The standard rate for a visit from an EP is £40 per horse, this will usually include trimming the hooves, providing a written assessment of progress and providing advice on things like diet, infection control, suitable levels of work, etc.
Also there will be an additional charge for travel ifI need to travel excessive miles,approximately 20p per mile after the first 30 miles from my home.
What can you expect from an Equine Podiatrist?
The first thing an EP will do on arriving at your yard is question you about your horse, how he or she is kept and any relevant history. Equine Podiatry is an holistic science and it is important that the EP has a full picture of the lifestyle of the horse. Foot problems can originate from a wide variety of causes including poor diet, inappropriate turnout or exercise regimes and even poorly fitting saddles!
The EP will want to see the horse move (usually by trotting him/her up on a hard surface). This can be extremely useful in identifying imbalances and also any pain the horse is suffering. The EP will then trim the horse's feet. This is typically done using a rasp and a hoof knife, although other tools may be used in specialist situations. After the trim, the EP will want to see the horse moving again to see what effect the trim has had.
The EP will also assess your horse's feet and give you an indication of how they are doing. Typically this includes a score on the 'Spectrum of Usability'. This score gives a rough indication of what your horse is capable of doing unshod at that point and also provides a way of measuring progress.
Finally the EP will give you recommendations on how to manage the horse until the next visit. These recommendations may include changes in diet, changes in exercise, treatments for infections, etc. Your EP will also advise you if your horse has any problems that might need the involvement of a vet.
A typical first visit may take up to two hours per horse. Subsequent visits will normally take up to an hour. An EP will normally expect to visit roughly every four to five weeks. This may be more frequently than you are used to having horses shod, but to maintain high performance feet it's important to keep the feet in the correct shape. This is especially true where remedial work is in progress. Where a horse is doing significant work on hard ground, the trimming frequency is likely to be decreased.
The EP may vary this routine in certain circumstances - for example, it doesn't make sense to ask the owner to trot up a horse that is in a lot of pain.
I am fully insured and a full member of the Equine Podiatry Association (the regulatory body for equine podiatrists)
