Top Racehorse Bares All with Forward Thinking Trainer Simon Earle!

Simon Earle trains national hunt and flat horses, and 90% of the equines he trains are barefoot. He says the team’s main aim is to maintain horses that are fit, healthy, happy, well educated and sound - Simon says this combination ultimately leads to racing success. “Be it barefoot or with correct shoeing, soundness is of the utmost importance to enable me to train a horse successfully,” Simon says. He has good statistics to back up his beliefs that 'bare is best': "Our yard hasn't had a tendon strain in over seven years..... in fact I can't remember the last one we had," he says of his horses. “My reasons for managing the horses barefoot where possible is that we see too many horses break down [within the racing industry, where they are commonly shod], and when this happens, I have always wanted to know why. All too often, it is down to the foot and there is no truer saying than ‘no foot, no horse’. I feel that prolonged shoeing of the horse can, in some cases, make the hoof migrate forwards, becoming too long in the toe, and with under-run heels,” Simon adds. "Being barefoot enables the horse’s hoof to function naturally..." “All of this puts more strain on the tendons and ligaments. Being barefoot enables the horse’s hoof to function naturally, and it is much easier to keep the horse’s balance right, and have weight bearing heels in the correct place, rather than under-run. We definitely have less joint problems [with the horses that are bare, when compared to the overall racing industry].” However, ten per cent of Simons horses are shod - why is this? “In my experience, some horses do not take to being barefoot, be it physically or due to time required to maintain their feet bare, and I am aware of the responsibilities of the trainer to the owner to see their horse running,” he states. “I assess every horse that comes into the yard with my farrier, and after discussion with the owner, we make a decision on whether to use shoes or keep the horse bare,” Simon says. The UK's most successful barefoot competition horse? Red Not Blue is a ten year old bay gelding by Blueprint, owned by The Plum Merchants, trained by Simon Earle, and ridden by many leading jockeys including Andrew Thornton and AP McCoy. The National Hunt racer has his own twitter handle - ‏@RedNotBlueHorse - and a cheeky attitude - recently tweeting Horse and Hound magazine when they featured a supposed lightweight horse shoe that could potentially help a horse go faster, saying: "Who needs shoes! Why pay silly money on shoes when you can go barefoot! #stillwinningraces." The horse recently ran at Newbury with jockey Dominic Elsworth, coming third and qualifying for the prestigious Pertemps Final, taking place during the Cheltenham Festival in March 2014. Red Not Blue has earned around £70,000 in his career and is a leading example of a successfully managed barefoot horse excelling in his discipline. So who said Thoroughbreds can't go barefoot?

The Saddlery Shop; leading Hoof Boot Retailer

Did you know The Saddlery Shop offers a huge range of equine hoof boots building up a trusted reputation over a number of years. The Saddlery Shop is recognised as the country’s leading equestrian barefoot retailer holding the largest stocks of hoof boots and accessories in the UK! In addition The Saddlery Shop is a respected authority on booting barefoot horses. The Saddlery Shop aim to have all the information you as a barefoot horse owner would need in order to choose the best hoof boot for their horse including ample information on each type of boot, it's use and it's suitability for each horse. In addition The Saddlery Shop offers free specialist hoof boot advice by email or telephone from one of our booting experts, including Lucy Nicholas the author of 'The Barefoot Horse'. Hoof boot enquiries are treated as priority and usually answered within 4 working hours! To see the huge range of equine hoof boots, books, cushioning pads and inserts and equine barefoot maintenance tools such as rasps visit the website www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk.

Avoiding Measuring Mishaps with Advice From Easycare and Trelawne Equine

EasyCare direct and Trelawne Equine, who stock Easycare boots often spend much of their day assisting customers with boot sizing. This is because there are many different factors that should be taken into account when fitting boots,particularly the accuracy of the measurements. Fit is easily the most important factor in selecting boots and should not be taken lightly, a bad fit can cause a variety of issues such as rubbing, boot loss, and product failure. Accurate hoof measurements are the essential first step in the fitting process. Easycare state that actually getting accurate hoof measurements is not that easy! So here is a useful guide to some measuring tips exclusively from Easycare Helpful Measuring Tips Follow the EasyCare measurement guide 1.) Measure after a fresh trim 2.) Measure to the heel buttress line, not the heel bulbs 3.) If possible, use a metric ruler since millimeters are more precise than inches. 4.) Do NOT trace for an accurate view after the event take pictures 5.) It also may be helpful to have someone else take measurements and compare them to your measurements Remember if you have any questions or queries you can always call the team at Trelawne, dedicated distributor of Easycare boots who are always happy to advise. For more information visit the website www.trelawneequine.co.uk or telephone a member of the team on Tel: 0844 257 8585

Managing Laminitis with the Easyboot RX

The term Laminitis describes a condition which sadly affects many horses and ponies in the UK. The pain associated with the disease is caused by inflammation of the internal laminae tissues which in some severe cases can result in the epidermal and dermal tissue bonds which join to the hoof wall becoming torn and damaged. Laminitis is particularly prevalent during the Spring and Autumn months when the grass is of optimum quality as a result of weather conditions typically bringing both rain and shine. The condition is often linked to obesity and poor diet but it is also associated with; stress, toxaemia, mechanical trauma, hormone problems and some steroid treatment. Low-grade laminitis caused by dietary triggers such as spring grass can go unnoticed in the shod horse, as shoeing decreases hoof blood flow, causing loss of sensation. However, in the barefoot horse, with full hoof sensation and heightened sensitivity on rough ground when low grade laminitis is present it is seen earlier. This is great news as the condition can be spotted earlier and management can be implemented but what do we do to support our horses suffering with either low level, acute or chronic laminitis? The first stop if you think your horse may be suffering from laminitis is always your veterinarian. If diagnosed with laminitis the Easyboot RX can provide the ideal therapy hoof boot for our equines. A horse or pony diagnosed with laminitis requires sole support. This can be achieved by using the RX boot on a bare (non shod) hoof as the boot is equipped with shock absorbing Easycare comfort pads inside. The supportive and stabilising boot allows the horse to benefit from increased circulation and undertake controlled exercise or turnout once the hoof has stabilised which can aid healing. Other management techniques such as reducing calorie intake including starch and sugar levels in the diet, providing deep, supportive bedding and minimising stress levels can help laminitis sufferers. If you think your horse or pony may be suffering from laminitis always contact your vet.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year

Trelawne Equine would like to wish all of its customers and friends a very Happy Christmas – we hope you enjoy the festive period and that your horses enjoy a sound, healthy 2013! It has been a brilliant year for barefoot horse keeping, with many more owners taking this form of management on board. We are thrilled with the level of awareness and also the media coverage we have helped to gain in the last few years on the subject of barefoot hoofcare. Please keep spreading the word about the benefits of barefoot in 2013!

Visit our website for more info - http://www.trelawneequine.co.uk

Complete the barefoot survey!

Horse owners are being urged to complete a quick, simple, online survey that aims to give hoofcare professionals a greater understanding of the issues facing horse owners in the UK. Barefoot hoofcare as a management regime has proven to be on the increase in the UK, as seen on equestrian discussion forums and livery yards country-wide. However the regime requires dedicated management from the horse’s owner, and there are many factors that horse owners need to be aware of before embarking on a barefoot regime for their horse. Owners of all horses - both shod and unshod – are invited to take part in the survey, which is coordinated by hoofboot distributors Trelawne Equine. The closing date is 31st Jan 2013 and one lucky recipient, drawn at random from EACH of the two surveys, will win a £50 voucher to spend at online equestrian store, www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk. For owners of barefoot horses visit: www.surveymonkey.com/s/LV9HW5F For owners of shod horses visit: www.surveymonkey.com/s/LDDSH56

Competition wear

Dublin Stock Bib Was – £8.99 Now – £7.89

The Dublin stock bib is ideal for wearing over a T-shirt or other suitable casual top to give the appearance of a show shirt when worn under a show jacket. www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk