A Plus Equine Bodywork

08/21/2025

👏👏

The Myth of the Quick Fix 🐎⏳

We live in a world that loves instant results.
We want our coffee in two minutes, our deliveries overnight… and sometimes, without meaning to, we bring that same expectation to our horses.

When a horse gets injured, sore, or develops a movement problem, it’s tempting to hope there’s a single adjustment, treatment, or exercise that will “fix” it.

But here’s the truth: real healing doesn’t happen in a single session - and for some tissues, it doesn’t even happen in a single season.

🌸Rehab Is a marathon, not a sprint

A horse’s body is a finely tuned system of muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, and fascia. The body, the teeth, the hooves - when something goes wrong, the change affects the whole system.

🌸Even when the original injury heals, we still have to:
✨Retrain proper movement patterns.
✨Rebuild strength, flexibility, and coordination.
✨Re-teach the nervous system to trust the body again.

That retraining process can take just as long - or longer - than the initial tissue healing.

🌸Different tissues heal at very different rates, even under ideal conditions:
✨Muscles: 4–6 weeks for minor strain, longer if there’s significant fiber damage.
✨Tendons & ligaments: Often 6–12 months for full remodeling due to limited blood supply.
✨Bone: 8–12 weeks for most fractures, but full strength and load tolerance take longer.
✨Fascia & connective tissue: Weeks to months, depending on severity and surrounding tension patterns.

And remember - “healed” on the inside doesn’t automatically mean “ready to work” on the outside, especially under the added load of a rider.

🌸Hoof Rehab: a special kind of patience

When we’re rehabbing hoof issues we’re not just reshaping hoof wall. We’re making adjustments to the solar surface while waiting for the hoof capsule to grow down correctly from the coronet band.

It takes 9–12 months for a complete growth cycle and multiple cycles are required to fully rehabilitate more severe cases.

During that time, the structures inside the hoof: frog, digital cushion, lateral cartilages, laminae - are also adapting and strengthening. You can’t rush this biology, no matter how skilled the trimming.

🌸Dental Balance: another slow change

Severe dental imbalances can’t be fully corrected in a single float without risking damage.

When too much tooth is reduced at once, we can expose sensitive pulp or destabilize the bite.

Instead, we balance gradually, allowing more tooth to erupt between sessions. This may mean multiple dental visits over many months before the mouth is fully aligned - giving the chewing system, jaw muscles, and TMJ time to adapt.

🌸Normal rehab has ups and downs

One of the hardest truths for owners is that rehab progress is rarely a straight line.
It’s normal to see days or weeks where your horse feels fantastic, followed by dips in performance or comfort.

These fluctuations can happen when:
✨The workload increases and the body is adapting
✨Hoof or dental balance changes and the body is adapting
✨The weather or turnout situation changes
✨Old compensation patterns are being replaced with new movement
✨Slight knocks or strains happen in turnout (because, horses)

A “bad day” doesn’t always mean a huge setback - sometimes it’s just the body adjusting. The key is watching the overall trend, not getting discouraged by small bumps along the way.

🌸When we respect these timelines and allow rehab to follow the horse’s needs, we:
✨Build stronger, more resilient tissues.
✨Correct movement patterns at the root.
✨Protect our investment in the horse’s future soundness.
✨Earn trust, because the horse learns we won’t push them into pain.

It’s not flashy, but slow, thoughtful rehab is what gives you a horse that can return to work and stay there.

🐴 Patience now is soundness later.

08/17/2025

100% agree

08/16/2025

Fresh doesn’t always mean sound 🐎✨

We’ve all seen it: your horse is turned out in the field, tail flagged, cantering around like they’re auditioning for the next Black Beauty movie.

Then you bring them into the arena… and suddenly they’re resistant, tripping, or struggling to maintain canter.

It’s tempting to think, “Well, they can run in the pasture — this must be behavioral.”

But here’s the truth: movement in the field is not the same as movement in controlled work.

🌸Why the field can be deceiving

When horses play in turnout, they choose:
✨Their own speed
✨Their own direction
✨How much weight to put on each limb
✨When to stop, start, or switch gaits

If something feels uncomfortable, they adjust instantly — turning shorter, powering off a different leg, or stopping altogether. They can hide discomfort by self-selecting movement patterns that work for them.

In the arena, we ask for:
✨Specific gaits, speeds, and transitions
✨Circles, straight lines, and bending in both directions
✨Sustained effort in a way they may not choose naturally

That means any underlying pain, weakness, or asymmetry is far more likely to show up.

🌸The prey animal factor

Remember, horses are prey animals. Their survival instinct is to hide weakness — even from us.

A horse in the field may look spectacular because adrenaline allows them to “power through” for short bursts. That doesn’t mean their body could sustain that movement without pain or risk in a structured session.

🌸It’s not always attitude

Struggling in the arena is not automatically a training or obedience problem.

It could be:
✨Bilateral lameness (pain in both limbs, so no obvious limp)
✨Body lameness (back, pelvis, or neck pain affecting balance)
✨Subtle joint or soft tissue discomfort
✨Weakness or lack of conditioning where the body can’t yet meet the demands you’re asking

If we label this as “just behavioral” without checking for physical causes, we risk working a horse through pain and dysfunction — which can make both the physical and training problems worse.

🌸If your horse is vibrant in turnout but inconsistent or resistant in structured work:
✨Observe closely – Are there patterns in the arena struggles? Certain gaits, directions, or surfaces?
✨Test on different footing – Sometimes discomfort shows up more on hard or deep ground.
✨Check with your team – Vet, physio, farrier, or saddle fitter can help pinpoint subtle issues.
✨Scale back if needed – Build up gradually with low-impact, confidence-building work.

🌸The takeaway?
Freshness is energy — not proof of soundness.

A horse can look like a rocket in the paddock and still have discomfort that affects their ability to perform in structured work.

Listening to that difference is one of the kindest things you can do for their long-term soundness and trust in you.

🐴 If something doesn’t add up, trust your gut and investigate. Your horse will thank you.

08/06/2025

08/04/2025

All of this.

Sensitive Sole Dysregulation Disorder (SSDD):
Why Your Horse Isn’t a Jerk—He Just Has Sore Feet 🐴🔥

⚠️ This is long. Possibly the most important thing you’ll read this year about your “frustrating” horse. So dig deep and let me transplant some good ideas into your head....

People come to me for all sorts of reasons.
Some are curious about my nerdy, no-nonsense take on horse training.

Some want help building a better relationship with their horse.
And some arrive clinging to the last threads of hope, unsure whether their horse is traumatised, dangerous… or they are just not good enough to own a horse 😔.

Most of the time, the horse is just confused.
Once we clear up the misunderstanding, lay out a process, and build some real skills, the change is phenomenal.
✅ Communication improves.
✅ Confidence blooms.
✅ Partnerships are born.

It’s effective.
It’s beautiful.
It works—until it doesn’t.

Because there’s a subset of horses—genuinely lovely horses, with well-meaning, capable humans—who still struggle.
Not from lack of effort.
Not from uselessness.
Not because the horse is a waste of time.

It’s because the horse isn’t physically in a state to learn.
And the top culprit?

Sore. Bloody. Feet. 🦶💥

Which is why I’m proud (and mildly exasperated) to introduce a term that I believe deserves a permanent spot in the equine lexicon aka lingo:

Sensitive Sole Dysregulation Disorder (SSDD)

A multifactorial, stress-induced hoof spiral that masquerades as a behavioural problem—but is actually your horse’s way of saying, “Human, I cannot cope. And what you're asking me to do is bloody uncomfortable and I feel threatened.”

Why We Need a Term Like SSDD

If you’ve read my blog on New Home Syndrome, you’ll know how powerful naming things can be.

That post gave thousands of horse owners a lightbulb moment:
💡 “Ah—it’s not that my new horse was drugged and sold by an unscrupulous lying horse seller. He’s just completely unravelling from the stress of relocation.”

Naming gives us a grip on the slippery stuff.
It stops us chasing trauma narratives, mystical contracts, and fantasy horsemanship rabbit holes wasting our time, money, and enjoyment of horses.
It invites clarity.
It invites action.

So let’s do it again.
Because SSDD is real.
It’s widespread.
And it’s quietly ruining training, relationships, and confidence—for both horse and human.

The Official Definition (Because I’m Nerdy Like That 😎)

Sensitive Sole Dysregulation Disorder (SSDD):

A stress-induced, multifactorial syndrome in horses, characterised by systemic dysregulation and poor hoof integrity. It results in chronic sensitivity from inflammation, poor structural balance. It causes altered posture and movement, and unpredictable or defensive behaviour—especially when the horse is asked to move, load, or engage physically.
Commonly misdiagnosed as poor training, bad temperament, or “being crazy, dangerous, or… a bit of a dick.”

How It Starts
(And Why It’s So Sneaky 🕵️‍♀️)

Stress—whether from relocation, dietary change, social disruption, intense work, poor training, or all of the above and more—disrupts the gut.

We talk about ulcers and hindgut issues, but gut disruption reaches much further. It impacts:

- Nervous system regulation
- Nutrient absorption
- Muscle and fascia development
- Sensory processing
- Postural support
- Biomechanics
➡️And yes… hoof quality

Systemic inflammation gets triggered, and it ripples to the hooves.
Thin soles.
Inflamed hoof structures.
Suddenly, every step hurts.

And when all four feet hurt at once?
There’s no limp.
No giveaway unless you know what to look for.
Just a horse who suddenly doesn’t want to:

🚫 Go forward
🚫 Bend
🚫 Load
🚫 Be caught
🚫 Be mounted
🚫 Leave its friends
🚫 “Trust you”
🚫 “Connect”

From the outside, it looks like resistance and unpredictability.
But inside?
It’s one long, silent “Ouch.”

And just because they run, buck and gallop in the paddock does not mean it isn’t festering away.

Case Study: The Off-The-Track Time Bomb 🧨
Meet the OTTB.
He’s fresh off the track with the emotional resilience of a sleep-deprived uni student living off Red Bull and vending machine snacks.
His microbiome is wrecked.
His feet are full of nail holes.
His hooves are thin and genetically fragile.

Hoof balance and form has been considered for the next race—not the next 20 years.
And someone’s just pulled his shoes in the name of “letting down naturally.” 🙃

Cue: SSDD.

Now he’s bolting, spinning, rearing, planting, or shutting down.
The forums recommend groundwork, magnesium, a different noseband, an animal communicator, or an MRI for a brain tumour.
The horsemanship world says “move his feet.”
The trauma-informed crowd say “get his consent.”
Kevin at the feed store says “get his respect.”

But nothing changes.
Because it’s not a behaviour issue.
It’s a hoof–gut–nervous system–biomechanical spiral.
And until you break the cycle, no amount of connection, compassion, or carrot sticks will touch it.

What SSDD Looks Like:
🔹 Short, choppy strides
🔹 Hesitation on gravel
🔹 Tension through the back and neck
🔹 Braced posture, dropped belly, collapsed topline
🔹 Popping hamstrings
🔹 Loss of bend, swing, or rhythm
🔹 Explosions without warning
🔹 Refusal to leave the paddock
🔹 Sudden regression in training
🔹 Being labelled a “dick,” “bitch,” “jerk,” or “nutcase”
Imagine removing your shoes.
Now walk barefoot over gravel, or Lego hidden in shag-pile carpet 🧱
Add a backpack.
Now have someone control where you have to move and how fast.
Now smile, be polite, and do what you’re told.

Sound like trust and connection to you?

That’s SSDD.

Let’s Be Clear 💡
This isn’t an anti-barefoot rant.
And it’s not a pro-shoes crusade.
It’s about recognising that stress undermines hoof quality…
And compromised hooves undermine everything else.

Hoof pain is a master dysregulator.
It breaks posture.
Fractures movement.
Feeds stress.
Causes breakdown.
Blocks learning.
And it’s hard to see—especially when you think your horse is acting like an idiot.

What To Do (Especially for OTTBs, STBs, and New Arrivals)
✅ Be strategic.
✅ Be clinical.
✅ Be kind.
- Replace shoes or hoof protection, don’t rip off shoes on Day One.
- Support the gut from the start.
- Prioritise routine, rest, and recovery.
- Make sure they’re sleeping—properly.
- Work with a hoof care pro who understands stress transitions.
- Wait before reassessing shoeing choices.
- Stop mistaking pain for personality.
- Choose insight over ideology.
- Choose systems thinking over magic silver bullets.

Why It Matters

When we name SSDD, we stop blaming horses for not coping.
We stop shaming owners.

We stop spiralling into horsemanship cults where stillness is the only sign of success.

We start looking at the actual horse.
In the actual body.
With actual problems.

Because sometimes, it’s not temperament.
It’s not training.
It’s just a hoof—
Tender, tired, inflamed—
Whispering softly:
“I can’t cope.”
A hoof that needs support and protection.

📸 IMAGE TO BURN INTO YOUR MEMORY BANKS
Study it.
See the posture searching for comfort?
The tension lines?
The zoned out face that says “pain”?
The weird stance?
That’s SSDD at a standstill.
Even if you can’t see it yet—please consider it.
I might’ve made up the name…
But the thing itself is very, very real.

Just like New Home Syndrome, SSDD deserves its own hashtag.
Okay fine— is a bit long.
Let’s go with:

If This Blog Made You Think—Please Share It 🙏
But please don’t copy and paste chunks and pretend you wrote them.
There’s a share button. Use it.
Be cool. Give credit. Spread the word.
Because if this made you stop and wonder whether your horse isn’t being difficult—but is actually sore, stressed, and stuck in a spiral—
That moment of reflection could be the turning point that changes everything.

We’ve just released our Racehorse to Riding Horse – Off the Track Reboot course, plus other clear, practical resources to help you understand OTTBs & OTTSTBs and support these incredible horses, as they are more prone to this than most.

Because with the right information, what feels impossible…
Can become totally achievable. 🐎✨

I’ll pop some references in the comments.

08/01/2025

07/27/2025

When Barefoot Just Doesn’t Cut It

(From a barefoot trimmer who believes the horse gets the final word)

I work barefoot.
It’s what I’m trained in. It’s what I specialise in. And I’ve seen it change lives—horses restored to soundness, movement returned, pathology reversed, quality of life improved.

But I’ve also seen horses suffer in silence under the banner of “natural is best.”

Let me be clear:
Barefoot is a powerful, often underused option. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
And when we start treating it like a belief system instead of a tool, we lose sight of the most important voice in the conversation: the horse’s.

Here’s the part we have to get comfortable saying—even in barefoot circles:

Sometimes, barefoot just isn’t enough.

Not forever.
Not as a condemnation of the method.
But as a recognition that some feet, in some horses, in some environments, at some points in time, need more protection than a hoof wall and a well-timed trim can provide.

I’m talking about:

The long-term laminitic with a compromised capsule and inadequate sole depth

The metabolic horse whose pain threshold is so altered that even minimal concussion creates a setback

The structurally collapsed hoof trying to bear weight on bone that no longer has a supportive foundation

The transitioning horse whose environment doesn’t allow for protection, movement, or control of stimulus

The chronically sore horse expected to just “work through it” because it’s “part of the healing process”

This isn’t failed barefoot.
This is a horse clearly communicating that it’s not coping—and continuing anyway isn’t noble. It’s painful.

“But what about hoof boots?”

A fair and important question.
Hoof boots have changed the game. They allow many horses to transition successfully, protect their feet on abrasive terrain, and move freely in comfort during healing phases. I recommend and use them often.

But they are not a silver bullet.
And when we promote them as a universal answer, we overlook reality.

Because some horses:

Can’t tolerate boots due to hoof shape, rubs, or behavioural stress

Lose boots repeatedly in mud, herd turnout, or deep going

Require 24/7 protection that a boot simply can’t provide (nor is it safe to expect it to)

Improve only when they receive consistent, structural support that boots don’t offer

And some owners:

Can’t afford multiple boot sets, pads, gaiters, and regular replacements

Don’t have the time, mobility, or support to remove, clean, reapply, and monitor boots daily

Are doing their best already, and being told “just boot it” oversimplifies what’s really needed

Hoof boots are a phenomenal tool. But they’re not a moral obligation.
And they’re not always enough.

So what happens when barefoot—with boots, with pads, with good trim, with good diet—still isn’t working?

Sometimes, the answer is a composite.
Sometimes, it’s a shoe.
Sometimes, it’s collaboration with a vet or farrier to protect the horse while we sort out the underlying causes.

This isn’t a betrayal of barefoot.
It’s hoof care that responds to what’s actually happening, not what we wish was happening.

As a barefoot trimmer, my job isn’t to make every horse conform to a method.
My job is to protect function, restore integrity, relieve pain, and serve the individual horse.

That sometimes means waiting.
Sometimes adapting.
And yes—sometimes stepping back and saying,
“This horse needs something I don’t provide.”

That’s not failure.
That’s professional ethics.

So if your barefoot horse is:

Still sore between trims

Moving tentatively or toe-first for months

Needing boots full-time without improvement

Unable to cope barefoot in turnout

Gradually losing quality of life instead of gaining it…

…it might be time to reassess.
Not because barefoot failed.
But because your horse’s reality matters more than your philosophy.

I’ve seen barefoot transform horses—and I will keep advocating for it where it fits.
But I’ve also seen barefoot misused as a badge of purity, where pain was reframed as “transition,” and suffering excused in the name of “natural.”

The real benchmark of good hoof care?
Not the method. Not the theory. Not the label.

Comfort. Function. Soundness. Stability.

Because your horse doesn’t care whether it’s barefoot, booted, or shod.
They care whether it hurts.

And that should always be the deciding factor.

07/22/2025

Another great mentorship experience as I continue on the journey of completing my hoof care certification through PHCP!

07/11/2025

The Stuff No One Talks About in Hoof Care

Let’s talk about the stuff that doesn’t make it into the glossy social media reels. The things that don’t show up on the before-and-after collages. The bits that happen in the mud, in the rain, under stress, and under pressure — and almost never in perfect lighting.

We talk a lot about hoof shape, angles, diet, thrush protocols, and what makes a “good” trim — and all of that matters. But what about the things that sit just outside the frame?

Like the horse who’s been “barefoot for years” but is still mincing on gravel because no one’s addressed the long toe and underlying mechanics. Or the ones trimmed to textbook perfection, but still footy because their gut’s a mess or they’re in constant low-grade pain that no one’s chasing down.

We don’t talk enough about the cases that don’t go to plan. The rehabs where everything should be working but isn’t. The abscesses that keep recurring. The laminitic that relapses after a single wet week. The navicular horse that never read the rulebook.

We rarely mention the toll it takes on the people doing the work — owners, trimmers, farriers, vets — all quietly shouldering the burden of these slow, uncertain journeys. The missed milestones. The heartbreak of thinking you were turning a corner… only to realise it was just a brief plateau before the next problem hit.

There’s the horse who won’t pick up a foot anymore because he’s sore everywhere, and you’re left trimming a back hoof on your knees, soaked through, hoping your back doesn’t spasm before you finish. There’s the moment you clock that familiar blackened edge of white line disease, knowing this just became a much longer road than anyone signed up for.

And there’s the silence around owner burnout. The emotional and financial weight of hoof rehab, which can grind down even the most dedicated people. The ones who feel ashamed because they’re tired. The ones who feel judged because they need help.

The elephant in the room? So much of hoof care isn't just hoof care. It's nutrition. It’s turnout. It's the wrong rug. It's saddle fit. It’s stress and ulcers. It’s how much (or little) movement a horse gets. It's pain management. It’s the systemic stuff no one wants to deal with because it’s messy, or expensive, or inconvenient.

And it’s political too. No one talks about how divisive hoof care has become — how sharing an opinion on heels or wedges or diet can lose you a client or start a feud. How saying “it depends” is often seen as weakness, when it’s usually the only honest answer.

Most of all, we don’t talk about the emotional side. The weight of responsibility. The wondering: Did I miss something? Could I have done more? Am I doing the right thing?

Because real hoof care is rarely black and white. It’s a messy mix of progress and setbacks, of adapting to each horse and each environment. It’s hard-won experience, not viral reels. It’s about building trust, not just correcting angles.

So here’s to the owners who show up every day — muddy, tired, determined — doing their best even when the results don’t come quick. The ones who learn, adjust, and try again.

Here’s to the professionals — the trimmers, farriers, vets, bodyworkers — who quietly carry the weight of responsibility, who troubleshoot in the field and agonise over cases long after they’ve gone home. The ones who aren’t afraid to say, “I don’t know yet,” and who keep learning anyway.

Here’s to the rehab teams, the collaborators, the hoof nerds, the realists, the ones who listen to the horse above all else.

You won’t always get the credit. You won’t always get the outcome you hoped for. But this corner of the equine world is better because of you.

Let’s keep talking. Let’s keep questioning. Let’s keep going.

Because this is hoof care too — the full, muddy, unfiltered truth of it. And it matters.

07/02/2025

Just a reminder that if your horse or a horse at your facility is showing signs of illness, please let me know so we can reschedule (no last minute cancellation fee will apply)

The upper respiratory disease commonly referred to as strangles is caused by Streptococcus equi subsp equi. Strangles is spread from horse to horse through direct contact. Horses can also contract the disease by coming into contact with contaminated surfaces. The disease is highly infectious.

07/01/2025

Happy Canada Day!

How are you celebrating? We went for a lovely trail ride (complete with matching Scoot Boots!)