Does your horse suffer from back pain,  stiffness when working on different reins,  or difficulty tracking up?   Does your horse stumble frequently,  have a shorter stride than should be expected or show a reluctance to stride out downhill?  Does your horse stand toe in,  toe out,  camped out,  have a broken hoof/pastern axis or cracks and flairs in the hoof wall?  Does your horse have behaviour problems such as putting in a buck as part of canter transitions or not work as willingly as you would like.  Does your horse have obvious area’s of muscle tension or over developed muscles in some areas,  a poor top line despite work,  hollows behind the withers,  or a tendency to ‘sit’ on a hay net or wall in the stable. 

All of these problems and others beside can be caused by unbalanced hooves.    Some of the problems result from long toes or high heels,  or an imbalance between the inside and outside of a hoof.  Others are signs of pain within the hooves.

Whatever work we ask of our horse,  from happy hacker to show pony or 100 mile endurance events,  balanced hooves are essential.  If a horse is suffering from discomfort or pain in one or more hooves it will normally try to compensate by altering how it moves.  The resulting stresses on joints and muscles will lead to injury or a reduced working life in the majority of cases.

During this one day course designed for horse owners but appropriate for riding instructors or anyone working in the equine industry we will look at :-

Ø      How to assess the balance of a horses hooves.

Ø      How to assess the shape of a horses hoof

Ø      What a healthy hoof looks like.

Ø      How to assess the confirmation and muscle development of a horse in relationship to its hoof form.

Ø      How a healthy hoof functions.

  The course will not only include the ‘theory’ of hoof balance but will also include the opportunity to assess four different horses.  Numbers will be kept low to give everyone the chance to raise questions on each topic. 

Jillina Gardiner trained with the European Centre for Hoof Orthopaedics for 2 years to achieve certification as an equine hoof care professional in 2002.  She works with equine physiotherapists,  vets and horse owners in South Wales and South West England trimming performance,  working and lame horses and ponies.   

Fee.  £100 including refreshments and lunch.  This course is eligable for a Lantra grant providing a 50% subsidy for qualifying individuals.  Go to www.Lantra.co.uk for further details.

For more information Contact  HolisticFarm@aol.com