Heavenly Hooves

10/12/2026

Long read and a bit technical but check out the conclusion.
Lynn Merklin we were just talking about high/low syndrome and club feet the other day, this gives a little more insight into that.

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09/29/2026

Burnout is real! I do my best, but I'm not perfect, please forgive me if I'm late, I've forgotten an appointment, or I'm not as talkative as normal. It might be that I have any one of my 5 kids appointments on my brain, or have trimmed 10+ horses in 100 degrees and my brain and body are cooked. 😆🤦🏻‍♀️🥵
Just keep up with me and I'll keep trying! 🙏🏼🐴

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09/15/2026

This is something I have believed firmly for a long time. It's one reason I spot spray and spray carefully for w**ds and employ other methods of w**d control vs spraying with roundup/glyphosate products. Thankfully my neighbors believe in chemical free pasture care also on their 40 acres, and I've been successful in bringing two chronic laminitics back from the brink on my own property with hoof care and management, in a track system first for ponies and now in an equicentral system that allows my horses to have grass, but in a way that doesn't stress their bodies. Do I have w**ds? Yes. Is my pasture perfect? No way! It's a constant battle and thought process to provide the appropriate forage and nutrition and keep them happy and moving around daily!

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Glyphosate causes insulin resistance and metabolic disorders, disrupts the gut microbiome and the effects can be heritable.
(Please note, I am not saying it is the ONLY cause)

Last year I made a post about laminitis that was quite popular. In the post, one of the points I mentioned was the potential roll of the use of herbicides/pesticides in the widespread development of metabolic disorders in our horses for the past few decades.

I want to elaborate on that point, because it's something that people often roll their eyes thinking I'm part of the tinfoil hat brigade.

But my inital statement is not opinion, it is not speculation and it is not even surprising. It is being proven in scientific studies. Wide spread use of Glyphosate is altering our metabolisms, our immune systems and our DNA.

But don't take my word for it.

A study done in 2025 entiled ' Prenatal exposure to dietary levels of glyphosate disrupts metabolic, immune, and behavioral markers across generations in mice' by Barnett JA, Josephson JK, Yuzbashian E, et al.
States:
"Prenatal glyphosate reshapes gut, metabolism and behaviour across multiple mouse generations

Harmful effects arise at 0.01mg/kg/day, a dose far beneath current safety limits.

Gut barrier damage, mucin loss and inflammation persist into the F2 generation.

Glyphosate-linked microbiome shifts disrupt endocrine and tryptophan pathways.

Dose- and generation-based host-microbe rewiring suggests heritable gut-brain-immune dysfunction "

Another study done in 2022,
'Impact of Glyphosate on the Development of Insulin Resistance in Experimental Diabetic Rats' by Monisha Prasad et al states:

"Glyphosate aggravated ROS, altered antioxidant activity, disrupted the glucose homeostasis, altered insulin action in liver via NFκB signaling in liver. As the primary organ for metabolism and detoxification, the liver is affected by oxidative stress caused by glyphosate, which could change crucial regulatory pathways including insulin signalling and JNK, resulting in insulin resistance and inflammation."

There are many more studies out there, and of course, unfortunately they have not been done on horses by if you are curious, The Humble Hoof Podcast did an episode with Elizabeth Hilborn where she discusses the devestating impact the use of pesticides had on her own farm and the animals that lived there and the book she wrote about it called "Restoring Eden". I immediately read the book and it really made me realize what I was noticing in so many horses, and ourselves!

I got into hoofcare because I wanted to know the "Why?" behind so many common hoof problems. When I would ask why, I would only be given answers that were bandaids, not solutions, and definitely not prevention. That spurred my deep dive into all things hoof. That was over 22 years ago, and a lot of things have changed in the world around us, and wide spread use of Glyphosate is one of those things.

I don't know what the solution is now, as it is now so intertwined in all aspects of the food we eat and feed. The desire to have "w**d free" monocrops, roundup ready alfalfa, canola, corn. Oats, wheat and straw etc sprayed for uniformed drying. Our commercial feeds, our hay, our water sources etc are all affected.

I have seen more and more cases where people are feeding hay that should be deemed safe in sugar content, they aren't getting any grass etc and yet they still are metabolic and will tip over the edge into a lamintic episode with even the slightest insult. Horses under the age of 10 being diagnosed with PPID due to sky high acth levels. These things are not normal.

We need to be aware of what could be causing the dramatic uptick in cases of insulin resistance, EMS and other gut microbiome diseases we are seeing so we can stop only treating the symptoms by restricting our horses diets to manage disorders that the very feed we are trying to help them with, may be creating. Yes, there is a web of contributing factors that lead to laminitis, but we are fighting a losing battle if we aren't addressing what may be sending our bodies and the bodies of our horses into this dysfunction in the first place.

So what can we do?

Links to studies etc in the comments

Photo of stretched lamina present in a laminitic miniature horse

09/12/2026

Ok I know I said I'd have good stuff to sell and then completely ghosted y'all for like a week, but here is just the beginning of a clean out and clean up! Most things I can bundle or be flexible on price, there's a few things I'm selling for a friend (I have the items), and can meet in Cleveland, Ooltewah, Apison or McDonald, and if you can wait I can meet in Flintstone/fort O. Or Athens/Niota. Or if necessary I can ship on bulky items or lots.

-$50 - Back on track back warmer pad Size 120cm x 100cm - barely used, in Excellent like new condition with a little horse hair on it. Comes in original bag.
- $5 both - 2 pony fly masks, both have fleece lining on the forehead inside, teal should be mini size but was a little too big for my mini so maybe more like shetland size, a bit dirty and dusty but worn maybe twice. Does have a little stretching/hole in the mesh that I pictured, probably from a cat.
Pink was worn more but lost several times so not worn much, does have a larger hole and bit of the Velcro has a rip, but shouldn't affect usage. These are soft mesh also not hard mesh.
$15 - Bamboo pink string girth. Barely used, does have some horse hair and one strand looks cut, but shouldn't affect usage. No rust on buckles.
$15 - Draft size rope halter, excellent soft quality rope halter, used a handful of time to trim my neighbor's Percheron. True draft size, not warmblood size.

08/30/2026

I am putting some great horse stuff up for sale in the next week. I have an Ansur Westernaire 16" seat, I have some English cob saddle pads, I will have some parelli gear, rope halter, ropes, and various other stuff, I also have a back on track back blanket (not a full sheet or blanket) I need to clean out and get to a home that can use it!
If you're looking for anything in particular let me know or if you might be interested in any of this, let me know and I can send pics before I post them here and on marketplace.

07/22/2026

Good news!!

Laminitis is one of the more frustrating conditions veterinarians, farriers and horse owners need to manage - but there is new hope.

07/10/2026

Being present and regulated isn't just a woo-woo fad. It's another level to self care and horse care that shouldn't be neglected. Don't be too busy to give it a try, it just might change your life. 😉
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Something that has become increasingly important to me is how horses feel about their trim sessions.

This week I completed my third trim on a lovely mare whose shoes I removed under sedation on our first visit. Her new owner is fantastic; calm, quiet and completely committed to helping her horses feel safe.

This mare had something of a reputation within the local hoof community for being dangerous to work with, which is why we chose sedation for that initial appointment.

At our second visit, I stripped everything back. No apron, no hoof stand, nothing that might make her feel more worried. We kept the trim light, checked in with her constantly and gave her plenty of breaks, scratches and treats. We discovered that the sound of the nippers clicking together made her anxious, so I did almost everything with the rasp instead. We finished the trim without her ever becoming fearful or escalating.

This week I used my full toolkit. When she flinched at the sound of the nippers, I simply sang a little song over the noise. She stayed calm and relaxed. Her owner quietly reassured and rewarded her throughout, and I continued to give her breaks whenever she asked for them.

It was such a peaceful session. The mare was relaxed, her owner was relaxed, I was relaxed... and I was able to do a really good trim.

This matters to me. A lot. I don't want the horses I work with to experience unnecessary stress. It's not enjoyable for them, it's certainly not enjoyable for me or my body, and it's not enjoyable for their owners either.

But there's another reason it's so important.

A horse with a settled nervous system is easier to listen to. Their posture, the way they move, where they hold tension, what feels comfortable and what doesn't, it's all there if we're able to see it. That information is invaluable when you work from a whole-horse perspective.

So why was I getting such a different result?

A big part of it was the owner. She had created exactly the right environment and was an active part of helping her mare feel safe.

But part of it was me.

Over the last year I've put a lot of work into regulating my own nervous system. Breathwork has become part of both my daily life and my work with horses, and I genuinely feel the difference. More importantly, I think the horses feel it too.

When you stop chasing an outcome, slow your breathing, settle into your own body and work from a calm, regulated state, something changes. There isn't anything mystical about it. It's grounded in science, and our nervous systems constantly influence one another.

Having experienced that change for myself, and after recently completing a coaching qualification in breathwork, I'll now be introducing some simple breathing techniques into my student workshops.

Because the trim doesn't begin when we pick up the foot, it begins with the state we bring.

Want to know more about the IEP course? Download the 2027 prospectus here https://areionacademy.systeme.io/iepsp

(Photo of some other feet that I love because of the way the pigment is like a mirror image in each)

06/26/2026

There is help out there. ECIR is a fabulous group and Dr. Kellon is constantly researching and staying on top of what these horses need and require. If you have a metabolic horse or your horse has or is currently going through laminitis or founder, go here, learn all you can, do better. 🫶🏼🐎

The story of Beau from his owner, Nancy.

This long post is to honor my horse Beau, who brought me to the ECIR Group. No one comes to this fully ready to deal with the issues metabolic horses present, yet there is so much to be hopeful about.

I met Beau in 2000 when I went back to riding after a 20+ year absence. After an unscheduled dismount and snapped humerus, in a Percocet-induced haze, it was decided he should be here. He arrived in July of 2001.

Beau was not well-liked in the community, with a reputation of being too forward, kicking barn staff, vets and farriers. Luckily, he never kicked out at me. As I learned going forward, he was in pain — yet he was always ready to run, to do the work. His intelligence always struck me. He was a very smart horse. Always skinny, he had a gorgeous face with a smile. He may have given me the middle finger first, but he always did what I asked to the best of his ability.

When I first started on this journey, a "founder specialist" pulled shoes and trimmed Beau after rotation in January 2003. This was back in the day when you were supposed to keep them on Bute and in the stall for months on end. I shudder to remember just how long we did this. Just from shoe removal and a trim, Beau was bucking in place in the stall from the relief. He certainly was not cured of the rotation. We put shoes back on, not really addressing the trim or the trigger for his laminitis.

In late winter of 2003, I was not able to help him through the continued laminitis and founder. A cyber search for magnesium brought up a post from Dr. Kellon on the subject. From there I was able to find The Equine Cushing’s Group (who is now the Equine Cushings and Insulin Resistance Group, Inc.). IR was not even recognized as a separate issue yet.

At the time, I was working on a 28k modem, knew nothing about the metric system, nothing about nutrition, nothing about chemistry, elemental and weighed amounts of minerals, nothing about equine physiology, or the foot. Nothing. I knew what a frog was.

Over the years, as we worked with Dr. Kellon, Dr. Robert Bowker, my sainted farrier, our group founder Robin, and many, many others, both Beau and I got better at what we did. I made countless mistakes but learned from this group what we needed to know to correctly help him. He got better and we were able to continue to work together for nearly a dozen years. For years we’d come out of the winter okay and get back to ground work or riding.

The last few years it became harder to do this. We used to play the “come please” game — come over to me when I ask. If he felt good he would play. I knew when I had his seasonal rise under control because he would roll all the way over. Slowly these positive events declined. In the end, he made it easy for us, telling us it was his time.

Over the years, I’ve heard echoes from my seventh grade English teacher chastising me when I failed to live up to her expectations: “You’ll never learn anything from horses.”

Really?

This beautiful Morgan boy taught me more science, math, writing, and communication skills than my whole school life ever did. I learned how to read my horse, ask for what I needed, be a better rider, pull blood, massage and trim his feet. All because of his spirit and the help of those who traveled the road before us. It is unbelievable how far the ECIR Group has come and how much we are able to do today. I am forever grateful to everyone who shared their story to help us learn more.

Upon Beau’s passing my farrier remarked, “He changed your life.”

Yes, he certainly did. Times ten.

I share this message to show those of you dealing with equines with PPID, IR/EMS (or both) that what may at times seem impossible to manage with these special equines can be managed with the right tools. Dr. Kellon, Dr. Bowker, my farrier, and the ECIR Group did that for me. ECIR is there for you too. If you haven't already, please check out the website at ecirhorse.org. For individual help, please join our free outreach group on groups.io, where specially trained volunteers will walk you through the steps you need to give your metabolic horses, donkeys, ponies, and mules their best lives: https://ecir.groups.io/g/main. We are a nonprofit organization and our services are free.

If ECIR has touched you in any way, please consider a donation to the ECIR Group Inc. nonprofit to help the work continue. It’s easy on Mightycause: https://www.ecirhorse.org/how-to-help-ECIR.php.

With many thanks, and best thoughts for all of you who continue to fight the good fight.

I know you are running free, sweet Beauman. You will be forever missed.

06/18/2026

Always advocate for you horse! I don't mind adjusting things if you tell me how your horse feels. I'm never there just to make money, I'm there to help you and your horse be healthy and comfortable and do the job you need them to do.
Also....rehabbing feet in extreme distortion takes time, upwards of 2 years sometimes, and there's usually speed bumps along the way, be patient but prepared with the process. Hoof boots are amazing now, there is so many many kinds, some with interchangeable padding, and many can adjust as your horses feet change.

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06/09/2026

Not bitter or upset about this as there is always another horse, another barn and another new friend to make elsewhere, but this is the truth and reality, and sometimes if you're the client I dread coming to because your horse is unruly, always dirty, you don't listen to my advice on feeding/bodywork movement, and you have 0 consideration for where we trim.... you're probably the one going to get fired. 🤷🏻‍♀️
(99% of my clients are true gems and I'm so blessed to know each one of you and your lovely horses 🫶🏼)