Chronicles of the Pink Helmet

The bodies of our horses really put up with a lot, don't they? Not only are they subjected to riders and saddles and jumps and sudden stops and fast starts and headspinning turns and hundreds of miles, they are mute and unable to vocalize pain or discomfort like your or I. It's up to us to pay astute attention to differences in our horses behavior, subtle changes in musculature or that "not-quite-right" syndrome that many may observe. 

I know I have talked a lot about Khopy, but I have truly learned so much from him in just the short time I have owned him. On an aside, I can't say I have enjoyed learning some of the things he's thought I ought to know, but the more our relationship develops the more I am beginning to appreciate all of his lessons. He's got quite the history, which I might go into later sometime, and it has really taken much longer to form any sort of bond with him than I have ever experienced before. 

When I first brought him home I noticed that he carried a great deal of tension, despite a very stoic disposition. He had been living 24/7 in a stall, and had a good case of gastric ulcers. His ulcers were resolved by free-choice grass/alfalfa hay and being turned out on large acreage.


The first thing I noticed was that he carried his tension in his mouth and his neck with extremely rigid and tense. I started taking him to my dressage lessons, as he carried himself heavily on the forehand from being trained with his head tied down to his chest. We taught him to carry himself from behind and no more martingales or other training devices! Along with dressage, I started riding him on the trails, which he really seemed to enjoy, despite a few issues! As he came to me having been barefoot for at least the past year, his feet have taken a lot of time to transition. 



I did everything I knew to do for this gelding from when he first came home in January until the present time... turn-out, diet change, regular chiropractic, dressage/gymnastic training, proper foot care, etc, etc, but something just didn't seem right. While he's come leaps and bounds, I still felt tension in his lower neck and shoulders, which I think is residual from having a difficult transition to being comfortably barefoot. After a lameness exam to rule out any mechanical problems, I called in another kind of expert!

Karen Bumgarner, also an Easyboot user, has been doing equine bodywork for quite some time. We chatted one night and made arrangements for her to come out and do some work on Khopy. Much as I expected, he held a lot of tension in his neck and shoulders, specifically on his left side. Karen worked on Khopy, finding and releasing pressure points, knots and tight muscles. She spent time at first giving him some obviously welcomed massage to gain his trust, and then began working on the sore spots. 



At two separate times during the bodywork, Khopy lifted each hind leg and held it tight, even though Karen was working on an entirely different area. It really showed me that even though he may be palpably tense in his shoulder, everything is interconnected. When she was done, he was visibly relaxed and the usual tight spot in his neck was much softer. I am fascinated by this and want to learn more! I would also like to learn more about possible pre-ride stretching exercises, which I really think would benefit us. 

What do you do as an on-the-ground warm-up for your horse? Carrot stretches? Other techniques? Any good books anyone recommends? I rode Khopy today, three days after his massage. He seemed to feel "warmed up" quicker than usual, but it still takes him much longer than my other horses. At one point during the ride he was feeling particularly stiff, so I stopped the ride at an open area and insisted on some lateral work and 10m circles on the bit. He was not impressed, but it did supple him up and we had a nice ride after.

I really, really hope Easycare might consider doing a Webinar on bodywork (hint hint) and think it's an excellent addition to the other areas of horse care that we so obsessively embrace! Bring on the knowledge!!

Happy Learning,
Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

Sprung from the recent Easycare Webinars are discussions left and right regarding trimming and maintaining the trim, as well as the status of Duncan's bachelorhood (he is a hottie-patottie and could probably find 864 dates in 0.2 seconds given the comments on the webinars). I have heard things such as "Trimming should be left to a professional" and others such as "I want to learn as much as I can about this." Some people want to learn and fully take over the trimming duties, and others want to gain knowledge to know what is going on with their horses' feet, despite not being the main trimmer. Others, like myself, are submerged in Cowboy Country or rural areas and lack competent barefoot professionals. While things are progressing around here, several years ago, there weren't many options in barefoot trimmers unless you wanted the dreaded "pasture trim" from a farrier. 


I started trimming about six years ago, under the guidance of a good friend, who had been doing her own trimming for several years prior. She went through a barefoot trimming course and was truly one of the very first barefoot endurance riders in our area. Although I listened intently, and read/watched all the literature I could find, I didn't truly *GET* it. I was terrified to mess up, scared to really rasp and wouldn't touch nippers or a hoof knife. I don't know when exactly things changed, but once they did, I was hooked. I think it was about the time I purchased a horse with naturally good feet. You see I had been learning to trim on my sweet gelding, who had horrible feet. Not only did he carry a classic case of high/low syndrome, he was borderline clubby on the right front, and eventually was diagnosed with navicular syndrome, backed up by radiographic changes with the navicular bones of both front feet. Not an easy set of feet to work with. Coupled with the dramatic difference in hooves, my gelding was never truly comfortable barefoot, which was not good for my confidence. 

When I started really trimming my big National Show Horse gelding, my confidence grew by leaps and bounds. Not only did he have large, gorgeous feet, he was never footsore and went beautifully barefoot or in boots. Although he was generally a pain in my *$@, his feet taught me so much. Because he has amazing feet, I knew I didn't want to put shoes on him. And as I didn't have many options for barefoot hoof professionals, I had to get in there and do it myself. Luckily I had my friend to check my work, even though the only thing she really told me was that I could take more off. I learned that you really have to be aggressive to cause harm to your horse, and that you can generally always take off more toe!! 


A few things are imperative when trimming or even maintaining your own ponies trim. The number one thing I can think of is having good quality tools. As a fairly small woman, I have to giggle when other girls say they aren't physically strong enough to trim feet. While, yes, it may be more difficult than it would be for a stronger man, it is possible!! Most of the problems stem from an old rasp, a dull knife and a cheap pair of nippers. While I am nowhere near qualified to offer trimming advice, I feel like I can offer insight to technique. As stated above, get good tools! I use my rasps for far too long, and every time I get a new one, I ask everyone in sight, giddy, why I didn't replace this rasp a long time ago? A sharp hoof knife is also a necessity, and I have the scars on my wrists to prove that. My hoof knife has since been prohibited from use, and I am a bit spooked to purchase a sharp one, and have resorted to using my nippers during the "hard hoof season." Nippers are another tool that you will eventually need. My husband gave me a pair of GE Forge 14 inch racetrack nippers which are completely appropriate for my small hands, and my ponies hoof growth, as I never let a month go by without doing some trimming. 


Aside from some gloves, those are really the necessities for trimming your own pony. Of course there are some luxuries that really make things easier. Now I don't own a Hoof Jack, but sure wish I did! I got to use my friend's Hoof Jack the other day and realized how much easier it made things! Dang!! I *really* need one of those! The other optional tools include a dremel, which you can use to maintain the bars, and an angle grinder, which takes the back-break out of rasping. I haven't purchased any power tools for trimming as I only trim three head and am constantly keeping up on their feet so an overhaul is rarely needed. 

Right now our horses feet are rock hard from living in the arid desert. I have found that the best time to trim my mare is right after pulling her glued-on boots, or after a rare summer rain.


Regarding trimming after pulling off boots, of course if you wait longer than an hour or so, her feet are as hard as they would have been if she hadn't had boots glued on! This time I waited a few days after pulling her boots from the Pink Flamingo Classic due to time constraints. I was surprised to find her exfoliating her sole, again! My youngster (who has never been booted) was ALSO exfoliating again, so it was not due to having boots glued on for five days. 


Happy Trimming!
~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

Last year at this time, I had finished my first two-day ride with Easyboot Gloves. I glued on the hinds and slapped Gloves on the front. This year, I finished two days with all four glued on my little red mare. Despite a less than ideal boot application, my boots are still solid. I used the new-to-me method of Goober Glue Hoof Pack on the bottom of the boot on and the bottom half of the boot wall, and used Vettec Adhere on the upper half of the boot wall. Slip on while twisting, hold the foot up for a minute and voila! Solid boots with the cushy protection of Goober Glue. Awesome! 


I have to laugh because it really wasn't that simple... I pulled up to the ranch that Thursday night after a particularly BAD day. I don't usually get bugged by silly things but that day was a whole bunch of irritations packed into a period of hours. Top that off with a headache and several days of HOT, I was well on my way to a disaster. There happened to be a birthday party going on with at least a dozen screaming, yelling, crying children. Oh my... now I don't mind kids, one or two at a time, but a football team of them makes me get light-headed and frantic! I later found out there were only six kids, but I swear they were more! Trying to ignore the yells, I pulled out Replika and Khopy, who would be her company throughout the glue-on process, and got all my things together. I did the foot prep and pre-fit the boots, then got busy gluing. 

My first boot went on without any issue, but that second boot, the right front, is always my nemesis. That foot is an 0 (compared to the 0.5 on the left) and is pretty round. I have had problems with the boot twisting, so I tend to be more aggressive with my glue, in a counter-intuitive sort of way. Of course you have to remember un-set Goober Glue is slippery! I had put too much GG in the boot, which rendered the Adhere useless. After two tries and two hours later, I decided to forgo that foot, and glue the boot on in the morning with Adhere. THANKFULLY I was able to glue the boot on that little right front easily right before heading up to the ride, using mostly Adhere, with a little GG near the bottom. That boot, along with the others, are still solid!

At ridecamp, we settled in and reunited with good friends. After getting things ready for the next morning, we went to bed just as an impressive thunderstorm rolled over. It had been hot that day and the storm brought some refreshing wind through the forest. Saturday morning came early but I was ready to go. Replika enjoyed three weeks off after the 80 at Bandit Springs, and I knew she would be ready for these two back-to-back 50's. I have to admit, I was a tad disappointed knowing we would be done with the ride in the early afternoon. As our last two rides have been 80's, I have been fortunate enough to ride my favorite horse all day long, and into the evening hours, which is my favorite time to ride. Nevertheless, I was excited to ride with my pals! 


We laughed and laughed and laughed, all day long! Our horses were fresh and feisty, the trails were amazingly marked, as always, and although hot and humid, we were lucky considering it could have been much worse. We finished the first day in fine form, and hit the sack for day two.



Oh MAN it was hard to get up Sunday morning! I did not feel well, most likely from not taking super great care of myself the previous day. I layed in bed until the last minute before I *had* to get up! I got my mare saddled and off we went. She was a monster. I wanted to ride by myself mostly because I felt sick and being good company didn't sound appealing to me, but also because I really wanted to gauge where Replika was. She, like most horses, gets caught up with groups and I can't accurately tell how she is doing and where she is physically or mentally. We got in our own little bubble and cruised along at her signature pace of 8-9MPH. I love this horse but she couldn't win a 50 if our lives depended on it! Having had horses in the past who comfortably trotted at 12 or so MPH, her comfortable pace is slow to me, but oh-so-handy for long distances! 



I was so so so thankful for my glue-ons over the course of 100 miles in two days. Although there is only about 10 rocks on the whole ride, there is a lot of hard-pack dirt road. These boots provide amazing shock-absorption and despite the hard road at speed, we had no swelling or stocking up overnight. We were frequently in water whether it be at the water tanks where sponging was necessary, in creeks or in the wet grass at the vetcheck. On top of all the wet, there was tons of dry, too. She developed her typical case of scratches between day one and two, and not having to worry about gaiters on top of the scratches was such a relief. I love this mare but she is just a leetle high maintenance! So worth it though!! 

We received our typically awesome two-day award, and headed home Sunday night. Replika looks good now, and I will be pulling her boots off tomorrow, and hope to take advantage of some moisture in her feet after pulling the boots and get her trimmed properly. The arid desert climate makes August and September trimming very difficult!
 

Happy riding!
Amanda Washington
~SW Idaho

.... And the barefoot performance transition for my big, grey gelding is on the right track! I say "barefoot performance" because the horse has been barefoot for some time, as in over a year. However, there is a difference in a barefoot horse, and a barefoot performance horse. Just like there is a difference in a pasture trim and a barefoot trim. 


Speaking of trimming, how about those Easycare Webinars, eh? What a great idea! What an awesome resource! Thank you Kevin, Garrett and Duncan, for providing your expertise to us. It's really exciting to have an interactive platform to learn and discuss these things. I hope they continue. 

Quickly coming up is the 5th Annual Pink Flamingo Classic, which I'm sure I've mentioned one or ten times. Easycare has generously donated some goodies for the Breast Cancer Raffle, which has historically raised close to $5,000 to support breast cancer research. Of course this all ties in rather nicely with the "pink" theme near and dear to my heart!. An excuse to wear MORE PINK!! Yippeeeee!!!! 

The hubs and I headed north to Pink Flamingo-ville last weekend, to help mark and check trail. While Replika was enjoying her last weekend of vay-cay after the 80 at Bandit, I loaded up Khopy. This horse has had a difficult time transitioning this spring and summer, despite the use of Easyboot Gloves religiously during training rides. He has grown almost a new hoof since February and is starting to walk much more comfortably across the gravel at home barefoot, and is moving REALLY WELL in Gloves during rides! 


We did some marking on the most beautiful ten-mile trail, both of us in our Gloves, like normal. I have ridden this horse with and without athletic tape under the Gloves, having issues with neither way. As we were planning on doing a good twenty-five miles this day, and I knew we would be in and out of water, and up and down some pretty killer hills, I wrapped the foot with athletic tape. No biggie, and no problems for the whole ride. 


After the ten-mile loop, we came back into camp, let the ponies eat, and headed back out on a fifteen-mile loop. First of all, this horse can FLY, I think it was just a matter of getting his feet right and actually putting him with a horse that pushed him to really move out. Man-oh-man, after having serious doubts about him, I am getting excited about him! I think the coolest thing is that he really takes care of himself. We actually stopped him from drinking at one point because it was almost excessive. Yikes! Never had to worry about that before! 


We did the fifteen-mile loop at a pretty good pace, really challenging the horse to move out and find his gears. Holy heck he's got plenty that I haven't seen yet! I never worry much anymore traveling down hard-pack dirt road at speed, because I know the foot is so protected in our Gloves. Neither Khopy or Robert's horse had a problem all day in their Gloves. Once you get that fit down, they are just so reliable. 


After the ride, I pulled boots and checked everyone's pasterns. Like always, no rubs. Considering how well Khopy performed on our un-official LD, he is real close to being ready for his first endurance ride. As he does so well he does in his Gloves, I am planning on using them for his first ride. Shhhh, don't tell him he's looking at a 50 in a few weeks... 

I will be going out to glue on Replika's boots for the Pink Flamingo this weekend. I'm looking forward to using the Adhere Lock again. Hope everyone has a fantastic week, and catch up on those webinars if you missed them! 

Happy Riding!

Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

I really want to congratulate all the barefoot, booted horses and riders who have completed some very prestigious and HARD rides as of late. We have had the Big Horn, the Vermont 100 and The Tevis. Not to mention we have also had several FEI selection rides for the 2010 Alltech World Equestrian Games. ALL of these HUGE events had booted horses. Do you realize the magnitude of this?!?! Do you realize that Garrett Ford, Mr. Easyboot himself, won the elusive Haggin Cup?!?! ON A BOOTED HORSE!! AWESOME!!! 


Congratulations to all the riders who have recently ridden booted at some equally important but perhaps not as high-profile rides as some of these big name events. GOOD JOB! Do you realize that you most likely scoffed at the idea of a barefoot endurance horse several years ago, or thought it would be too hard? 


Congratulations to those of you who headed out on the trail for an enjoyable afternoon, picnic lunch in one hand, and the reins of a great horse in the other. You can happily say that you are able to do what's best by your horse and offer him the protection of boots as needed. WAY TO GO!! 

Congratulations to everyone who has defied the "norm" and perhaps taken their performance horse of whatever discipline towards a more natural method of horse care, either using boots or going completely bare. We have recently come across professional barrel racers, reiners, working cow horses, dressage horses, eventers and jumpers who have pitched their horseshoes to the pits. KEEP IT UP!!!

And lastly, congratulations to whomever else is reading this. Perhaps you haven't yet made the jump, but are headed in that direction. Keep in mind it is a slippery slope!!! Can't wait to hear your stories!! 

You'll notice I haven't identified "booted" horses as using specifically Easycare products. While Easycare offers the best choices for myself and my horses, there are other products out there. Recently there have been some pretty nasty talk from loyal customers of other brands. Really people, give it up!! Please don't forget the purpose of keeping our horses barefoot is for the good of the horse. The petty "Boot Wars" need to stop. Can't we just all be happy for each other for meeting certain milestones that may not have been possible without protecting the hoof? 

The other night I had a unique opportunity to spend the evening riding with my husband. For once he was not on-call, didn't have to mow the yard and was game for a babysitting gig. We saddled up my big, grey gelding, who still needs a sitter, and Robert's horse-of-the-night, Chez. I outfitted Khopy with his Easyboot Gloves, no powerstraps, no tape, just a quick pop on the boot. We put Chez in his Gloves, again, no mods necessary. We climbed steep trails, went through sharp rocks hidden by the brush and rode through the dark. No problems, no questions. Just solid performance, like always. 


We set out about 7PM, the start of a very fun ride. We went my typical route- up the sand wash, down to the canyon, which consists of a small, single-track cow trail, with rough boulders, large roots and steep drop-offs. Upon crossing the bottom of the rocky canyon creek, we head up the big hill and keep on going. 


Although the sun was starting to set, we decided to add a few miles and take a left at a fork. Although Robert doesn't get out to ride much, he was game and we were headed down a single track away from the ranch, much to the dismay of Khopy. We rode along in the setting sun and quickly came to a point where I realized we weren't on the trail I had planned to be on! Oops!! At this point the sun was setting fast, but it was a beautiful night and a near full moon was to be rising soon. We made the decision to cut off a mile or so of trail and headed straight up a rocky hill, to the top of a boulder field. There was no trail, and the ground was completely covered in rock. Not to worry, both our horses' Gloves were stuck on good, despite the lack of tape or powerstraps that some people seem to have problems with. I still can't understand why it's such a big deal to wrap the hoof a few times or install powerstaps to prevent possible problems, but whatev, to each his own, right?!



Happy Riding!

Amanda Washington
~ SW Idaho

And ride we did. At the 2011 Bandit Springs Endurance Ride, in the Ochoco National Forest. Again, it was easily one of my absolute FAVORITE endurance rides of all time. As I posted last week, we were "just" doing the 80. And I must say that was a damn good decision! While my mare could have done twenty more miles, she was sufficiently tired at 80 and I was spent! The last 20 mile loop would have been loooooooong! 

The ride really started the week prior, as it seemed to take forever to pack and prepare. I got my Easyboot Glue-Ons glued on with a new-to-me method and we didn't finish up packing until Thursday morning, when we were supposed to be leaving! We finally got out of town and were on our way to Oregon! 


We arrived Thursday afternoon to the most beautiful ridecamp you could imagine. I can never get enough of this place. It was hot and muggy, both of which we haven't had this year. I was a bit worried about the humidity, specifically, as that can really hurt your horse. We had an amazing dinner hosted by John and Susan Favro of Healthy As A Horse, and chatted with good friends. The next morning dawned HOT AND humid! Yikes! It was a really fun day filled with mini-seminars by farriers and two of the ride vets, my husband and head vet, Cassee Terry. The ride ALSO put on a mini-clinic, Endurance 101, which for a minimal fee newbie endurance riders could attend. I volunteered to be a mentor and had a lot of fun. I hope it helped the transition to the endurance community for some of these newbies. I was also able to help another rider with Easyboot Glue-On shells that I happened to have used from last year, as he didn't have the right size. 

We got to bed at a good hour and I actually slept great! 4AM came too quick, but I was up and ready with time to spare. The 80's and 100's started the ride at 5AM, and with only a dozen or so riders on the trail, winding through the mountain meadows in the soft light of dawn was quiet and peaceful. Unfortunately my mare had other ideas. The mare I was bragging on just the week prior, about being able to ride her in dental floss, proved me wrong. I actually thought about that spade bit The Cowboy mentioned! We caught up with some other riders about 8 miles from the first vet check, and cruised in on the 20 mile loop in just under three hours. She didn't eat well at that first check and I was sick with worry, knowing we had 60 more miles to go, and a hot day developing. The next stretch to the out-check was awful. I was frustrated, angry, worried and sad. I was lonely and really missed my normal riding buddies! My self-pity was short-lived, however, as we were soon dropping into the out-check at about 35 miles. Thankfully at that time I met up with one of my Idaho pals who was riding the 100, and we left together and rode from the out-check back to camp in each others company. 


Back into camp, we were at 50 miles. The awesome company was a lifesaver on that particularly HARD loop. I wasn't feeling great and was thankful for the hour hold. At this time Replika was eating and drinking like her normal self, and I knew we were over halfway done. I was finally able to take care of myself. After eating a big 'ole sandwich, drinking plenty of water and a Red Bull, we were ready to rock. Replika and I headed back out alone on the same twenty mile loop we had done first thing that morning. I was so happily surprised to leave on a forward, focused horse! At that point we were an hour behind the first place horse. I had gotten so hot on the previous loop I actually used my Cool Medics vest for the first time. I have had the vest for about two years but have never really been bothered by the heat. Man that thing was a lifesaver!! Since I had already done this loop, I knew where to slow down, where to make time and where there was water for Replika. I also decided to run the downhills which was a really good idea and was refreshing for both myself and Replika. 

We came in on that loop only three minutes slower than we did the first time. It was starting to cool down and the last half of the loop was almost completely shaded as it was nearing 6PM. We only had ten miles left to go! Did I really have this much horse left?!?! After another short half-hour hold, we were off again. Replika once again flew out of the vet check and surprised me with her enthusiasm. I again ran the downhills and we slowed for the long, long climbs. We took turns showing each other the deer and antelope that were grazing in the meadows aside the trail. She ate and drank with gusto, but never hesitated when I gave a kiss to pick up the trot. Coming into camp for the last time I was almost brought to tears. My mare trotted right through camp to the finish, ears pricked and feeling fresh. I was shocked when I saw the first place horse completing their ten minute CRI. Did we really make up that much time?!?! We did! We had a perfectly respectable CRI and she showed great for BC. While we didn't win BC, we won High Vet Score by 40 points!! I guess that's the downside of being a featherweight, but I certainly can't complain! 

The next morning, I told my husband it was the ride of all emotions! I laughed, I cried, I was sad, frustrated and worried. I was also joyous and giddy. All in the course of about sixteen hours. I missed my riding buddies, and worried about my friends who had tackled the Big Horn. I felt alone and yet became aware of the intrinsic partnership and teamwork I share with my little red mare. As I was chatting with my friend who had completed the 100 the night before, she told me that aside from Tevis, this was the most difficult 100 she had ever completed. I plugged my GPS into the computer as soon as we arrived home and was not shocked to see we had approximately 19,000 feet of elevation change throughout the 80 miles. The hundred would have added approximately 25,000 feet of change. This ride is no joke!


Going back to the topic at hand, which would be barefoot horses, I have to say this was the first endurance ride I have done on my mare, where she absolutely felt 100% over all surfaces. There was a lot of rock on this ride, fortunately it was mostly concentrated to certain long-sections of the trail, so you weren't constantly subjected to the good/bad footing crisis. When it was bad, it was bad, and vice versa. I was super happy to have the full protection of the Easyboot Glue-Ons and was thrilled when I realized she hadn't taken a short step in all of 80 miles. Her feet are finally getting there!!!! 

Now, not to gloat because I truly believe in karma, I am just stating the facts here. There were upwards of TWENTY lost shoes throughout the miles on Saturday's rides. YIKES! There were several boggy sections that I guess turned into shoe-suckers. I felt secure and confident in my boots and they were absolutely solid this morning, seven days after I applied them. As I posted last week, I used a bit of Adhere to secure the boots while the Goober Glue set, which did make pulling them a bit harder, but not un-doable at all. I will for sure be using this method for all my gluing on needs in the future! 

As of now, Replika will enjoy some time off. Although she didn't loose much weight, she can hang out and do as she pleases. She really deserves it! For me, well, I've got my hands full with two green-beans. I'm looking forward to spending some time with my boys!! 


Keep up the riding- it's gorgeous out there!!!

Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

Well it's about that time again, and I am starting to panic about the "to-do" list that needs to get done before we leave for Bandit Springs on Thursday morning. Bandit Springs is top three on my list of most favorite endurance rides. I love the ridecamp, the trails and the atmosphere. It's a big ride and is managed extremely well. I always look forward to going into the Ochoco National Forest for this ride! 

Despite the ridiculous amount of peer pressure and cyber-bullying that I have received about doing the 100, I have decided to "just" do the 80. Since when did 80 miles become a "just"?!?! All I know is I am *really* excited to ride my little red rocket for 80 miles. She is my absolute favorite ride, ever. Can't wait!!


First thing on my to-do list was gluing boots. While sometimes I get a little jealous of my friends who make a quick phone call and come home to magically new pony feet, all clean and ready to go in steel shoes. But, the feeling is fleeting as I realize a) I am too much of a control freak to allow anyone to mess with my horses without me being there, and b) if I have to stand and hold horses for the farrier, I might as well do it myself and pocket the cash I would be spending on horseshoes! I would still be out an hour or so, so it really is a wash in the $ and time department. No comparison on the benefits to the horse. 


I decided to use a different glue on process when applying my Easyboot Glue-Ons this time around. While I have been using Goober Glue exclusively for the past year, I decided to add a little Adhere to prevent the twisting that always seems to occur with Replika's boots. While I usually mix the Goober Glue with a little water in a small bowl, this time I applied the glue directly from the gun into the boot. I left a little space at the top of the boot, where I applied the Adhere. I did my regular method of twisting the boot upon placing it on the foot, but instead of setting the foot down, I held it up while the Adhere cured. I think it worked pretty well!!! 

After the Adhere cured, I put the foot down and went about gluing the other boots. The process took about 30 minutes, and then I let her stand and eat for another hour while I did some chores. An hour later I checked boots and none were twisted and they seemed very secure. Out she went and fingers crossed! 


I am sorry about the lack of pictures, it's really hard to do everything and try and get pictures, by yourself, without ruing your phone in the process!! 

Stay tuned for next week, hopefully it's a successful update!! I also want to wish everyone who is heading over to Big Horn and other endurance rides this weekend! I will for sure be thinking about everyone. 

Happy riding everyone!

~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

I had a super-fun day today, got to go up to Cascade and ride with my gal pal, Linda, who is one of the managers of The Pink Flamingo Classic Endurance Ride. Not only is this one of my most favorite rides because my two best buds manage it, but because the trails are absolutely amazing and 100% BAREFOOT friendly!! It is a mountain ride, and we always have to giggle when people ask if there is a lot of climb. Um, yes, there is! And it's wonderful! I was lucky enough to do two days there last year, where I tested the newest design of Easyboot Gloves on the fronts and glued on the backs, although we really didn't need hoof boots at all! However, riding 100 miles of trail in two days I wanted to make sure we were covered! 


Anyhow, Linda and I used the excuse of "checking trail" to have a wonderful day, and did about 23 or so warm, muggy miles. It was fantastic!!


About halfway through our ride, we dropped down to a creek and saw a local rancher bringing up a cattle shute for the 200+ cows he would be bringing in for grazing over the course of the week. Linda, being Miss Congeniality and part of the everyone-knows-everyone small town community, stopped to chat with this outwardly friendly cowboy. I shoulda trusted my first impression- never trust a cowboy who drives a brand-new Chevy. No offense, just sayin'. 

The Cowboy stepped out of his Chevy with an amused look on his face, scanning our Zilco tack and pretty helmets. After formalities, he told me my bit was "interesting," and looked like it would pinch. I didn't quite know what to say considering I ride my mare in an s-hack. He went on to say that he would put a spade bit in her, asking me if I knew what a spade bit was. Myself knowing full-well what a spade bit is, told him that considering I could ride this mare with dental floss, I thought a spade probably wasn't quite necessary.


The Cowboy asked several questions, one of which made my laugh out loud. While examining the boots, he leaned back against his Chevy, and said; "Now, I want to know how long these boots last." I told him I have gotten several hundred miles out of my boots, and have ridden in some pretty tough terrain. He gave me a smirk and commented that while "you" ride on manicured trails, his horses are working cow horses and he didn't think the boots would last doing what "they" do. I had the idea to invite him along on one of "our" endurance rides, you know, something easy- like The Tevis. 

When asked if I could take one off, I thought, hey, why not! I am all about education and so many people have no idea about how cool these boots are! Of course immediately after pulling my boots, I realized this was a trap when he focused on my mare's foot. "These feet are far to short," The Cowboy says. "What happens when you lose a boot?? She surely couldn't make it even a mile with these feet!" He then looked at her bare back feet and exclaimed- "Those feet are MUCH too short!! What happens when you bruise her and can't ride your race?" Of course The Cowboy wasn't interested at all to hear that my mare does quite well barefoot, most of the time going barefoot up front, and that I only use hoof boots on her hind feet at actual endurance rides. I said, "Silly Cowboy <okay, I did not say that part but I thought it in my head>, I have ridden this mare hundreds of miles barefoot, her back feet are like wild mustang feet!" He gave me a chew-stained smirk and said those were nothing like mustang feet and I was going to regret my decision later. I don't think he heard me grumbling about the hundreds of mustang feet I saw last fall when my husband aged and vaccinated several hundred mustangs with the BLM. 

The Cowboy goes on to talk about a mare (Quarter Horse) he has who he plans to put in 00's because she keeps pulling her 0 shoes. I was clearly irritated at this point and if I could have sauntered off on my horse, I would have. Instead I just walked. We said our good-byes and I grumbled for the next few miles. About six miles from the trucks, I pulled Replika's front boots and did the remainder of the ride gloating about my mare feeling no different bare than she had minutes previously in her boots. Her feet looked great when we got in, and she walked over the rock at the creek without a second thought. So there. 


While the barefoot and natural horse care movement has really taken off, I think there will always be that old-school mentality, which will exist in a closed mind and a sheltered world. While The Cowboy actually keeps his horses barefoot most of the year, many people don't, and have no desire to. And that's fine, for them. All we can do is try to educate, and stop when you hit a wall- there is just no use in arguing!! 

For any of you Northwest endurance and trail riders alike, I highly recommend making the trek to The Pink Flamingo Classic, August 7th and 8th, in Cascade, Idaho. Every detail is lovingly considered, the trails are amazing, you couldn't find better trail marking, they are barefoot-friendly and Sally and Linda give out phenomenal awards. The breast cancer benefit raffle is awesome and there are so many generously donated items. There is just so much FUN packed into this ride, from the best dressed flamingo and best decorated camp awards, to the pink flamingo trivia along the trail. It's just a good old time, and there are rarely any crabby cowboys present. 

Happy riding!!

Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

I recently posted about transition issues in my newest horse, Khopy. After turning him out for a couple days in Easyboot Gloves, and seeing a positive difference, I decided to give him some longer-term support and relief, by gluing on Easycare Glue-On Shells with Goober Glue. He was pretty darn sore on any kind of less-than-perfect footing, such as the gravel around the ranch and in the parking area of my lesson barn. 

I trimmed him just a tad (backed up his toe) and slapped on some shells with Goober Glue straight out of the gun. I would normally mix the glue with water, but given the fact this horse actually STANDS STILL, I wasn't too concerned. I used purely Goober Glue because I didn't want to chance anything hard on the sole of the foot, as he was already so sore on hard or gravely ground. Khopy stood like an angel at the trailer while the glue set, which took about 20 minutes,  and took off bucking and galloping in his pasture after fully setting in about two hours, noticeably feeling better already!


I glued on boots Friday afternoon, and had a ride planned with my pal on Sunday. I was planning on taking my mare, because I didn't think Khopy would be comfortable enough to go. I was pretty happily surprised when I jogged him out Sunday morning and he looked dang good! Exercise is so important during the transition process, as it stimulates the hoof to grow and gets the horse used to moving barefoot, even in boots. We headed up to the trail-head at the base of the mountain and up we went!!




I pulled Khopy's boots yesterday, ten days after I applied them. It had rained the night before, so the ground was still forgiving. His feet really weren't any softer than my other gelding who has been out barefoot, because of the rain. Khopy moved comfortably across the gravel and took off up the hill in his pasture after turning him out. I will re-evaluate him tomorrow have no problem re-gluing boots on again this weekend if he needs more time. I transitioned Replika last fall by gluing and re-gluing boots for a couple weeks. Two months after I got her, she went on to complete 205 miles in four days at the Owyhee Canyonlands 5-day ride. I can't wait to look back on this when I am able to ride Khopy barefoot over all terrain like I know can Replika. And no, I did not buy Khopy just because I already had a Replika!! My friends joke that I should change Topper's name to Duplicate or something like that!! 


I know it's more work (for the owner, that is!) to glue on boots, and sometimes it *would* be easier to just call out the farrier and have a set of shoes nailed on, but it's really worth the effort for me. I also hope that people really look at the cost, and understand that it isn't more than the cost of shoeing. Four Glue-On Shells will run you $92, and a tube of Goober Glue, which is extremely soft and provides excellent support in the sole area, will cost you $15. That is $107 for instant relief! I know in our area, a good set of shoes will run you $100-$125, and after six weeks it's another check to the farrier. I think the BEST thing about gluing is you can re-use the shells several times for rides and even more for therapeutic use as described above! They really end up being the cheaper option! 

With the different options in the market today, I hope people step up the face the challenges found in some transitions, armed with glue and shells!! It feels GOOD to be able to make my horse comfortable, with a long-term goal of bare feet in mind!!

Happy Gluing!! 

~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

Last summer, I got the crazy idea in my head that I wanted to raise a youngster to be my next superstar endurance/dressage horse. Yay! My very own baby to raise and start and do everything my way and make the perfect horse. Right. Well you see I have dealt with my share of other people's mess-ups before, and I thought by starting something from scratch I would be bypassing the re-training necessary when someone else screws up your horse first. Well that sounds good in theory- until you get your very own youngster and realize it has had no training to screw up. That's right- no training. Can you see where this is going? This means you have to teach it to tie, to load in the trailer, to stand still for the trimmer, who at this point isn't making enough money to deal with a squirrly baby. That's right, the trimmer is you. Nice. 


So before I had thought all this through, I picked out my kid. I had a choice of four, three-year-old geldings. This was before I realized I prefer mares. Go fig. I evaluated the group, and rather quickly picked out the tall, gangly, awkward but sweet, bay boy with four perfect white socks and a star. He was quiet and sweet and perfect. He had horrible feet, never shod, but not properly trimmed, either. He was flared and dishy. I didn't think much about it, like I said, this probably wasn't my most thought-out decision I've ever made. Oh well, live and learn, eh?


We loaded up "Topper" and made our way west, on an eight-hour journey that should have taken six. In over 100 degrees of July heat. Of course we got a flat tire, and had to hang out in the alley behind Les Schwab with a never-been-trailered three-year-old for an hour or two, while they used all their loud tools and compressors and such to fix the flat tire directly under my precious youngster's front feet. He handled everything like a champ, and when we pulled into the clinic for his overnight seven hours later I was in love. 

I know we're all laughing at this point because most anyone who's ever had such a youngster knows it's definitely NOT all flowers and roses. I found this out the next day, when I realized Topper, although turned out in a pasture, was going to take some time to adjust to "The Wild West." And so the story continues, through our battles and accomplishments, our fights and our triumphs. I taught him not to stand on my leg when trimming him, and he defeated the carnivorous bovine that roam the hills surrounding the ranch. He learned to traverse the hills with the herd, respect his elders and tie quietly. Ok, I lie. He doesn't do that, but I want him to. Wishful thinking. 


Topper's feet were pretty bad. I was itching to get some barefoot trimming on his feet, and was thankful he had never been in horse shoes at such a young age. I was excited to know that he would never be shod with me, but didn't realize how difficult it would be to get a handle on his grazing foot, which was dishy and flared. The following pics were taken the day after we brought him home. Wow, I just don't remember them being this bad!



I needed to write this post about my wiggly worm because I have been very frustrated with him lately. Sometimes you need to remind yourself how far you've come, because looking at things daily you tend to forget the progress you've made. Growing them up right takes a LOT of patience, and I have to keep reminding myself it will all be worth it in the end. I have a ton of respect for those of you who regularly start colts!! At this point I can't say I want to do it again, and he was three when I got him, not a weaning or yearling- I don't know if I could have done that!! As far as the feet, wow. My training skills are not the only thing that's been tested with Topper. He has, by far, had the most challenging feet I have dealt with since I started half-way knowing what I am doing. Any thoughts on that grazing foot? I think it's really coming along. 

And now, for the most IMPORTANT question- What COLOR should Topper's trail tack be??? I have my eye on this color-scheme, any other ideas? 


In the meantime, I keep telling myself I will look back on all the "baby moments" and laugh. I am sure of it. Right?!?! I might even miss them. Maybe. 

~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

Creating a barefoot transitioning program for myself first began by begging, borrowing and stealing information from those who have been there, done that, finding things that sound good and looking for other things to make better for your specific situation. Some call it copying, I call it being resourceful! When I first decided to take my old horse barefoot about eight years ago, I did so blindly, and thus failed miserably. It wasn't until I really got that hunger to learn that I started finding some success. I guess I can say I saw the light!


Since then, I have transitioned several horses to bare successfully. I am currently in the process of transitioning my newest addition, JEF Kharbon's Finale, or "Khopy," to the barefoot lifestyle using natural hoof care and Easyboot products. Although Khopy was barefoot when I purchased him the end of January, he was living it up in a heated barn under blankies and hoods. His excersize consisted of a training session in the inside arena five days a week, and he had no turn-out. I thought this particular show barn was really cool in that all of their horses remain barefoot during the winter months, and are only shod during the show season.


I plucked him from the barn and turned him out on the 30 acre pasture in a period of 48 hours. I'm sure he was shocked! Despite the cold reality of winter, he handled the transition amazingly and within a few weeks he was a completely different horse. While we were smack dab in the middle of hell, er, winter, our riding was limited to once a week dressage lessons and a handful of short trail rides. Our weather has finally (I hope!) broken and I have been able to ride Khopy out more within the last two weeks than I had the several months previous. Unfortunately we were hit with INCHES of rain, despite the fact we are supposed to live in the desert, the last two weeks. This constant wet/dry/wet/dry coupled with riding, has resulted in a very sore pony. I got him out this afternoon and was horrified to see him literally tip-toe across the newly exposed gravel. I marched my big grey gelding straight over to my trailer and immediately fitted him in Easyboot Gloves. I then took him over to the round pen and let him take the boots for a spin. Holy Moly now I know this big guy can move but he was pickin' 'em up and puttin' 'em down like I'd never seen before! 


I will try and get some better pictures of his feet more in-depth later on.. I actually didn't realize the difference in his feet from the end of January to the present time 'till I looked at these pictures tonight! WOW! I also like watching their feet change sizes. In my experience, I have had them go from the baseline size, down a whole size, and then eventually grow back up in size with a whole new foot. YAY!! 


It's so amazing to watch these horses' feet transition from shod to barefoot, or even from barefoot to functionally useful barefoot. I hope he gets some relief in the Gloves and can't wait for things to dry out here and hopefully set us down a path to functional feet.

What are some of the things you have done while transitioning your horses to a natural horse care/hoof care lifestyle? I hope to hear some new tricks to copy! You're all welcome to mine!

'Till next time.....

Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

'Till then, she'll be barefoot and happy, with plenty of food...

I am leaving Thursday morning for the Owyhee Fandango Three Day Ride. After careful thought and consideration, I decided to go for the 80 or the 100 on Sunday, instead of riding all three days, which I love doing. I figure it's time to move up distances, and even though it causes me to sacrifice the previous two days of fun, it will be a great trail and I am super excited.


I plan on gluing my Easyboot Glue-Ons with the new Goober Glue, most likely on Thursday, while at the ride. Of course it is planning to pour on Thursday so that might get bumped to Friday, we will see! It will be my first time applying boots at a ride, I usually do it at home during the week before, but this week just won't allow it! Truthfully I desperately needed to get my hair done and the only appointment available was in my glue-on spot. Hmmmm. Hair won! Hope it's worth it!!


I have been asked by numerous people recently why I choose the Goober Glue over Vettec Adhere. I am not discounting the Adhere, but honestly I probably wouldn't be gluing boots if I didn't have the option not to use it. I hate the lightning fast set-up, the numerous tips used, the fast and furious nature of gluing on boots. I hated the fact that I obsessed about getting it on the sole of the boot, on the heel bulbs or wadded up in the front of the boot where I might not be able to fully set the toe and cause tendon strains due to a poor break-over. I want to stress that these are *my* issues, and not the norm for those using Adhere. I watched Garrett apply boots with Adhere at the Dynamite Dash in Scottsdale, Arizona, over the winter and noticed he didn't have any problems! Of course practice makes perfect but I just struggled so much with the gun and the fast set time that I was frustrated and discouraged. I think it's a personal preference, and I prefer to laze my way through the application and don't mind the waiting around for the glue to set. I am excited to watch The Bootmeister himself apply boots at the ride- you can ALWAYS learn something from watching someone else work. Heck, I might even help. 

I hope everyone has a fantastic Memorial Day weekend. Not to be bossy but get out and ride!!

~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

In January I sold a very special horse to a very special family. I had this horse for three years before coming to the conclusion that as much as I wanted him to be, he just wasn't cut out for the sport of endurance. I found him an amazing home, at an awesome barn, with an awesome little girl to watch out for him. I saw him for the first time in flesh this past weekend, as the barn come down to a big horse show in my area. He looks amazing, and the bond he shares with that little girl is glaringly obvious. But I couldn't help but feel a bit defeated looking at his feet. Those feet that I spent hours meticulously grooming, trimming, rasping, admiring. The feet that carried me almost 1000 AERC miles and countless hours on the trail.


Honestly, if having shoes on his feet is the worst thing that ever happens to him, I can rest easy because he is golden in his new home. It is just amazing to me that we can work for months and months to transition a previously shod horse to having functionally barefoot hooves, but it only takes a short time to erase all the hours spent getting them there. 


























This post is NOT about pointing fingers, making cruel statements or bashing anyone. It is purely a different view for those who have not had the opportunity to see many different horses in different disciplines, as well as for those of you who haven't seen before and after shots. I also want to encourage people to look past the obvious shod hoof and see what could be with a little time. 


~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

So as promised in my last post, I put the new Goober Glue to the test over the weekend's training ride back to Avimor. Can I just interject once and say that I just love my mare? I know all of my friends and riding buddies are sick of hearing this, but I am going to use this opportunity to sing it loudly to people who don't actually know me and don't have to deal with riding 50 miles with me the whole time proclaiming my love for this snooty little red-headed mare!! I have never had a horse who I would rather keep riding than go back to the trailer after a long, tough day. Thank you SO MUCH Kim Johnson of Belesemo Arabians for affording me this amazing opportunity!! I just can't get enough of this view!!! 


So I promised I would report back about my Easyboot Glue-Ons, applied with the "new" Goober Glue. For a refresher, I had glued on my boots the night before the wreck. I had planned on using the new stuff, but as it arrived UPS, like, the second I left to go to the barn, I think it was frozen. I tried my little heart out trying to get the damn glue out of the tube to no avail (I'll get back to this further on). So, being the innovative and carefree, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kinda gal, (ok, so everyone that knows me right now has currently spat out their Diet Coke all over the keyboard laughing- serves you right friends!), decided to glue my boots on with the regular Goober Glue, which never failed me in over 400 miles until the first ride this spring. So we all know how the night turned out, but what I don't think I mentioned was that she pulled her right front boot (same boot that was lost at the ride) during the mess, which I really can't judge due to the sheer nature of the offense. However, it got me thinking. 

Why did the boots work for her last year, even after 205 miles in four days? What was I doing wrong? One night laying in bed it hit me- I had put her in bigger sized Gloves this spring due to her increased foot size, and ordered the Glue-Ons in the larger size as well. That said, I was using Powerstraps with the Gloves, so I thought to myself- Self, why don't you see if the smaller size fits better on that right front, which is ever-so-slightly smaller and almost imperceptibly steeper than the other foot? So the Sunday after her wreck, I headed out with my "glue duds" and slapped a set of front boots on with the new Goober Glue, which actually comes out quite easily if it is appropriately thawed out!

To go over the glue process, I'll outline the way I do it. This does not mean you should do it this way, it's just that I have glued on boots probably twenty times this last year so I have a sense of what it really important in certain situations. Since this was a total trial, I didn't rough up the hoof wall as I had just glued on boots four days prior. I also didn't clean the Goober Glue off the hoof wall very well that was still stuck on. I did peel out the left over GG from my used shell but didn't fuss over it. I squeezed out some GG into little disposable bowls I had in the LQ and used my putty knife to spread it inside the boot. I glued on the smaller sized boot on her right front foot, and the larger size on her left foot. I then let her stand for about an hour at the trailer while I dealt with this - 



I will digress one more time and say that raising a youngster is exhausting. I spent more time that day picking up each and every grooming tool I left on the fender of the trailer that Topper thought would be fun to pick up, chew on, slobber up and then drop and spook as it hit the ground. I am also constantly alarmed at the fact that he seems to continue to grow. Good Lord horse please stop!! I have taken him off all grain and Platinum Performance in hopes that he stops growing lol!! Look at that tangled mess of legs! And I RIDE this gawky thing!! 




Like I said, I turned her out after the hour and halfway expected to see bare feet when I went out to get her the next day. Nope! Still on! Thursday night I lunged her for about 20 minutes in the round pen and was impressed at how good she looked. Saturday morning my friend and I loaded up and headed again over to Avimor. It was looking to be a beautiful day!!


So off we started on the most amazing ride. You know how it feels when everything just comes together? Our horses were fresh and happy to be out, Sally and I were in exceptionally good moods and we found the most amazing loop that will be repeated again this weekend!! 


Ok, so I know your waiting for it- where's the picture of Stack Rock up close?? Well, unfortunately due to the icky white stuff, we didn't quite make it about the last 1/10th a mile to the actual rock. We are pretty confident we can get all the way this weekend after several warm days. 


What a great ride! I have to give a quick shout-out to my pal Sally and her amazing horse Granite. While this wasn't a particularly rocky ride, there were plenty of sections of pretty sharp rock in the trail. Granite, aptly named, trots and canters over the rock, completely bare, like it's not even there. He has the most beautiful feet I have ever seen, and is what all of us "barefooters" strive for. Good job Sally!! 

I pulled Replika's boots back at the trailer and by the time we got home, you would have never known she had boots on her back feet for 10 days, and her front feet for seven. I am going to use the new Goober Glue for the next ride, which is over Memorial Day weekend. 

I want to take a quick second to say that I am really sorry to hear about the hoof boot failures we have heard about lately. With that, however, is a ton of success. The consistency I can spot is that the success seems to lie with experienced boot users, and the failures seem to be with the newer users. All I can is hang in there! It does get better, but it is not always easy!! Evaluate fit, protocol, and use plenty of glue. If you are using Adhere, take care to keep it off the sole of the boot, and if using GG, make sure to allow for enough time for the glue to set before letting the horse really move around. Hoof prep is important as well, but equally important is to keep the break-over of the hoof far enough back to prevent forging, take care of medial-lateral imbalances, get rid of all flares as they very negatively affect the fit of the boot (both Easyboot Gloves and Easyboot Glue-Ons) and don't be afraid to practice at home. 

I hope things get easier for everyone, I really do. Keep up the booting and keep up the riding!!! 

~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

If I have learned anything throughout the years I have done endurance, it is that endurance horses tend to have a specialized sixth sense to determine when an endurance ride is nearing, and even more so if it is an important ride. Actually, I am pretty sure ALL horses have this gift, only it is customized to the rider's preferred discipline and that discipline's competition calendar. Of course one could just chalk it to the fact that fit endurance ponies are idiots. I am not yet decided on which it is..

My little mare was rockin' and rollin' and ready for the 60 at Owyhee Spring, which was to be a prep ride for the 100 later on this month. We had a fantastic few conditioning rides the weeks prior, and set to work gluing on Easyboot Glue-Ons with Goober Glue, taking care to use my NORMAL protocol, which I didn't use here. Replika was wired from the get-go, it was extremely windy and I had plucked her from the herd and brought her in, where she was surely the Last.Horse.Alive. We got the boots glued on all four feet, got glue all over her high whites and even managed to glue my hair to my hat. 

I pulled in my baby horse and put them together in a small pen overnight to allow the glue to set. Didn't I JUST write a post about gut instinct? Why, why, WHY did I not listen to my feelings that something just wasn't right. I waffled all evening about calling to have the two horses turned out around ten that night, but instead told myself that she really needed to be in a small pen overnight to prevent any boot losses. Sigh. 

So I head to bed a bit uneasy, chastising myself for being so paranoid. I get a text first thing Friday morning, yes, the morning I would have been off with my little red mare for the ride, that says my horses went through a panel sometime in the night and were out. Off I head for the ranch, stomach in knots, regret filling my mind and tears in my eyes. I lost it when I saw my girl, standing there with blood down her legs and uncomfortably shifting her weight on her back legs. I glanced at Topper, who naturally escaped relatively unscathed, due to the fact he's only a baby and has no athletic obligations at this time. 


I hauled out the first aid kit and went to work cold hosing and cleaning up the minor but numerous scrapes. Honestly, I don't know how neither horse got seriously injured, but I tried not to dwell on it too much. My husband came out to do a quick once-over to make sure I didn't miss anything serious, and topped the visit with an IV cocktail to combat the pain and swelling both were already experiencing. I sobbed for my girl, not because we would be missing our ride, but because I put her in the situation. We came to the conclusion that the horses became terrified of the tarp that had come loose off the haystack beside the pen in the 30 MPH wind and went through the panel. As you could normally house my mare in a corral made of dental floss, we know she was truly terrified to go to such extremes to get out of the situation. 

After cleaning them up and putting them out, I headed back into town to figure out what to do with the weekend. As I had planned on riding the 60 with one of my most favorite friends on her first ever endurance ride, I was most worried about leaving her alone, even though I knew she and her pony would be just fine. I did some quick thinking and even quicker talking and ended up with a horse to ride, and another riding partner! Karen Bumgarner offered me her gorgeous home-bred gelding, Blue. Whoo-hoo! To boot, (pun intended), we would all three be riding in Easyboot Gloves and Easyboot Glue-Ons! A real Team Easyboot!! 


What an amazing ride!!!! We rode down to the river and through the petroglyphs which date back 11,000 years! It was seriously amazing, not to mention I was on a super-cool horse and with some truly fantastic riding partners. We had a blast all day long, especially because we really rode all day! It was a long ride, but we laughed and chatted and got in just before a nasty hail/sleet storm blew in. I am so thankful that I was offered this amazing little horse, and that I had an opportunity not only to ride this amazing new trail, but to share the experience of finishing 60 miles with a fresh horse, with someone new to endurance who had really done her homework and always put her horse first. Thank you ladies, it really was a blast! 


We really put the Easyboot Gloves/Glue-Ons to the test, as it was the first booted endurance ride for two of the horses, mine included, but both did so great! The two horses that used Gloves had no rubs what-so-ever, and the Glue-Ons stayed put beautifully, despite a less than perfect application. 


Even better news is my mare looked good by Saturday night, and great on Sunday. She looked 100% today and we'll get back on the trail this weekend. Since she lost her two front boots in the wreck, I slapped on a pair of front boots using a newer version of Goober Glue and will test that out this weekend on a tough mountain training ride. Look for the story next Wednesday!! 

A couple weeks before the Tough Sucker Ride, my friend and I headed out for a training ride with our two barefoot ponies. We wanted to really get some riding in, as our winter had limited us to the sand draws and flat roads around the ranch, which had left us itching to get out and really ride! We hauled a few short minutes up the highway to the head of Spring Valley Ranch, which recently sold its property to a development company. We have ridden these mountains for years, usually parking at the ranch which is operated by a friend of ours. Considering the development company has actually committed to saving the trails and allowing equestrian access, we decided to forgo parking a few miles up the road at the ranch and parked in the designated horse-trailer parking lot and headed out on foot through the paved roads of the neighborhood. Wish I had pics of my friends tough gelding hop-skippity-hopping through the man-holes! 

Although I had been riding Replika completely barefoot, I decided to pack boots just in case. She had been doing wonderfully completely bare throughout our rides this winter, but considering we didn't exactly know where we were going, I figured I would rather be safe than sorry! I shoved two Easyboot Gloves into my Stowaway Cantle Pack and off we were! 



As we got to the ridge line at about six miles into our ride I decided to put on Replika's front boots, as we were continuing to travel over rocks and I didn't want to risk a bruise this close to the ride. We wound our way in, out and around some really super cool trails. During one of our grazing breaks, I looked down and noticed the screw on the outside of my Glove had come un-done and the outside of the gaiter was flapping around in the wind. Oh well, I really didn't need the boots so I figured if they came off they came off and we would continue our ride barefoot. I was laughing at the end of the ride when that boot never failed despite being so compromised! 


After finding an amazing trail down from the ridge to the lower hills, which we nick-named Coyote Draw (due to flushing a coyote from her den), we came to an important decision point in the form of a VERY rocky gravel road. Um, left or right?


Hmmmmmmmmm...... We got off and walked on foot to the left, until we came to a ranch that appeared to be breeding and raising gaited horses. Bad sign! The only ranch we knew of that bred Tennessee Walkers was way off course! In fact we were probably closer to home at that point than we were to the trailer. We headed back up the road and I was VERY glad that I not only had Gloves on Replika's front feet, but that the broken one wasn't really broken and was staying on! Thank goodness for proper fit! 


Another mile and a half we decided to cut some trail up a powerline road and we so relieved to see the trailer at the bottom!! My girlfriend was thankful because I was getting hungry and I get a leetle bit crabby when I'm hungry! 

Sixteen miles and thousands of feet in elevation made for a good day! Our ponies were tired but probably due to the fact they were still sporting their winter coats on this beautiful spring day! We also had the opportunity to make friends with some mountain bikers, hikers and friendly strollers. Anything we can do to facilitate good relations with other non-motorized trail users makes for a worth-while day. Specifically when it involves good trails, good ponies, good friends, and a nice cold Dr. Pepper back at the trailer! 

Happy Riding!
Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

I don't think many can argue that keeping your horse barefoot is not a commitment. Anyone who has done this for any length of time will have had set-backs, successes, failures, epiphanies and triumphs. For most of us, success has out-weighed set-backs, although the ratio may not be in our favor all the time. 

In this post, I mentioned the barefoot Gods. Of course I joke about this lightly, but there are definite outside factors such as diet, environment, trimming and the horse himself. 


It seems to be the time of year (at least around here) where people start throwing up their hands, saying "I tried," while on hold with the farrier trying to make an appointment to get shoes put back on. I am NOT saying this is right or wrong, just posting an observation. It's difficult this time of year- most people start riding more, there is typically wet weather to deal with, spring grass is coming up and after a long winter people want to RIDE! It is frustrating to have a competition (or pleasure) schedule beginning and being stuck at home with a horse who isn't 100% while your friends are out having fun without you. 

Last year I dealt first hand with a very mild bout of laminitis, as did many people around the valley. Luckily it was mild, but did include sensitivity and was later confirmed by my gelding who I used to joke had maintenance-free feet. Never saw a flare in his life. Several months after he was sore, he started growing out white-line separation and actually had a flaring at the toe. What was most alarming, was the bruising at the heel that grew out for quite some time. In hindsight, we determined that he was exaggerating a heel-first landing due to sensitivity at the toe (although he was not positive to hoof testers).


What happened last year that was so different than the three years prior that I never had any problems with? We do have some answers. We had a ridiculously WET spring last year. Due to the rain, we had a lot of grass come in on the 200 acres the horses roam. Now keep in mind this is not lush pasture grass, but is wild grass in the foothills. Definitely not sugar-free, but not nearly the same as irrigated pasture where you expect to see laminitis and founder. Not only did we have an abundance of grass, but we had a very long period of warm days with below freezing nights. When the temperatures drop, the sugars become concentrated and offer a nice little sugar spike in the early am until things warm up later in the day. 


We later had our hay and beet pulp analyzed and this is when we had our "Ah-HAH" moment. The hay was good, but the beet pulp was very high in Non-Structured Carbohydrates. Much higher than we thought. At the end of winter, the horses had been getting beet pulp (soaked but not rinsed) in decent amounts which we are certain set off the inflammation of the laminae in most of the horse's feet. The grass exacerbated the issue. 

This was the first time in three years that I had problems keeping a barefoot horse. I guess what I am trying to say is that even if you have been lucky enough to have a flawless transition from shoes to bare, it doesn't mean things will stay that way. Nothing is static in horses, and as a wise horse-trainer once told me, "There is nothing like horses and kids to keep you humble." 

I had always in the past skimmed over articles on diet and sugar/starch in the barefoot horse. I honestly thought barefoot success was more about environment than diet. I'll tell you, eating that crow didn't taste so good. I have since obviously changed my thinking and I made several changes in my feeding. I started researching different available feeds looking for something appropriate for my barefoot endurance horses. I switched off the feed I was using, which was 24-27% NSC and put them on a feed that is only 17% NSC. I stopped feeding beet pulp freely, and now when I do feed it, I rinse numerous times, soak, and rinse again. Literally rinse and repeat!

I am committed to making barefoot work even more than ever, which means sometimes making sacrifices. Last year my gelding was in contention for Sophomore Horse of the Year, an award sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Endurance Rides, but I knew that skipping the first several rides would make it difficult to catch up. Even so, we had some fantastic rides from the middle of the season on, and I felt good about my decision not to ride when he wasn't 100%. I guess one could argue that he shouldn't have been ridden until he returned to complete normalcy, which was about two months after I felt he was good to take to rides, but I felt confident in my decision and had he shown more obvious discomfort I would not have asked him to go. I think exercise is important in stimulating hoof growth also. 


Barefoot is certainly not for everyone, but it is exciting to see so many people try it out. It will be interesting to see how many are still bare at the end of the season. There is a definite learning curve when it comes to boots (When to boot? How to boot? How often to boot? Boots at rides, boots at home, etc), but there is also so many other factors that contribute to success. Hopefully things work out for each and every one of you, but please remember, there will be road bumps and detours along the way. It takes commitment to get around them and find the way. It IS worth it at the end!! 

~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

In between conditioning rides, endurance rides, work and my home life, I embark on a 10-minute drive down the road, trailer and pony in-tow, every Wednesday evening. My route includes a three mile drive down the dirt roads that often serve as my warm-up and cool-down, left at the green gates and into the pavement. We are going to dressage. It's funny how everything can change on that 10-minute drive, I leave behind wild gallops up the draws, long trots down the road and silly spooks left and right at the horse-eating rocks, whistle pigs and dark spots in the dirt. 

We pull into the drive of a beautiful barn, complete with dutch doors to the outside, lush grass pastures, 17hh imported warmbloods and a trio of mischievous Haflinger ponies. This barn is owned and operated by husband (also imported- from Switzerland!) and wife, both sporting an impressive resume of achievements in the dressage ring. 
Ironically I started riding at this barn when I was just ten years old. I had an old, crippled, amazing OTTB, Poor Will. Gee, I wonder why he couldn't, or wouldn't, run! He was 16.3 and a true gentle giant. Life changed when William was no longer serviceably sound, and I moved to an Arabian barn closer to home. To get on with things, last year I decided I was missing something in my (horse) life and called up to schedule dressage lessons. 

Considering I do many miles completely barefoot for endurance, I never paused to think about the effects of barefoot riding in the arena. I was pleasantly surprised to find the hour of arena work buffed and smoothed the barefoot hooves such as like that of an emery board. Not too much, but enough to keep things nice. I had no problems throughout the months of lessons on my experienced endurance horse and quite honestly didn't think much of the lessons in terms of footcare, until I decided to purchase a new horse who was more cut out for dressage. 


In January, I brought home Khopy, a coming seven-year-old Arabian gelding. Although he had been living in a stall on limited turnout, he was barefoot and had good feet. He also had stomach ulcers and a bad attitude! We turned him out after a short period of time acclimating to the new environment, and he was very soon a different horse. I began bringing Khopy to lessons and immediately noticed he was ouchy over the hard-pack/gravel parking lot at the barn. Is this the reason most people shoe their show horses who strictly ride in the arena? 

I love the workout in the sand, and think it offers more than a pretty foot afterward. The sand packs into the crevices and creates a supportive base for the internal structures of the newly transitioned foot. It also works to help dry out of the feet that have been standing in muck, and allows the horse to move comfortably and gain confidence in his feet. Of course these are just my theories! 


At this point in time Khopy isn't asked to do much more than eat all he wants and go to his weekly lessons. We are transitioning slowly to barefoot, still using Easyboot Gloves on his random trail rides and slowly walking through the parking lot at the barn. As I am not planning on doing endurance with him for some time, there is no rush to transition him. I don't mind letting him pick his way through the parking lot, and his feet are already changing so much! 

Of COURSE I didn't take before pictures, but here are a couple pictures of his feet after last weeks lesson and before a trim. Khopy came home the end of January. They are changing almost weekly, bars growing, white line tightening up and concavity is now here! Still a ways to go but it's always fun to watch them change. 


The OTHER fun thing to watch for changes in is in our dressage! I have come a long way, as well as my horses. It's fun to feel the changes in them, and see them in myself! We are just barely doing real dressage, and while we're not headed for the upper levels any time soon, the process is worth it and I couldn't be enjoying myself any more. 

~ Amanda Washington
            SW Idaho

Well the Idaho endurance ride season is officially off with a bang! I started prepping for the ride, the 4th annual Tough Sucker No-Frills Ride, the week prior, by supervising the installation of the HiTie. I cleaned and put the LQ of the trailer back together the next few days, and before I knew it, I was two days out from the ride! 

I decided to use my trusty Easycare Glue-ons and Goober Glue combo for the ride despite the fact it was a one-day 50. I have some big hopes for the season and wanted to iron everything out before it really matters! I usually follow the protocol for gluing my boots with Goober Glue to the T, but this time I decided to experiment. Yes, I was being lazy, yes, I was cutting corners- yes it was COLD!!! I will tell you that we have had more wind in the last couple weeks than I can care to remember, and I just don't do wind, rain or cold!!! I am sick of my hair being a mess, my ponies being swirly and my fence being the catch-all for the wind-blown neighborhood garbage! 

I gathered all of my tools and supplies needed for gluing on. Here is what I use:

• Rasp
• Hoof Knife
• Tea Tree & Syringe
• Putty Knife (for mixing)
• Plastic Cups 
• Teaspoon (remember I am OCD and a simple "water bottle cap" didn't placate me)
• Hoof Pick
• Wire Brush
• Caulking Gun
• Gloves, gloves and more gloves!
• A Towel

Like I said, this time I decided to cut the gluing process down to a minimum, hoping myself and my mare wouldn't fly away! 

I first prepped the foot lightly by scoring the hoof wall with the side of the rasp, scrubbing with a wire brush, and injecting the tea tree as described here. 


Soooooo, instead of mixing five pumps of GG and 1/2tsp of water at a time (for one hoof at a time), I decided to mix ten pumps of GG and 1tsp of water and apply two boots at once. I started gluing at 3:20PM and was completely done at 3:40PM. A new personal record!! Well I'd like to remind you that faster is not always better! I went home that night and told my husband, "I'll be surprised if I don't loose a boot this weekend!" I even called Chris Martin (aka Mr. Goober Glue) on the way to the ride and told him my application went waaaaay to smoothly and I didn't get glue everywhere, which meant I was probably going to regret my short cut!


After letting the mare stand and cure for about an hour, I turned her out while I took my gelding down the road for our dressage lesson. When I got back a couple hours later, I turned her out and wouldn't you know it she took off like the little red rocket she is! Silly mare! 

The next day dawned COLD, blustery, rainy and overall BAD! We took our sweet time getting out of town, thinking there was no way we wanted to hang out in this weather! We stopped and got a burger on the way out of town, where my sweet husband (who was head vet for the ride) told me I could just turn around and go home and he would drive back and forth for the weekend but no way could I let this nasty weather win! We headed over the river in the face of snow, hail, wind and rain. Thank God once we got closer to camp things let up a bit! 

I immediately set up Replika on her HiTie (which took about .2 seconds- LOVE THAT) and went to work fitting a friend's gelding for his first ride ever, in Easyboot Gloves. His drill sergeant, er, rider, would be riding her first 50 barefoot (booted) miles, in almost 7000 AERC miles! This horse rocked the Gloves and went completely bare behind! How cool is that?!?! 

It was pretty freakin' awesome to see the amount of boots at this ride! While it didn't compare to the high percentage that we saw at the Dynamite Dash in North Scottsdale, Arizona, it was good for a Northwest ride! 




So here we are, 43 miles into the ride, cantering down a long gravel/dirt road, ponies feeling fresh, the sun (oh the SUN!) on our faces, the wind at our backs and I feel the dreaded step that I immediately recognize as a lost boot. I pulled Replika to a walk and my friend had stopped to pick up my boot. It was the right front, which was the second of the pair that I had applied. I found it interesting as I took the remaining three boots off at the trailer that the right hind was also loose. Not to self- don't shortcut!! No worries, I pulled out my Easyboot Glove and slapped it on before she even reached us with the shell.
 


We finished the ride in fine form, making 550 miles in Easycare Boots, despite an eventful day! Thankfully the weather held out all day and Replika's babysitting gig turned out to be great fun for all of us! Moral of the story- trust in your gut instinct, power through the storm and have a rockin' good time!!!! 
~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho