Hoof Glue

Submitted by Tami Rougeau, Team Easyboot 2011 Member

At the end of every season I try to clean out the trailers and the tack room. This is usually a good way to keep the clutter down and the various items mended or cleaned. It is also a good time to remember all the fun of the previous year.

This year I took down the boot box to see what it contained. In years past I would put boots in this box that looked like they had some life or usuable parts left. This box also holds special memories. As I took note of the boot variety it became clear that the contents were more than a few years old. So what has changed?


But the real treasure in the pile are the old red boots. We all loved the red. It was easy to see when they came off and easy to see on the foot when they stayed on. In the early days of booting we did a lot of "after market" work to make the boots work better for us. We trimmed down the heel straps to keep them from rubbing the heel bulbs; trimmed down the back of the boot to prevent sand and debris from being trapped in the boot; pounded down the grips and covered them with duct tape to keep them from damaging the hoof wall; even removed all hardware, foamed them on and reinforced with duck tape - all in our own attempts to make a better boot (looks familiar somehow).

Just when we thought we had a good solution Easycare really started to make some big changes. They came out with the gaiter. This was the answer to the lost boot dilema for sure. The first gaiters were stiff and tended to cause rubbing so we came up with new ways to deal with that. But we were loosing a lot less boots. They also did not hold up to what we tended to put them through. The velcro would most often tear but sometimes they came completly separated at the seams. The new gaiters are soft and pliable. They do not seem to cause the rubbing that the old ones did. Interesting how the new gaiter design with its soft layering is so similar to how many of us dealt with rubbing by putting layers under the gaiter.

The harware was also changing. While I did try pretty much every variety not all are represented here. The up clip was great since usually if the clamp came open it was because you caught it on a rock. The problem with the up clip is that it was not so sturdy and would break when smashed against a rock. We also added cotter pins to the clamp to hold them closed and this worked great. But we still had those darn cables that cut your fingers and broke when you least expected. The boots themselves though were practically indestructable. Wearing out a shell took a lot of miles.

The newer soles are even better. They grip like a bare foot and provide a great deal of cushion as well. They are pretty indestructable. I can remember wearing through the toe of the old boots but not these. Some of my Easyboot Gloves have close to a thousand miles on them and they are still viable training boots.

So in answer to the question "what has changed?" Everything. The new Gloves and Glue-Ons are amazingly similar to many of the after market versions we all experimented with but they are so much better. That said the tried and true red boots are still out on trail. My trail riding friends are always seeking out these good old friends, they love them. When I try to get them to change to the way easier Glove they just wont budge. That is until they come out with them in red!

As for me, I love the new boots and look forward every year to see what Easycare will come up with next. How will they make it better, easier to use, more durable etc?  Only time will tell.

If you've ever met Natalie Herman, you will know her to be dependably positive and honest. Since she started her business in 2005, she believes there has been an explosion of booting options, both in the growth of new boot brands and within EasyCare itself.

Natalie attributes her success to her burning desire to learn. She finds she can learn something from everyone. Even if she does not agree, there is always something that might cause her to approach a problem from a different angle. She credits her reputuation to the power of word of mouth and her conscientious approach to customer service. "I do some marketing, but it is a fairly tight community around here. If you want to be successful, you need to have people talking about you in a good way."

Natalie says Easycare makes working with their dealer networks and boot users a pleasurable process. "They have a friendly, helpful, knowledgeable staff; they have favorable return policies, and when a product is shown to need improvement, they modify the product instead of sticking with the same old thing."

She uses the same philosophy in her own business: "I am very helpful and giving with my knowledge. If a client has a question, they never hesitate to call or email me with it, and I try and help them. A good trim is just the tip of a large iceberg." She studied horseshoeing first, and credits that time with learning the principles of anatomy and a balanced trim. She feels strongly that evolution is just as important in hoofcare as it is in the boots that protect those hooves.

Natalie is quick to compliment EasyCare: "I love how inovative Easycare is, always trying to come up with new solutions to existing boots, or totally new boots when the need arises. Instead of insisting that the user is at fault, or the trims are incorrect, EasyCare tries to find a solution to boot failures by either modifying the boot design, or coming up with a design that fits the activity of that user. She says she's still waiting to see a sliding plate boot, though. "It just amazes me how fast things are changing in the industry," says Natalie, "and I am loving it."
 
Natalie currently owns three horses: a 13 year-old Morgan/Quarter Horse mare that was her first horse and, she says, her best horse. "I tried about everything with her, and she is currently being leased to a friend's daughter. Together they won the state championship for CSHA Trail Trials in their division this year, bare and sometimes booted with Gloves. She was also her experimental horse for getting into barefooting. She always needed shoes with pads in the front, having long toe/low heel issues, and wore the outside branches of her hind shoes to nothing in six weeks. Natalie was skeptical of taking her barefoot. "Her feet became so much better that I decided to completely convert my farrier business to natural hoofcare." She has never looked back.

She bred the mare to the top AERC mileage and Hall of Fame stallion, DR Thunder Bask, and this year her six year-old daughter completed her first endurance season. She has been bare her entire life, and performed wonderfully in Gloves, Epics, and Glue-ons at rides throughout 2011. "She is also my 'thinking outside the box' booting horse. I have had to modify boots and how to apply them to the hoof with her, as she tends to have a lot of torque on the hind end." Having a challenging horse in booting has helped her help others.

Natalie also has a 13 year-old Kentucky Mountain stallion. "He is my 'soul horse' and I love everything about him."

As a small business owner, Natalie keeps a minimum stock for clients, and appreciates the fact that Easycare does not have a minimum order policy amount. Her best-seller is still the Easyboot Glove and Glove Wides. "Most of my cients love them as they are so simple to use. The next best-selling models are the Epic and Easyboot Trail, as both allow a greater range of fitting for clients unable or unwilling to keep the hooves trimmed as frequently as the Gloves require.

Her most rewarding experience as a trimmer was treating her first founder case. "I knew the theory, and had trimmed a few mildly laminitic horses, but not a really bad case. When I called the vet for a consult and to go in and see the radiographs, the vet had basically written the horse off and told me to expect to see the coffin bone coming through the sole." She never did get sole penetration on that horse, but there were months of abscessing. Today the horse has textbook hooves. "This case got me started on the path to working on laminitic horses and it boosted my confidence in the barefoot method."

Natalie's most memorable hoof boot success story is the 2011 XP 2,000 mile ride. "There were a good number of barefoot and booted riders already, but there were also many shod horses competing." The barefoot horses proved to be most of the highest mileage horses on this ride, with over 1,000 miles each during the two-month span. Riders with shod horses discovered the benefits of barefoot/booted protocols, and many of them solved lameness issues during the race by pulling shoes and applying boots. "So much for an extended transition from shoes," said Natalie ironically.

Natalie's prediction for the future? That a barefoot and booted lifestyle will become the norm instead of a fad. "More and more vets and long-time farriers are becoming interested in it. As boots become easy to use and effective as hoof protection, more people see barefoot and booting as a viable option for their horse's hoofcare.

For more information on Epona's Natural Hoofcare Services, visit Natalie's new Facebook page. For more information on becoming a dealer, visit the Dealer's Corner on the EasyCare website.

Wow, what a year it's been.  I can hardly believe 2011 is gone: I have still been writing 2010 on my checks!! While I can't say it's been the best year of our lives in all areas, I can say that I finally felt that I had my boot situation locked down and didn't have a single loss all year. Of course I can say that knowing things are going to change for 2012, with THREE new horses in the mix, there are bound to be a few problems along the way, but that's what makes life exciting!
 

The #1 lesson that was reiterated for me in 2011 is proper fit = success. Don't try to ride with ill-fitting boots. Just don't. Not only will you end up frustrated and discouraged, it's not necessary. With 1000lbs of torque twisting and turning inside a pair of rubber boots, there are bound to be occasional losses, it's no different than nail on shoes, but don't make it harder on yourself by riding in boots that don't fit! Put in a little effort and utilize Easycare's awesome Fit Kit and, if lucky, a Team Easyboot member to help you out! 


Lesson #2 is proper trim - This ranks right up there with Lesson #1: while I think fit is the most important aspect of boot success, you can't achieve a good fit without a proper trim. Get educated, folks! Even if you can't get down there and trim yourself, there is no excuse for not learning more about it. Learn the anatomy of the hoof and about the internal structures. Learn how they work together and why balance is so important. A properly trimmed and balanced foot will be free of flares and stretched white line, will have naturally low heels and short toes. While there are certainly conformational issues that can be worked with, a proper trim really allows for a good fit and will only increase your success. 


Lesson #3 - Go with the flow! Make do with what you've got and change things as necessary. I tend to be a Type A person who gets rigid and fixated on certain things. More than once this year I had to change boot sizes last minute, abort a gluing session and make due with what was there. Gluing boots with The Pickett Creek Girls prior to Owyhee Canyonlands was a memorable event which reminded me of the importance of having the necessary supplies prior to starting an important project- such as gluing boots on six horses for a five-day ride. Are you reading this Steph?!?! ;-) 


Lesson #4 - Riding 100 miles in a day makes for a long one. If you're me, that is. If your super-speed racer riding a horse like Monk you can finish in the time it takes for most people to ride 50 miles. The Monk-Man wears his Easyboot Glue-On's proudly, and a repeat of Mr. Garrett-Easyboot-Ford's performance last year, the winner of Tevis as well as the Haggin Cup was again outfitted in Easyboot Glue-Ons. There really isn't anything these boots can't do, and I think this was again reiterated be some pretty impressive stats this year.  


Lesson #5 - Listen to your horse. I made the very, very difficult decision to retire my mare after the 2011 season. She retires with 2155 miles, and will make some incredible babies when the time comes. The decision was one with which I wrestled for months. Ultimately we decided she was telling us she was done competing at the level she had been previously, and there is no shame in that. It's hard to put selfishness aside for "just one more completion," or "one more 100," or "one more multiday," but it was so important for me to end her on a high, after an incredible season and, most importantly, while she was still sound and usable. She'll be used for trail riding and I cannot wait to see her babies. Hopefully it will be possible to bring one of them up behind their mother. They have some pretty big boots to fill. 


What have you learned in 2011? What lessons would you rather not be repeated? What are your goals for 2012? 

I hope lots of riding is high up on everyone's list! 

I admit it, I am a 'glue phobic'. I have seen the glue-on process many times, but I am just terrified to try it myself. So I thought I would experiment.

I recently did a 50 mile endurance ride in Sonoita, Azrizona. I used a pair of Easyboot Gloves and iI secretly removed the gaiters. I did not rough up the outer walls of my horse's hooves. Instead I cleaned them really well with a pick and a brush. I then Goober Glued the bottom of the hooves thoroughly using a putty knife. I applied the boot, then wrapped the boot on with my Mueller Athletic tape. I applied the boots just prior to leaving my house so the trailer ride would give the glue time to set while the horse was as still as possible. The biggest enemy of any glueing type, is the dreaded twisting of the hoof. Nothing is worse than  to have the horse twist right out of the boots. 

I left the tape on during the 50-mile ride. It just added extra hold and acted like a sealant.

The experiment was a success for me. The picture above is after we completed. Viva La Experimentation! 

Sabrina Liska

This blog was hard for me to write. It is very personal to my heart but I feel the direction in which hoof boots are taking natural hoof care is nothing short of revolutionary.

A few weeks ago, I have a friend who, with her beloved horse Yankee, completed their first 75 mile endurance ride. She competed in Glue-Ons all around and vetted out with straight A's. She and Yankee were on top of the world! Once home, she left the boots on. With a heavy work week and the holidays coming up, it was safe to let the boots be for a while and pull them the following week.

A week after the ride, Yankee was rushed to the local equine hospital. Yankee was in dire straights with a serious intestinal bacterial infection unrelated to the ride. I wont go into details, but the situation was not in favor for Yankee. On top of everything else, due to the tremendous amount of toxins and edema in Yankee's system from the infection, laminitis was a huge possibility and probability. 

When Yankee was admitted, the vets were curious about the Glue-Ons, how they were applied, and why Yankee was still wearing them. After a thorough explanation in detail regarding the boots, (they weren't familiar with them, but loved them after a description of what was on his feet, how it was done, and why) the vets all concurred it was better for Yankee's feet to have the support of the Easyboot Glue-Ons and to leave the boots on. They were hopeful that the added padding from the Goober Glue and the overall boot support, would aid in the prevention of Laminitis and Founder. Whether or not it would actually help is moot. The fact that the vets were on board and supportive of the Easy Boot hoof boots aiding in health issue is huge!

Yankee is finally home and on the mend after spending eight days in ICU, and he appears to have avoided that dreaded laminitis! Did the Glue-Ons help in warding off the Founder? I don't know. I'd like to think that they did. 

Thank you KF for permission to post this.

I have made my Easyboot Epic love affair known. I have successfully infiltrated a southern Louisiana racehorse training center and sprinkled Epics throughout the grounds, from Barn D where they can be found in droves, all the way down to Barn M where a few people have heard of "that barn" that trains their horses barefoot, and that one horse in their barn (M) wore Epics to sooth his aching feet.

With a little encouragement, I decided that it was time to step away from the Epics and try my hand at something I'd never done before - Glue-Ons. Because I'm a virgin gluer, I invited my mentor, Marie Daniels, and her replacement apprentice to join me in my attempts to become more... sophisticated. After all, now that Garrett Ford has developed an EasyBoot Race prototype, this "practice run" would be the first step towards racing Louisiana thoroughbreds in glue-ons instead of metal shoes.


We had two horses lined up for this little project: My star, Lil' Rick's Gal, who was scheduled to race in just over a week from that day, and Banfish, the two-year-old who was in light work at the track.

We began with Banfish. Right from the beginning we had some real challenges. His feet, still in the early rehabilitation phase of natural hoof care, did not fit any of the Glue-On shells as well as we would have liked. We finally settled on one 0.5 wide and a regular 1, however there was some bulging at the quarters that was definitely not ideal.


We fitted the shell and cleaned the top of the hoof.

Goober glue was applied to the inside of the shell and Adhere was lathered on the hoof wall.

After waiting about five minutes for the shells to set, Banny was allowed to go back in his stall.

He was walked, trotted, and cantered each morning for about half an hour over a 7 day period. He was worked in straight lines, circles, and serpentines. The rider said that Banfish was working very well in his "slippers", and that he hadn't even noticed the first few days that the horse had the glue-ons on his feet.

However, Banfish had already lost one of his shells after only 7 days of light work. Would these shells have stayed on the characteristic 10 to 14 days if the fit had been better, or if we had prepared the hoof better before application? Possibly we did not brush the top of the hoof enough. We didn't put rubbing alcohol on the hooves at the time of application; maybe this extra step would have made the difference. Or maybe the shell fit was just not good enough. We will never know exactly how he went about losing that first shell. Nonetheless, 7 days seems like a terribly short time when you consider how many horses keep these shells on for weeks, all the while going through sticky mud and knee-deep rivers.

Someday, I would like to be a Glue-On guru like so many of you. Today, however, I'd love to hear what you think. Should Banfish's boots have stayed on longer than 7 days? Is there something that I could have done better, or did Banny just not fit well enough in those shells? After all, he did have the worst feet in the barn!

Next time, I'll let you in on how well Ricky faired in her Glue-On "slippers"!

Do you like uncomplicated things? I find myself drawn to them, and last weekend was an excellent example of keeping things uncomplicated.

The 2012 endurance ride season started on December 1, 2011. I was fortunate enough to spend two days at the Las Cienegas endurance event near Sonoita, Arizona to kick the season off with a bang. A serious cold front kept temperatures well below freezing at night and only ten degrees above freezing during the day.

There were a few good lessons for me over the weekend - and they were simple ones. Here they are.

There is a Market for Glove Wides
I admit it: I was skeptical. But there really are horses out there who need the Glove Wide. One of our new horses, Quake, got to run his second 50 mile race - in Easyboot Glove Wides. He is a textbook fit.


Cold Weather Adds New Challenges to Putting On Boots
The frigid overnight lows brought a couple of additional challenges. One of them was the possibility of hard frozen ground in the morning. We decided to add additional support and cushion by applying Goober Glue padding under the Gloves on the front feet. The whole process only takes about 7 - 10 minutes per horse, and since we put the boots on the night before the event, we saved time the next morning in our foggy early morning state.

And the boots are easily removed after the event with the help of a long flat-heat screwdriver. The glue can be pulled out by hand from the frog area, and the boots can be re-used without any additional cleaning or grinding.

The other challenge with cold overnight temperatures can be how easily the Glove gaiters will fold down, and how easily the boot can be put on the hoof. I brought the hind boots and a roll of athletic tape into the trailer with me and set them near the furnace outlet so they would stay warm and supple. I folded down the gaiters before leaving the trailer, and the boots went on easily and and stayed on for 50 miles.


There's a lot to be said for keeping it simple.

Dresden, a pearl a the river Elbe in Germany, was the first stop of a 4 week Hoof Care Tour last month conducted by me, The Bootmeister from Global Endurance Training Center.

I have been going to Europe now for the last two years, sharing some gained hoof care and hoof protection Knowledge with riders, horse owners and farriers. The demand for more knowledge is high, people are eager to learn about Natural Hoof Care and the newest  Hoof Protection products on the market. EasyCare is the undisputed leader in the world with research and development of hoof boots of all kinds. R&D is of utmost importance to the EasyCare staff. Horse owners worldwide know that. Hence, it is only logical, that EasyCare boots stood in the lime light of my presentations.


After an indoor anatomy session and PowerPoint presentation, the 20 participants had ample opportunity to train their eyes during conformation analysis sessions and study first hand how conformation affects hoof growth. Afterward, the riders who brought their own horses, in total over 10, could practice mapping out the sole and rasping the hooves of their horses. I placed a lot of emphasis on developing the skill of reading the sole. Aspiring hoof trimmers generally fare well when following the principle of trimming a hoof no further than to the live sole. It is a safe approach and everybody can learn it quickly.

The second day was devoted to Hoof boot selection and application. I explained and demonstrated the usage of Easyboot Edge, Trail, Glove and Glue-On and afterwards everybody could practice. It is important to actually do things. We humans all learn most by doing, we easily forget when just watching and listening.





These coaches in downtown Dresden provide visitors a feeling of stepping back in time. After looking at the hoof protection of these carriage horses, we all agreed that they would travel  much more comfortably with Easyboots.

Next stop was Hannover. Well known for the Hanoverian breed, this city has a long horse tradition.

The on-site organizing committee had invited over 45 Hoof Trimmers, farriers and veterinarians. After my initial presentation about the different Natural Hoof Care schools and philosophies in the USA and Europe, we discussed NHC and trimming techniques as well as hoof pathologies and remedies. I presented the thesis and studies of Dr. Brian Hampson of Australia, who did the most thorough studies on the hooves of wild horses so far.

If someone were to conduct a study, for example, on the hooves of one herd of wild horses  in Nevada or Utah, the two driest states within the USA, where horses have to travel many miles over rocks and sand to find water and food and then propose to use that feral hoof as a benchmark model for healthy hooves for all domestic horses in the world, would that be a realistic and fair conclusion?

Hampson studied and examined hooves from various areas in Australia,  wild horses living in arid areas and others in wet areas with lush vegetation. The hooves of the wild horses living in the wetter areas looked a lot like the average domestic hooves. Does that mean the hooves adapt to the environment or are the hooves shaped by the substrate the horse travels over?

An answer to this question might be obtained by looking at the following photos, provided by Brian Hampson.

The left hoof has the appearance of a typical domestic hoof. Recessed frog, under-run heels, flares. Yet, it is a wild horse hoof. After moving several horses with these hooves to a different (drier) area, the hooves were remodeled by the ground the horses traveled over. The hoof on the left is void of any mustang roll. Does it not need it? Within 16 weeks the rocks and dry ground reshaped that very same hoof. The mustang roll is clearly visible now. The question might be asked, how important is the mustang roll then, when we as natural hoof care trimmers applying it to all horses, yet only a small segment of wild horses worldwide even display one in the wild?

The study also showed that only three hooves out of 100 assessed were free of abnormalities. In fact, he found a 67% incidence of chronic laminitis within the horses living in the dry climate and the hard substrate. When the majority of the wild horses display this pathology, is it still a pathology or is it physiologically normal now? Who makes these decisions?

Not everything wild is necessarily good solely because it is wild and natural. The wild horse paradigm model of desert horses' hooves may not be applicable across the board to all horses worldwide.

The discussions were very interesting and we were only scratching the surface of all the ramifications of the Hampson study.


On I went to Kassel, stop for the next seminar. 

Similar to the USA, Germany experiences also a shortage of farriers who are willing to offer services beyond the traditional iron shoes. Many do not know about bare hoof trimming and alternate hoof protection like plastic shoes and hoof boots. Therefore, more and more riders and horse owners want to learn to trim their horses' hooves themselves.

I set up several stations, where people could work on their horses hooves simultaneously. That way, everybody had ample time to practice and learn.

Onwards to Belgium. near Brussels, I conducted the last clinic. My French is very rusty, to say the least, so everything was translated by Leonard Liesens, a famous and successful Belgian endurance rider.
I learned to speak slowly and to include only essential information in my sentences. And I got my message across as well, without lengthy and repetitive wording. An exercise in disciplining speech.


At all the seminars, I also showed slides of the Tevis ride. With all the Europeans now coming to the Tevis next year, we better all put our entries in early to avoid being placed on the waiting list.

The Europeans were all very eager to learn and try new trimming techniques. They are pragmatic and want to use the trimming and hoof protection that works best for their horses. They do not believe that Natural Hoof Care and Bare Hoof Trimming is an ideology or a mantra. For them, it is not an absolute, rather a better and healthier way to take care of their horses' hooves. They do not want to listen to self righteous statements of cult-like organizations. The welfare of their horses is important. That is a reason why Pete Ramey stands in such high esteem in Europe, his open mindedness, his tolerance, his knowledge and non judgmental approach to hoof care puts him in a class of his own and a big step above everybody else.

I did stress the importance of looking at each horse as an individual. The trimming procedure that works for one horse, might not be the best approach for the horse right next to it.

Europe has many more horses than the USA. Per capita, Germany has 70% more horses than the USA. Horse owners and riders want to learn and improve and use modern and better hoof protection methods.
Already now, I have booked several more clinics for next spring, this time in addition to Germany also in France and Switzerland. Natural Hoof Care, Barefoot Trimming and Easyboots are on a roll and gaining ground and popularity throughout the whole equestrian world.

A special Thank You goes out to my liasons and support persons who organized the events on site. Without them, it would have been very difficult to impossible to conduct the seminars:

Dresden:     Veit Koppe

Hannover:   Patricia Nastoll and Kathrin Ewen

Kassel:        Martin Boesel

Brussel:       Leonard Liesens


The Bootmeister, reporting from Europe

I had the opportunity to put first ever tracks on earth over the Thanksgiving weekend. Two new hoof protection inventions were used in soft soil conditions that may potentially leave fossil tracks for the next inhabitants of the earth. 


Have you ever wondered how they will react to the tracks we leave on earth? Will the next inhabitants look at booted horse tracks and wonder what the heck?  Will the hoof tracks covered with hoof boots and iron shoes confuse them or will they even care? 

I personally always look at tracks when I'm out and about.  "Is that an Easyboot track?" "Wow that's a great looking barefoot track."  "Is that an Easyboot Glove track?" "Mountain Lion or bear?"  "Montrails or New Balance?".  Kind of fun to see who's making tracks.

Matt Jenkins is a relative newcomer to the hoof care industry. He was burnt-out from long hours working at the feedlot and ready for a change in careers. His father called him one day and said he was having trouble with a farrier and unfortunately this wasn't the first time. Instead of dealing with the frustration of finding yet another farrier, he suggested Matt attend shoeing school and at least learn how to trim and shoe their horses. Matt signed up for school and after the first week, he knew he had found his new career. 


Four years later, Matt had a client horse he could not keep sound, nor could he keep shoes on it. Fellow farriers came to the barn to assist him, but to no avail.

The horse's owner was in his late seventies and rode every day. On one of Matt's visits to the barn, he handed him one of Pete Ramey's books. Matt was not impressed at first and told him it wouldn't work. The owner was very persistent but a full year passed before Matt took the leap of faith and pulled this horse's shoes. In six months, the horse had recovered completely. "I was amazed and confused," said Matt. "This mentality was so different from my schooling and how I was taught to raise horses."

Matt secretly started to transition his own horses and could not believe the changes in them. He ordered his own copy of Pete Ramey's book and started reading everything he wrote. Soon he started asking his clients to allow him to pull the shoes to rehabilitate their horses. Today, Matt has a client base of more than 450 horses.

He gets excited when he talks about the many advancements in the hoof boot industry. "There have been tremendous improvements in the quality, fit, and ease of application in the past few years. I have to admit I put down the boots in the beginning and would tell people it's okay for a spare tire but nothing will replace the steel shoe."


Matt comes from a modest family farm south of Marion, Illinois, where they raised cattle, vegetables, rabbits and horses. He has a bachelor's degree in Beef Nutrition from Southern Illinois University of Carbondale. He paid his way through college by training horses and driving trucks in the summer.

Today, Matt lives with his wife, Rachel, in Vienna, IL. As an owner of ten Quarter Horses and one Missouri Fox Trotter, Matt attributes his success to patience with people and genuine care for the well-being of horses. All of Matt's horses are booted: "We use Epics and Gloves. My favorite is the Glove but I still have a special place in my heart for the Epic."

Matt has been an EasyCare dealer for about 15 months. He carries Epics, Gloves, Glue-Ons, EasySoakers, Rx and recently added the Trails. His bestseller is the Easyboot Glove.

He graduated from the Kentucky Horse Shoeing school in 2003. He also attended any certification clinic or educational class that he could find. "While transitioning my own thought process to barefoot, I worked at the Agronomy Research Center in Carbondale, IL."

The most rewarding experience Matt has as a trimmer is seeing the look on people's faces and the hugs and tears shed when a horse has been successfully rehabilitated. Most of these clients thought they had done everything and as a last resort they reluctantly tried barefoot. "Yep, their lame horse with no hope walks again."

He can remember standing in a barn with a sad family, a vet and another farrier. The prognosis for the horse was grim: nothing more could be done. He remembers the vet saying to the owners "say your goodbyes, we need to put him down right away." As the farrier and the vet left the barn they looked at Matt and asked if he could fix the situation. 

Matt wasn't practicing barefoot hoof care at the time and this would be his first founder rehabilitation using barefoot methods. "The coffin bone had penetrated both front feet. His frogs were almost non-existent, destroyed by thrush. What was I thinking?" He drove an hour one way every week for several months, then went every three weeks, then every four. Eventually, the horse was doing much better and he moved him to a six week trim cycle. "I am proud to say that the horse is alive and well and guiding trail rides at a local camp. Later I ran into the original farrier. He just shook his head and told me I just got lucky."

When discussing the key to success as a trimmer, Matt's first response is the ability to admit when he has made a mistake. "It goes along way in retaining clients as well as picking up new ones. Obstacles are forever present throughout life and someone is always watching to see how you overcome them."

Matt's leading mentor is Ida Hammer. He also gives credit and an honorable mention to Eric Knapp, Randy Hensley, Jeanie Wright and Debbie Schwiebert from EasyCare.

In his opinion, the barefoot industry is moving forward at a rapid rate. "Everywhere I go, people are showing more interest in barefoot hoofcare. As rule books change in the competitive arena and barefoot horses start out performing shod, change will happen. I also believe barefoot success is parallel to boot success."

Are you still twisting those hind hoof Gloves, or, worse yet, losing them completely? Even with the proper use of Mueller Athletic Tape and a good trim and boot fit? I do... Why? Well, look at my mare's legs in the pictures, and you will see why! She is a great horse, but took the philosophy that a little cow-hocked is fine in a horse, and ran with it a bit too far. Thus, she toes out a good bit and with her nice, Morgan/QH rear end (wish her brains were there too: lately the Arab half has come out on that end), she powers along with a good twist to her hind leg movement.

This means every boot (EC styles and competitor brands of all kinds) has not stayed straight on her hoof, and can come off altogether at a canter. Glue-On boots solve that for multi-day rides, but for a single day ride, I don't want the hassle or expense. So I had to come up with a solution for her. I tried varying ones (Goober Glue, Vet Tech products, etc) and finally found a cheap and fairly easy solution: a bottle of Gorilla Glue and some athletic tape.

How it Works
1) Use athletic tape on the hoof as you usually would (see how she toes out? Add a "twist" with every push off of the hoof, and you have a lot of torque on the boots).

2) Put on the Gloves as usual. I put power straps on the inside here, but also use them on the outside. With Gorilla Glue, the boots are totally re-useable. This is the fourth gluing on these particular boots.

3) Gather your tools: Gorilla Glue, flat head screwdriver (smallish is better), gloves for your hands, and more athletic tape or duck tape if you prefer.

4) This is where it can get tricky if your horse is new at it. Having a helper hold up one of your horse's front feet to keep them from picking up the rear one or walking off can help until (like my mare) they figure out you want them to keep the foot down and still.

Insert the screwdriver between the hoof wall and the boot, gently prying hte boot away from the wall and exposing a gap. Start near the back where the gaiter attaches and work all the way around the hoof (see photo below).

5) Insert tip of the GG bottle into the gap, and squirt glue down into the boot. You will figure out with trial and error how much you need. Just like with Adhere and Glue-On boots, some horses need more or less. Try at home before you go to an event. Do this all around the boot from gaiter edge to the other gaiter edge. I have not needed any in the rear of the boot so far, and a little will flow back there anyway on its own. Using two hands works best. I had to take a picture with one hand, so had to figure out how to balance the bottle and screwdriver in the other.

Below is a close-up of the glue down in the gap. GG foams up as it dries, expanding and thus filling in some of the gaps that cause the rear boots not to fit as well, as well as providing 'stick factor'.


6) Take your roll of athletic (or other) tape and wrap it around the top edge of the boot, all the way behind the heels and the front. A few times around is usually plenty. This helps keep things in place while the glue dries (it takes a few hours) and puts a little pressure on the boot to help the glue foam into all the gaps, instead of out the top of the boot. You can see the foamy old glue on the outside of the boot.

Both feet finished and waiting to dry. Do this after a ride or anything else that will cause your horse to move around too much. Remember, it takes a few hours to really set up nicely, and you don't want it to set up twisted on the hoof. I do this the night before an event and just leave the gaiters loose overnight, then tighten in the morning.

Removal and Cleanup
Removal works just like with Glue-Ons. Using a flat-head screwdriver and a rubber mallet, carefully pry the boot away from the hoof. This works best if you stick the screwdriver head between the hoofwall and the athletic tape. Once you get the boot off, just pull the tape out of the boot, which removes most of the glue.

I actually like some of the glue to stay in, as it creates a custom shimming in the boot, so I can use the boots on training rides with minimal twist and no glue. Just mark the boots so you know which goes on the right and left hoof. The glue comes out pretty well, and it is 'softish', so leaving some residue in the boot (even on the soles) doesn't bother the horse.

This was a shot of the boots after three gluings, just before I put them on for this one.

You can see how the glue and some left over tape has lined the inside of the boot, making it somewhat of a custom fit boot.

And the other boot: much less glue stuck to this one. You can see the power strap a bit better on the inside as well.

I hope this helps a few of you. It works great on my horse, and we tried it on a little gaited horse that also twists off Gloves. It worked great for her too!

Natalie Herman

Submitted by Karen Bumgarner, Team Easyboot 2011 Member

One of my goals for the year was all five days of the Owyhee Canyonlands. Last year I used the Glue On's, which worked beautifully. They were flawless and still very difficult to remove after a week, but I did get them off.


Now as I see it, the drawback to glue is its pretty tough to clean them and reuse them even though I had lots of wear left on them. Plus I pretty well destroyed one while taking it off. I kept mulling over all this and kept thinking of not gluing boots. But I had a little voice telling me "you know you will get rubs after a week" and "you have a larger chance of acquiring scratches after a week". So many "you coulds"! This Queen of Tightwads could also save money using the Easyboot Glove Wides that I already had and not buy more boots, glue, tips etc. Hmmm.

My friend, Tamara Baysinger, had reminded me of the "nylon trick". She had been using the nylons to prevent rubs on her mare. I used them once in awhile to keep the cheat grass out of my velcro on the gaiters. I vegetated on all this and finally decided, no glue. I'll take my chances.


Every day after the ride I would pull the boots and bathe my horse because it was hot. I'd get all the sweat off and allow air to get to the hoof and pasterns each evening and all night long. I checked closely for any signs of scratches and I had none. There was not even one little bump, which I found very surprising.

We finished all five days without one rub and without any scratches! The Glove Wides still had plenty of wear left too so this tightwad still had boots to use.

Karen Bumgarner

For several weeks, Lisa talked about the horse with the "worst feet in the barn". I couldn't work on him right away because the track farriers had just put shoes on his feet.  And so I waited patiently to see the worst feet in the barn.

Finally the day came when we could pull his shoes, and I could get started on my new project. Banfish, who is two now and is only doing light work at the track, had been sick when he was a foal. The sickness affected his entire body, including his feet. After months of love and attention, Banfish fully recovered from his illness. Except his feet were still a mess.


The track farriers put shoes on him as they always do, but in time he developed a quarter crack that spread all the way to the hairline. To correct the crack, glue was applied to the crack and the metal shoe was cut so that it stopped just in front of the crack. Yes, that's right. The shoe itself went from one heel, around the toe, and stopped just in front of the quarter on the other side of that foot. No shoe under the quarter or heel on that side of the foot.


When I removed Banny's shoes, I quickly agreed that he had the worst feet in the barn. Unsurprisingly, his heels had been lopped off to accommodate the shoe. To my horror, however, I also found that his soles were in fact the very opposite of concave; the bottom of the foot was thin and bulging at the toe. Yikes!


I always air on the cautious side when I am presented with a long toe or long heels. In this case, Banfish had long toes with no real attachment of the hoof wall.


He still has quite a lamellar wedge when my first trim is complete, but I know that I'll be coming back soon for another go-round.


Amazingly, Banfish showed little discomfort as he walked on dirt or sand with bare feet. Nonetheless, he got his own pair of size 2 Epics to protect those unique feet.

Several days later, I met the vets at the track for x-rays of Banny's feet. Although I don't always get the luxury of seeing x-rays, boy do they help when I can get my hands on them. And so I removed another inch off of his toes and swapped out the size 2 boots for some 1's!

Banfish has been barefoot and using his Easyboot Epics for the past two months and has shown some good improvement during that time. Although he began by wearing his hoof boots on the track and on the walker, he was able to begin some barefoot work within just a few weeks of beginning his new "program". To keep the quarter crack from spreading, I gave him exaggerated pressure relief at the site of the crack.



His lamellar wedge has been greatly reduced, and his foot is looking much less like a pancake. Although the bottoms of his feet are much flatter than I would like, he is totally sound barefoot on the barn's dirt floor and in the track sand. He is still too sore to walk at all on any hard surfaces such as concrete.


As you may know, I tell clients that I will only trim their horses if those horses are being fed a dry pelleted food. I cannot make such demands at the track, because (unfortunately) it has been shown that racing horses need the extra energy (sugar) in the sweet feed to perform at their best. And so it is particularly interesting to note that Banfish has made such improvements despite being kept on a sweet feed diet. Keep in mind that the sweet feed fed to racehorses is very different from the typical $5 sweet feed found at a backyard barn. Although racehorse feed is covered in molasses (the real problem), it is also composed predominantly of vegetable oil, beet pulp, and other ingredients found in a dry pellet.

Banfish has been feeling great. So great that he tried to run away with the rider! With this new attitude change, he's been sent back to kindergarten to learn his manners and his steering.


Can we grow a truly healthy foot while still feeding the racehorse sweet feed? The verdict is still out, but with the improvements I've seen so far, I'm willing to keep up this experiment in hoof health and nutrition. We'll look at his feet again in a few months to see if the Easyboot Epics have won out over the molasses.

Submitted by Christina Kramlich Bowie, Team Easyboot 2011 member 

I was a little worried back in May when this nasty crack appeared on Czeale’s right front hoof. 

Czeale's RF (May).

It seemed to pop up overnight and though he wasn’t lame on it, it appeared to go pretty deep into the hoof wall. My trimmer Rachel is pretty conservative, which I like, and we talked about the various alternatives.  I also consulted Team EasyBoot 2011 and most people advised me to trim that hoof back aggressively. Rachel and I were both a bit wary of making Z sore with a really aggressive trim, so we tried a more gradual approach. She trimmed the area back to distribute the weight off the area of the crack and encourage more growth, and every week I also rasped off the area. After the first big trim I soaked his hoof in HoofTrax for 45 minutes to kill any nasty bacteria that might be trying to get up into the hoof wall. We kept watching the hoof all spring and summer and while it never got worse, the improvement was very gradual.

He never seemed uncomfortable on it however, so I wasn’t too worried.  I remembered what my farrier used to say – that cracks from the ground up (grass cracks) were not anything to worry about, but that cracks from the coronet band (sand cracks) were. This was definitely a grass crack, and probably caused by the crazy excessive moisture in the ground this year due to all the rain we had in the never-ending spring of 2011.

I still didn’t like it though and wanted it to go away. Back when my horses were shod in steel shoes, the shoe would conceivably hold the hoof wall together and prevent a crack from getting worse.  With Czeale barefoot, I was worried that the crack would spread as his hooves hit the ground as he ran about in the pasture every day. Riding him, he would at least have the support of the Glove, and during endurance competitions, I figured the Glue Ons would be great for the crack, as the glue would really hold that hoof wall together. I kept taking him to rides and he had no problems, but that crack was stubborn.  It was there when he was booted for Tevis, but then, less than a week later when I pulled the boots off, it was gone!  There was a tiny trace of it, but clearly the hoof wall grew a lot in response to all the pounding of the long ride. There is still a small trace of it on the underside of his hoof, but it doesn't penetrate the wall anymore and I'm betting that in one more trim cycle it will be completely gone.

Czeale's RF after Tevis.

Underside of Czeale's RF.

So my solution to grass cracks is: trim as aggressively as you are comfortable doing, and keep riding. It will grow out, but it may take several months. As with so many things, patience and persistence are key.

Happy Trails!

Christina Kramlich Bowie

Submitted by Tennesee Mahoney, Team Easyboot 2011 Member

My husband and I started gluing on our own boots years ago; we have been very successful overall with the process, encountering only a few problems other than just getting the hang of it. We very rarely loose a Glue-On boot, but if we do it is almost always a result of improper use of glue. The way you diagnose this failure and find a solution to the problem is to study the boot and hoof and check your glue pattern, after
losing or removing your Glue-On. Here are some examples.

If you can see the shape/pattern of the tube of glue that you squeezed into the boot initially, then the boot failed to stay on because the glue was already set-up to some degree by the time it got on the hoof. This happens for two reasons that I have noted: either you were too slow in getting the boot on the hoof after putting the Adhere in it, or you got a bad tube of Adhere. 

The temperature that you are working in affects the rate at which the Adhere sets up. On a hot day, you will have to work very quickly. Try putting the glue in the fridge for a few minutes to slow the reaction and give yourself some extra time. On a cool day you can take your time, but make sure your horse stands still an extra couple of minutes because it will take a little longer to set up. On rare occasions, we have used Adhere that gets so hot and sets up so fast that the two of us working as a team in cool whether cannot work quickly enough to succeed. I can tell if the glue has set up too soon when I try to slip the shell on the hoof; I know that I can normally twist the shell back and forth to smear the glue around on the hoofwall before finally centering it. If it’s already setting up and it is too firm for me to twist the shell around a little, then it will not adhere to the hoof wall properly. So I pull the boot off right then and there and start over.

I have also lost a Glue-On as a result of bad glue. It was very apparent because there was still liquidy glue in the toe and the hardened glue had a blood-orange tint. So at least by diagnosing this problem, I was able to whine about the bad glue instead of blaming myself and the process! If the glue looks or feels abnormal in any way, chuck it, especially if you are gluing on for an important event.

If you can see bald spots where there was either no glue or an extremely thin layer of glue between the hoof and the shell, then you didn’t put enough Adhere in the boot. The boot then failed to stay on because there was not enough contact. Just use more Adhere next time.

Another problem that we encountered in the beginning was lameness caused by one of two things: either a small blob of adhere had gotten under the hoof during the glue-on process (and it setup under the sole or wall and acted like a rock in your shoe that never moved), or sand had gotten in to the boot over time and had built up in the bottom between the frog/sole and the bottom of the boot, causing undue pressure on the frog and sole. Both of these problems resulted from improper use of Goober Glue (or CS or any other hoof pack). With both of these problems, the horse will regain soundness immediately upon removal of the pressure.

If you remove the shell and feel or look where the hoof rested on the floor of the shell, you may encounter a hard bump of Adhere that was causing your horse pain. Adhere, once setup, is like hard plastic, whereas Goober Glue is soft and cushioning. When you slip the hoof into the shell, it is possible for the hoof to catch a dab of adhere as you force it on. That dab of glue can cause pressure and then possible lameness. This is why when we pack the frog and sole with Goober Glue, it is also important to put a bead of Goober Glue all along the edge of the shell’s internal wall. We have not encountered this problem since we started putting that bead around the edge. Regardless, if you study the boot after removal, is all the adhere on the wall and is the Goober Glue bead intact around the edge? Or can you see or feel an Adhere bump on the floor of the shell or still glued to the bottom of the hoof? By studying the shell and hoof you will know if it was a gluing mistake, and if so, you can focus on preventing it from happening the next time.

If you pick up your horse’s hoof and the Glue-On shell is actually bulging out in the center, you probably didn’t use enough Goober Glue to pack the frog and sole, leaving room for debris/sand to enter, but not escape.  Remove the shell, and check to see if the Goober Glue completely filled the entire concavity and grooves of the frog.  It’s better to have excess packing than not enough, since excess will just squeeze out the heels.

As you can see, these problems are all the result of mistakes made during the glue-on process, not the failure of the boots. I recommend that you not only study the shells that you loose on trail but also those you remove that stayed on and worked successfully. From simple observations, you will learn a lot about how to do it better next time. You will start to see patterns of what works, and what doesn’t.

Tennesee Mahoney

Submitted by Natalie Herman, Team Easyboot 2011 Member

Now that the new, cotoured, double layered gaiters are on all the Easycare hoof boots, pastern rubs should be a thing of the past, right? Well, not on all horses. Some still get rubs, and almost all of them seem to be in a different spot than where the old gaiters were rubbing. They are no longer on the sides of the pastern, but on the front. Why? My theory is the rolled and sewn edge.

This seemed to be the cause in the old gaiters, and the new gaiters addressed that by double layers and no rolls. So I figured, why not do that to the fronts of my gaiters too? At least, until we get even better gaiters that have this option built in. Here is what I do, and you can do as well, to solve the little problem. So far it has worked great, and no more rubs!

1. Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut and pull out the stitches all along the edge of the gaiter and around the bottom 'corner'. Then peel apart - the layers are also glued together.
2. Cut only the 'top' layer (leaving a bottom layer sticking out past the top, just like the new gaiters do all around the top of the gaiter edges.
3. Cut a tiny bit of the 'bottom' layer if needed (from the rolled stitching, it tends to bunch up and not lay flat: cut off this 1-2mm.

That's it: you are done. Simple, huh? If you are worried about stitching coming undone, then you can glue the threads down. I have yet to have the rest of the gaiter come apart, since it is glued as well as sewn together.

    
I hope this helps those of you still getting a few rubs. Even on my white-pasterned horse this does great.

Natalie Herman

Last week I discussed some of the basic differences between AERC (American Endurance Ride Conference) and NATRC (North American Trail Ride Conference). Now I would like to delve into some of the more specific differences between these organizations.

Distance
AERC endurance rides must be at least 50 miles in length per day and LD (limited distance) rides must be at least 25 miles in length per day. There are also multiday rides ranging in length from 3 to 5 days. At NATRC rides, Novice and CP (Competitive Pleasure) divisions average 15-24 miles per day (with the total mileage not exceeding 40 miles over two days) while the Open division averages 25-35 miles per day (with the total mileage not exceeding 60 miles over two days). There are both one day (B rides) and two day (A rides) options.

Speed
AERC rides have a maximum time allowed (6 hours for 25 miles, 12 hours for 50 miles, 24 hours) which works out to a minimum speed of approximately 5 MPH once you factor in holds. Although 5 MPH is the minimum speed needed to successfully complete a ride, many riders average speeds of 6-8 MPH. There is no minimum time but in order to finish, your horse must be judged fit to continue. At NATRC rides there is both a minimum time and a maximum time and there are penalties for horse and rider teams that finish outside of this 30 minute window. How you perform at a ride has nothing to do with the order that you finish; the emphasis is on pacing your horse at an appropriate speed. Novice and CP divisions ride at an average speed of 3.5-4.5 MPH and Open rides at an average speed of 4-6 MPH.

Vet Checks
Both organizations have vet checks to monitor the horse’s pulse, mucous membranes, capillary refill, hydration and gut sounds. Horses at AERC rides must pulse down to a predetermined rate within thirty minutes (the maximum is 68 BPM for 50+ mile rides and 60 BPM for LD rides). Depending on the type of vet check, they may have an hour hold or may be able to continue immediately. There is no set number of vet checks but there is generally a minimum of two checks for a 50 mile ride. Horses at NATRC rides generally have two pulse and respiration (P&R) checks per day in addition to metabolic checks performed by the vet judge. When a horse enters a P&R, they have ten minutes before their pulse and respiration is checked. The rules allow a maximum of 12 beats and 9 breaths in a 15 second count (48 BPM and 36 breaths per minute); horses with P&R above these levels will have points deducted. There is also a hold threshold set by management; if a horse’s pulse or respiration is above this, they will be held for an additional ten minutes before having another check (the hold is generally around 17 in a 15 second count for both pulse and respiration).

Horsemanship
AERC rides do not focus on horsemanship so this section is primarily to show what differentiates NATRC. When presenting a horse in hand for vet in or out, it is important that you have both hands on the lead line. Also, you should never stand directly in front of your horse - you want to stand on the same side as the vet judge when they are checking your horse. The horsemanship judge can look for something as simple as a rider’s position going up or down hill, or they may have an obstacle such as a mount or a side pass. As far as stabling is concerned, portable corrals are not allowed in NATRC. Horses must either be stationary tied to a high line or a trailer, or stalled (at rides where the facilities have enough stalls to accommodate all competitors).

Boots
AERC has never had restrictions on hoof boots and allows leg protection. The Easyboot Gloves and Easyboot Epics are both very popular among endurance riders, especially at LD and 50 mile rides. For 100 mile and multiday rides, nothing beats the Easyboot Glue-On. Prior to this year’s rule change, the only boot that could be used for NATRC was the original Easyboot. Thankfully, boots with gaiters can now be used in competition. The Glove is currently the most popular boot among NATRC riders but Epics also have a strong following. NATRC does not allow leg protection during competition.


Age
At AERC rides, horses must be a minimum of 5 years old to compete in endurance rides and 4 years old to compete in LD rides. NATRC is similar: horses must be a minimum of 5 years old to compete in the Open division and 4 years old to compete in the Novice and CP divisions.

Junior Riders
AERC considers riders under 16 to be junior riders and they must be accompanied by an adult throughout the ride. Riders between the ages of 14 and 16 who have ridden more than 500 miles and have written permission from a parent or guardian may ride by themselves if ride management allows. There is no minimum age for riders - it is at the discretion of ride management. NATRC considers riders between the ages of 10 and 17 to be junior riders. Approved helmets are mandatory for junior riders in both AERC and NATRC.

Although these posts are by no means comprehensive, I hope that they have highlighted some of the differences between AERC and NATRC. I would like to thank Kathleen Henkel and Rho Bailey of AERC and Jamie Dieterich of NATRC for assisting me with this post. For additional information visit http://www.aerc.org/ or http://www.natrc.org/.

Bernd Jung from Hufcheck in Germany recently spent ten days with the EasyCare staff at our R&D location in Colorado. He came to help take photos as part of our 2012 photo shoot. While he was here, he made a video of Garrett Ford removing the Easyboot Glue-Ons he used on The Fury at Tevis.

Bernd introduces the video in German, but Garrett's removal explanation in English starts at the 43 second point.


So if you want to see the process of glue-on boot removal first hand, Bernd and Garrett have done a nice job of explaining each step.

Bernd's company, Hufcheck, is the exclusive dealer in Germany for EasyCare products, and has just launched a new online store designed for customers and distributors. The store has a number of unique features, including the ability for the user to see exact quantities of product available. Brian Mueller discussed the new store as well as the other services Bernd's company offers in his Dealer News and Tips blog last week.

If you would like to see step by step videos of Easyboot Glue-Ons being put on a horse's hoof, go to the Videos page of the EasyCare website.