Whole Horse Hoof Care - Equine Podiatrist

01/01/2026

What a beautifully written piece and so true.

NEAR DEATH BUT SO BEAUTIFUL ALL AT THE SAME TIME

I have always lived by this belief, and I always will. I can die today, so make sure it is how you want to leave this earth.

Not in a dark way. Not to be morbid. But because everything that lives will die, and when we forget that, we forget how to live. Life is brief. A blink. A breath. A thin thread we step onto each morning without knowing if it will hold us through the day.

A few days ago, that thread tightened.

I walked out to feed the horses like I do every single day. Same routine. Same quiet rhythm. Buckets filled, each one prepared with intention, each placed according to hierarchy because that matters to a herd. The horses came in calmly. Everything felt normal. Grounded. Familiar.

I stood in the arena by the hitching posts while they ate, doing what feeds my soul just as much as feeding them. Watching. Listening. Letting my shoulders drop.

Breathing in their presence. That deep, sacred stillness where time slows and nothing else exists.

Then a sound happened.

So small it barely registered to the human ear. But to a prey animal, it was everything.
The head of the herd lifted. Ears snapped forward. And in an instant, the calm shattered. One horse moved and the entire herd responded. Flight is not a thought. It is not a choice. It is hardwired survival.

They surged toward the open back door.

I stepped forward to gather the buckets, knowing they would not return in order and each horse needs what is theirs. Three horses had already started to come back, so I ducked under the rail and bent down to grab the first bucket.

That is when every single sense in my body ignited at once.

Sound rushed in from every direction. Hooves. Breath. Movement. Energy crackling through the air. My hearing sharpened. My awareness narrowed. My body knew something before my mind could form the thought.

Then it hit.

A horse’s hindquarters came into my body from behind. Twelve hundred pounds of pure movement. No warning. No time to react. No balance could have saved me.

I went down face first into the dirt, completely flat. The impact forced my body open, arms and legs spread wide like an upside down angel in the snow.

In that moment, I was fully exposed. Every part of my body vulnerable. There was nothing to brace with, nothing to protect myself with. One wrong movement from the horse and serious injury could have followed.

Time did something strange then. It stretched and collapsed all at once.

Lying there, my brain was crystal clear. Oh my gosh. They are going to trample me.

I knew I could not protect my head. I knew I could not guard my spine. There was no rolling away, no bracing, no reaction fast enough. I heard them. I felt the ground vibrate. I remember thinking, they will never do this on purpose, and at the same time knowing fear does not care about intention.

Survival takes over.

I felt hooves strike my legs. Pain shot through me. I did not know if it was front feet or back feet. I did not know what damage had been done. I remember thinking, this might be it. Dead or paralyzed. I don’t know which.

And then just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.
I heard them moving away.
I exploded up off the ground, jumped to my feet, and all that came out of my mouth was Holy F. Holy F.

Heart pounding. Breath sharp. I scrambled back behind the rail, standing there trying to comprehend what had just happened.

And then something incredible occurred.
Nothing else came.
No panic. No shaking. No adrenaline surge.
Instead, there was calm. Deep calm. Steady. Peaceful.

I stood there stunned, amazed that I was okay, amazed at how still my body felt, amazed at how quiet everything inside me became. And the thought that washed over me was not fear, but gratitude.

If that had been my moment to leave this earth, I would have been doing exactly what I love, with the beings I love most. Fully present. Fully alive. Connected to something far bigger than myself. To die well is to live fully.

This experience carved three truths deeper into my bones.

First, A horse is a horse. Always. Their brain is designed for survival, not intention. There was no anger in me. No blame. Only respect. They do not want to hurt us. They want to feel safe.

Second, It pains me when people say, “My horse would never do that.” That belief creates danger. Any thousand to two thousand pound animal can cause harm, never out of malice, always out of instinct. Horses are not pets. They are powerful prey animals built of muscle, movement, and sensitivity. When we forget that and place them into a human mindset, we become unsafe. Too often, the horse pays the price for our misunderstanding.

I have seen horses punished for reacting. For surviving. When in truth, we failed them by not understanding their world.

Third, Accidents happen.

Life can change in a breath. And when we cling to blame, unforgiveness, and what should have been, we miss the lesson. Fragility is not meant to scare us. It is meant to wake us up.

To live more fully. To forgive faster. To love deeper. To be grateful for what stands breathing in front of us.

I give thanks every single day to our Lord. And to walk this life alongside these magnificent beings He created is more joy than I sometimes feel worthy of.

Thank you for the reminder. Thank you for the lesson. Thank you for this life.

01/01/2026

Happy New Year to absolutely everyone!

I hope 2026 is a year full of love, laughter and adventure :)

31/12/2025

Today I'd like to introduce you to little Charlie from The Three Bees Project

I first met Charlie following an acute laminitic attack which I'm pleased to say he recovered well from and with commitment and dedication from his owners he is managed successfully to prevent further attacks.

He is a chronic laminitic with long term damage and as such is managed primarily on a large grass free paddock/barn set up. His recovery has been largely down to his owners commitment to working as a team and honest and open multi directional conversations.

Its been a pleasure getting to know Charlie and as time as passed he has continued to trust and let me in to his space. We still have days when he resists and will either become reactive or shut down completely but generally now, this little lad is a pleasure to help.

Since this lovely review below, Charlie has moved to a new home where he now has even more space to move and continues to do well.

30/12/2025

I had xrays done of my own little 42" spotty pony Teddy. He is 27yrs old and I took him on 17yrs ago as a companion pony and to give him a second chance at life after ongoing acute laminitic attacks all round. He is a chronic laminitic but generally he is very well with no outward signs that any trauma had ever occurred- I was interested to see though, hence the xrays.

I was expecting to see way more damage to P3 if I'm honest so I was very pleased with these.

His fronts (RF particularly) are showing more signs of both the acute and chronic laminitis with slight rotation and the ski tip evident on both (again, the RF more so). These were taken just before his trim so I was able to trim to these xrays :).

29/12/2025

This little lad is Dinky. He's a complex little character who seems to believe that his sole purpose in life is to be poorly or injured so he can keep his poor owner Ellie on her toes and ensure she's always got something to be looking up and researching.

When I first met Dinky he was showing signs of gut discomfort and holding a lot of tension throughout his body so one of the first things we did was to ensure he was on an appropriate high fibre, low sugar/starch diet including additional supplementation for gut health.

He had negative plantar angles and caudal collapse of both hinds with deep central sulcus and contracted heels all round so we started with treating the frog and in particular the central sulcus and using boots and supportive pads all round initially.

We always strive for the best possible, healthiest foot for any horse but it is also always worth remembering that can look different for each horse and whilst I hope to see further improvements for Dinky, the reality is that genetics and the impact of an previous life can have lifelong effects.

A 5wk cycle and dedicated owner has seen huge improvements in Dinkys all round health despite his efforts to set us back on numerous occasions and I'm excited to see how things continue to progress through 2026.

28/12/2025

Today's introduction is the lovely Honey and Dan.

Dan was open and honest about this lads reactions to having his hinds in particular lifted and as such he had gone a little longer between trimming by the time I met him in the summer. He is arthritic in his hocks with minimal flexion and with long toes and negative plantar angles he stood camped under. This makes it uncomfortable for him to lift his hinds and bring them back behind him and he was anticipating pain.

From a purely trimming perspective, a good strong bevel and roll on a regular 5wk cycle to improve the breakover is my main focus (alongside with the usual assessments by a veterinary physiotherapist to help with posture and stance) but the big difference with Honey is simply in how we lift his hinds - if I ask him to lift behind he is extremely protective and reactive but giving him the chance to lift that LH and bring it forward first to allow a stretch literally makes or breaks the deal! After bringing the limb forward he will happily allow me to change the hold and bring it under and back - this has been a game changer for all involved.

Boots and wedged pads can also be beneficial in cases such as Honeys but it is important to discuss each case independently and with veterinary input to factor in the impact on the tendons and ligaments of the distal limb above.
Strong, long lasting changes also come from taking the time to make small changes and monitor the outcome but there are times when more immediate relief is needed.

So to round up for today - whilst all horses teach us, some will shout louder than others but there is always a reason and we need to work out why and if we cant work out why initially, we need to work out a mutually acceptable solution that means we can work together to unpick the problem, whether that is physical or psychological.

Its fairly early days with Honey still (I generally take photos at the first visit and then 6mths later initially, so no progress images yet but a success that still needs mentioning with this year's round up).

27/12/2025

Todays round up is another lovely big gentle giant Warmblood who has stringhalt and shivers and as a result is one of those horses that has me thinking outside the box.

I have been working with this lad and his owner for almost 2yrs now and for the first year he was comfortable and stable with standing on his opposite hind for his trim. I had to be aware of how he was balanced and ensure our safety in how and where we were set up when asking him to lift but he was confident and stable enough not to collapse through his standing leg. He was however extremely weak behind and would twist through his RH resulting in constricted structures through the lateral qtr/bars and heel - I was able to help provide more support by initiallly leaving marginally more wall through the lateral qtrs which in turned helped prevent the wall turning under. This then provided a more stable landing and contact and gradually the twist lessened. As he started to land with more stability and more even contact and pressure across the back of his foot then the lateral caudal structures started to strengthen and develop.

Through this last year however his shivers has progressed and we found that on a number of occasions that he simply wasn't holding his weight on the opposite hind and this in turn was affecting his confidence so that he started to refuse to lift his left hind at all. We tried a variety of things to make it easier for him - moved mats under both hinds to prevent the force of landing shooting through his lower limb when he lost control of the lifted hind, we encouraged him with treats, used hoof boots on the other feet. He was checked by the vet and had various bodywork sessions plus ensuring his diet supported his needs.

We discussed sedation but there were concerns over how this might affect his stability and whether it might prove to make things more difficult rather than easier, however the time came when he simply couldn't/wouldn't lift either hind and if he did he almost immediately collapsed and so with further discussions with the vet we decided to try.

It was a success and since then it has become clear that a huge part of our trouble was his confidence.

He has a small dose of sedalin for his trim now and we are back to how things were in that first year with one small difference- he isn't asked to lift his hinds at all without a bit of sedalin, so he doesn't have his hinds picked out or handled at all in between. It goes against my usual advice of daily hoof picking etc but to ensure he always has a relaxed experience with the help of a small dose of sedative when he has to have his trim is now resulting in a healthier hoof capsule and frog health - my thoughts being that the concussive effect of his hinds coming down so heavily, results in inflammation which outweighs the negatives of not picking out his feet, therefore that is the lesser of two results and one that we can address every 4-5wks with a really thorough assessment and treatment for thrush etc if needed (which it hasn't been but using clay as a preventative every time in any case).

Sometimes you have you think outside the box and that thought process can change and change again - listen to the horse and consider all possibilities :)

26/12/2025

Starting this year's round up with the lovely Obi and Bethan Fletcher.

I first met Obi for a hoof boot fitting at the beginning of the year and was delighted to receive a message from Beth shortly after, asking if I had space to take them on as full hoofcare clients.

Obi is a very big warmblood on very small feet for his size. He was lame all round and extremely tight and sore over his back - there was no engagement of his quarters and significant muscle wastage. Beth already had Obi under veterinary care for assessment and was working with physiotherapy and thermal imaging, looking at his hoofcare was another aspect to be considered in the big picture and why working as a team is so important.

As is often the case, there were multiple issues to be addressed and slowly worked on, including making changes to his hoofcare (he had significant build up of compacted sole and bars and was very weak at the back of the foot in the caudal region). Addressing this along with the use of hoof boots to provide comfort and support, a change of environment to allow more movement, ongoing regular physio (its not uncommon for me to suggest a physio assessment when taking on a new client as changes in one area have both direct and indirect connections all round the body and its important to identify and address these as you go).

We have been unravelling Obis tension and discomfort over the past months and one of the biggest improvements came after moving him to a yard which provided 24/7 turnout, therefore more movement.

Obis case is a clear example of when you may need a team approach. His issues independently may not have been seen as too severe initially, but combined they were starting to have a significant impact on his health and comfort. A shared understanding of and subsequent improvement in his hoofcare allowed changes in his posture (which in turn further improved how he stood in contact with the ground and therefore his growth and wear patterns seen in his hooves). Ulcers were identified and treated by the vet - the change in environment plus generally feeling better in himself also helped (alongside veterinary treatment in this case) and has definitely helped ensure no reoccurrence.

Photos
Stance - top is first visit in Spring 2025 compared to Autumn 2025.
Hooves - left initial Spring visit (March) / right August 2025.

I was then delighted to receive this photo just the other day - just look at that smile, it says it all :)

27/11/2025

I have limited availability for new equine podiatry clients within Hampshire/ West Sussex in 2026.

If you're interested in how a whole horse approach to hoofcare can help your horse, pony , donkey etc then please get in touch for more information.

https://www.epauk.org/membership/our-members/linda-wilmer/

Whole Horse Hoof Care https://share.google/2LiTZHAPh1XlBSdGK

I first became interested in barefoot after my mare became diagnosed with arthritis and after removing her shoes, she noticeably started to move better. This, coupled with an existing interest in nutrition, due to my mares sweetitch and my geldings previous laminitis led me to contact an Equine Podi...

27/11/2025

Hoof boot fitting availability for January -

Mon 5th PM
Tue 13th PM
Mon 19th PM
Thur 29th PM

Carrying fit kits for the following -

Scoot boot slim, standard and Theraride/Enduro
Flex boot standard and wide
Equine Fusion slim and standard
Explora Magic slim and standard
Cavallo CLB, BFB, slim and standard

Hoof Boot fitting appointments are becoming more and more popular and to keep up with the demand I have invested in a large range of fit kits (from mini to XL)

Covering Hampshire, parts of West Sussex and parts of Surrey (up to 40 miles from PO8 with no additional travel charges within 25 miles).

Hoof boot fitting appointments consists of a static and dynamic assessment of your horses stance and gait, along with a discussion on your requirements to ensure we focus on the best type of hoof boot for both of your needs. After taking measurements the boot shells are tried and where possible a dynamic assessment will also be carried out (subject to suitability of the specific shell.

For more information or to book a visit, please PM or text 07719945346 or email - wholehorsehoofcare.lw@yahoo.com.

13/11/2025

Some of you may already know of Victoria and the lovely Leo. It was a pleasure to help them with a hoof boot fitting the other day and I'll be following them from now on to see how Leo progresses.

31/10/2025

𝐀 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞

British Riding Clubs have taken a big, brave step this week one that quietly puts welfare right back where it belongs, at the centre of everything we do with horses.

From now on, riders at BRC competitions will be allowed to use vocal aids (their voice) during tests, so long as it’s quiet and discreet. And just as importantly, nosebands are no longer compulsory. You can ride in a bridle without one if your horse prefers it.

It might sound like a small rule tweak, but actually, it’s a major cultural shift. For decades, competitive riding has been wrapped up in convention, polished tack, tight straps, silent riders and anything that didn’t fit that mould was frowned upon. This new rule recognises what good horse people have known all along: that a relaxed jaw, a soft mouth and calm, clear communication matter far more than appearances.

Research has shown for years that over tightened nosebands can cause pain, restrict jaw movement, and mask tension. Some horses simply go better without one, yet many riders felt forced to use them because the rule book said so. Allowing riders to make that choice is an enormous welfare win. It recognises that every horse is different, and that comfort should come before conformity.

Allowing voice aids follows the same logic. Horses understand tone, rhythm and calm reassurance. A soft “steady” or “and… walk” can do far more to guide and relax a horse than any amount of rein pressure. It’s not about talking constantly, it’s about communicating clearly the same way we do on the ground.

This change also puts BRC ahead of the curve internationally. Sweden made nosebands optional in 2025, Denmark followed soon after, and many European countries are now openly questioning their necessity. Yet, British Dressage, our own governing body for national dressage is still lagging behind. Instead of removing the requirement altogether, BD is focusing on measuring tightness with gauges, due to come in over the next year. It’s a step forward, yes, but it still clings to the idea that we must have a strap around the horse’s nose in the first place.

The truth is, BRC have done what BD has hesitated to do trust riders to make the right welfare choices without being dictated by tradition. It’s refreshing, forward thinking, and very much in line with the broader welfare movement we’re seeing across Europe.

Of course, it’s not without challenges. Taking the noseband off won’t fix heavy hands, bad riding or poor saddle fit. And using the voice isn’t a shortcut for feel or timing, it takes skill to make it an aid, not a distraction. This is where coaches and clubs will have to step up. Riders need education, not just freedom, to use these tools fairly and effectively.

But overall, this is the right kind of change. It shows that BRC trusts its members to ride with empathy and awareness. It moves away from the old, rigid picture of dressage and back towards true horsemanship where the horse’s comfort and confidence come first.

British Dressage might want to take note. The grassroots are speaking, and they’re saying welfare matters more than formality. Tight straps and silent mouths don’t make good riding harmony does.

Hopefully Ireland won’t be far behind. We pride ourselves on being a nation that understands horses But we’re still a little slow to adapt when it comes to formal welfare driven rule changes.

𝐁𝐑𝐂 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡!
🙌🏻❤️

Photo Credit: Julia Clarke ( long time follower)