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I have taken all my horses barefoot over the last 7 years. I have three very different horses with very different feet but it has been possible. I have a 24yr old tbx who I was always told would never been to go barefoot and had shoes on most likely since he was four. We have managed it with the help off our scoot boots and regular trims. In the beginning, I needed two pairs, for the front and back feet however now we are down to the front feet only and only when we are riding on the road. His hooves are in great condition. Our 12 yr old cob has been barefoot for the 4 yrs in our care. As he is a rescue I don't really know his hoof history however he was raced with the sulkies and it is common to have shoes on from 2 yrs old. He has the toughest feet I have seen, in great shape and he is comfortable to hack on the roads without scoot boots on. Lastly our 7 yr old tb ex racer has been barefoot for the past year. His feet are the worst of our herd and I am slowly slowly working to correct them. When we rescued him we got the farrier out straight away to take the shoes off and the farrier was disgusted - the shoes were way too small and pinching him, causing extreme pain. This poor guy also has a very weak sacrum possibly due to his rotational fall in his first race and then the pressure of racing the week after so I actually can not lift his back legs yet. His back feet are in terrible shape as a result but we will be persevering. I was so lucky to find Lara Sportelli who is a fantastic barefoot trimmer and equine lover. Her approach is very gentle and horse centered. Her course gave me the confidence to keep going and I have been trimming all of mine for the past 6 months since the course. It is very hands on and Lara is very thorough in her approach to teaching.
Lara Sportelli works throughout Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England, she has a big love and passion for horses, nature and the countryside.
Lara is a Vet Trained Hoof Care Specialist and runs Holistic Hoof Care Courses, guiding, supporting and helping people to maintain their horses hooves in between trims and offers a trimming and hoof consultation service. Lara particularly loves the rehabilitation side of her work, that includes laminitic and founder horses and ponies.
Holistic Horses Hoof Care Courses are also available if you would like to host a clinic for a group or have a one-to-one at your own home.
All her life Lara has pursued her big love and passion for horses and courses that could be of benefit to the horse and as a young girl, after seeing her ponies feet transform, after the shoes were removed, she became fascinated in hoof care.
Lara says "watching my horses hooves transform was magic".
Lara has been trimming since 2006 and believes the whole horse approach is key to maintaining healthy barefoot hooves, she has four horses of her own, Cherry an Appaloosa, Dreamer and Pashmina are Arabs and Toots a Dartmoor pony, none of her horses have ever had shoes on.
Lara studied Trimming at Homeopathic and Western Medicine Vet Stefano Sabionis School of Trimming, Bio Mechanics and Natural Horse Care, including Laminitis, Diet, Hoof Pathologies, Rehab and Track Systems.
Over the years one course has naturally led to another and Lara says "Who Knows What Horses Will Teach Me Next". We are welcoming Lara to Derry for her second barefoot trimming course in Derry this year over the weekend of the 14th and 15th September. Please contact myself or Lara to secure your place for the weekend.
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