - after all, effective hoof care is a team effort between the owner and supportive professionals, so trust and open communication is vital.
The initial consultation is a longer appointment than recurring ones, and involves a thorough assessment of the horse and its living environment; where he lives, rests, eats, plays and works. We might even wish to see the horse ridden if the issue is a ridden one or if we suspect the rider, exercise or work environment is influencing the issues the horse is having. We are thorough in our assessment to understand what the problem is and what are the influential factors at play, to determine how we might be able to best support the horse. Often this includes trimming the horse’s hooves, but not every time – this is why we don’t call this a trimming service; they’re consultations where trimming may or may not be provided as part of that service, depending on what is most appropriate for the horse.
To gain a comprehensive understanding of the horse and its possible issues, we capture a full history of the horse’s background prior to the appointment, and ask the owner to tell us why they want help, what is the problem they are experiencing and what the owner’s expectations are regarding our consultation. This is all done by owners completing an online form which might includes clients attaching photos of the horse’s hooves, radiographs or other reports which provide us with an understanding of the problem and previous treatment plans.
Recording and analysing the horse’s situation and progress is a key part of our service. At the start of the first face-to-face consultation, we take a full set of photos of the horse’s feet.* We observe the horse in its environment, at rest and moving, to get a sense of the posture and biomechanics and their relationship to the hoof. We also check the horse for any lameness. On follow-up appointments, we may only take photos post-trim*. We don't diagnose (only vets can) but if we see evidence of pathology or lameness, we will advise you liaise with a vet for further investigation.
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Hoof assessment includes the assessment of the horse’s entire conformation and posture as both influence static and dynamic balance, but only posture can be positively (or negatively) influenced. We identify signs of pathology and distortions in the digit and how this will influence the health and resilience of the horse today, and in the future. Before doing any trimming, we discuss our findings with the owner, and ensure that they are happy with our proposed course of action; it’s important that the owner is on board and gets a sense of what we are hoping to achieve and why, before we commit to changing the balance of the hoof.
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*Marked up hoof photos are only provided as part of Equine Podiatry Consultation with report service. Mark ups can be requested as a stand alone service for additional cost
Hoof assessment and possible trim
Not every hoof assessment includes a trim. Sometimes a trim isn't appropriate and we provide recommendations based on our assessment.
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Browse through this slideshow to learn about the steps we take during a hoof assessment.
1 First meeting
Having learned a little about the horse and his background and after addressing any concerns or questions the owner might have, we observe the horse in his environment and learn about his home, where he eats, rests, plays and exercises and how he interacts with other others. We take our time, showing respect and consideration to the horse. We note the horse’s maturity, mental and physical state and any other challenges or aspects of his environment which might be noteworthy and influential to his well-being and resilience.
Hoof Scoring
During a visit we measure your horse’s current hoof health by scoring it on a scale from 0-6. Your horse’s current hoof score is an important piece of information, designed to help keep track of the hoof health progress objectively. Hoof scoring guides owners regarding what the horse is currently capable of comfortably with in terms of work or physical environment. Exceeding the horse’s current capability can lead to injury, so it’s important to work the horse within its comfortable capabilities, and consider the horse holistically to increase the hoof score to the desired level.
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Hoof scoring helps guide our clients on how they can PRO-actively care for their horse and provide on-going improvements to their horse’s well-being and resilience to injury, trauma, disease and infection.
Equine Podiatry Consultation with report
During the visit, we give initial verbal recommendations based on our findings. Shortly after the visit we contact the owner to check how the horse is doing and what the owner’s observations are post-visit. If a report is also requested, based on our findings, all photos and videos taken during the visit, and feedback from the owner, we write up a report and send this to the owner with all photos taken during the visit. Our documentation helps demonstrate changes and improvements to their horses hoof health and efficacy of our approach. Thanks to this meticulous reporting, clients don’t have to try and remember everything that is said during a consult. And they can share the information with their ‘team’ and appreciate improvements over time! The report will be emailed to the client within 10 working days post consult
Examples of our recommendations:
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Exercises to help support integration of trimming or biomechanics.
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Management changes to support the holistic health of the horse.
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Trimming guidelines to help keep balance between professional appointments.
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Booting advice and provision of boots and pads.
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Hoof care or other product recommendations
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Supply and advice on how to use hoof care products.
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Advice about whether other professional assistance is required, who and why.
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Achievable goals are discussed.
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Client is given ‘home-work’ to do until the next appointment.
Visit report
will include:
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Outline of findings and links to relevant additional information
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Information regarding the cause of current issues, what you can expect and how quickly you can expect to see changes happening.
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Hoof score and what it means for your horse.
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Link to photos taken of your horse during the visit. These are annotated, containing information about imbalances and signs of pathology and distortions mentioned in the report.
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Outline of recommendations, with links to relevant resources such as products, events, courses or advice.
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Suggested goal in terms of hoof score, and recommendation of when the next appointment should be.
On-going support
Whether you choose our equine podiatry service with or without a report, our clients can expect our full support and commitment to helping solve their problems and access to help doesn’t start or end within the appointment. Clients are invited to schedule on-going support by Zoom, Messenger/FB, email or phone should they need it. They can also browse our resources, join our membership programme, book on-to-one or small group mentorship, purchase on-line courses or attend educational events to learn more about pro-active, holistic and integrative hoof care for their horse. Clients are often invited to book maintenance consults for ongoing hoof care (subject to availability and suitability).
Prices & how to book
Full Service Price List (Prices include VAT - and while we have registered for VAT we have not yet received VAT registration number)
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Hoof/posture/radiograph mark ups - £100
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Hoof/posture/radiograph mark ups report - £180 ​
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Integrative Equine Podiatry consult - £180 (or £300 with detailed report)
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Online Equine Podiatry consult recorded via zoom - £180/hour (or £300 with detailed report)
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Integrative Equine Podiatry in combination with BTMM/Lazaris Nerve Release therapy session body work - £300 (or £400 with detailed report)
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BTMM/Lazaris Nerve Release therapy session body work - £180 (or £300 with detailed report)
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​Additional consult time: £100.00/hour
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Application of Hoof Armour (subject to availability): £60/horse
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In person tailored mentorship with Beccy: £180/hour
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Attend with vet, farrier, etc: £100.00/hour
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Full day (7 hours) tailored mentorship: £960.00 - NB this is for mentorship or combined mentorship and podiatry services and not a trimming service
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Half day (3.5 hours) tailored mentorship: £480.00
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Travel: THIS IS FREE ON GROUP REGIONAL VISITS OF 10 OR MORE HORSES/VISIT. otherwise we charge £0.50/mile return from CA22 2PJ plus accommodation (which might be shared)
The best way to book a consultation is to fill in the Consult inquiry form.
Beccy will then get in touch with you to discuss your needs. There are some circumstances where we cannot take on a new client (for example if the horse requires vet care for its condition), so an initial discussion about your horse’s situation is important before a consultation is booked.
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When you are ready to commit, you can book online here and we will contact you with a suitable date and time. Alternatively we can send you an e-invoice. It is important the enquiry form is completed before we can firmly offer you an appointment as this allows us to gather crucial information about your horse, which in turns enables us to fully prepare for the visit.
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Please note: we travel around the UK and may not be able to see you straight away, but please do complete the consult inquiry form and we will add you to our map and invite other horse owners in your region to book too!