Scientific Research

The road to hell is paved with good intentions… I’m sure we can all relate to this well-known aphorism; I know I certainly can. I regularly try to pick up the pen and put down thought and information gleaned but, somehow, it gets pushed aside with everything else going on…horses, clients, clients’ horses… Everything is […]

Course Planning and the Coronavirus

As, no doubt, everyone is aware, the coronavirus has disrupted equine events as much as any other. Here at Sabots Libres, we have felt the effects, partially in relation to our trimming activities but particularly in relation to our course programme. We would like to thank everyone who has contacted us this year, especially since […]

How to become a Barefoot Trimmer…

I hope this article remains coherent in the reading – I have reread it and understand it, but then I wrote it! Some – no, a lot – of what I have to say will probably offend quite a lot of barefoot trimmers out there, certainly those claiming qualifications. Those who make their living by […]

A Safe Start: the reality of training early…

This article was originally published in English by the author on the Equine Independent website in June 2013 There must be something in the air at the moment; I was recently expounding the virtues of delaying a horse’s training under the saddle only to come across an article last week on The Horse website talking […]

Salon du Cheval or Salon de la mafia

“One always has a reason to love horses” proclaimed the poster campaign for the recent Salon du Cheval de Paris Loving the horse is respecting it, says colleague and friend Pierre Enoff in his latest book, “Le Silence des Chevaux” (The Silence of the Horses). Invited to present his “Plea for a new equestrian world” […]

Beware of Greeks…

Maybe a slightly inappropriate quote – Virgil was actually referring to enemies (the Greeks using the gift of a wooden horse to invade the city of Troy) when he wrote the Aenid, Book 2 more than 2000 years ago – but nevertheless still a good lesson. John Dryden translated it slightly differently Trust not their presents, […]

On the Right Foot…

We live in a world of almost endless possibilities. The internet has given us access to information in a way that only twenty years ago was impossible. Vast libraries of books have found their way onto the electronic highway and although not always absolute in its accuracy, Wikipedia is almost as expansive – and accurate […]

But…

How often do we hear, or use, this word when talking about horses? Often in the context of knowing something is actually better for the horse but my horse can’t because of all sorts of carefully created and formulated excuses. I know that roughage is best for horses but my horse needs extra cubes/mix/nuggets etc because… Barefoot is […]

TransHu Autumn 2013: Day Seven

Slightly remiss of me, I ended on day six when in fact day seven can still be counted as part of the adventure. Occasionally one or two of the party may head for home late on the evening of day six; for the rest of us, day seven marks our departure from Porta and the […]