What you can expect on a visit

An initial consultation will take approximately two hours.

It would be preferable to have access to a space with some hard standing to trim and take photos. A length of level surface on which to walk/trot the horse up would be beneficial (a quiet road would be perfectly sufficient).

It would also be appreciated if the horse's feet are clean, dry, and free from any topical treatments, such as hoof oils, before the visit.

• Case history – Detailed notes will be taken on your horse's history, environment, lifestyle, diet and workload.
• Inspection of hooves
• Pre-trim walk/trot up – Foot fall and gait will be evaluated
• Pre-trim photographs – Photographic record of your horse's feet are an essential tool in marking progress.
• Trim – A safe balanced trim will be applied to the hooves.
• Post-trim walk/trot up - Foot fall and gait will be re-evaluated: the horse should be no less comfortable after the trim than before. Some adjustments may be made at this point and more notes will be taken.
• Post-trim photographs
• Hoof score – The individual structures of the hoof will be graded and an overall score will be given on the health of the horse's hooves, this score gives an indication of the hooves ability to cope with workload.
• Visit report - An overview of the heath of your horse's hooves and recommendations will be given in an email. This may include diet, environment and workload changes. You will also receive your horse's Hoof Evaluation Score, this score gives an indication of the health of your horse's hooves and ability to cope with workload.

Ideally the horse should be well handled and able to lead, if this is not the case, please advise beforehand as additional time may need to be scheduled for the visit.

A subsequent visit normally takes about an hour per horse.