Rehabilitation Information

PB Paddock Paradise Livery has extensive experience in managing and successfully rehabilitating horses with a variety of medical conditions and injuries, most commonly surrounding areas of their diet, environment and trim.

We specialise in the rehabilitation of Laminitis and EMS but frequently rehabilitate or manage equines struggling with the following:

Grass affected issues - behavioural or physical
Lack of muscle development or fitness levels
Hoof pathologies or shoe to barefoot transitions
Obesity or lack of weight
Separation anxiety and resource guarding
Intermittent lameness issues
Soft tissue injuries and DDFT damage
Navicular and heel pain
Poor balance
SI issues and stifle injuries
Stiffness or tightness
Arthritis
Cushings
Lack of teeth
Ulcers and colic

Is our rehabilitation services suitable for you and your horse?

To be accepted as a rehabilitation livery, the owner must be able to provide a similar environment for their horse to return home to. Some owners use the time their horse is in our care to find their own land and build a track system, whilst others find nearby track liveries or set up a track system where their horse was previously kept. However, we can accommodate horses long-term under a different package once rehabilitated.

Due to the nature of our set up and the peaceful environment we try to uphold here at PB, our rehabilitation packages are a minimum of 6 months. During those vital first 6 months:

Your horse will have had at least 3-4 trimming sessions with our Hoof Care Practitioner.
Your horse will have gone through a natural detoxing period after their diet has been stripped back down to basics and all grass eliminated.
Your horse will have a supplement and feeding regime in place if required, to support their individual needs.
Your horse should have new, healthier hoof growth coming in after dietary changes have been made, putting them roughly half way through a cycle of growing a new hoof capsule, should they have a normal rate of growth.
Your horse's body should have started to undergo some changes, be it weight loss, weight gain or muscle development with increased movement.
We should begin to see unsolved problem areas arise with a more balanced hoof and more active, stronger body. This allows us to involve other treatments including body work and chiropractic sessions to relieve any tightness, soreness or low grade pain.
We should have gained an understanding as to whether any behavioural issues are linked to diet or to past environments and stressful events, such as restricted feed and turnout.

Rehabilitating your horse

Paying special attention to your horse's diet:

Providing your horse with a species appropriate diet plays a crucial part in any horse's recovery, regardless of the reason for their rehabilitation. The diet of your horse is very much the foundation to building better equine health and is often an overlooked aspect of a healing horse's requirements. The residents of PB do not have access to grass and are instead fed netted, adlib meadow hay, providing a source of forage that aligns with their species dietary requirements and does not go on to cause inflammation across the body. In particular, it is incredibly important for horses susceptible to Laminitis, obesity, metabolic conditions and grass affected issues to live without the constant threat of grass. We generally aim to feed our residents a low sugar, low potassium and high fibre diet whilst fulfilling their need for salt and vitamins.

We have had great success with providing adlib netted meadow hay and strategically placing their hay points around the track to increase the distance between forage points, encouraging regular movement. Providing adlib hay not only greatly minimises the risk of ulcers and the likes of colic, but additionally reduces resource guarding and other stress or anxiety related behaviours linked to restricted feed. At PB, we promote movement to maintain or reach a healthy weight instead of restricting forage.

Weight loss and reduction of fat pads (EMS) achieved whilst on track with access to adlib hay

Weight gain and muscle development achieved through adlib hay and movement on track

Jesse Weight Gain Comparison Septemeber 2022 copy.jpg

Encouraging movement:

The importance of daily movement is often forgotten and yet it is a major contributing factor to managing ongoing lameness and injuries. Not only is it incredibly beneficial to the over all health of your horse's hoofs, digestive system, joint health and body condition, but it also contributes greatly to the ongoing management of stiff or arthritic joints, and old or repairing injuries. The movement achieved on our track system encourages healthy muscle development and the maintenance of a good weight, further contributing to the healing of any problem areas, healthy joints and proper gut function. From metabolic conditions and Laminitis to hoof-related issues or intermittent lameness, movement to our horses is as essential as the air they breathe.

Soft tissue injury that could be seen in trot, approx. 10 months apart

Providing the Natural Trim:

The residents of PB are also provided with a barefoot, natural trim, yet again playing a vital role in the rehabilitation of any horse. 'The Natural Trim' supports the horse's body from the hoof upwards and allows the hoof to function optimally, without asking the body to compromise in one form or another. The horse is trimmed to balance the hoof, take only what nature would take and leave what nature would leave, aiding in the release of any tension and stress throughout the body.

Our have worked with our hoof care practitioner, Georgie Harrison of Hoof Matters, for over 10 years, seeking her expertise on hoof-related pathologies, injuries and more. Georgie is a member of the AANHCP and ISNHCP, and was trained by Jaime Jackson - the founder of the Paddock Paradise (track system) and the Natural Trim.

Rehabilitation for chronic Laminitis

Old Laminitis and shoe to barefoot transition

February vs September Final Hoof Update .jpg

Old Laminitis and shoe to barefoot transition

Bamroc Hoof Comparison Sept 2021 vs August 2022 no writing.jpg

General hoof rehab for contracted heels, deep central sulcus thrush & sub-clinical Laminitis

Additional Services

Nutritionist

Sue Dawson of Calm Healthy Horses UK is available to help with any specific or complex nutritional requirements, specialising in grass related issues.

PB Paddock Paradise Livery

Specialising in the rehabilitation of Laminitis and EMS