#newZealand Archives - Equi-Still Portable Horse Stocks

Crease Nail Pullers?

With the lockdown in NZ, farriers are not deemed essential workers other than for emergency work, so some have been concerned their horses are overdue for trims, or at least to have their shoes pulled. Vets, feel free to share this post with your clients!

So, you don’t have a farrier or trimmer until the lockdown is over…. Don’t have a buffer, hammer, and shoe puller?

Crease Nail Pullers to the Rescue!

If you have only a single horseshoeing item in your horsetruck/trailer/float, a crease nail puller is the tool to have! Even a child can remove a shoe. Usually without trauma to either the kid or the horse!

If you’re in NZ, a supplier which is still open for essential goods is Shoof. They aren’t supplying those who don’t already have an account, but they have informed me they can sell them to me. I’m happy to purchase these and on-sell them to you if you cannot source them yourselves. Message me via the contacts page or ring me.

Here’s a vid I just made for you. There are horses around with shoes on, but none on my farm, and with the lockdown I can’t go next door to video theirs, either! (Yes, I’m an equine vet and an ‘essential worker’ but that’s only for emergencies. In COVID terms, this is not an emergency.)

So hope this helps you guys.

Let me know if you need a set of crease nail pullers. I can probably get rasps for you as well. Make sure you wear gloves and if you have them, chaps or thick pants to protect your legs.

Please stay safe, all.

Love from Waitawheta, NZ

Lizzi, Maya and Tiggie (who was looking for hoof cookies… soon, dog. The horse needs a trim.)

PS, Stay home. Do groundwork. Love on your horses. 🙂

Being a burden to emergency services because you fell off won’t help NZ’s (or any other country’s) COVID response. And do you REALLY want to be in a hospital with COVID if you don’t have to?

Hello all you wonderful horse, pet, and production animal owners out there!

Emergency Basis Only, or

#Don’tBreakYourVet !

Most of your veterinarians are still allowed to practice and will remain available to you and your beloved animals ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS ONLY.

We are willing to risk our own health (though we should all be wearing mask, gloves, etc.) for the health of your lovelies. It is, as you are no doubt aware, not without risk to us.

As the incubation period is so long and the symptoms so variable, what you think was a little “cold” could actually be a case of COVID-19. I don’t want it and have no desire to infect my family. I have a heart condition and it would not be in my best interest to catch the dratted virus.

NO, not doing routine dentistry right now!

Please comply with your vets if they request you to wear a mask yourself and keep your distance if at all possible. If they want you to leave the animal with their staff while it is treated, or ask you to let them handle your horse themselves, please do so. We’re all under enough stress anyway, ALL people here. Maybe help get your horse into the stocks and let them work on the horses on their own. Please help them to help you and your animals.

I know all of my beyond-lovely clients will be happy do this for me.

HOWEVER…..

What’s an Emergency?

Clearly it’s not been made obvious to some. Some of the phone calls I’ve received have…. been… interesting. Mostly from new clients… such as:

requests for:

… routine dentistry, (as the owner will be off work for the next few weeks), or

…doing a pre-purchase examination, (never truly an ER)

… routine vaccinations… especially overdue ones…

…any other sort of routine vet procedures you could have scheduled several months ago that you want done now that you have time at home from work…

Clearly this didn’t happen overnight, but it sure looks like it needs help NOW.

Lockdown = QUARANTINE…

THIS LOCKDOWN IS MEANT TO BE A QUARANTINE, NOT A HOLIDAY! Enjoy it at home with your family, but don’t needlessly infect others!

They are the things you’d call us for on Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday, despite the emergency call fee, etc.

Things that could limit the lives of your horse or that if not treated now, will create pain and suffering for your beasties.

However…

LET THIS NOT PREVENT YOU from calling us if you THINK it might be an emergency. Or if you’re not sure. Even a little. Personally, I am HAPPY to field phone calls and look at a photo you take with your phone.

If it’s a colic, laceration, lameness, respiratory difficulty, the old horse who’s suddenly come to the end of his tether, or anything else causing you and them any distress, etc., for god’s sake, PLEASE be sure to ring.

This might be a good guide….

If i get sick (or dead) from treating your non-emergency cases, I won’t be around to treat your beloved horse or other animal life-threatening emergencies.

The phone is your friend. 🙂 When it works. There’s always Facebook. xx

Tag: #newZealand

Pull Those Shoes for COVID-19–HOW?