Darkhorse Farrier Service

11/24/2024

Winter is here, time to get a grip!

I'm doing my best to stock snow pads in different colors but mostly in hot pink, which is classic and timeless.

11/21/2024

11/12/2024

After over a year of weekly treatments at the vet, this big fella is finally heading home!

Equine canker is a relatively rare equine hoof disease which is still not well understood.

Fortunately we caught his in the early stages and we treated aggressively with surgical debridement, cauterization, topical medication and supportive shoeing. We used a bar shoe to stabilize the hoof capsule and pour-in pads both to protect the healing tissues and suppress the growth of new canker.

This guy is retired and looking forward to many more happy years of enjoying turnout with his herdmates.
Cheers to his owner and his caretaker who decided he was worth it ❤️

10/30/2024

These radiographs are a great example of what I talk about when I use the "push up bra" analogy to explain bony column alignment.

Instead of wedging the periphery of the wall, wedging the frog and palmar aspect of the hoof physically boosts the entire bony column. In the short term this immediately reduces discomfort for the horse, and in the long term it re-develops the atrophied soft tissues the horse requires to maintain this alignment.

This horse has Negative Palmar Angles (NPA) and the associated broken back Hoof Pastern Axis (HPA).
She grows a lot of foot, so we put her in an open toed shoe; to allow the toe to wear and to maintain the desired angles throughout her cycle. Once we achieve a healthier palmar angle through soft tissue development she will transition to barefoot.

08/13/2024

Here's a great opportunity to take a deeper look at the equine limb!

Join us this fall 2024 for an equine distal limb dissection in Langley, BC, Canada.

07/05/2024

Folks, it's hot and I can't fit everybody in during the early morning hours.

Your horses are going to be a couple of weeks overdue because I'm not actually willing to die for them.

Thanks for your patience!

Hi guys,

If you're feeling the heat in summer clothes, imagine what it's like benchpressing your horse while wearing leather and clutching hot metal.

If there's no shade at your facility, then there's no farrier at your facility. I'll be rescheduling all appointments to the early morning hours, before the sun starts ruining lives.

Remember, I can only care for your horses feet if I'm not dead from heat stroke!

05/25/2024

My favourite question to ask my clients is if I can make it pink.

3D HoofCare

05/24/2024

It's been a busy couple of months with a large number of veterinary referrals.

I've built a lot of clogs and cast a lot of hooves for a lot of sore horses; and I've been too busy to remember to take pictures
😆

Here's a few different setups for navicular, laminitis, and a rare case of canker.

04/17/2024

A huge thank you to Western Canadian Farrier's Association, Hoof & Nail Farrier Supplies Ltd, High Country Horseshoes, Kahn Forge, Inc. and Chad Lausen for their sponsorship of the WCFA Mega Clinic this past weekend.

There were some great takeaways from the weekend (skills, knowledge, AND new goodies to stock my truck with) that I've already been passing on to horses this week!

03/31/2024

Working with Larch Veterinary Services this morning to bring relief to a mare with laminitis.

Radiographs take all the guesswork out of placing shoe mechanics where they need to be.

This shoe is attached with screws as hammering would be too painful.

03/23/2024

The littlest bankrobber shoe for the tiniest tender toed donkey ❤️

02/25/2024

Attention all Horse Enthusiasts; coming in March 2024!!

We are thrilled to announce the introduction of Larch Veterinary Services - Your New Trusted Mobile Horse Veterinary Service!

Larch Mobile Veterinary Services is specially designed to provide convenient and comprehensive healthcare for your equine companions, wherever they may be! They work from the comfort of your own barn all the way to the competition grounds. No more stressful trailer rides or waiting around at a clinic! Larch is based out of Enderby BC, but will be providing equine care all around the North Okanagan area.

Dr. Veronneau and Dr. Krywonos are experienced veterinarians that specialize in equine health and wellness. Whether your horse needs a routine check-up, dental care, lameness evaluation, or emergency treatment, they will have you covered!

Larch Veterinary Services is proud to be a part of the equestrian community, and are committed to giving back wherever possible! Whether it's through educational events, sponsorships, or volunteering, they are always looking for ways to support fellow horse enthusiasts!

With Larch Veterinary Services, you can trust that your horse will receive the highest standard of care, right at your fingertips. The Larch team is passionate about what they do, and are dedicated to providing exceptional service to you and your equine companions.

For more information about the doctors themselves, or to learn more about their services, go to www.larchvetservices.com.

02/24/2024

Mud season has arrived! Here is an actual picture of me enjoying the warmer weather, and a few tips to get us all through the swamp:

* Wash your horses legs, and DRY them, as frequently as you can. Scratches is nasty and it makes horses sore, which in turn makes them dislike me touching them.

* Iodine feet, frequently, to ward off thrush and whiteline disease. Don't let your horse's feet win the school science fair!

* Try your best to locate where your horse's stash of pulled shoes is. Chances are good that they are nail side up in the pasture, and Trigger is planning to step on them right before your first show in April.

* Wear a snorkle, bright colours, and use the buddy system when heading to pasture to catch horses. A rope around the waist tied off to a fencepost is a neat trick. Look out for Rodents of Unusual Size.

Many thanks to my wonderful clients for making every effort to de-mud horses before I arrive.

02/07/2024

Finally got my hands on some of these pink pads from Castle Plastics and I'm very excited to make your horses look like they're geared up for aerobics class

01/30/2024

Satisfaction 🙌

01/27/2024

Where it started and how it's going.

After four cycles of corrective trimming and frog support, we have restored some heel height, sole depth and mass to the caudal aspect of this mare's feet. She is now transitioning to barefoot behind and she is very happy that her feet are once again looking like feet.

01/15/2024

Cowboy magic