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I first meet Jenny Lomas 4 ˝ years ago.
At that time I had 3 horses whom were all unshod and being regularly trimmed by a farrier whom I am became very unenamoured with after the treatment of my youngster.
I heard about Jenny from a good friend who told me about natural barefoot trimming and I was intrigued to see how it differed from a basic farrier trim. Boy was I in for an ongoing education!
At the time I had Rusty – my first pony, a retired 32 year old. Also my mare and Bounty her 6 month old foal. One of the things that most impressed me about Jenny from our first appointment was her approach and treatment of Rusty. He had being unshod for 25 years but had very high upright heels and contracted frogs. But because of his age and obvious health she didn’t want to do anything too drastic to his hooves as obviously they had stood him in good stead throughout his life – “healthy unshod hooves, healthy heart!”. (He lived to 35 years old, 27 years with me and was fit, happy and very healthy right to the end).
Bounty was our next hurdle having developed a severe sway back (he was born with it and progressly got worse). He had very clubby upright twisted hooves which improved immensely under Jenny’s care. His back will never be perfect but is much improved. He is strong and healthy with almost self maintaining hooves when trimmed correctly to Jenny’s methods.
Then along came Spy! A very special mischievous welsh founder pony. Welcome to the horrible trials and tribulations of laminitis. This has been a huge eye-opener to me and a very scary one. He is very strictly maintained in all respects. His hooves are trimmed for whatever they present at any given time (he has triggers that can upset his internal balance overnight e.g. a flush of grass, spraying, neighbours fertilising paddocks with wind drift! etc etc). He lives on a track with a hard stand, rocks he has to cross for water, companionship, ab lib hay and roughage and has regular exercise either ridden or strolling out and about with me.
All his lifestyle management has come directly from Jenny’s recommendations we now have an extremely happy little monster with good concavity in his hoofs, still a bit of a stretched white line (but reducing monthly). He loves ribbon days, visiting the kids in their classrooms at the local school, being Santa’s helper and is about to launch into the pony club season.
I have no doubt that without Jenny’s help and support that Spy would not be here today.
Jenny has also been instrumental in finding us Bobby. A 16yr old black Clyde cross for my daughter (supposedly when I am not stealing him!). He was unsound for years and used as a paddock mate. Jenny with his previous owner rehabilitated him with barefoot trimming until one day she said he was sound! and ready for an active social life again hence our extreme luck to have him with us now. Bobby is a dream he loves my daughter and though extremely forward because he is so happy to be out and about looks after her and keeps her safe. He has the most amazing barefoot more or less self maintaining hooves I have ever seen. He can handle any surface at any pace and loves to jump (whether you do or don’t!). I owe Jenny and Sarah heaps for this beautiful black beast!
I also have Red my big quarter horse who with Jenny’s trim is happy barefoot year round when previously he had to be shod when the ground got hard in summer as he was very foot tender – he now has good strong healthy barefoot hooves as well that just need the odd maintenance trim.
Jenny has also along the way taught and educated me in all aspects of holistic care of the horse – socially, physically, emotionally and she has managed to teach me to trim all my boys myself!
She is a fantastic teacher very patient and generous with her time and knowledge and I know if I need help she is just a call away. She is very professional always punctual and has never made any of my horses tender in anyway. Her trims are non invasive and dictated by what the horses hoof is telling her is needed at the time.
My hat goes off to her I have huge admiration for the way she is so dedicated to making a difference to horses health and happiness in our world of today.
Thanks Jenny
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