Barefoot Rehabilitation
Barefoot rehabilitation is a great option for hoof dysfunction such as navicular disease/syndrome, laminitis, founder, and general unsoundness due to hoof pain & imbalances. To ensure success, I offer rehabilitative services in packages that include frequent trims, ranch visits, coordination with your vet, and my dedication.
Instead of expensive shoeing packages & costly supplements that may mask the problem, barefoot rehabilitation targets the “why” these pathologies happen. Barefoot rehabilitation will restore true function to the hoof capsule from the inside-out by having a look at diet, lifestyle, movement, and of course, frequent corrective trims.
If you're interested in barefoot rehabilitation, please text or email me.​
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How It Works
Rehabilitation takes time & dedication, and no two horse’s journey looks the same.
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Sometimes it takes a few months, and sometimes it takes years. On average, I recommend preparing for at least 3 months of a rehabilitation care package before proceeding to 4 week cycles that increase over time based on the comfort of the horse. By the end, your horse will thank you!
Step 1: Consultation
First, we will schedule an initial consultation visit where I will meet you & your horse, watch them move, and evaluate their feet. We will discuss diet, lifestyle, and rehab. If you have up to date radiographs, we will go over them together. I will then write you a PDF report.
Step 2: Vet & Radiographs
If you do not have up to date radiographs, I will require up-to-date X-Rays and a metabolic panel from your vet. If possible, it is best for me to be present during this vet visit to ensure we are all on the same page and we can review the radiographs as a team. For horses in extreme pain, typically laminitis and founder cases, the vet may also give pain relief so that I may remove the shoes and/or cast the feet and size for boots.
Step 3: Diet & Boots
Next, we will have a close look at the diet to make sure your horse is getting the right nutrition based on their bloodwork, as well as ensure they are meeting their trace mineral needs. If I have a pair of boots that will fit your horse, you may rent them while you wait for your pair.
Step 4: Rehabilitation Begins
Once we proceed, I will trim your horse biweekly for the first 1-3 months in order to monitor mediolateral balance, treat for thrush & WLD, keep distortions to a minimum, and ensure the boots continue to fit.
I take barefoot rehabilitation cases within 20 miles of Burbank and on a case-by-case basis.
Packages & Prices
$75: Consultation & Vet Visit
I will evaluate & document your horse’s hooves, watch their gaits, evaluate their living space & facility, evaluate & balance diet, evaluate radiographs, size for boots, and discuss a rehabilitation plan moving forward with you. I will then write a PDF follow-up with an at-home plan. If a vet visit is in order at a later date, I will be present.
$230: Initial Starter Package (First Month)
Shoe removal if shod, 2 monthly trims & thrush treatment, 1 pair of EasyCare Pads, 1 week boot rental, 1 ranch call, discussing & coordinating with your care team as needed (veterinarian, trainer, bodyworker, etc), 8oz Pure Sole Hoof Mud, small wire brush, 60 days copper & zinc trace mineral supplement, being accessible via text & email to review pictures & videos during business hours (10-am-6pm Mon-Fri) assistance with purchasing of boots.
* Casting is sold separately. A casting package is $40 per pair if done at first appointment, and $60 per pair for follow-ups.
$175/mo: Rehab Monthly Package 2 monthly trims, 1 ranch call, bi-weekly thrush treatment using hoof clay & wax, discussing & coordinating with your care team as needed (veterinarian, trainer, bodyworker, chiropractor), reviewing radiographs, 1 hoof armor application, being accessible via text & email to review pictures & videos during business hours (10am-6pm Mon-Fri).
Why Short Trim Cycles?
Comfort is paramount for healing. Horses with compromised feet will need careful, frequent trims that remove material carefully and slowly. They cannot safely adjust to dramatic changes at once.
Eventually, the time between trims can safely increase to regular 4-6
week cycles.
A La Carte
Trim: $70
Boot rental: $15 per week
Ranch call: $50 for 1 hr
Casting: $60 per pair, +$20 with pads
Hoof armor: $25 per pair
EasyCare Pads: $25 per pair
Ranch Calls
Ranch calls are in-person visits for your horse that don’t include trimming. These can be to monitor progress, answer questions, be present during vet or bodyworking appointments, treat abscesses, etc. Ranch calls can be scheduled beforehand, or made within a 48/hr period.
Casting
Casting the hoof means using mueller's tape, DIM, and casting material to provide temporary protection for the hoof. Casts last 2-4 weeks and are done no more than 2 cycles. Casts are a good option for horses with large hoof cracks that need stabilization, or for horses whose owners cannot come out 1-2x daily for 24/7 boots.