Barely Roadworthy

To all our lovely customers and friends. Thank you for all your support for 2018....see you on the other side of the celebrations 😍 xxx

This is a very sensible, straightforward explanation of the consequences of trying to artificially "straighten" a horse's limb by corrective shoeing or trimming. It takes a couple of minutes to read but is worth it.
http://enlightenedequine.com/…/the-corr ection-misconception/

We didn't see any of these during the extremely wet winter last year but it is an interesting article. Just in case:
https://blog.easycareinc.com/my-horse-has -retracted-soles/

Listening to the horse.
This lovely Lusitano mare has a form of Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis. It means her hind pasterns are at about 30° and the fetlocks are swollen. She happily mooches about but finds it very hard to balance on one hind for trimming. Her feet are more comfortable if we keep her toes short but this has not been easy. At first she needed propping up and looked as though she would fall. The second trim was better as her trust in John improved. W...hat we didn't know was that she had figured out it was helping her and how it could be done! As she walked towards us today this lovely girl picked up the hind foot on the opposite side to John. In itself it was remarkable as standing on one hind is difficult for her. When John reached for it she planted her weight but picked up the other one. As he walked to that side she again planted and lifted the furthest foot. Puzzled John trimmed her fronts. When he moved to the backs again the penny dropped! She had been trying to tell him that holding the leg out to the side was difficult but passing it under her midline was easy. It makes perfect sense. Just try balancing with one leg out to the side then try it with a leg across your front. Totally different! ! Because she had been standing this way it was clear that she was stable and any move would have taken her away from John but, even so, it was an act of trust to crawl under her belly to trim each foot but it worked perfectly. We all had a lump in our throats and it was a timely reminder that we need to really "listen". Trimming will be easy for her in future. ##Humbledbyahorse xx
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Now that's a huge foot!! It belongs to the gorgeous Troy. Think he's rather fond of John 😍

Some very useful looking products for grass sensitive and less than comfortable horses.
http://www.phytorigins.com/products.html#

This is why so many suffer from problems with their joints when their heels are under run xx

The same problem occurs in feet. Shoe too young and the feet are still changing with the upper body. They can't do this when they are nailed to rigid plates. Hence so many previously raced TBS with under developed feet.

Is anyone interested in a pair of size 2 Cavello Classic hoof boots (worn but serviceable with some tread left ) £30 or a pair of size 2 Cavello Treks ( Good condition. Little used) £60. Selling on behalf of a client. Collection from near Tunbridge Wells or post at your cost 😊 I have just cleaned them so will post pictures later if anyone is interested x

Well even if I had no other purpose in life it is a worthy job bringing a smile to a gorgeous pony like this Lad. Thank you to his owner for this lovely, happy pic. He has great little feet too 😍- Liz

This is a very big problem especially in areas where Dairy farms have diversified into livery yards. So many don't understand the effect.

This must be the perfect lunch break 😁 Tony left his role as a talented chef and finds his roadside cafe much more relaxing. His burgers are handmade and fresh. He does halloumi baps for veggies like me and Rikki can't wait to get out of the car for a free sausage. We don't stop too often and they are not fatty so he is safe from pancreatic problems. The bar is between Bethersden and Great Chart in Kent 👍

It's that time of year again! Those tiny little seedlings will be peeking above the grass. The seeds can travel up to 2 miles because they are perfectly designed by nature. It is good to know that you can have them tested so you know whether or not to worry. Take care. We don't want to lose you or your horses ☺

Could be useful 😊

A client has sent us this message.. If you are interested please get in touch with Amelia Wilbourn directly on Messenger. Amelia is based in Dormansland but says Roger is willing to travel a little within the nearby area :
"I am getting Roger Meacock the vet www.naturalhealingsolutions.co.uk down to see my boy who has suspensory issues but need to get 8 people in total and wondered if you know anyone who may be interested. A consultaion will include assessment, bodywork,... thermal imaging and scenar as appropriate. There is a lot of info on his website. The scenar is brilliant and have had a treatment myself. Cost is £120 per horse and we are looking at Monday 14th May or Tuesday 15th. He comes highly recommended. Look forward to meeting you 😊😊"
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Another take on how slowly horses mature and how careful we have to be with them....

It has all been a bit of a whirl but it's now a year since we moved to the South East!! We would both like to thank all our customers, old and new, who have made it a success. Barely Roadworthy now has a steadily building client base but we can still fit in a few more horses. We cover Kent, Sussex and parts of Surrey. So if you are thinking of taking the plunge into "Barefoot" we would be happy to help with advice, guidance on diet, environment and exercise, oh...and of course...trimming!!

A great report by Dr Carol Hughes. Bit of a challenge to my 'O' Level Biology but well worth the read. It seems that we should all be cultivating the wild plant Fat Hen for a start. We are constantly on the look out for useful plants to encourage on our track so will add this if we can. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LAMINITIS: 90% Metabolism / 10% Foot !!!
...Continue Reading

Ranger’s first ‘Barely Roadworthy’ trim today - Very interesting explanation from John & Liz with regards to how the hoof works - Thanks for the mince pies they were lush - Liz, the beads are beautiful and can’t wait to try them � Thank you x

Liz and John were SO informative and so wonderful with my horse! 100% recommend. Very happy with their service.

John and Liz work wonderfully with and for horses. My mare had 2 years of extensive vet and farriery interventions to help her problem feet. After taking the plunge and going barefoot under the guidance of Barely Roadworthy, she is sound, without bute or other medications after 5 months. Thank-you so much John and Liz!

John and Liz are two of the nicest people I've ever met. Fantastic at what they do and they have both helped me so much this past few month . Thank you both of you :-) xx

John and Liz are lovely people. They have a wonderful calm and genuinely caring attitude and approach to the horse. They are very informative and obviously passionate about their work. That passion is infectious! We have just started on our barefoot journey, but are confident that our boy Monty will have a happier healthier and more comfortable future. Thank you Barely Roadworthy � from Lynn, Day and Monty

I can highly recommend John and Liz, they are so understanding of horses, taking the time to gain trust in a calm and positive way. Although they come miles to see our ponies they never rush, this weekend they made the extra effort to help our Shetland pony to find the good (plenty of scratches and well deserved carrots ) in having all of his feet trimmed for the first time - in doing so John even discovered a new trick to trim/rasp. We so appreciate your expertise.

Had John and Liz out today for the first time for my horse, they were very informative and told me exactly what they were doing and very calm and patient with my horse, thankyou �

From an extremely anxious owner to calm and having faith in my trimmer. Not once did John or Liz get exasperated with me. Will answer any questions without making me feel like I am stupid. John and Liz have proved their worth. I would highly recommend. Lots of information given and spend as much time with the owner as the horse!

Both John and Liz come highly recommended. The proof is how happy and contented my horse is when she has her feet done. I think she actually enjoys the process. Unlike other trimmers, John spends a lot of time making sure everything is perfect. We are never rushed, and you are given lots of helpful and useful advice. 5 star fantastic service.