Welcome to Our Services
We are a Vet and Farrier based in County Mayo, Ireland offering equine performance services.
Our team is made up of a passionate vet and farrier, who are dedicated to providing top-notch equine performance services. With our expertise in farriery, complimentary veterinary medicine, rehabilitation, static and dynamic evaluations, biomechanics, acupuncture/TCVM, chiropractic, myofascial release, kinesiotaping and remote evaluation/second opinion.
We have the knowledge and skills to ensure the optimal health and performance of your horses.
Farriery:
Our team provides a professional farriery service, including static and dynamic evaluations, hot and cold shoeing and trimming, foal corrections, laminitis support and rehabilitation of compromised hooves and sport packages. We understand the importance of maintaining the health and performance of your equine partner, and we are dedicated to delivering exceptional care. Our farrier Dennis has decades of experience dealing with all kinds of hoof related problems.
Veterinary Care:
As part of our comprehensive equine veterinary performance evaluations, we offer acupuncture and chiropractic, myofascial treatments, kinesiotaping and rehabilitation support.
These natural and non-invasive therapies help address musculoskeletal issues, relieve pain, and improve your horse's overall well-being and performance. Our skilled and very experienced vet Martina will ensure your horse receives the highest quality care.
Biomechanics:
Our expertise in equine biomechanics allows us to understand the intricate movements and mechanics of your horse. By applying this knowledge, we can identify any imbalances or irregularities in their gait and develop targeted treatments to enhance their overall performance.
Teaching and Second Opinion Service:
Due to our expertise in equine biomechanics, rehabilitation and podiatry, we are very happy to provide educational events. No matter if for a pony club, a breeding association, or vet and farrier CPDs, we are happy to provide education on all levels on demand.
If you have a rehabilitation, or podiatry case, where you would like a second opinion , feel free to reach out to us.
Static and Dynamic Evaluations:
When it comes to assessing your horse's performance, we employ both static and dynamic evaluations. Our experienced team utilizes advanced techniques and equipment to accurately measure and analyze your horse's movement, ensuring optimal performance and preventing potential injuries.
Complimenary Medicine we offer to help your horse perfroming at its best, or recover as soon as possible from an injury.
Chiropractic /Myofascial Therapy
Chiropractic provides additional diagnostic approaches that are not currently available in veterinary medicine. The main indications for equine chiropractic evaluation are back or neck pain, localized or regional joint stiffness, poor performance and an altered gait that is not associated with obvious lameness. A thorough diagnostic workup is required to identify soft tissue and bone-related problems, neurologic disorders or other lameness conditions that may not be responsive to chiropractic care. The primary signs that equine chiropractors look for are localized muscle or skeletal pain, abnormally increased muscle tone and restricted joint motion. This triad of signs can be found in a variety of lower limb disorders, but is most evident in neck or back problems.
Chiropractic care can help manage the muscular, joint, and neurologic portions of certain muscle or skeletal injuries in performance horses. Chiropractic consultation may be indicated in muscle or skeletal conditions that are chronic or recurring, not easily diagnosed or not responding to traditional veterinary care.
Myofacial treatments work mainly over the myofascial and neurological system releasing fascial and soft tissue tension through removing of myofascial densifications, or even adhesions, removing tiggerpoints and hyper-/or hypotonicity in the muscles and with that regaining a healthy range of motion, while providing better stability for the joints.
Acupuncture/Traditional Veterinary Chinese Medicine (TCVM)
Acupuncture has been used to treat various medical conditions in humans and animals for more than 3,000 years. Horses were among the first animals treated with acupuncture due to their importance in warfare and farming. Today, equine acupuncture is commonly incorporated in the treatment of a number of conditions, especially musculoskeletal disorders and back pain.
Modern research shows that acupoints are located in areas with a high density of free nerve endings, mast cells, small arterioles and lymphatic vessels. Stimulation at acupoints induces the release of beta-endorphins, serotonin and other neurotransmitters and can produce local, remote, and/or systemic effects. The use of acupuncture for pain relief is well supported by modern research studies.
It helps to let energy and movement to flow freely through the whole body
TCVM has 4 pillars: acupuntur;, Tui-Na, a massage therapy; herbal therapy; food therapy.
Acupunture can be done in many diffrent ways, from normal dry needles, over moxa (heat with or withour needls), to electro (currency applied to needles), pneuo (air injected under the skin), laser, or aqua (fluids injected) haemo (blood injected) into acupuncture points, or even permanent implantations (for example gold beads). Often a combilation of different modalities is used, depending on the
KinesioTaping
When used properly, Kinesiotaping provides proprioceptive input during movement and with that improves posture and poise.
Depending on application it improves circulation and lymphatic flow, reduces pain, inflammation and soft tissue tension: It relaxes and assists muscles function through the propriceptive input, releases fascia tension by lifting it up, and improves joint function. This all contrubutes to a faster and more complete healing and improved body awareness, movement and positioning.
Rehabilitation
Custom tailored Rehabilitation Program with different exercises for every patient will be shown, explained and written down in your report, so you can do targeted follow up training with your horse, to get the best results.
No matter if recovering from a tendon, or soft tissue injury, weak top line, kissing spines, or podiatry problems. We will find help you to create the best program for your horse to recover as fast and as well as possible.
Sure Foot Pads
SURE FOOT is a unique and innovative Program, which uses the SURE FOOT Equine Stability Pads.
SURE FOOT Pads vary in density from Hard to Soft, providing a wide range of pattern variation for the horse to experience. The SURE FOOT Pads challenge the horse’s balance, activate proprioception, work the small postural muscles, creates awareness, relaxtion and cause the body to release endorphins. The degree of difficulty depends on the Pad density and number of hooves placed on Pads. Once the horse is familiar with SURE FOOT the pattern can be varied on any given day depending on the horse’s condition, medical history, and desired effect.
They help the horse to change his posture, behavior, and movement while improving his balance, confidence, and performance in just a few minutes.
Electroacupuncture and Moxa Therapy for a horse with a sore back.
Chiropractic for the neck to release tension in the poll area.
Kinesiotape for a pony mare with sore lumbars after a growth spurt. This is also a great appliaction for long distance travel to prevent tightenting up in that area
Tape application for a mare that had a partial muscle tear in her biceps femoris, aber being caught in a haynet
Myofascial work in the pelvic area to reduce iliopsoas tension.
Chiropractic treatment for the distal limb. Here specifically for the carpus
Bliss :) Endorphine release and relaxation while standing on SureFoot pads
Electroacupuncture for a mare that was suffering from Sleep deprivation. After 2 treatments she was laying down again and sleeping comfortably
Dennis trimming a very well behaved shetty
Straignt cookie stretches for a mare in rehabilitation as she injured her brachiocepalicus muscle, after being caught in a hay feeder.
Hot shoeing has many andvantages. It gives you accuracy when fitting to the foot, changes easily dimensions and shape of the shoe, the hot sealing the horn tubules reduces risk of bacterial infection, and ease on the body of the farrier when shaping the shoe
Clog and cast application to help a horse with metabolic laminits that was acutely sinking. Horse made a full recovery
Special shoe for a horse with marked navicular changes and adhesions of the soft tissue around the navicular area. You can see a rolled toe and elevated heels to reduce tension during locomotion on the navicular area. The frog support and pour-in help to engage the haemodynamic system of the hoof. The mare was feeling much better after this application and moving more freely.
Medial float on a horse that was lame due to a sheard heel. To support of the whole foot during rehabilitation, the horse is shod with a barshoe, frog support and and antibacterial pour-in (silver-Ion). Horse was sound 24h after this application.
Draft horse that got his hoof build up with artificial hoof wall, due to being sore from very little sole depth.
Handmade alumimuim shoe with lateral extension for a horse with hock and SI problems, as well as weak hind quarters and a base narrow conformation. After 2 shoeings in this setup the mare has markedly build up musles on her hind quarters and could be transfered into a normal shoeing package for a base narrow conformation.
Laminitic pony getting his feet prepared for clog application. The pony went from not moving to trotting around in his dry lot paddoc. Correct biomechanics and the extra stability of the cast are critical for recovery of a laminitic episode, as they restore healthy haemodynamics of the foot.
hot shaping a shoe, showing how the lateral branch is made wider for lateral support of a horse with a base narrow conformation.
Manual therapy for a beautiful arab stallion to keep him healty and recover well after a 120km endurance race.
picture on how to asses hind limb balance and conformation
Moxa therapy for a mare with a tight back. Especially during the cold saison, they love the gentle warmth that moxa therapy provides deep into the tissue. She obviously enjoyed it.
Big frame geriatric patient enjoying his rehb session after a fall and injury to his loin area.
Pneuotherapy for a horse with marked scar tissue formation, adhesions and atrophy of the the shoulder muscles due to a long term ill fitting saddle. After 3 sessions the lameness he was showing due to the adhesions was resolved and he could be ridden again without fear of bolting and bucking with a fitting saddle.
Electroacupuncture for an older horse with arthritic changes in SI/ lumbar region. Regular acupuncture and chiropractic kept him comfortable without injections.
Foot with marked lateromedial imblance (medial high) leading to deep central sulcus thrush and athrophy of the frog
Medial support shoe in combination with silver Ion pour-in and frog support pad, for a horse with central sulcus thrush and contracted heels. Hoove recovered in 3 shoeing cycles to be able to go back in a basic setup