Horses First is for horses, products, services, information… everything starting from considering the sentient being, living creature and it’s well-being.

We put horses to work for us, we keep them as pets. Every horse is physically and mentally an individual, and deserves support in the different phases of it’s life and tasks. Even though horses are legally the property of us people, let us remember that they come with a very large heart and very large responsibility for us. In the human world these beings completely depend on us. Let’s be worth their trust. Horses First is here to help you along.

HF Farriery

Horses First aims for the highest standard in farriery, with the main goal of keeping horse’s hooves and legs as healthy as possible in whatever discipline or environment required.

We are very excited to be in the process of setting up the first multi-farrier company in Finland, to offer a wide range of skills and services for all the horses out there. We will be updating you as soon as we can.

In the meantime, please see Caroline’s personal pages if you need shoeing for your horse.

Below are some examples of different cases we have been handling in Horses First.

The Hoof

Hundreds of kilos of weight rest on these magnificent constructs. From freezing temperature to the heat of the summer, knee deep in mud, in dry sand. Coming down from 140cm jump with the rider, the hoof will support the horses very life.

Through self-education, you will be able to better evaluate information coming from your farrier and vet. You will be able to more quickly react to potential problems, which will result in your horse getting better treatment and a better chance at survival.

Learn more about the hoof anatomy, mechanism and health in the first introductory Lifelearn path about the horse’s hoof and what it means to the horse.

<Link to Lifelearn coming soon>

Services

Horses First provides a wide range of services related to horses, their care and maintenance. We aim to provide support throughout each horse’s life, starting from the hoof and branching into areas like day to day stable management, health care and learning material to provide people with up to date and practical knowledge.

3D printing – anything is possible

One of the things that keeps reoccurring over and over when shoeing horses is that every horse needs it’s own individual solution. Even if you have two horses that seem to have the same problem – let’s take a giant flat-footed warmblood with low heels – depending on the age, discipline and environment, you will end up with very different shoeing solutions. (more…)

Equine management through Lifelearn Mobile Application

Follow up your stable and horses via mobile
– Connect with grooms, trainers and riding instructors wherever you are through your mobile phone.
– View your horses, modify their feeding and training schedules, create a community around your horses so that their needs are better met
– Monitor and follow up tack maintenance

Riding schools in a digital, real-time mobile environment
– Design riding lessons, share information, assign horses to students, provide information on the individual needs of each horse
– Create a plan for each student so that they can follow their own progress and express their learning needs

Horse health plan and schedule
– Manage your horses’ floating, vaccination and shoeing schedules with easy to scan QR codes. Make each horse’s information available to the professionals working with him/her
– Grooms can directly contact farriers about hoof related queries, and can follow-up on any recommended treatments given by treating vets and farriers

Farriery

See also: Horses First Farriery

Regular shoeing for your horse
… from basic every day shoeing for the hobby horse to solutions for high performance horses, or support for lower limb injuries and diseases.
Hoofcare history/maintenance (through LifeLearn mobile application)
… follow your horse’s hoofcare from your mobile phone. Ask questions, receive answers, learn about your horse’s hooves and shoeing needs
Trimming (horses, donkeys, mules)
… trimming is a critical part of shoeing, and in case of barefoot animals, a regular trimming schedule is vital.
Consultation
… our main goal is to support horses first. We also offer consultation services for horse owners, farriers and vets who would like to discuss any problems or queries with a wider audience. We connect experienced equine professionals and pull together knowledge in order to better serve our customers.

 

Training, learning resources and consultation

Here are some examples of the learning resources and consultation provided.

For farriers:
– The basics of our trade: trimming, shoeing and forging
– Moving into remedial shoeing and more special requirements
– Communicating with vets and better understanding of shoeing instructions coming from the clinics

For horse owners:
– Understanding and evaluating your horse’s health and well-being
– Recognising potential problems, and who to contact for help
– Preventing injuries and diseases, extending the lifetime of your horse and improving the quality of life
– Behaviour/communication consultation

For vets and farriers:
– Interpreting x-rays for palmar angle and medio-lateral balance, sole thickness, possible abscesses, keratoma and laminitis, arthritis in joints etc.
– Lameness evaluations
– Case studies
– Remedial shoes and their uses

Products

Horses First is producing 3D printed products. Many of our products are custom made to order, but below you can see some of the common, readily available shoes and pads.
Read more about 3D printing…

Shoes for minis:

3D printed shoes for 120cm and smaller horses and ponies
From laminitis to racing, full support, studs, integrated pads, etc.


Therapeutic/foal correction shoes:

3D printed shoes for therapeutic use and foal limb deformation
Full range from 45mm-85mm
It is also possible to order these made to measure in special cases (contact caroline(at)horsesfirst.com)


Special pads:

HF Impact for shock absorption (full or edge)
HF Full Support for wedge/frog support
HF Frog Support for frog support
HF Soft for arthritic retired horses (hard on nails)
HF leather open frog pad

Shoes for minis

  • 3D printed plastic shoes for 120cm and smaller horses and ponies
  • From laminitis to racing, full support, studs, integrated pads, etc.

Therapeutic shoes

  • 3D printed plastic shoes for therapeutic use and foal limb deformation

Special pads

  • Häsla Impact for shock absorption (full or edge)
  • Häsla Full Support for wedge/frog support
  • Häsla Frog Support for frog support
  • Häsla Soft for arthritic retired horses (hard on nails)
  • Häsla leather open frog pad

Contact

Phone

Caroline: +358 50 486 9672

Address

Menefta Consulting Oy
Vanha Porvoontie 338, 01490 Vantaa

Opening hours

Mon – Fri 08:00 – 18:00
Sat – Sun 10:00 – 16:00

Email

caroline[at]horsesfirst.com

The Company

Horses First was born from the idea of putting horses first, which was originally initiated by a mare, Menefta, in 2009. Since then, through many different paths and circumstances, we have been led to this point where a lot of skills and ideas have converged into making something concrete. Learning about horses to give them a better life, becoming a farrier in order to maintain horses hooves from the horse’s point of view, 3D printing in order to provide better materials and products to support our horses, and even digital learning tools in order to educate and provide community support about horse care and needs.

The goal of the company is to share knowledge and provide support to horses through their owners, trainers, vets and farriers. We want to prioritise horses, in an industry and society where currently their value is mostly egotistical and financial. It is possible to make these completely contradictory worlds and values meet for everyone’s mutual benefit.