Easyboot Gloves in mud and slop

Thursday, March 18, 2010 by Garrett Ford
As the weather gets warmer and the snow melts, many of us will be riding in the mud and slop that Spring brings.  Deep sucking mud is tough on horse shoes and hoof boots alike.  We have found the Easyboot Glove to be the best hoof boot for these muddy and slick conditions. The Glove performed awesome in these types of conditions in 2009.

Take a look at these videos showing the Glove in muddy conditions.




A Hoof Boot Testimonial From a Happy Customer

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 by EasyCare Customer Service Team

Testimonials on the barefoot hoof and protective horse boots are prolific at EasyCare. Here is one on a couple of happy horses with their natural hoof care experiences.

"I’ve got a 7 yr old OTTB (reasonable feet, barefoot about a year now, I do ride in boots) and a 24 yr old ex-eventer Appaloosa who had all types of issues and is now very happily barefoot for the past 4 years. The TB has decent sized feet, although loves to try to stay run-under on the right front, has platter type feet and has worn the Old Macs and Boas. The Appaloosa has crappy feet, upright pasterns, basically tea-cups for feet and wears Boas quite nicely. They are both very happy with their boots.

I’ve used the original Old Macs, the Boas and the new Old Mac G2’s. I love both versions of the Old Macs however the Boas are much easier to put on!

I’ve found that the shape of the hoof makes a huge difference as to the type of boot that works for each of my horses. The type of riding that I do is trail riding (nothing severe), ring work, riding in fields and jumping. So far, I’ve been slightly more comfortable jumping in the Boas.

I’ve found that the biggest factors to finding boots that I’m satisfied with is proper fit and correct shape for that horses hoof.

The boots that I use are the kinds that go over the top of the hoof. Someone recently mentioned the new Easyboot Bares which look quite intriguing as they do not go over the top of the hoof which, in theory, I think I like the idea of.

I only use boots in front on the horses. SO far, they’ve managed to seem fine barefoot behind and it’s nice to save on shoeing bills!

With today's ecomomy we all agree that it's great that we can find affordable hoof protection for our horses!"

For more information on getting the right fit for your horse, check out our boot fitting guidelines page here


 

                                    


Posted by Marcie Mendoza


Then and Now

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 by Amanda Washington
This last year has been a huge year for me in natural horse care and natural hoof trimming. While I have trimmed my horses for the past several years, I haven't had to deal with anything abnormal. My horses had nice feet, were sound and didn't show any signs of sugar/starch sensitivities. I think last year the barefoot Gods decided to lay it on me. More on that later, in this post I want to show some pictures I took of the "then and now" pertaining to my mare. 

This is Belesema Replika. She was new to me as of last September. I adore this mare. I wish I had pictures of her feet prior to ripping off, er pulling her shoes, but considering we took them off the second she was placed into my hands, I didn't have time to take pictures. 

 
Replika had been pulling front shoes for the past year. The farrier had attempted to stack up her heels in the hinds and completely dubbed off her rear toes to prevent this. I know he was only trying to help, but he either forgot or didn't know enough to address her front feet. She had several new and old marks on her heels from forging. Her toes were long. Her heels contracted. Her soles were flat. Oh man..... She was sore barefoot on all ground, so we immediately fitted her to glue-ons and packed those babies with Goober Glue. I kept boots on her for 7 days at a time, letting her feet breathe for a day or two before re-gluing the boots. Within three weeks she was sound barefoot in the pasture. 
 

This mare went on to complete four days at a five-day ride in October, one month after transitioning to barefoot. We took it super slow and rode our own ride everyday. She continued to amaze me, day after day. I pretty much left her alone the rest of the winter, putting her on a high-fat, low sugar/starch concentrate, Platinum Performance and Platinum Hoof Support.




I kept up on her feet, increasing the breakover and working on her medial-lateral balance. Imagine my surprise this spring when I took the following pictures... (Before on the left, after on right).
 

Check out that concavity! Her foot was so flat last September.




Look at the poor quality of frog, the overreach marks and the long toe/low heel...




Despite the left-over glue on the "before" foot, you can see the flare and long toe. The "after" shot shows a great hoof-pastern axis. Her heels are of a good height and the flaring is gone!
 

 
This is my favorite shot. Look at that difference! Her feet gained a size in the Easyboot Gloves! 

I have been riding Replika for the past few weeks completely barefoot. I started cautiously at first, only taking her on the best footing. Every week she got stronger and stronger, and faster and faster! She flew over hard-pack dirt road with gravel the other day, I couldn't have been more excited! It's still a road, but I couldn't be any happier with the progress this mare's feet have made in the six months. I CANNOT wait to see how they look in another six months!

Amanda Washington

Wild Horses

Wednesday, March 17, 2010 by EasyCare Customer Service Team
This is a video from National Geographic depicting a herd of wild horses.  Since most barefoot trims are modeled after the wild horse I thought this video would help show the various terrains wild horses travel through in their bare feet. 

Once your horse is barefoot, you may want to consider creating a terrain that mimics the wild horse's.  Taking your horse barefoot requires reading educational material on the barefoot horse as well as finding a natural hoof care provider.  EasyCare provides a wide variety of boot styles to help with the transition from shod to barefoot.


Posted by Shari Murray

How to Remove Easyboot Glue-Ons

Tuesday, March 16, 2010 by Kevin Myers
I've been receiving a lot of questions about the ease of use of the Easyboot Glue-Ons - particularly about how easy they are to remove. So here is a real-time video of me removing one of the boots last week so you can see for yourself what is required.

These boots were glued on my horse, Redford, on February 26, 2010. He rode a 50-mile race in very sandy conditions at the Scosttdale Dynamite Dash and then he rode a second 50 one week later at the old Pueblo ride near Sonoita, AZ. They were on his feet for ten days.

There was a lot of rain in the week between the two events, and it rained constantly for two days after the second 50.

The boots were applied using Goober Glue on the sole and Vettec Adhere on the shell walls and around the top of the boot. You can see there was no debris in the boot when it came off, and his feet were in very good condition under there. The secret weapon is a medium sized flathead screwdriver.

There is no bruising and the hoof remained solid and strong. 



Click here for more tips on measuring and fitting boots. Click here for videos on fitting boots and assessing fit at the EasyCare website.

The Chronicles of the Pink Helmet

Monday, March 15, 2010 by Amanda Washington
Welcome to The Chronicles of the Pink Helmet! My name is Amanda Washington. I have been riding horses since the age of eight, when I started riding a ginormous OTTB. I did pony club for a few years, and then got into riding and showing Arabian horses. I gave endurance a shot in 2004, when a friend convinced me to take my hunter pleasure show horse, CRA Samurai (Sammi), out for a "trail ride." HAH! That was the hardest 25 miles of my life! 



Photo Courtesy of Stevebradleyphotography.com

I have since gone on to compete almost 2000 miles throughout the Northwest. My gelding, Sammi, was probably the most talented guy I will ever own. Unfortunately the years and years of "show shoes" and subsequent poor trimming on the off season took its toll on Sammi's feet, and he developed navicular at the young age of thirteen. Sammi has since retired, and I have become obsessed with natural hoofcare and barefoot trimming. 

I have been using hoof boots for the past three years, and have been trimming my own horses for just about as long. I found the Easycare Gloves and Glue-Ons last year and haven't looked back since! I am excited to continue using and experimenting with various Easycare boots and glues throughout the 2010 AERC ride season. I hope this pink helmet sees many miles of beautiful Northwest trails this year! 

Amanda Washington
 
 

Barefoot and Protective Horse Boots

Monday, March 15, 2010 by EasyCare Customer Service Team

Here is a look at some of the booting and padding suggestions of barefoot hoof care by Maria Siebrand of "The Thoughtful Horseman". 


Boots & Pads
With a very rare exception, I will fit your horse with boots and pads the day I pull shoes. You may find that you never need to use them, or you may find that they are a necessary part of the shod-to-barefoot transition. 

At any time, if the horse moves more comfortably with the boots and pads than without them, you should use them. It is critical that the pads are used with the boots; without the pads, the hard, flat surface of the inside of the boot acts as a peripheral loading device, and only the hoof wall carries the weight of the horse, much like a horse shoe. Pressure and release to the sole of the foot and the frog are essential to proper hoof function, and therefore pads are essential.

Keeping boots clean, fresh, and in good operating condition prevents rubbing and prolongs the life of the boots and pads. Boots and pads can be hosed off in the washrack. Be sure to take the pads out of the boots and thoroughly clean both the inside of the boot and the pad. Let both dry thoroughly before using.

Once dry, sprinkle the inside of the boot with a little Gold Bond Foot Powder to freshen the boot, discourage bacteria and fungus, and also to help the boot slip easily over the heel bulbs.

To keep the wires in Epics sliding freely, spray the "loop" ends inside the boot with a little WD40.

It's a good idea to buy a spare set of pads; when one pair looks very flattened, pull them out and put in the new ones, but don't throw away the old ones just yet! Put them aside for a few days, and they regain their sponginess. If the pads become torn or have holes in them, they do need to be replaced. Cleaning sand, dirt and grit out of the boots after every use preserves the life of the pads.

Most of the parts on the EasyBoots are replaceable and inexpensive. The neoprene and velcro gaiters are usually the first thing to succumb to 1200 lbs of horse, but don't despair! I keep plenty in stock.

Preventing Rubbing to the Hoof Wall or Heel Bulbs
If the tongue of the boot (plastic piece that comes up across the toe/dorsal wall) comes up too close to the coronary band, it can be trimmed back with a pair of scissors. Likewise, if the tongue rubs the wall excessively.

Heel bulb rubbing/irritation can be mitigated several ways. Try a single layer of vet wrap around the affected area, zinc oxide ointment (diaper ointment), or slide a tube sock or a ladies' knee high stocking over the hoof before putting the boot on. 

Maria carries several styles of the EasyCare boots and hoof pads so she will be ready to help you with your booting needs. You can order from her website or give her a call at 619-865-9614. You can also check out her website at www.thoughtfulhorseman.com to see other articles and pictures that you will really enjoy and gain knowledge about barefoot. 
 

                         

Posted by Nancy Fredrick

Sole Packing

Sunday, March 14, 2010 by EasyCare Customer Service Team
I recently posted a blog about the pressure on a horse's frog comparing barefoot to shod. I had found that the barefoot prints showed signs of the frog being stimulated, whereas the horseshoe prints showed no sign of the frog whatsoever.

Barefoot hoof print

I couldn't help compare it a horse that was wearing Easyboots. With all the controversy over whether or not Glue On hoof boots causes any issues on the horse, I thought it would be an interesting example. I have not had any ill effects with the Glue Ons that I've used on my horse. 

Glue On boot with Goober Glue as sole packing.

One of the advantages that the Glue Ons have is that you can add Goober Glue as a sole packing. Take a look at the barefoot hoof print above and compare it to the packing used in the Glue On boot. There is no doubt that the frog is being stimulated while also providing the horse with even more shock absorption. It's taking the best from the booted and barefoot worlds!

Posted by Miriam Rezine


Which Hoof Had Glue-Ons?

Sunday, March 14, 2010 by Kevin Myers
There is a fantastic discussion going on at the Easyboot Facebook page. Garrett put up the photo below to see if the readers can guess which one has never had boots and which one had Glue-Ons shells for 24 days.



What would be your guess?

Hoof Health and Wet Conditions

Saturday, March 13, 2010 by EasyCare Customer Service Team
I found this article in the March Myhorse.com newsletter:

The birds are singing, the weather is balmy, and you and your horse are delighted to be rid of the hard, frozen ground that even a perfectly sound horse can find uncomfortable underfoot. Spring may bring its own set of hoof challenges, though, and you need to be prepared for them so your horse doesn’t develop horse hoof problems that could end up curtailing your riding time.


Warm temperatures, increased activity, and soft ground conditions that limit wear may mean that your horse’s barefoot hoof will need more frequent attention at this time of year. Horses that may go eight weeks between barefoot trimming in the winter may need a trim every four to six weeks in the spring to keep the feet well balanced. Maintaining a good trim schedule will keep feet at their healthiest, help prevent strain and lameness, and reduce the chances you’ll run into other spring-related problems.

Talk to your Natural Hoof Trimming person about what objective measures you should use to decide when your horse needs a Horse Hoof Trimming. For example, a common rule is to get a trim after no more than three-eighths to one-half inch of new growth. You can keep track of this a couple of ways. Measure the distance from coronary band to shoe (or ground) right after a trim, and start to re-measure weekly after about four weeks. Or, you can put a dot of nail polish on the top of the  barefoot hoof wall, just under the coronary band, and keep track of how far it has grown down. Also, get attention ASAP if any of the following horse hoof problems develop. Click here for the rest of the article.


Check out EasyCare for all your Natural Horse Products, like the Hoof Jack, Rasps,  Hoof Pads or Nitrile Gloves!


Posted by Chris Freeman

Re-Thinking Horse Shoes

Saturday, March 13, 2010 by EasyCare Customer Service Team

A world of information is available at www.barefoothorse.com. This following article makes us stop and think how important natural horse care is and finding the right protective horse boots that are available, starting with EasyCare, the leader in hoof boots!

When we pull the shoes, nearly all horses are found to have substantial internal damage to the hooves. It takes about a year of special care to re-build good feet; we call this healing time the "transition year." The occasional horse that doesn't have transition soreness generally had shoes for only a few months.

Horseshoes seem to have been invented in the Middle Ages in Europe, to keep the feet from falling apart when knights' horses had to live for months in slop-filled tie-stalls while the castle was under siege. At that time, the modern study of Anatomy and Physiology did not exist yet, so there was no way to study what the shoes did to hooves and legs.

Horses today are high-priced performance animals and valued companions, and are not kept in unsanitary conditions that rot their feet. A long life and lifelong soundness are important to most horse owners. Therefore, it is time to re-think the use of horseshoes.

There are more than a dozen ways that shoes are known to damage the feet, legs, and circulatory system of the horse (see A Lifetime of Soundness by Dr. Hiltrud Strasser). The worst damage comes from loss of circulation in the hoof, and loss of shock absorption.

Circulation: When the horse steps down on his foot, the cone-shaped hoof wall flexes wider at the bottom; when he lifts it off the ground, it returns to its narrower "closed" shape. This spread-and-squeeze acts like a pump, pulling blood into the foot with each step.

Horsehoes are nailed onto the foot when it is in the closed, off-the-ground position. With a shoe on, the hoof can't flex, so the pump doesn't work; not enough blood and nutrients are pulled into the foot to build and maintain strong tissues. Therefore, the quality of sole, wall, and frog is poor; injuries are slow to heal; and the white line deteriorates over time and becomes stretchy.

A rough estimate is that a medium-sized, barefoot horse pumps a gallon (4 liters) through its four feet in about 20 strides. If anyone has more accurate information I will put it here.

Shock absorption: In the tough yet elastic barefoot hoof, the flexing of the weighted hoof can absorb as much as 2,000 lbs. of concussion. But the horseshoe holds the foot inflexible, cancelling out 75% of its ability to absorb shock. Instead, the concussion goes on up the leg and damages joints and tendons that were not designed to take so much shock.

A third type of damage is that shoes contract the hoof. The hoof naturally grows in a cone shape; as the hoof wall grows, the base (the part that touches the ground) gets wider. But shoes hold the base to the size it was on shoeing day. The shod hoof changes from a cone to more of a cylinder shape. The heels are forced to curl inward, which puts incorrect mechanical stress on the hoof wall, and can show up as wall cracks, white line damage, or heel pain.






An overgrown hoof that was not shod, showing how the hoof gets wider as it grows.
 















An overgrown hoof that was shod, showing how the shoe made the hoof grow in a cylinder shape with "underslung heels."









The horse's feet keep growing till age 5, when he reaches his full adult weight. When shoes are put on a young horse, the coffin bone cannot grow wider, and the foot ends up small for the horse, and often contracted.

For these and many other reasons, the barefoot horse has a lot of advantages over the shod horse, both in health and in performance.


Posted by Marcie Mendoza
 


Success with the Easyboot RX!

Friday, March 12, 2010 by EasyCare Customer Service Team
Larry Gates of Kingman, IN recently experienced some horse hoof problems.  After a little research he looked toward EasyCare for hoof boot help.  Read on to learn more about his experience.

"In January, my horse started limping. After investigation, I found that he had an abcess on his right fore. It became worse and he started limping on this left fore. The Vet was called and he said he didn't think he had foundered, but might have white line disease. I decided to try the Easyboot RX.  I put them on the horse and left them on for 48 hours. Before the hoof boots he was walking like a foundered horse with his front feet extended and his back feet under his belly. After the 48 hours, I turned him out with these protective horse  boots and HE DIDN'T LIMP AND WALKED ALMOST NORMAL. Now I turn him out with them on while the ground is frozen, when it starts to get muddy, I take them off. These boots are great!! Just wish they were made for turnout and riding. Thanks so much."

Thank you Larry for sharing your positive hoof boot experience with us!

Posted by Tara Kelly

Announcing the EasyCare Gives Back to AERC Campaign

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Kevin Myers
EasyCare Inc. and AERC, the American Endurance Ride Conference, have launched a one-of-a-kind sponsorship program that will add vital new revenue to offset the current erosion in membership and ride start fees.


Riders registered in this new collaborative program can actively support AERC in this time of great need.  Their participation will help generate a dedicated revenue source to fund AERC’s regular operating expenses. The Treasurer’s report in the March 2010 issue of Endurance News showed a net operating loss of $139,533 for the 2009 fiscal year. The need is significant and the need is now.
 
The concept is simple but effective: EasyCare will pay AERC 25 cents for every AERC mile ridden in EasyCare Hoof Boots. Any and all AERC sanctioned distances count towards total rider mileage.
 
For example, if a registered rider completes an AERC sanctioned 50-mile event in Easyboots, EasyCare will write AERC a check for $12.50. A 100-mile event completed in Easyboots will raise $25.00 for AERC and so on. 
 
In order for AERC members to help by giving back, riders must be registered in EasyCare’s 2010 Hoof Boot contest. Once registered, riders simply follow the rules as defined in the contest information form. There is no fee to riders or to AERC to enter the contest and all regular cash awards will continue to be made to qualifying registered riders. That means both AERC and member riders stand to gain from participation in the contest. It is a win-win situation for AERC, riders and for the sport we love.
 
 
Any members who are currently registered in the contest have already started helping AERC: every mile they have collected in the 2010 ride season counts towards the program.
 
EasyCare’s 2009 Hoof Boot Contest accumulated 21,301 miles and would have generated $5,325.25 for AERC. EasyCare’s goal is to increase the 2010 rider mileage total to more than 30,000 miles and generate at least $7,500 in new funds for AERC. 
 
Although $7,500 is EasyCare’s 2010 goal, there will be no limit to the number of miles collected by riders in the contest, or to the amount of funds payable by EasyCare to AERC for the duration of the 2010 ride year. The higher the number of riders in the contest, the more AERC receives from EasyCare in financial support. Riders can compete in any of the EasyCare boot products, which means the competing horses can ride barefoot in Easyboots or shod in Easyboots.
 
The role of Easyboot with AERC goes back a long way. In 1972, Dr. Glass decided to conduct his own test of Easyboots in endurance riding. Other riders were beginning to use Easyboots to replace lost shoes in such rides. He decided to use them throughout the entire race. 
 
Over the next several years he and his wife, Lucille, each rode more than 5,000 miles in AERC sanctioned rides. All of the miles completed by Dr. Glass and Lucille were with Easyboots. 
 
The Easyboot of today is much simpler in design and just as effective. The Easyboot Glove, for instance, is a form-fitting, seamless boot that hugs the hoof and responds like a natural foot. Flexible and tough, this boot adds traction to the hoof while allowing a free stride and breakover. The material stretches over the hoof and clings to the wall so that debris stays out of the boot even through sandy and muddy conditions. No external hardware means that there is no need to worry about replacing cables. Studs are available for winter riding.
 
Riders can help AERC today and begin their participation in the EasyCare Gives Back to AERC Campaign:
 
1. Go to the EasyCare Hoof Boot Contest page under the Cool Things tab.
3. Click on Entry Form.
4. Fill out the form and mail or fax it to the EasyCare office
5. Attend rides and follow the contest rules
 
 Easyboot is the official hoof boot of AERC.

The Critics Were Wrong- Easyboot Glue-On Hoof Boot Update After a Year

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Garrett Ford
It's been a bit over 12 months since EasyCare launched our glue on horseshoes to the equine market.  Over that time we have learned a great deal about hoof prep, adhesives, application in foul weather and removal.

The critics were wrong!  When we first released our glue-on boot, many people in the industry made claims regarding the safety of our process and the ill effects the adhesives and the Easyboot shell would do to a hoof.  They claimed glue-on hoof boots would damage the hoof and cause immediate thrush.  They claimed glue-on hoof boots had to be immediately removed after an event.  They claimed you shouldn't use a heat gun.  They claimed you shouldn't use a packing material to load the sole. 



After selling thousands of glue-on shells and personally applying and removing hundreds of glue-on shells, I can confidently say that the critics were wrong!  Here are a couple points to note.

1.  Glue-On shells can be used for 5 days, 10 days, 15 days, 20 days or 30 consecutive days.  When glue-on boots are removed and a horse is turned out for 1 hour it's nearly impossible to tell a horse who used glue-on boots for 20 days from a horse that has never used glue-on boots.


This photo was taken immediately after removing a shell and a quick trim.  Boots were in place for 22 days.  The horse did a 50 mile event and many training events.  The horse was in deep water and mud many times during the 22 days.

2.  The use of packing products inside a glue-on shell helps load the foot as nature intended.  Glue-on hoof boots used without packing cause peripheral loading.

3.  Glue-Ons can be successfully applied and used in warm conditions, dry conditions, wet conditions and cold conditions. 

4.  The current adhesives are good and better ones are coming.

5.  I used Glue-On shells on one horse for the entire 2009 calendar year.  I used Easyboot Gloves on another horse for the entire 2009 calendar year.  Both horses feet look incredible and it's impossible to tell what horse used glue-on and what horse used Gloves.

6.  The Easyboot Glue-On shell shape make application easy.  New adhesives will make the process and application even easier.


This Horse Can't Go Barefoot...

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Debbie Schwiebert

Congratulations to this horse owner who did her homework and found a better way.

I don't know about you but I never get tired of these success stories.  It seems a day doesn't go by that I don't hear from a hoof care practitioner about how our hoof boots have made a transition much easier on a horse or a particularly tough case that has turned around with the use of EasyCare products. 

Our hoof care practitioner dealers carry an arsenal of Easycare boots and comfort pads. With the tools that are available to barefoot professionals today, there is a booting package to make virtually any horse more comfortable.  It's stories of success like these that keep us all doing what we do!

Hoof Capsule Distortions/Flares

Thursday, March 11, 2010 by Christoph Schork
This is the first issue in a mini series on hoof capsule distortions, short HCD.

During these blogs, we'll examine the reasons why the occur, how we identify them, what we can do to correct them, which horse hoof trimming to apply and finally, how the glue on Horseshoes can help in the whole process.

Today we want to look at hoof wall flares. Flare can occur for a variety of reasons. Some are:

1. The horse's leg is not centered over the hoof.
2. The horse is narrow or wide based
3. Hooves are turned in or out
4. Shelly hoof wall
5. Bacterial invasion in laminae
6. Inflammation of laminae
7. Trimming intervals are too long.

As we see, there are a variety of reasons for flares. The common denominator for flares is simply: improper loading.

Flares are created by stretching and tearing of horn tubules. With enough stress through stretching, the laminae cannot take the stress and begin to tear. Bacteria then invade, further weakening the laminae. In a flared hoof, the energy of loading will be transferred obliquely across the horn tubules, instead of in line with the tubules. A flared hoof wall has a very limited amount of strength. It cannot function properly in the way of absorbing concussion, storing and releasing energy. In fact, the longer we leave flares, the greater the potential damage with bacterial infection, followed by the destruction of the laminae.

What can we do about it? Obviously we cannot change the conformation of our horses. Some horses are always prone to develop flares. However, we can help by shortening trimming intervals, applying barefoot trimming methods, bevelling the hoof wall after a trim and paying close attention to the medial/lateral balance.

Flares need to be removed by top dressing the hoof wall. Most farriers and hoof care practitioners follow the rule of thumb of not removing more than half the thickness of the hoof wall. Farriers want enough hoof wall left to hold the nails and clinches. There is also an argument that the hoof capsule is weakened by removing more than half the thickness of the hoof wall and therefore cannot not support the load anymore.That makes some sense, but doesn't solve the problem. We still have hoof wall separation and we still have a weakened hoof wall. It's not the thickness of the hoof wall that we are concerned with, much more important is the health of the laminae. With a weakened laminae, it doesn't matter how thick your hoof wall is, the hoof capsule won't be able to support the loading.

I believe in rasping all the flares off, even if I have to take it down to the white line at the quarters. Thus the hoof wall is now straight and is allowed to regrow. The stress is removed, the laminae can heal. Best to use a Hoof Jack for the rasping. Much easier on your back.

Now we are coming to the essence of it all; Protective Horse Boots.

The EasyCare Glue Ons are like a hoof capsule reinforcement. It almost doesn't matter how thin the hoof wall might be at the quarters or dorsally, the Glue ons, together with the glue create an additional artificial layer of a hoof wall, strengthening the thinner areas and holding the hoof capsule together. There might be uneven loading, the hoof might load more medial or more distal, the Glue on Horseshoes mitigate this problem  tremendously. Since using glue on horse shoes, I have seen a remarkable reduction in flares. Laminaes are healthier, no bacterial invasion through the nail holes anymore.

Below are some images of flares.



Dorsal view of the untrimmed hoof, flared
 


Before the trim; take note of the weakening of the laminae medial and distal
 


After trimming, before removing flares. Notice the destruction of the laminae at the quarters
 


After flare removal
 


Dorsal view after top dressing the flares



Left hoof: View of the sole after top dressing the flares 
 


Right hoof: after top dressing the flares, the wall at the quarters are pretty thin. That is okay, though. See text above.


That's it for today. Next time, we are discussing dorsal HCD

So long,

Your Bootmeister

3point5 Training is Getting Competitive!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 by Brian Mueller
There are only 51 days left for your chance to win one of the following great prizes:

Prizes

1st Place - 7 Night Mexican Riviera Cruise
2nd Place - iPod Touch
3rd Place - EasyCare embroidered Cloudveil Jacket
4th Place - iPod Nano
5th Place - iPod Shuffle


If you are a current domestic EasyCare dealer and you have not trained with 3point5 you are missing out.  Although the training will be available all year, these prizes are only available until April 30, 2010.  See below for contest rules and the current leader board.

The top five performers through April 30th, 2010 win! You must complete all training modules to compete. Only your first six attempts at each Edu-Game count toward your best score.

Contest runs 01/13/2010 through 04/30/2010.

Only 6 Edu-Game attempts are allowed for each module. Additional attempts will not be counted towards the contest entry.

The following training modules must be completed to qualify for the contest:

  • Fit & Construction
  • Hoof Boots
  • Our Momentum
  • Our Story
Below is a list of the current top 25.



Rank Name Association Score
       
1 Sarina Barbara Angel's Heavenly Horses 57.569
2 Angelique Barbara Angel's Heavenly Horses 65.259
3 Rebecca Wyatt Nature's Path Hoof Care 66.748
4 Kerry Koob LeValley Equine Service 69.382
5 Darrin Koob LeValley Equine Service 70.738
6 Vicky Hollingsworth High Performance Hoof Care - WI 73.422
7 Natalie Herman Epona's Natural Hoofcare 73.788
8 Maria Siebrand Maria Siebrand 75.086
9 Diane Fralish Riverwind Saddle & Tack 76.252
10 jeannean mercuri Pride Treeless Saddles 80.005
11 Alek Majtenyi The Tackroom - CA 80.533
12 Mallory Eroh Choice Brands Equestrian 82.046
13 Jeannie Wright Jeannie Wright 87.016
14 Tamera Arnold Better Off Bare Natural Hoof Care 88.865
15 Clare Painter Dare To Go Bare Hoofcare 90.786
16 Edward McCoskey Happy Horse Hoof Care 96.289
17 Laura Sword Choice Brands Equestrian 102.827
18 Jennifer Borchard Jennifer Borchard 103.314
19 Barbara Taylor Nature's Hoof 106.101
20 Lynette Herrick Buffalo Creek Stables, LLC 109.848
21 Julie Haggard Valley Vet Supply - KS 111.657
22 john saint Ryan John Saint Ryan 113.348
23 kate bremer Forest Horse 113.394
24 Patti Lehmann RNR Ranch & Tack 114.407
25 Katy Clark Bare Feet by Katy 115.608
 
 
If you have questions on how you can get involved please contact EasyCare at 800-447-8836 of email us at CSR_email@easycareinc.com

Epics At Work in Panama

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 by Debbie Schwiebert

Dawn in the zoneHoof Care practitioner Dawn Willoughby of Wilmington, Delaware, took a walk on the wild side this past January. Dawn ventured over to Panama to meet with some forward thinkers there to do a clinic on natural horse care and barefoot trimming.  Dawn took a few samples of EasyCare hoof boots with her to show them that instead of iron horse shoes they can quickly and easily slip on a pair of EasyCare protective hoof boots.  Pictured is Dawn in action along with Moria an Arabian, owned by Mario Chamorro.  Moria is sporting some Easyboot Epics while moving some Brahma beef cattle. 

Epics in the thick cover

 

 


Australian Trimmers enjoy lectures from Professor Robert Bowker

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 by Brian Mueller

Professor Robert Bowker recently returned to Australia to lecture again for the Australian College of Equine Podiotherapy and to also offer a two day seminar for professional trimmers and vets. 

Professor Bowker is a researcher and anatomy teacher based at Michigan State University and runs the Equine Hoof Laboratory there.  His ground breaking research into the hoof right down to cellular level, is helping trimmers understand the importance of anatomy based trimming strategies and 33 new Aussie students eagerly lapped up his information.


One student trimmer recently broke her leg in a riding accident, but in a wheelchair and armed with crutches, she flew in from Tasmania so as not to miss any of  Dr. Bowker’s lectures.


The Australian College of Equine Podiotherapy are excited to have Professor Bowker as one of our lecturers and thank him for his endless enthusiasm and wonderful advice.  We look forward to his return for the next course starting in October 2010.

 

Chris Ware

Course Co-ordinator

www.equinepodiotherapy.com.au



Easyboot Epic Down Under

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 by EasyCare Customer Service Team
Here are some pictures sent in by Shirley Crossley from Peterborough, South Australia of her boys in action doing carriage driving in their Easyboot Epic boots. Shirley and her boys have been using Epics for years and have just recently switched to the Edge and love them.

They are heading to the Australian Carriage Driving Championships where there will be drivers from all over Australia and they can't wait to show off their EasyCare boots!
Shirley and her boys in action
Thank you for the pictures Shirley!

Posted by Shari Murray