Whole Horse and Holistic Approach, Farrier work, Barefoot Specialist, Equine Sports Massage Therapy, Myofacial Therapy, PEMF, Reiki and Kinesiology taping for horses, mules and donkeys.
03/24/2026
I did myofascial work today on a navicular case. The triceps muscles in the shoulders were very tight and sore as the horse tried to bite me and move away. As the tissue softened, he also began to calm down. Low heels, or caudal failure is often caused by nerve impingement, which also cuts blood flow from the medial artery which runs with the nerve, down the limb into the back of the hoof, or heel bulbs. Loss of blood flow can cause pain, tingling, numbness, tripping and slow movement. It can also contribute to thin soles.
After seeing the radiographs, and doing the needed bodywork, I made him a pair of 2 degree full wedge pads with Ground Control Horseshoes. He walked away more comfortably and even seemed to float at the trot. I also gave some rehab exercises to be done over the next few weeks. , ,
03/21/2026
02/27/2026
Studies have shown that in horses with kissing spines (overriding or impinging dorsal spinous processes), the interspinous ligament often becomes inflamed or fibrotic.
This chronic irritation can lead to:
🔹 Increased sensory nerve fibers (hyper-innervation)
• This phenomenon, often referred to as neuronal sprouting, is common in chronically inflamed or damaged tissues.
• It heightens the area’s sensitivity to mechanical pressure, movement, or even mild touch.
🔹 Clinical Relevance
• This explains why horses with kissing spines can display dramatic or unpredictable behaviors under saddle, even if they don’t show clear signs of lameness.
• Pain from hyper-innervated tissue can be sharp, localized, and exacerbated by back movement, especially when the saddle or rider compresses the spine.
Massage therapy can be a powerful tool for horses with kissing spines.
Massage helps by:
✅ Reducing muscular tension
✅ Improving circulation
✅ Releasing fascial restrictions
✅ Reducing pain and discomfort
✅ Alleviate compensatory patterns that contribute to pain.
Over time, this support allows the horse to adopt a healthier posture—lifting through the thoracic sling, engaging the core, and reducing pressure between the spinous processes—ultimately promoting better movement and comfort.
Bonus Insight
This kind of neural adaptation is also observed in humans with chronic back pain, where ligamentous or fascial structures develop increased nociceptive input, contributing to pain sensitization and sometimes movement avoidance behaviors.
* The interspinous ligament connects the spinous processes of adjacent thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. It supports spinal stability and helps limit excessive flexion. In conditions like kissing spines, it can become inflamed, thickened, or fibrotic, contributing to pain and restricted mobility.
Join us October 8–11, 2026 in Linn Creek, MO for the IAPF 2nd Annual Fall Expo at Forget-Me-Not Horse Rescue & Sanctuary!
Enjoy a weekend packed with hands-on education, expert speakers, live demonstrations, and incredible networking opportunities in the hoof care industry.
We will also be presenting the 2025 IAPF Annual Awards! Winners will be announced in the coming week. We would love if you made plans to join us!
Mark your calendars now. More details on topics and official flyer coming soon!
02/13/2026
I have been doing a spiral trim and myofascial work to the lower limb on Silver. These photos are 15 weeks apart. ,
01/30/2026
01/30/2026
I’ve had soooo many conversations about the brachial plexus with friends lately.
I’ve been experimenting with nerve glides on horses. It’s a treatment we do to people but for some reason no one is doing it to horses. I’m having some cool success with it.
I have a hypothesis that there is a population of horses out there landing toe first because of median nerve tension, not originally navicular/heel pain.
The digital palmar branches come from the median nerve.
What if the frog, the navicular apparatus, and the flexors are pi**ed because of neural tension?
We end up with radiographic changes eventually because the neural tension led to toe first landing, which led to poor frog contact, which led to poor blood flow, which led to deterioration of the navicular bone and apparatus, and exacerbated all the symptoms.
The nerve and the artery run together, so if there is neural tension, the circulation probably is restricted as well.
It can be a simple solution if we’re willing to have the conversation. It just takes a different way of thinking.
Let’s stop blaming the farriers for everything and start thinking outside of the box and finding some other options for solutions.
It will always go back to blood supply and happy nerves.
Don’t be afraid to challenge what we do just because it’s the way we’ve always done it.
Beautiful image by: Equine Anatomy in Layers
01/30/2026
Did you know that Prascend (and all forms of pergolide) tablets are unstable once taken out of their special nitrogen-filled foil compartment?
Some horse owners mistakenly take them out of the packaging ahead of time for convenience, which can lead to rapid degradation. Another dilemma is when horses are supposed to get a partial tablet. What's the best practice?
The very best option for storing partial pergolide tablets is to keep them in their original nitrogen-flushed blister packs until the moment of administration to prevent rapid degradation from light and other factors.
If a tablet must be split, store the unused portion in a small, sealed, dark container with a silica gel packet.
Store in Dark/Cool Location: Keep the container away from direct sunlight and in a cool, dry place (at or below 77°F/25°C).
Time Limit: Use the partial tablet within 24 hours to ensure effectiveness.
Alternative - Foil: Some owners tightly wrap the unused, halved tablet in aluminum foil and store it in a small, sealed container.
Do not pre-cut tablets for more than one or two days in advance.
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My name is Shannon Cole. I am a female farrier. I am a life long horsewoman and I became a farrier in the summer of 2009. I ran into the same problems time and again with other farriers I had hired, taking care of my own personal horses which I use to make my living running Happy Trails Carriage Service. The farriers were late, did not even show up, were unavailable in emergency situations, did not return calls or did sloppy and careless work, or were abusive to my horses, This caused immense headache, stress and many problems, including soreness, lameness and behavioral problems. This was not only a problem for my horses, but my business.
I finally got fed up and took my horses to the Oklahoma State Shoeing School in Ardmore for several years, at least once a month, where I stayed all day learning exactly what was done to each one of my horses, and got to see and learn about other horses that were in that day. Then for another year and a half, I took my horses to the Texas Horse Shoeing School where I learned even more and began doing some shoeing myself on my own horses under the guidance of John Burgen. He is a wonderful instructor. It was in the fall of 2008 that I met my friend, fellow farrier and mentor, Joan Green who I cannot thank enough! She kindly took me under her wing in early 2009 as her apprentice and I still call her with questions.
I think as long as we are alive, we can never stop learning. I have read textbook after textbook, veterinary and farrier journals and watched countless hours of video on correct shoeing, therapeutic shoeing, balance and hoof care. I ride along with fellow farriers to expand my knowledge as much as I can. I attend numerous clinics by the top farriers in the world and was at the International Hoof Care Summit in 2016,2017,2018 and 2019. I have become a member of the American Association of Professional Farriers which requires continuing education credits to stay in good standing. I am earned my certification as of October 2017. The testing to be certified through the AAPF was very important to me for self growth. The situations and experiences I have had on this journey are eye opening to say the least. I am all ears when it comes to instruction from an owner, veterinarian or professional. My goal is to help horses move and feel better and to have beautiful, balanced, healthy feet.
I am a professional business woman who has run her own horse and carriage company for over 18 years, and I take pride in my work. I will be on time to the best of my ability, do my best work always and will be fair with pricing. I use 2 different hoof stands to make your horse be in the most comfortable position for trimming and shoeing. I always handle your horse as quietly and as kind as I can. I have worked with many abused and rescue horses, who need an extra gentle approach. It is all about our energy and how we approach any living creature as to how it will respond back to us. Horses only mirror us and if we are off balance they are sure to let us know quickly.
For some of my clients, I use my Reiki healing. I am a Reiki Master/Teacher as of February 2006. This year of training changed my life and I use it on sore, lame and injured horses and people. Horses have no judgement and accept it easier than humans. As of the Fall of 2015, I went to school for 8 weeks, (56 hours) and became a certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist through the Kekino Massage School in Plano, Texas under the instruction of Jeannie gentry. This skill set has enabled me to work on my clients horses with massage before I trim or shoe them and to help them be better balanced all around. In November of 2018 I purchased a PEMF machine to help relieve pain and inflammation as well as heal the hooves and bodies of horses. See my Happy Trails PEMF page for more information. My goal is to heal horses from the ground up and continue to learn other methods of healing for our equine friends.
