Omn Nom Equine Services

07/16/2026

Toes trimmed ☑️
Freshly bathed ☑️
Mane braided ☑️

… re dirtafied ☑️😑

07/03/2026

Does Generative Artificial Intelligence Belong in the Horse Care Industry (or anywhere🫣)?

AI is everywhere these days, and everyone seems to have an opinion about it. (Un)surprisingly ... so do I!

To be clear, I'm not talking about AI used in medical diagnostics, accessibility, or research, as these technologies can genuinely improve human and animal welfare. What I am talking about, is the takeover of generative AI use, or “ai slop”.

Lately my feed has been flooded with AI-generated information (or CRAP - Computer Rendered Artificial Pictures 😜). Hoof photos, equine anatomy posters that are so wrong it scares me, advertisements, and post captions that all read exactly the same… and more often than not, contain extremely questionable information.

One of the many problems with generative AI, is that it does not understand what it writes. It predicts what sounds right based on existing human-created content, and on what it thinks you want to hear. This means that AI can sound incredibly confident, all while still being completely wrong.

In regard to hoof care and equine bodywork specifically, these aren’t things that you can learn by scraping the internet as AI does. Knowledge is built through years of studying anatomy, handling horses, trimming thousands of feet, watching horses move, following rehabilitation cases, and constantly learning.

If you need AI to write an educational hoof care or bodywork post because you can't explain the topic properly yourself, then maybe you aren't ready to be teaching it yet. Horse owners and fellow professionals should be able to trust the educational content they read online - they deserve accurate information written by someone who actually knows what they are writing.

I'd rather read an imperfect post written by someone passionate about their craft than something scraped together through plagiarized content by a chatbot.

Hoof care, equine bodywork, and other professions are built on observation, experience, critical thinking, and, guess what, a little bit of outside the box thinking!

Even ignoring the huge environmental, plagiarism, and mental impacts of AI, I’m continually shocked by the amount of people who thinks that it produces “good” content. Please - do not trust what AI gives you! I can promise, it is not a worthy replacement for your vet, farrier, nutritionalist, body worker, or truly any other profession.

Support your local creators, educators, and hoof care professionals, while trying to keep our environment functioning a lil bit longer. Please! 🥲

07/01/2026

Ever wondered how your hoof care provider spends a day off?

Chances are... it looks something like this 😆

I'd also like to acknowledge, with gratitude, that while I'm working, I travel throughout the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the shíshálh Nation and the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw. Our country is incredibly rich in both its landscapes and its people, and today (and everyday!;)) I'm taking a moment to appreciate that. Wishing everyone a safe and happy Canada Day! ❤️ 🇨🇦

(Please don’t set off fireworks!)

06/16/2026

🧂 Salt vs. Electrolytes: Understanding the Difference

Salt and electrolytes both play important roles in your horse’s hydration program, but they are not the same thing.

Most equine diets are deficient in sodium because forage, pasture, and many feeds do not provide enough of this essential mineral. Sodium is critical for maintaining hydration, supporting muscle and nerve function, and encouraging water intake.

Electrolyte supplements contain sodium along with other minerals, including potassium, calcium, and magnesium. However, many electrolyte products do not provide enough sodium to meet your horse’s daily requirements, especially during hot weather or after significant sweat loss.

As a general rule:
✔️ Provide at least 1 oz of salt daily to meet your horse’s baseline sodium requirements.
✔️ Increase salt intake during hot weather and periods of increased sweating.
✔️ Add electrolytes in addition to daily salt after heavy exercise, competition, or any situation that results in significant sweat loss.

While forage-based diets typically provide adequate potassium, calcium, and magnesium, sodium remains one of the most common nutritional gaps in the equine diet.

Have questions about salt or electrolytes? Drop them in the comments below and our nutrition team will answer them.

06/14/2026

☀️ Managing Summer Exercise ☀️

With our first official “heatwave” day hitting us today on the coast, I thought it prudent to share some thoughts on how to safely exercise horses in the heat.

Research shows that horses are significantly more susceptible to overheating during exercise than humans, meaning we need to be very mindful of weather conditions. Yet, I often see people riding in temperatures that they would never consider going for a run in themselves!

How to tell if it’s safe to exercise, at a basic level:

One of the easiest ways is to check the heat index. The heat index refers to the combined effect of temperature and relative humidity. Right now at my house, the temperature is 22°C with 59% humidity (according to my weather app, anyway!). This gives a heat index of approximately 21.8°C.

The heat index is calculated for a shady location with light wind, so it’s worth noting that full sun can increase the apparent temperature significantly (by up to 10°).

You can use this handy tool to calculate your heat index: https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/heatindex.shtml

Once you have your heat index, Mad Barn has a very handy chart that I like to use to help determine whether it’s safe to ride: https://madbarn.ca/equine-heat-index/

Each horse will have a different comfort zone, often depending on their weight, fitness level, acclimation, and individual preferences. Keep the heat in mind and plan your rides accordingly this summer! My personal favourite options are riding early, enjoying shady trails, or take a day off and bathing my horses instead.

Additional supports can include cold hosing after your ride, increasing salt intake (that may be a whole separate post!), and offering plenty of electrolytes. My herd loves a big bucket of electrolytes on hot days. ;))

Ft. Ollie and Chompy early this morning, enjoying a short, leisurely stroll down to the creek for a splash around 🏖️

06/09/2026

Let’s talk hoof wall bevels! 👇

You’ve probably heard it all - don’t bevel the wall, always do a mustang roll, bevel between 10 and 2, make a 50° angle, do the whole foot... and none of these are wrong - but they aren’t always right, either!

I like to do a strong bevel, but it’s always going to depend on the horse. One of my favourite ways to choose the angle is to look at the angles the horse comes in with and do my best to match them in my trim. While this approach won’t work for every horse (think pathological hooves or those with very poor angles), it can be a great way to maintain the structure, angles, and breakover that each horse is most comfortable with.

Some fun photos from today, where you can hopefully see the angle I’m talking about - and how my initial nipper pass does its best to match that angle! 😊

05/07/2026

Poor training exists across every corner of the horse world.

But one of the biggest issues in modern training discussions is how quickly entire quadrants become oversimplified, mislabeled, or turned into identities rather than educational frameworks.

No types of handling are immune to poor application, misinformation, or bad training.

R+ IS NOT A METHOD.

It is a quadrant.

Just like R- is a quadrant.

Quadrants explain behavioural mechanisms and what influences behaviour.

They do not automatically define:

• Skill
• Ethics
• Preparation
• Welfare standards
• Practical competency
• Real-world success

And this is where so much misunderstanding begins.

Blanket statements about entire quadrants often ignore the enormous variation in:

• Education
• Application
• Timing
• Welfare priorities
• Trainer competency

By definition, all four quadrants can and will successfully influence behaviour.

Making definitive blanket statements about R+ as a whole would be no different than claiming pressure and release as a whole does not work.

That is simply inaccurate.

And that is exactly why blanket statements fail.

Every training space has people:

• Oversimplifying methods
• Mislabeling practices
• Following trends
• Building brands before building competency

And social media often rewards aesthetics, marketing, and IDENTITY far more than genuine behavioural literacy.

This creates a dangerous environment where inexperienced owners may struggle to distinguish between buzzwords, methods, marketing, and morality wars.

This becomes particularly sensitive when methodology turns into identity.

Because no training approach should ever place someone above scrutiny.

No method should be immune to critical discussion.

No influencer should be mistaken for representing an entire behavioural framework.

And no buzzword should ever replace competency.

We need to move beyond clickbait quadrant wars.

Because nuance matters.

05/04/2026

Just finished watching the wonderful Lindsey from The study of the equine hoof in Part 1 of the webinar she is putting on for Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners. What a great first part, I can’t wait for next week! 😊

I d been invited to speak at a webinar next week. The first session is equine hoof anatomy and the second is white line disease. The session is being run by PCHP.

I’ll be using anatomical models and real dissections to help clarify

The webinar details are in the comments.

05/03/2026

How to Keep Your HCP (Hoof Care Professional) Happy This Summer! ☀️ 🥵

With the first official week of 25+ degree weather this summer, it already has your HCP (aka me!) dreading the heat. If you want to be your HCP's favourite stop, here are five ways to ensure you're providing a safe and sustainable setup:

1. Have a dedicated trimming spot located in the shade, with flat, hard-packed footing or cement. Bonus points for breezy areas or fans on hot days!

2. Keep fly spray on hand and spray your horse before your HCP arrives - we don’t want to be working with flies, but no one wants to be inhaling fresh fly spray fumes while working either!

3. Staying on a regular schedule ensures your HCP can keep your horse comfortable, without excess wear and tear on their body from overgrown, hard summer hooves.

4. Have your horse waiting and ready for their trim - avoid riding or bathing right beforehand, as neither your HCP nor your horse wants to be trimmed soaking wet from sweat or water!

5. Have a horse that **stands well!** Your HCP never wants to be getting pulled around, and it’s even worse in the summer heat when working on rock-hard hooves. Work with your young and/or green horses regularly, and ensure they can stand comfortably for a trim before asking your HCP to work on them. If you can’t easily pick up and hold your horse’s hooves for 2+ minutes, neither can your trimmer.

And if you want to be a teacher’s pet… fresh, cool water or electrolytes are always appreciated! 🧊😉💧

Bonus thank you to my wonderful clients who already do all of these! It’s always appreciated! 🙌

03/30/2026

The cardinal sin in the equine industry is being a wuss.

Weak. Timid. A coward.
Show them you're the boss.
Don't let them get away with it.
Make them listen.

It's a strong cultural norm in the equine industry at large that I have spent the past decade attempting to defy and unlearn.

The reality is the horse has the physical power.
So we chose to add leverage, pain, and punishment to overpower.

Dominate. Overpower. Control.

If you were in a relationship with someone like that, everyone in your life would be telling you to get the hell out before he kills you.

"But horses aren't people."
That's true. But we're both mammals. We're both highly intelligent. We both have complex social bonds. We both have a nervous system that reacts to the world around us. We both read energy and respond accordingly. We both experience physical and emotional pain.

The main difference is that one of us can verbally communicate in words and the other cannot.

But back to being a wuss...

You're not allowed to show fear around horses.
You're not allowed to step back, take a minute, and problem solve.
You're not allowed to *remove* pressure to de-escalate the situation.
You're not allowed to say "I don't feel comfortable with this."

The "real" horse people will scold you for trying to break any of the above rules. And if they're in a position of power over you, they'll treat you just like the horse - dominate you until you submit.

So what does that mean?

For me, it means people expect you to risk your life and career to trim their horse who is untrained or in pain. And then be upset with you if you won't.

It means anyone walking down the barn aisle judges you immediately for doing anything but status quo.

It means that showing up as you, with your energy, is a threat to the way "things have always been done."

It means you get fired for putting the horse first.

It means you'll be seen as inferior for wearing pink.

If you only follow the rules of dominate, overpower, and control as a farrier, the horses you're under won't trust you. They will fight you. If they spook, they're going through you. They don't have a relationship with you and they will not consider you in their time of fear. They will disassociate while you work and then suddenly panic.

Accidents can always happen. But why not seriously reduce the chances of someone getting hurt?

Maybe you should be scared. Maybe you should come face to face with your fragility. Maybe you should value your body and your livelihood.

Maybe you should consider new rules.