Holistic Horses Lara Sportelli

12/12/2025

Pashmina having her pedicure, she’s a little star and so beautiful 💫💕🦄
This tune somehow reminded me of Pashmina. Horses are beautifully harmonious and trimming hooves is also like playing a melody 🎶♥️🐴

10/12/2025

Another fabulous post ♥️🐴

HOOF MYTHS VS REALITY

PART 5 – THE TRIMMING MYTH

MYTH: “If the trim’s right, the horse will go sound straight away.”
REALITY: A good trim doesn’t create soundness — it creates the conditions for soundness to grow.

There’s something oddly human about expecting an instant transformation. We like before-and-after stories. Haircuts, kitchens, hooves — all better when you can post the two photos side by side. But a horse’s foot doesn’t work like a makeover show. The real story unfolds in millimetres, over months, and sometimes what’s good for the hoof doesn’t look particularly pretty on the day.

Every trim is a conversation with the horse’s biology. You can remove distortion, rebalance leverage, restore a healthier landing — but you can’t grow sole depth, rebuild digital cushion, or replace stretched laminae in an afternoon. A trimmer or farrier can set the direction of growth; the horse does the rest. If we force speed, we pay for it in sensitivity.

That’s why a freshly trimmed foot may look a little rough around the edges. The outer wall might still flare. The heels may still appear low until the internal structures strengthen enough to support them higher. Sometimes the frog looks ragged because, well, it is — it’s been shedding diseased tissue and needs a few weeks of use to even out. The important part isn’t the appearance; it’s the mechanics: whether the foot lands flat to heel-first, whether breakover has been brought back, whether leverage is reduced and circulation improved. Those are the quiet victories that grow the next capsule better than the last.

Radiographs are invaluable for this reason. They tell us what the hoof capsule is doing in relation to the bone — whether the palmar angle is functional, whether there’s sufficient sole thickness, whether the trim is genuinely helping or just neatening the edges. Without that information, it’s easy to chase a “look” that satisfies the human eye but not the horse’s comfort.

Owners sometimes get discouraged when a rehab foot doesn’t look “finished” after the first visit. But the hoof records time, not intentions. A wall grows roughly 8–10 mm a month, so a complete capsule takes nearly a year. That’s why the best farriers and trimmers talk in months, not moments. What matters is trajectory — that the new growth is straighter, tighter, healthier.

At the same time, trimming alone isn’t always enough. When the foot has been distorted or the horse is already sore, protection is often part of the process. Boots with pads, temporary shoes, or even casts allow correct mechanics without adding more trauma. They’re not shortcuts; they’re scaffolding. Remove them too early, and the structure collapses again.

There’s also a subtle psychological hurdle here: our urge to equate visual symmetry with health. Many hooves are naturally asymmetrical because horses are, too — one shoulder heavier, one limb dominant, one hoof taking more load. Forcing a mirror-image balance without addressing body patterning or movement only fights nature. Functional symmetry grows from correct movement, not from equal rasping.

The long game of trimming is patience married to precision. The professional’s job is to guide growth; the owner’s job is to give time, footing, and nutrition for that growth to show. In the early stages of rehab, progress can be measured in better stance and freer movement, not perfect shape. By the time the new capsule grows down, the story told in horn rings and wall angle changes is often remarkable — but it never happens overnight.

THE TAKEAWAY
A trim is a starting point, not a finish line. Its job isn’t to make the hoof look beautiful today, but to make it grow beautifully tomorrow. If the horse walks off sounder, stands more comfortably, and grows a better hoof next time — that’s the real “after” picture.

10/12/2025

What a belly laugh, brilliantly funny and so true 🤣♥️🐴###

THE ENDLESS BATTLE BETWEEN HOLISTIC, CLASSICAL, NATURAL, FUNCTIONAL, CORRECTIVE METHODS…

…AND “I JUST TRIM THINGS.”**
(A geopolitical conflict fought exclusively on Facebook at 2am.)

Welcome to the hoof-care landscape, a place where adults with professional qualifications behave like rival cult leaders fighting for control of a small island nation made entirely of frogs and coping mechanisms.

Every method has followers.
Every follower has opinions.
Every opinion is defended with the ferocity of a starving terrier guarding a stolen sausage.

Let’s meet the factions.

THE HOLISTIC HERETICS

Float into the yard like a barefoot druid performing an exorcism on a pastern.
They trim by moon cycle, planetary alignment, and vague “energetic feedback.”
Will confidently announce your horse’s hoof is experiencing ancestral trauma.
Horse yawns.
Owner weeps.
You stare into the distance, reconsidering your life choices.

Their followers post things like:
“Science hasn’t caught up to us yet.”
Yes. Because science is busy.

THE CLASSICAL FUNDAMENTALISTS

Everything they know was chiselled into stone tablets by a dead cavalry officer in 1872.
Believe the hoof should be “exactly 52° because that’s what the book says.”
Have never met a horse who read the book.
Own compasses, rulers, and calipers that could measure tectonic plates.
Say things like:
“The toe should align with the cosmic axis.”
Nobody asks what that means because nobody wants the 40-minute explanation.

THE NATURAL EXTREMISTS

Your horse must live exactly as horses lived in the wild…
…except in the UK
…on clay soil
…in February
…in rain that can dissolve metal.

They will insist shoes are the root of all evil, forgetting that their own horse is currently 3/10 lame because the track turned into custard overnight.

Their mantra:
“He just needs movement.”
He can’t move.
He’s stuck in the mud.
He’s been in the exact same place for two hours.

THE FUNCTIONAL ENGINEERS

Do not see horses.
Only algorithms.

Carry iPads, graphs, overlays, and software that could run a satellite.
Trim according to lines drawn by a man in Ohio who hasn't touched a horse since 2014.
Say things like:
“If you just zoom in, you’ll see what the hoof should have done.”
Meanwhile, the horse steps in a bucket.

THE CORRECTIVE WEAPONISED BRIGADE

Arrive in a truck the size of a warship.
They have forges, anvils, welding equipment, a full Iron Man workshop.
If a problem can’t be solved with steel, wedges, or fire, they are uninterested.
Will attach more metal to a horse than the average Victorian bridge.

Their motto:
“Better living through hardware.”

AND THEN THERE'S YOU

Covered in hay, mud, regrets, and yesterday’s coffee.
You’re not here to join a faction.
You’re not here to recite scripture.
You’re not here to perform interpretive spiritual hoof theatre.

You just… trim things.
You show up, look at the feet, use your brain, use your tools, fix what needs fixing, and leave before someone corners you with a printout.

When asked for your “method,” you say the most triggering words imaginable:

“I use whatever works.”

This phrase alone could start a civil war.

THE COMMENT SECTION WARFARE

The battlefield.
The arena.
The place where hope goes to die.

Someone posts a frog.
Within six minutes:

A Natural Extremist says it’s thrush.

A Corrective Specialist says it needs a bar shoe.

A Holistic Practitioner suggests grounding exercises and Himalayan salt.

A Classical Purist quotes a cavalry manual from 1904.

A Functional Engineer draws 19 red arrows.

Two people start fighting about diet.

Three more argue about trimming cycles.

Someone blocks someone.

Someone reports the post.

An admin says “Ladies please.”

A rogue chiropractor enters the chat.

You turn off notifications and lie face down on the floor.

THE OUTRO — THE REAL TRUTH (WHICH THEY’LL ALL IGNORE)

All the factions — every last one — are absolutely convinced they’re doing what’s best for the horse.

They’re all right sometimes.
They’re all wrong sometimes.
And none of them, not one, has ever improved a hoof through Facebook combat.

Meanwhile you’re in the stable, being the quiet, unfashionable heretic who just… works.

You are methodless.
Factionless.
Religionless.
Faithless.
But your horses are sound.

And that, ironically, is the only doctrine that ever mattered.

17/11/2025

30th April 2024 - 17th November 2025.
What a wonderful transformational journey these little hooves have been on ♥️
Todays beautiful trimming was carried out by the pony’s human, in a hands on guided tutorial 💕🦄
I love my work and especially love seeing owners trimming their horses brilliantly 🥰
Each horse is an individual and every hoof is unique 🐴

09/11/2025

Balance is the key to almost everything in life and things take as long as they need 💕

I believe the most important thing to hoof rehab, is finding the cause of lameness etc, through a methodical approach and a process of elimination, helping the horse to be comfortable, sound and recover again.

I love to chat and collaborate with other sensible equine professionals, in all spheres, especially if it helps the horses and for me to understand more about my work.

I believe every horse is different, all their hooves are unique and I always trim the horse I have in front of me, according to their needs and different requirements.

What I do with a trim, will also change as we go along, with different tweaks and nuances, because hooves are a live, changing structure.

Even a minuscule adjustment can make all the difference, if a horse is sound over stones or not.

Even a slight error can make all the difference, if a horse is lame or not.

An unbalanced hoof can make all the difference to how the horse moves.

There are so many different elements to take into consideration when trimming each hoof and it’s definitely not one size fits all, there can be many different contributing factors.

I believe hooves should be seen through a very wide angled lens, or at least that is how I feel about the way I approach my work ♥️🐴

I have been trimming for almost twenty years and always trim for balance, comfort and movement, according to each horse and hoof, that is not rocket science.

As always, I set out first to make the horse as comfy as possible, then it is a steady process of elimination, like bloods, x-rays etc.

There are many different pieces of the puzzle to put together, when considering hoof rehab.

Which means collaborating with other professionals.

I have popped some different hoof photos and a small caption.

In general I have never found it to be one particular thing, it’s usually a combination and it’s always best to keep an open mind about everything.

I love all horses, I love my vocation and I quietly get on with my work 💕🦄

26/10/2025

This photo of my old boy Bob and I is very memorable.

This is the beautiful horse, that set me off on my trimming journey.

I love hooves, they are a genius Act of Nature and a Beautiful Work of Art.

Hooves should be tended to with love, care, thought, passion, knowledge and precision, to help them be the best that they can be.

Trimming is about balance, locomotion, biomechanics, shape, physiology, anatomy and comfort of the whole horse.

A tiny imbalance can make all the difference to your horses body and the way your horse moves.

The way the horse is trimmed matters.

Whether your horse is balanced or not, whether your horse is sound over stones or not, whether your horse trips or not and for general overall health and soundness, trim matters.

I have loved horses all my life and always knew I wanted to work with them, ever since I can remember.

Hooves have fascinated me since I was a child and I asked constant questions to the farrier.

I was looking for answers, about the reasons why we put shoes on horses hooves and never received any satisfactory responses or explanations, except that is what we have always done.

It was never a good enough answer and I learnt no more about it, until much later on in life.

When I left school I worked in various jobs and although I loved my work in film and television, working with horses was always at the very forefront of my mind.

Although I was obsessed with hooves, I didn’t want to train as a traditional farrier and studied Equine Massage and rehab and whilst I enjoyed it, it didn’t feel like quite my thing.

Learning barefoot trimming didn’t even exist back then.

Much later on when I was living in Italy, after a very upsetting experience of a farrier making my horses hooves bleed and leaving them lame after a trim and trying to tell me that was normal, I decided I was somehow going to learn to trim my horses myself.

By chance, whilst looking for something completely different, I discovered a website, with a natural hoof trimming school, run by a Homeopathic and Western medicine vet and I felt a buzz of excitement.

I called up Stefano and arranged for him to come and trim my own horses first, as I wanted to see what he was teaching and be sure that this time, someone was actually any good at what they were doing.

Stefano trimmed my horses beautifully, his explanations made complete sense to me and I decided to enrol in his school and learn to trim for my own horses.

That was my original plan and I had no intention of trimming horses as a career.

I knew as soon as I picked up the rasp, that it felt the right decision to learn.

Even though if felt strange at first, after a while the rasp started to come alive in my hands and I felt like a sculptor.

I then absolutely knew, that trimming was not just for my own horses, it was a passion and a dedication that was meant to be my vocation in life, for all the horses and I still feel the same way, almost twenty years later.

I believe when you do something you really love with all your heart, then you truly love what you do and it doesn’t feel like work at all.

It also goes to show, that sometimes life has other plans in store for you too.

All my beautiful horses of different breeds, ranging from the ages of 8-25 have never worn shoes ♥️🐴

Very fortunately things have changed for the better and progressed, but believe it or not, many years ago, I had a real struggle to get our pony into pony club camp without shoes.

I simply said that he had never worn shoes and never would and that I thought pony club camp was open to all children and ponies.

He was allowed to go and I was also just a little proud when our pony T***s came first in the dressage, not just because he was the only barefoot pony there, but also because he’d never had any real schooling either.

Over the years I have also come up against various opposition, about trimming my own horses and various barefoot beliefs etc, but I just kept going, because I could see the difference in my own horses hooves and how healthy they were.

Never give up on a dream, always stand up for what you believe in and never stop learning and improving, every single day 💜🦄

25/09/2025

Thrush and Frogs
Frog
If the frog is atrophied, small or misaligned, the fundamental issue usually involves the frog and the heels of the hoof capsule, not being on or close to the same plane.

It is not always to do with the frog being out of alignment or encased by the collateral grooves, it can also be to do with bars, sole, hoof wall and heel height.

Correct all those things and the frog, with its amazing elasticity, will realign itself, often within a matter of days.

Every part of the hoof matters, regards balance and correct movement.

The horses frog is similar in its cellular makeup to skin and therefore undergoes a process, whereby older cells shed naturally over time.

The process involves the outward migration of epidermal cells that slowly die and accumulate keratin.

Keratin holds the dead cells together into a structural, protective, tough covering.

The frog is a structure made up of tissue, with a dermis and epidermis and exfoliates naturally.

Shock Absorption
When the hoof lands, the frog helps dissipate some of the force away from the bones and joints.

Blood Flow
The frog plays a major role in pushing blood up out of the foot.

There are no muscles in the lower leg or hoof and the venous plexus, right above the frog, plays a huge part in pushing blood back up to the heart.

The venous plexus is a vast network of veins, located on both sides of each of the lateral cartilages and in the sensitive structures of the foot.

The compression of these veins by the plantar cushion (same structure as digital cushion), against the lateral cartilages and the coffin bone, against the hoof, all act as a pump, to force the blood up the leg and back to the heart.

When the horse puts a hoof down, this dissipates concussion, the blood is squeezed out with the impact and travels back up the leg.

Protection
The frog helps shield the sensitive digital cushion, the soft tissue beneath the sole, that separates the frog and the heel bulb, from the underlying tendons and bones and the deep digital flexor tendon above it.

The horse’s heels have sensory nerve endings, similar to those of the human finger tips and the frog likely has a role with proprioception, that is the awareness of where the horses feet and body are.

How the horse actually puts it’s hoof down, may be partly due to the frog feeling the ground conditions, regards how it will land, a concept researchers are currently studying.

Traction
The frog also provides traction on various surfaces.

We see this in snowy and icy conditions, when barefoot horses have better grip than shod horses, the same on the roads, unless the shod horse has special traction devices.

The frog corium produces the frog.

The frog calluses, adapts and exfoliates itself.

The frog is used for proprioception, as a shock absorber, brake and weight bearing surface.

The whole hoof, frog, soles, bars, heels and the heels, quarters and toe of the hoof wall, are all weight bearing surfaces of the hoof.

Break over happens the second the heels leave the ground and occurs all round the hoof.

Thrush:
Thrush is a bacterial infection, that occurs in the tissue of the frog.

Some horses are more predisposed to it than others.

To cure and prevent thrush, you need to trim in a way that promotes healthy frog growth and remove any dead frog, that’s causing an issue or harbouring any bacteria.

Here’s How It Happens:
The disease begins, when bacteria penetrates the outer horn (epidermis of the frog).

As it progresses, the frog tissue deteriorates, looking uneven, ragged, smelly and possibly with a cheesy like substance.

In severe cases, the bacteria can reach the inner dermis (frog corium that grows the frog), the sensitive tissues beneath the frog.

This causes pain and lameness, it can also affect the digital cushion, P3 and other structures within the foot and produce a black paste like substance.

Contrary to popular belief, thrush is not caused directly by wet, muddy conditions, such conditions just aggravate the original cause.

Thrush often develops in horses with unhealthy frogs and compromised hooves.

You can put a horse with healthy frogs in the worst possible conditions, for example, excessively damp or wet, muddy conditions and they will rarely get thrush.

On the other-hand, some of the most pampered horses get thrush (despite their immaculate surroundings), because the frogs aren’t healthy.

A healthy well-formed frog is usually broad and well callused, sharing the load-bearing function with the other structures of the hoof, this helps to absorb concussion (think of the tyres of your car).

The frog also aids traction (acts as a natural brake).

This in turn stimulates continued good frog health.

A healthy frog also has a natural self-cleaning mechanism and when it comes into contact with the ground it expands, pushing accumulated dirt and debris out of the central sulcus and the collateral sulcus on each side of the frog (making up one side of the collateral groove).

You can see this in action, when the hoof leaves behind its own round compacted clump.

An unhealthy frog, often recesses or disappears from the surface level of the rest of the hoof and is often smaller in size than it should be.

This can also occur from trimming issues, such as really high heels, therefore the caudal (back) part of the hoof, is not engaging with the ground, peripheral loading (weight only being loaded onto the outer hoof wall) and genetics such as a clubfoot.

The unhealthy frog does not share the horses weight load, so it shifts too much of the load back onto the heels of the hoof capsule, this then limits the frogs contact with the ground, thus reducing stimulation from the ground and causing the frog to atrophy.

It can also be caused by over trimming the frog, therefore stripping it of it’s natural protective callous.

Different treatments seem to work in different places and no one cure suits all, it can vary.

You can treat mild thrush with a solution of apple cider vinegar and water, soak the hoof 20-30 mins each day and apply solution a couple of times a day, into all the creases and grooves, with a spray or syringe.

You can also use green clay with tea tree oil, eucalyptus oil and honey, making sure it’s packed well into grooves and creases.

You can make a dressing with honey or make a eucalyptus and tea tree oil solution.

Soak the hoof in salt water and apply dressing.

Honey, is a favourite of mine and also good for burns and wounds, it prevents blistering and scars and for wounds it prevents white hair from growing back.

As with every hoof, the cause of the issue needs to be addressed correctly and prevention is always better than cure.

Check your horses hooves regularly.

23/09/2025

A trimming assessment and part trim on the beautiful 29 year old mare Lily 🐴 filmed when I was based in Devon.

The one and only video I have of a trimming assessment, because I was asked to make one. Luckily it turned out ok, as I’m incredibly nervous at speaking directly to camera, live down the wires 😁

Sadly Lily is no longer with us, but I will always be very grateful to beautiful Lily and lovely Caroline, for allowing us to film 💕

Balance, movement, assessment and trim.

The way the horse moves effects the hooves and the hooves effect the way the horse moves.

The horse uses every part of their hoof to weight bear, hoof wall, frog, bars and sole.

Before I trim any horse, I always find out a bit of history, assess movement and each hoof individually and trim accordingly.

I explain everything about the hoof and trim and always involve the horses human in the trimming process 💜🦄

Using a rasp in a sideways, straight and outwards motion, helps precision, so you only rasp the part of the hoof that actually needs rasping.

Following the contours of the smooth outer hoof wall, there are no ledges or square toes.

I adjust myself to each horse and adapt my way of trimming, to help each horse in any way I possibly can. Especially for older horses and horses with compromised hooves.

I went on to regularly trim Lily and these are Caroline’s very kind words from her review:

Lara has just completed a trim on my 29 year old Thoroughbred x Cleveland bay Lily.

I was extremely impressed with the way Lara methodically and sensitively worked on Lily’s feet, pointing out to me as she went, where there were things that she would like to address and work on.

Lily suffers from arthritis, particularly in her hinds, but it felt like she knew that Lara was going to help her, as she was much more willing to lift her feet, than I have previously experienced.

When Lara finished, Lily moved away from the yard and I could clearly see an improvement in her movement - I actually felt a little emotional as she was clearly more comfortable and moving more freely.

At 29, that was wonderful to see.

Thank you Lara for doing such an amazing job 😊

22/09/2025

A Little About The Horse Owners Trimming Course.

The horse owners trimming course is designed for your personal use only, for your own horses and everyone signs a disclaimer to that effect.

I take the horse owners trimming courses very seriously and I teach in person.

This course is not designed as a professional trimming course, for people looking to offer trimming services to other peoples horses, for profit or for free.

Students specifically learn how to trim their own horses.

When students learn to trim their own horses, they learn about any tiny differences, nuances or adjustments, that may be required and why.
The trim is specific to the needs of their own horses hooves.

Students receive an in-depth theory, tools list and the knowledge to trim their own horses hooves only.

They receive my ongoing help and support at anytime, if required.

They can send photos and have live video guidance calls anytime.

They also have my help, full support and guidance, if they acquire a new horse.

Many horse owners don’t realise what trimming involves, until they learn for their own horses and quite often, many people don’t understand the hoof or foot and the difference between trims, which is understandable.

Once you learn to trim, you will see hooves in a completely different way.

Professional trimming requires deep knowledge and understanding of the hoof and foot, ongoing support and lots of guided practice, to learn exactly what each and every single hoof requires, how, why, where and when.

Although the hoof structures are the same, every single hoof is different, as shown in the video.

It is not possible, to gain the experience and knowledge you need, to trim every single hoof, from a short course and trimming a few hooves.

I do not train any professional trimmers.

Why?
It would be a huge responsibility on my part and trimming is a responsibility, that should not be taken lightly.

Training professional trimmers requires a very lengthy training process, learning in-depth about the hoof and the foot, structures, trimming thousands of different hooves, rehabilitation, pathologies, theory, bio mechanics, lameness, laminitis, physiology and anatomy.

It takes years of trimming training on live hooves, a good eye and deep knowledge of the hoof and foot, to really understand exactly what each and every single hoof requires, how, when, where and why.

I trained intensely with a homeopathic and western medicine vet for three years and passed tough theory exams and practicals, all the way through to the finals, before I even dreamed of going out trimming other peoples horses.

I have been trimming for almost twenty years and I was very apprehensive when I first started the horse owners trimming courses, but so far nearly all my students have been impeccable and have respected the design of the course.

They have not broken my trust and are doing very fine trimming work, with their own horses hooves.

Please also be aware, that I absolutely do not endorse anyone, who has taken my horse owners trimming course, to go out trimming anyone else’s horses for profit or for free, or in my name.

It goes against my beliefs, ethics, code of practice and conduct towards the horses.

I love horses and I take all aspects of my work very seriously and the most important beings in my work, are the horses themselves, always the horses and their welfare, no two ways about it.

I only run these courses, because I feel horse owners should feel empowered to be able to trim their own horses, if they’d like to and it would be a shame if anyone ruined it, or jeopardised it for others, who genuinely want to learn to trim their own horses.

These courses are designed with love and based on mutual respect and trust.

If I ever started to feel that my courses were being abused in any way, or starting to put other peoples horses at risk, I would stop running them.

I could not take responsibility for any trimming damage or lameness caused to other peoples horses, through my horse owners trimming courses.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind and no question.

Thank you, Lara 💜🦄###

20/09/2025

Trimming is not just about trim, it’s also about knowing what’s inside the hoof capsule when you trim and why balance is so important, for all sorts of reasons 💜🦄

19/09/2025

A little peek inside at Navicular Syndrome, with Professor Robert Bowker.

Caudal Heel Pain and Navicular Syndrome.

I have been saying for years, that Navicular is not about the Navicular bone itself.

It’s about the negative vibration of shoes and the damage caused to blood vessels, digital cushion, DDFT, cartilage, ligaments and basically the whole foot, not the bone itself, as a study by Professor Robert Bowker shows and explains here in this video.

It's not really about the navicular boneNavicular syndrome is one of the most dreaded causes of lameness in horses because it is common, it's debilitating an...

18/09/2025

Hoof Abscesses
Healthy horses with good quality hooves and correct trimming are not typically prone to abscesses, let alone repeated hoof abscesses, but they can certainly start to develop them, with enough provocation.

Incorrect Trimming:
Horses with long, overgrown hooves or unbalanced trims, are at a greater risk of developing abscesses, than well-maintained balanced hooves.

Poor Hoof Quality:
A horse with weak, shelly hooves is more likely to develop bruises and cracks, that allow bacteria to enter.

Chronic Laminitis or Founder:
Ongoing, low-level inflammation of the laminae may not lead to a classic laminitic stance, with the horse rocked back on his hindquarters in obvious pain. Instead, it can show up as repeated abscesses.

Uncontrolled Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID, also known as Cushing’s). This common hormonal disorder of older horses can increase the risk of hoof abscesses, by weakening the immune system.

Environmental Conditions:
Paddock footing that fluctuates repeatedly between wet and dry, can cause the hoof to expand and contract rapidly. This can lead to tiny cracks that allow bacteria to enter and form abscesses. Likewise, rocky or uneven footing can cause repeated, small traumas to the hoof, leading to recurring abscesses.

Small puncture wounds and bruising can also turn into abscesses.

Never dig an abscess out, this can cause all sorts of other problems and infection.

Abscesses are infections of the sensitive areas of the foot, which can occur when bacteria has penetrated the protective outer layers of the sole and visible laminae (white line, golden in colour).

Bacteria can also work its way into the sensitive areas, through weaknesses within the laminae, as a result of bruising or Inflammation of the corium and an accumulation of pus or also via a puncture wound, though much less likely.

A sub-solar abscess or pus in the foot is an infection beneath the sole of the hoof.

Sub-solar abscesses cause severe pain to your horse, due to the build up of pressure under the hoof capsule, that cannot expand.

Sub-solar abscesses can also occur after bruising of the sole, along with a secondary infection.

When a horse has a sub-solar abscess, your horse will often bear almost no weight on the affected limb and will just touch the toe to the ground.

The hoof can feel warmer than the other hooves and a strong digital pulse can often be felt.

Soaking in warm water and Epsom salts or other solutions helps soften some parts of the hoof and draws out infection, it works very well for humans too.

The abscess will find its way out in a soft or weak spot, taking the path of least resistance. If you think when we get splinters and don’t dig them out, they find their way to the surface and pop out all on their own, an abscess is not that different and I would not recommend digging it out.

It is also best to keep the horse comfortable and moving if possible, to help blood flow, circulation and healing.

When the hoof is not soaking you can also use a warm animalintex poultice with French clay and a few drops of essential tea tree oil or yarrow (one of my favourites, fantastic on wounds and for stemming bleeding) to help draw out the infection. You can also use a good old fashion bran poultice.

Then put a piece of padding, wrap the hoof in a padding, bandage and plastic bag or poultice boot or nappy, to keep the poultice in place and eventually it will pop, in the softest spot, most often at the top between the periople and coronet or in the bulbs of the heel and abscesses are definitely not caused by being barefoot.

Once the abscess has popped and the pus has drained, clean with a mild disinfectant and seal the hole with clay, bandaging is no longer necessary. Keep clean and disinfected, you can make a solution with tea tree oil.

Garlic is good for many things, amongst being good for the respiratory tract, it is also meant to be good for lamis, it’s said to help open the capillaries and allow better blood flow to the hoof, so it might also assist an abscess.