Hoof Pads

When you peruse 'Practical Horseman', 'Equus' or 'Horse Illustrated', you may find a professional saying, "Well barefeet might work for some horses, but never Thoroughbreds. They just don't have good feet." Or, "We've bred the feet off those Thoroughbreds." If your friend described her new horse's hooves as flat soled, long toed, with thin, shelly walls, don't you immediately think, "Thoroughbred!" I know I do.

With the natural trim, EasyCare boots, good turnout, some body work and a saddle that fits, my friend and former client, Lyndsay, an owner-trimmer brought Garwin back from the brink. This handsome and talented thoroughbred was a few strides short of becoming a lawn ornament.

If Garwin can make a come back, I think you will agree, almost any Thoroughbred can!

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.

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.

This has been an ongoing discussion since as far back as I can remember. A lot of our team at EasyCare feel that comfort pads should not be used in the Easyboot Glove because they affect the fit. Some of our customers that use the 6 mm comfort pads in the Gloves and they have told me they are successful.

Here is a story from Julie Campbell from Action Rider Tack at the Limestone Challenge.

Here is a picture from our ride: we are heading out from the vet check for loop #2. The Gloves stayed on fine; however, there was evidence of a gaiter rub. I had put 6 mm, firm comfort pads in the boots and, perhaps, they caused just enough of a different fit to cause a rub. I took the pads out at the vet check and smeared on some desitin. The rubs did not get worse or cause her to be pulled. In fact, once I took out the pads, she began to move better.

The moral to this story? Yes, the pads do affect the fit. If you are having trouble with gaiter rubs, if you find that you are losing hardware, if your gaiter is ripping or if you are losing a boot - you may want to try the Gloves without the pads and use Goober Hoof Pack instead. Goober Hoof Pack can be used as a flexible hoof packing for extra cushioning. Use a standard caulk gun to dispense.

Comfort pads work great in any of the other Easyboot styles.

EasyCare UK distributor, Trelawne Equine, picks up Marketing award for the Easyboot Trail.

Innovative barefoot hoof boot picks up vet marketing award

British distributor Trelawne Equine has been awarded the Equine Product Innovation Of The Year award for the Easyboot Trail hoof boot at the 2011 Vet Marketing Awards.

The awards, hosted at the London Vet Show and organised by Grove House Publishing, recognise companies and individuals that are driving innovation in communications and product development in a way that promotes the health and wellbeing of animals.

The judges commented: “We were impressed by this simple and straightforward product. The Easyboot Trail hoof boot is a modern, durable design for barefoot horses and is ideal for leisure riders.”

Trelawne Equine’s co-proprietor Lucy Nicholas said: “We are thrilled to have received this recognition from the veterinary community, particularly as it recognises the importance of the health and wellbeing of animals. Understanding of barefoot equine management continues to increase, and many UK horse owners now choose to keep their horses barefoot, using hoof boots in certain circumstances when they ride.”

The Easyboot Trail hoof boot for barefoot horses, manufactured by American brand EasyCare, is most suitable for distances of up to 25 miles. It is lightweight, easy to apply and offers shock absorption properties, particularly when comfort pads are used inside the boots. The boots are sold singly and available in 11 sizes. Sizes 0 - 6 are £54.99, and sizes 7 -10 are £64.99.

For trade account / stockist enquiries: Tel: 0844 257 8585

Web: www.trelawneequine.co.uk / Email: advice@trelawneequine.co.uk

Like the company at: facebook.com/TrelawneEquine

For media enquiries or to request images please contact kathy@sirenia.co.uk / 077866 9114

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.

It's inspiring to see hoof care practitioners who are innovative problem solvers. These individuals don't run at the first sign of complexity, instead they stay the course; they figure it out.

This horse had blown an abscesses out its heel bulb. Then managed to hit himself on the already sore bulb. Needles to say this horse was very sore to any pressure. Add to the mix the client had a camping trip planned. Instead of canceling the trip, the client and hoof care practitioner worked around the situation. 

A hole was cut around the injury site and then the Glove Gaiter lined with mole skin to cushion as well as lift it off the area. The injury was then wrapped with a steri pad and vet wrap before applying the Easyboot Glove. The hole was then covered with duct tape to keep out any debris. The horse was able to make the trip comfortably protected.

Thank you Leslie Carrig of High Desert Hoof Care for sending this nice example of a very unique hoof boot adaptation.

Sometimes a little booting beyond the box is all it takes. Do you have a boot modification that has worked well for you? 

Bryan Baire started Palmetto Farrier Service three years ago, after a 20-year career in civil engineering profession working on land development projects. Based in York, South Carolina, Bryan serves the entire Charlotte metro area with a client base of more than 250 horses. He is a graduate of the South Carolina School of Horseshoeing in Aiken, South Carolina. The school is run by Doug Eidenier; a 2009 inductee into the Brotherhood of Working Farriers Association (BWFA) Hall of Fame.


Bryan attributes his success to certification through the American Farriers Association. He also believes strongly in continuing education. "A mechanic cannot repair a car without knowing how the internal parts work," he says. "Nor can a hoof-care provider treat, trim and balance a hoof without knowing the mechanics and all the internal structures that make up the equine foot."

There are many aspects of the engineering profession that Bryan uses in his practice. "The lower limb of a horse has very little to no muscle in it so all the tendons and ligaments work together acting as a system of levers and pulleys which I totally understand and am able to apply mechanical engineering principals to."

Bryan says it is it truly is buyer beware in the hoof-care industry when choosing a hoof care provider. Neither education, certification or licensure is required to be hoof care provider in the U.S. "Being certified and continuing education is a way to separate myself from other hoof care providers in my area."

Bryan's competitive advantage is his ability to perform barefoot trims or traditional shoeing. "While not every horse needs to be shod, every athlete needs a good pair of shoes, and the type of shoes they wear depends on the type of sport they play. Golfers, basketball players, bowlers all wear specialized shoes for the sport. The same principals apply to horses. The type of shoe or boot a horse needs is dependent on the activity in which it will be involved."


Bryan references active participation on social networking sites such as Facebook as his most successful marketing strategy. He posts before and after photos of his work for existing and potential customers to see. He also keeps customers updated on his continuing education and certifications. "Even before a new customer calls they can look on my Facebook page and see all the customer comments and look at photographs of my work. Being able to perform barefoot trims and traditional shoes, I am able to do what is best for the horse and the customer." Becoming an EasyCare dealer has also allowed him to separate himself from other hoof-care providers in his area.

He feels that hoof boots are becoming the next big thing since steel shoes. With better designs, and materials, he thinks the peak of the hoof boot industry is still to come. As a traditional farrier, he saw the opportunity to diversify and offer more choices for his customers. "With the economy that we are in, people are stretching and saving every dollar they can. Boots offer a cost effective alternative to shoeing their horses every six weeks. I see more and more horses in hoof boots all the time while trail riding. My basic philosophy is that if a horse can be pasture sound barefoot than boots are the way to go." The success of the barefoot industry, he says, is directly related to the success of hoof boots. "While most horses can be pasture sound barefoot, just about every horse needs some kind of protection on their feet to perform the work being asked of them. Improvements in hoof boots will help the barefoot industry."

Bryan began stocking EasyCare hoof boots just over a year ago. He tried a pair of Easyboot RXs on a laminitic horse and saw the dramatic increase in comfort immediately. He hasn't nailed shoes or pads on a laminitic horse since.


He laughs when questioned about which EasyCare products he carries, and which are his best sellers. "My customers ask that all the time! I tell them it is a matter of preference, and that all the boots work well." He carries Epics, Gloves, Trails and RXs on his trailer so customers can try each of the styles on and see what they like best. Given his personal experience with boots, he will direct them to a particular boot based on shape or condition of the hoof. "Customers really like the new Easyboot Trails. If I have a horse that over-reaches, I will put that horse in the Trails and the problem is solved. The Trail boot has a blunt face on the back of the boot so there is nothing for the hind hoof to grab a hold of and tear."

He owns three horses: a 25 year-old Appaloosa, a 13 year-old Paint, and a 4 year-old spotted saddle horse. All are barefoot and wear Easyboots. His favorite boot is the Easyboot Glove.


What of his most rewarding experience as a trimmer? "Being able to help a horse that is suffering from a painful condition like laminitis be more comfortable. It's also nice to hear customers remark how their horse's feet have never been in better shape and looked so good."

And what of a favorite event he looks forward to all year? The International Hoof-Care Summit every February in Cincinnati, OH. EasyCare will have a booth there this year, so be sure to look us up if you choose to attend!

For more information on Bryan Baire, go to the Palmetto Farrier Service website. For more information on becoming an EasyCare dealer, go to the Dealer's Corner on the EasyCare website.

Why Use Pads?
Pads increase heel comfort so that all horses-sound or unsound-are encourged to move correctly. We have found that comfort pads are especially beneficial for any horse that is ridden who may also be slightly tender-footed. The 12mm pads can also be used to help improve the fit of the boots while at the same time providing cushioning, additional protection and frog support to the hoof. Comfort pads are an excellent way to help your horse successfully transition from shod to barefoot.

Regular Comfort Pads
These pads are the plain, flat pads that come in 6mm and 12mm thickness and soft, medium or firm density. They are available in shapes that fit the Easyboot & Boa lines as well as shapes for the Old Mac's Easyboot Trail styles. They come in small and large sizing, for the Easyboot Boa the small fits boot sizes Pony-2 and the large boot sizes 3-7. For the Old Mac/Trail sizing the small fits boot sizes 0-6 and the large fits boot sizes 7-10. The Easyboot Glove was really designed to be used without padding but if you have a need for a pad we recommend using the 6mm pads only with the Glove.

Dome Comfort Pads
This pad will will complement the concave shape of a well formed hoof. This pad is sized for the Easyboot line and comes in Small (00.0), Medium (1), Large (2,3,4) and X-Large (5,6). This pad is popular with a variety of users including trail riders, endurance riders and hoof care professionals. If your horse is flat-footed you should be very careful about using these pads.

Comfort Pad System
This is a mix and match system for optimal comfort. The Comfort Pad System comes with three different pad styles molded in three different densities. The system allows for many padding combinations and gives practitioners and horse owners many treatment options. This system comes with 18 pairs of pads (6 pairs of frog support in three densities, 6 pairs of frog pressure in three densities and 6 pairs of sole pads in 3 densities.) Each pair of pads can also be ordered independently from the system. This system is usually recommended by a veterinarian or a hoof care professional.

By now, most trail riders have probably heard of EasyCare's exciting new hoof boot offering, the Easyboot Trail. I have received a lot of feedback from customers using the boot as well as customers calling the EasyCare office with questions, so I decided to list some tips for using the easiest hoof boot in the world.

Sizing for the Easyboot Trail 
Once you have measured the freshly trimmed hoof, take a look at the trail sizing chart. Find where your length falls on the chart first. For example, if your length is falling into a size 5 and your width into a size 3 or 4 - do not dispair, you can purchase inserts (more on those below) to take up the extra width.  If your width is falling into a size 5 and your length into a size 3 you may have to look at a different boot. You can always call us at 1-899-447-8836 with sizing questions.

Gaiter for the Easyboot Trail
Some horses may require the use of gaiters to prevent rubbing and chafing so we do have gaiters available. They are the same gaiters that are used with the Boa Boot and the Old Mac's G2 boot. When using the gaiters with the Trail boot you can just toss aside the little triangle piece that comes with them, since is for use with the Boa Boot.

Fitting the Easyboot Trail
Don't panic if the padded collar at the top of the boot does not fit tightly around the pastern. You should be able to run your fingers around inside the padded collar area. The boot should go on easily - if you have to pound, shove, push or grunt to get it on; it is too small!

Inserts for the Easyboot Trail  
As mentioned above, if you need a little extra width taken up, you can order the inserts for the boot (pictured at right). These little babies just velcro right in and presto: instant fit. Everything is easy with this boot.


Comfort Pads for the Easyboot Trail
You can use our Comfort pads with the Easyboot Trail, they come in two sizes: small and large (cut to fit) and three densities: soft, medium and firm. When ordering the pads, be sure and choose the one's for the Old Mac's G2 boots, not the Easyboot/Boa Boot pads. Cut the pads, poke 'em in the boot, and you are ready to ride.

If you can think of any questions I haven't answered, please feel free to call me at 1-800-447-8836 and ask for me or any of the excellent and knowledgeable customer service representatives.

A Goober (that would be me) tried the ol' Goober Glue on the sole of the Easyboot Glove only. Being the experimental kinda gal that I am, I watched the videos on applying the Easyboot Glove with the Goober Glue, as explained by Kevin Myers. I gathered all the required tools needed to apply the Easyboot Gloves successfully.


I decided to only boot the front hooves for this Limited Distance ride. I am a very messy applier. I had one friend take pictures while the other was my handler of instruments. I felt like a doctor asking the nurse... glue, putty knife, boot. Using gloves was very helpful, (although I ripped one right off the get go). I first cleaned the hoof very well with the hoof pick then the wire brush. I then wrapped the hoof with two layers of black Mueller Athletic tape.


Then the fun part. Using a caulking gun to apply the Goober Hoof Pack, or as I like to call it, the 'Goob Glue'.


Once the collateral grooves are filled, use the putty knife to spread it like butter or jam on toast.


This is the hardest part for me. Boot application. Did I say I was messy? Without letting go of that hoof, carefully put the Easyboot Glove on. Seat it nicely and then set the hoof down making sure the gaiter is out of the way. Fasten the gaiter. Repeat on other hoof.

It seems complicated and too much work, but it only took me about 20 minutes to do two horses' front hooves. And it was my first time! Results? Here is a complete Jersey hoof.


And here are Savannah's completed hooves.


I'm thinking practice, practice, practice. I need a lot of practice with the tape, I tend to get it too high to the coronet band. The boots were applied about 15 hours prior to the 25 mile ride. They did not twist and held fast. I was really impressed. I felt the Goober Hoof Pack was additional 'padding' to the sole as well as kept that Easyboot Glove on the hoof.

Removal? After the ride, I used a flat head screwdriver, pried the boots around the edges first to help release any sticky tape, then started to pry the boot from the sole. It took about 10 minutes or so to remove the boots. Most of the glue stuck to the sole of the hoof, making the boot easy to clean for re-using.

It was fun experimenting. I liked this process and had great results!

"If I only had four frogs." Is this your horse's lament?

Pathological frogs are so common, that they have become the norm! Just as long toes and under run heels are normal for thoroughbreds, sick frogs are nearing normal for most horses. What else do we see in my home state of Delaware where we had an amazing 26" of rain in August, normally one of two driest months!

If you have not been following my posts in Notes From the Field, I hope you will check them out. The importance of the frog for excellent, barefoot movement is discussed in detail. When you know what a healthy frog looks like, how bad ones heal, along with the various soaks, topical treatments, and tips for, in Pete Ramey's words, out running thrush, you will have the tools to maintain frog health.

It can be a job, there's no question about that. Gird your loins and let's get to it!


For starters, my most common errors in earlier days were:
(A) Not cleaning the area before treatment. (Thank you Linda Cowles!)  
(B) Not taking frog health seriously until the horse was ouchy. Then inconsistent treatment.
(C) Stopping treatment too early, only to see the same sick frog in a month.
(D) And ever using Thrush Buster. It contains formaldehyde which kills healthy as well as diseased tissue, according to my chemist friend. Get rid of Thrush Buster!

Just Frogs

1. Healthy, functional frogs
2. Diseased and unhealthy frogs
3. Recovering frogs
4. Pick and **clean**
5. Treatment Recipes (Thank you Laura Florence, barefoot trimmer and body worker)
6. Soaking Recipes (ditto)
7. Thoughts on Out Running Thrush

1. Some Healthy Frogs


2. Unhealthy Frogs
The most common problem I saw during my years as a professional trimmer, was diseased central sulcus of the frog. It may or may not be sensitive. Doesn't matter. Butt Cracks are not healthy and should be treated rigorously. Technically many frogs don't have thrush; but they have something! Whether it's bacterial or fungal: pick/brush, clean and treat, soak, then outrun it.

The worst frog I ever saw was a puddle of black gooey thrush. The horse was stalled in a Philadelphia 'city barn'  22 hours a day and the stall was cleaned once a day. Standing purposely in urine relieved his itchy discomfort.  The poor horse would never recover in my view. I suggested the owner relocate her horse to the country and field board him near her home. I gave her a plan for daily treatment. I did make the mistake of investigating the frog with my knife and it began to bleed immediately.


(Above) The Healing Frog and Contracted Heels: Banjo's photo above gives a nice view of heels that are very close together, contracted. They do this to protect the weak frog and above it, the digital cushion. With treatment and lots of sound, heel-first landings a foot like this recovers, every time. The heels start to decontract when the foot is ready. And internally the digital cushion and lateral cartilages come back to life.

• Hoof pick with brush. Hand towels.
• Scrub brush, bucket and anti bacterial soap like Dawn dish detergent diluted or,
• Fill a spray bottle with same or,
• Fill a wormer tube or syringe with same.
• All antiseptic liquids are diluted: Dawn, Lysol, etc.

I wouldn't treat my own deep cut without washing it first. Well same goes for my horse. Obviously scrubbing four feet (why not do all four since you are down there?) is much easier if you have a wash stall. Since I don't, I first tried filling up wormer tubes or syringes and irrigating the frog crevices with anti-bacterial soap, Dawn of course. But refilling was a hassle. I switched to a spray bottle and a small towel to 'floss' the area clean. I mixed a milk jug of cleaner for quick refills.

If the central sulcus were more like a deep crevice, I would certainly use the thin tipped syringes in addition to irrigate the wound. Q tips are handy too.

• Make your own Pete's Goop: 50% antibiotic cream and 50% anti fungal cream in syringe.
• Purchase cow mastitis treatment like ToDay  (12 syringes in a box), available on-line or at Tractor Supply. Recycle the syringes for Goop above or irrigation tool.
• Tea Tree Oil from the health food store. Mine comes in a handy spray (onto cotton) bottle.
• Mashed Garlic is anti-bacterial and comes in a jar. Check your grocery store.
• Calendula Cream (Thanks again to Laura Florence, barefoot trimmer) from the health store.
• Raw Honey wax free. No Smirks! Honestly! It's used on, among other things, human burn victims.
• Or even better but more expensive (unless you're a kiwi), Manuka Honey from New Zealand. It has many uses, including repairing wrinkles! (I'll get back to you on that).
• Cotton balls from the pharmacy. Q-tips are nice but not essential.

For Pete's goop and the others above, I have found 2 methods of application.
(A) The more time consuming one is to mix the 2 creams well. Then stuff into a fat wormer tube and then inject into an Exel 12 cc curved tip syringe. Perfect for deep crevices. Pull apart one cotton ball so there are no painful lumps and gently pack, using hoof pick, into the central sulcus.
(B) When the crevice isn't that deep, I dip the half cotton ball into the Goop or Honey and stuff it into the frog with a hoof pick. This eliminates the syringe filling step which is harder than you would think.

When I can no longer stuff a cotton ball in the sulcus, I spray Tea Tree Oil until 100% healthy.

• Easy Care Soaking Boots
• White Lightening and White Vinegar. I use 1/8th cup of each.
• If using above, sturdy waste bags and duct tape to fully enclose foot and capture gases.
• Or 50% Apple Cider Vinegar with 50% water
• Or 10% Bleach and 90% water
• Or 1-2 Tablespoons/boot of Lysol with water
• Or some Borax dissolved in water

According to the techs at Grand Circuit Products, makers of White Lightening, you can soak as often as every other day with White Lightening. The dilution is active for 8 hours. If you are short on funds but long on time, you may rotate one boot, 30 minutes a foot, to all feet. The foot must be bagged to capture the gases that provide a deep penetrating soak. I will use it on an abscess, cracks, etc. It's available online or at the farrier supply store. They recommend 1/4 cup but I think that's excessive since it's the gases that do the trick. Gases are released when you combine White Lightening and Vinegar. You can add the same amount of water to increase volume.

The rest of the soaks require soaking boots or buckets if your horse is quiet.

I generally irrigate the frog with the soaking material in a syringe after removing the boot.

Additionally:

• Q tips for cleaning frog crevice.
• Gold Bond Powder for riding boots keep the foot dry in many conditions and again, create an environment hostel to bugs.
• I generally do not recommend the RX boot or Equicast because I don't want to enclose the foot.
• Thrush Buster has formaldehyde. It kills healthy and unhealthy tissue!
• Dr. Bowker once recommended leaving dirt in the collateral grooves on either side of the frog as it may have a role in hoof mechanics. But for my environment, it's just not practical or healthy.
• The Horse's Hoof has an excellent series on hoof treatment. 

Whether in field turnout, in-hand, being ponied or mounted, sound movement heals.

7. Out Running Thrush or Bacterial Infections
The first time I heard the phrase, out running thrush, at a clinic, I hadn't a clue to the meaning. I have learned the hard way that we have to grow healthy tissue faster than the bad bugs inflict damage. Simply treating a stalled horse, for instance, might not be adequate. One of our Barefoot Mantras: Sound Movement Heals.

If your horse is sound in padded boots, ride him, even if it's just at walk. If not, consider 'ponying' him, again in padded boots, off another horse. Turn him out with a busy herd or a nasty pony. No standing around in sheds with manure floors. No shoes. No stalling. If you are boarding in a mud hole, leave.


I have seen some farms where you just can't avoid a rocky path to the pasture. Consider covering it with cut up stall mats for your sore pony. Better yet, dig it up, add some landscaping material and fill with 4" of pea gravel. Add pea gravel to the loafing areas. It's a miracle cure that Dr. Robert Bowker has discussed in a published work. Make a copy for the owner if you board.

As for the trim, leave a little heel so the frog can get just the right stimulation to grow, but adequate protection. Once you've got a nice frog, those heels will come right down, where they want to be.

I'll trim the frog to remove flaps and hide-y-holes for disease. Beyond that, all I can say is think before you cut or snip. Removing diseased frog can be tricky. If you trim a sick frog and it bleeds, your horse is now open to infection. Cutting open the central sulcus to let the air in often lames the horse which in my view is abusive. I move cautiously and respectfully.

As you can see, I have become a passionate student of the frog! Most of the lessons were learned the hard way. I hope this helped you. Feel free to share and post at your barn.

Happy Trails,
Dawn

P.S. Find more good reading and free trimming videos go to my site 4sweetfeet.com
P.P.S. For my next post look for Clicker Training Your Horse During the Inevitable Down Time, December.

I bought Dusty, a 5 year old Quarter Horse gelding because of his disposition. I needed a good quiet trail horse. I knew when I got him that his feet looked very bad. He had shoes on and I talked to the farrier who shod him about his front feet. He told me not to worry, Dusty was fine. Two weeks after I bought him his front shoes fell off. My farrier reset the shoes and two weeks later they fell off again. Poor Dusty had very weak hoof walls and two quarter cracks.



We decided to pull all his shoes and my farrier suggested hoof boots for the front. Dusty could hardly walk on his bare feet and I was very concerned. He also developed an abscess within 6 months. With EasySoakers and front hoof boots and a lot of trims, Dusty's front hooves are in much better shape.

The quarter cracks grew out. His feet have toughened up and he is much more comfortable now. Dusty is a big horse and I think his front feet are too small for his body. Putting shoes on him makes his hooves crack.

I believe in doing what works best for the horse. I am not anti-shoe, but think in most cases, barefoot is best. Hoof boots have made a difference for Dusty and I am glad I have them. I use Old Mac's G2 and they have lasted through four summers of trail riding just fine. I replace pads and gaiters now and then.

Name: Brenda H.
City: New Concord, Ohio, USA
Equine Discipline: Trail
Favorite Boot: Old Mac's G2

If you have been following my previous posts, you know that I like to provide information to folks new to barefoot. I was a trimmer for 6 years and during that time I specialized in teaching owners, mostly women, to trim. From time to time, I shared an educational handout similar to this post.

This month I've combined what I've learned from Dr. Robert Bowker at several of his clinics with Pete Ramey's discussion on equine movement in his DVD set, #4 Development of the Hoof and Navicular, Under the Horse.  Bowker and many other top notch speakers will be attending The Whole Horse Conference in October 15-16, 2011. Not to be missed!

I first met 'Dr. Bob' at the EasyCare sponsored conference in Tucson in 2007 (my notes). His credentials, scientific insight and affection for the horse convinced me that his research was well worth following. Honestly, in the horse world there are so many egos spouting nonsense that it is hard to sift the proverbial wheat from the shaft. Because I was a small time trimmer, I needed experts I could rely on. Dr. Bob has PhD in Anatomy and a DVM from University of Pennsylvania and taught at Michigan State Vet School. He continues his research at his Corona Vista Equine Center.




This month I would like to discuss equine movement of the 'good footed' versus the 'bad footed' horse. These are Dr. Bob's term and I think they work quite well.



As the good footed horse begins to land, heel-first, the back of the foot expands. He may land heel first or flat footed at the walk but at other gaits, he lands heel first. In most cases, a bad footed horse lands toe first to protect his sore back-of-foot. In the traditional world he may have a diagnosis of navicular syndrome, and if there are changes in the bone, navicular disease. Both are misnomers. In fact the bone loss of P3, the coffin bone, is worse than that of the navicular. Fix the back of the foot, and you will rehabilitate 'navicular'.

As the horse loads his foot, the heels expand, the sole draws flat and the hoof dramatically expands. A huge vacuum (negative pressure) is created within the capsule. Mechanical engineers at Michigan State actually had a hard time measuring it!

Blood is literally sucked into the caudal (back) foot by negative pressure. In a good foot, blood is sucked into the entire foot but of particular interest for us is the filling of the mass of specialized blood vessels in the healthy frog, the lateral (side) cartilages, the cartilage floor and the digital cushion. (The cartilage floor, connecting the lateral cartilages, although common in feral horses is rare in domestic.
It is one of the markers of a superior foot. Neither the floor nor the digital cushions were included in the Glass Horse program, above!)

The primary function of the dilated and specialized blood vessels, found only in the foot, is to serve as a cushion for the horse's foot: the back of the foot and the sole. Just like a top athletic shoe with gel pads, the blood-filled vessels or vasculature dissipate or disperse energy.
 
Total energy from impact as well as from vibration pass through the hoof structures (the frog, the digital cushion, the lateral cartilages and the cartilage floor). The better the back-of-foot, the more efficient the energy transfer.


What of relative energy? It depends on a few factors:

(A) How developed is the back-of-foot: Frog, above it the Cartilage Floor, then the Digital Cushion and to either side the Lateral Cartilages.

The good foot lands on a healthy, robust frog as pictured above. Pressure-release of the horse's weight onto the frog develops an increasingly fibrous digital cushion filled with tiny blood vessels as well as proprioceptor nerves which tell the horse where his feet are in space. Hoof movement from side to side on uneven ground develops the lateral cartilages and the floor.

(B) Relative Energy Transfer is effected by hoof structure.

• The energy transfer will be efficient in a well trimmed foot with adequate back of foot structure. 
• A pasture trim has poor mechanics. So does the horse shod with rubber or metal shoes. The foot will be much less efficient. Energy won't disperse correctly but rather will travel through the tendons, ligaments and bones of the foot and leg. In part this explains the epidemic of lame domestic horses.

• Moving on hard surfaces will generate greater vibrational energy. (Worst case scenario: Amish horses on asphalt.)
• On soft surfaces the horse will face less impact force. In padded boots your horse will experience low impact force. The correct balance of exposure and protection, will allow your horse to rehab his feet. 'Toughing it out' usually results in the incorrect toe-first landing.

Dr. Bob shared this analogy, another view on energy transfer.
The Good Footed Horse: correct trim, strong back-of-foot
Imagine the lateral cartilages as large, heated (heat is energy) blocks loaded with tiny tubes (the micro vessels) filled with water. As water passes through the tubes, heat-energy transfers efficiently and correctly from the block to the water in the tubes. The water warms; energy is transferred. All is good.



The Bad Footed Horse: incorrect trim or shod in rubber or metal shoes
The heated blocks (ie the lateral cartilages) are very thin with just a few tubes (blood vessels) to carry water.  Little heat-energy is transferred. In fact the water may not even warm. The heat, or in our horse's case, energy, must go somewhere, right? It travels to the bones of the foot and leg as well as surrounding connective tissue. This is pathology.

As the horse's weight presses down on the entire foot in mid stride, erectile tissues in the sole are stimulated. (This is a new one for me.) They are only stimulated by pressure. No pressure, no function! This is a good reminder to all of us that sound movement, pressure-release, is what develops great feet.



At peak impact the blood is pinched off and the pressure then rises dramatically. At full impact, the pastern descends. In a good footed horse, the pastern is stopped by a strong back-of-foot. In a bad footed horse where the back-of-foot is weak and the tendons and ligaments take the hit.

When the heels lift, and the toe 'breaks over', pressure is released within the foot and the massive force drives blood up the leg. Similar to our legs, as we move, blood travels up the veins through valves. When a valve closes, it prevents the blood from draining down. Horses have an additional mechanism. The veins in the legs pulsate, moving the blood up.

Pete Ramey likens equine hemodynamics to an hydraulic pump which I encourage you to read about in Wikipedia if you don't know how one works. I didn't!

Most of our horses live on uneven ground so they may break over to the right, to the left or at center. Lateral cartilages respond to this movement. The mustang roll enables the horse to move correctly. I routinely rasp a break over on all Easy Care boots from 10:00 to 2:00 by rounding the edge. You could round the entire edge of the boot.

Along with the forward momentum of the horse, the suspensory apparatus of the leg and secondarily the ligaments, spring the pastern back.

The elastic walls of the hoof spring back to the unexpanded position. The bars play a role too. Most of the mechanics of movement discussed above, drive the foot into expansion. At the end of foot fall, there are a few structures that spring the hoof back together. It's critical not to rob the horse of these mechanisms with opening cuts at either side of the frog, digging out bars (they do not impact into the foot) and other misguided attempts to redesign the hoof.

Apply a natural trim, rehab frog, ride in padded boots if you need them and most horses' feet will improve dramatically. Heels will decontract naturally (open up) as the frog and internal structures begin to work properly.

Ideas for rehabilitating the back of foot:

• Clean and carefully inspect the bottom of your horse's feet, daily if possible. Rigorously treat as needed.
• Make it your mission to have 4 healthy frog. In a wet climate, it's a job. I know!
• Find healthy frogs online so you know what they look like.
• If your horse has unhealthy frogs, leave the heels a little higher to give the frog just the right amount of protection and stimulation.
• Allow your horse as much sound and varied (hills) movement as possible. No stalling.
• If lame in pasture, use Rx boots with a half inch pad or Equicastes if you can't remove the boot daily.
• Ride in padded boots. Of particular concern is padding the frog. Stimulation encourages rehabilitation. 1/4 cup of Gold Bond Powder in the boots will help keep the foot dry.
• Add 4" pea gravel to your horse's standing areas. It's a hoof miracle cure.

Since frogs are critical to equine movement, next month I'll post some photos of healthy and sick frogs, soaks and treatments. Until then, check out the Equine Frog series in The Horse's Hoof, by Heiki Bean and Dr. Platz, under Education, Articles.

Bonus Babies:

1. A story from the UK of the comeback of Saucy Night, from death row to a champion barefoot steeplechaser.

2. From Australia:



I look forward to hearing from you below.

Until the next time,
Happy Trails!
Dawn

4SweetFeet.com is my educational site with free trimming videos. Have a visit!

I never thought I would ever trim for thoroughbred race horses.  After all, my barn is full of off-the-track race horses who have come to me with terrible feet.  OK, so I currently only have 3 horses, and 2 of them are off the track thoroughbreds. But I have owned 5 of them myself, and trim many on a regular basis.  From what I knew about the racing industry, race horses have three strikes against them when it comes to natural hoof care: A sweet feed diet; no turn out (although they do get galloped and walked on a wheel each day); and nail-on shoes on their feet.  Certainly, there was nothing I was going to be able to offer to people in this corner of the horse world.

And yet, I had met a woman about 4 years ago, way before I knew I was going to become a trimmer, who did seem to have a very different approach to horse racing: an approach that sounded promising.  I met Lisa Meaux when she was looking for a home for a newly-retired race horse named Blondie.  My neighbor, knowing my love for thoroughbreds off the track, suggested that my barn was the place for Blondie.  I agreed before even meeting the horse, and so met Blondie and Lisa on the same day, when she pulled up to my barn with my new "present".

Unlike other trainers, Lisa starts every young thoroughbred by first working intensely on ground manners, using methods from Clinton Anderson.  Once the horses begin their racing career, Lisa will incorporate other techniques not often seen in the racing industry, such as chiropractor, acupuncture, and message therapy to keep her horses happy and comfortable.

With her less traditional methods of training in mind, I figured just maybe she'd be interested to hear about my new exploits in natural hoof care.  Low and behold, she was very excited to hear that I may offer something different from her track farriers!  No, no.  She wasn't about to have me rush over to the track to start pulling the shoes off of her race horses.  After all, no one down in Louisiana has ever heard of thoroughbreds racing barefoot.  However, her husband Victor Arceneaux did have a beloved pony horse at his farm who had been struggling with sore feet for over 2 years.


When I got to poor old "91", he had shoes on all four feet, and large foam pads duck taped to the bottoms of his front feet in a desperate attempt to relieve his pain.  91's shoes were pulled and I trimmed his aching feet while he stood on foam padding.  Next, he was fitted with Easyboot Epics, and we discussed changing his feed from a sweet feed to a dry pellet.  Lisa followed all of my suggestions with him, changing his feed to a low starch pellet, taking him off of pasture (necessary in cases such as severe obesity and EMS), making sure I trimmed him regularly, and getting him plenty of exercise in his new hoof boots.  Within a few months, the horse that they were about to give up on was back to his old mischievous self-- barefoot!  Lisa and Victor were thrilled!


Cautiously optimistic, I realize that there are many hurdles we have to face in this new adventure.  After all, many in the racing industry still believe that a horse cannot race without shoes, and the few that do believe racing barefoot is possible also believe that barefoot horses wouldn't have a chance against shod competitors.  Then there are the issues with diet and exercise.  Most horses in the racing industry are fed sweet feed, an enemy of the healthy hoof; and race tracks are certainly not known for their ample pasture space.

Am I getting in over my head?  Possibly.  But with one trainer willing to give natural hoof care a try, I feel that I have to gamble on a win for the barefoot horse, and for the chance of encouraging the racing industry to make changes toward healthier, happier athletes.

We had a very good meeting with the director of racing and the three stewards at the Arapahoe Park race track.  Although I'm disappointed that Clunk was not allowed to participate in the Sunday August 21st Stakes Race,  I believe the Saturday August 20th meeting laid a solid foundation for allowing our shoes to participate at Arapahoe in 2012.  

Clunk made it home Saturday night and is turned out with some of the other geldings.  Clunk is the second grey to the left.  We are looking at giving the Texas tracks a try in September.

From my perspective, the stewards were very impressed with the Easyboot Race shoe and they believed our shoe would be beneficial to track horses in training and competition. I heard “very nice job” and  “looks exactly like an aluminum plate” on multiple occasions.  In addition, I believe they all were under the assumption that the new sole pattern was identical to the current aluminum race plates being used at the track.  I believe that each of stewards felt the Easyboot Race shoe fell well within the current rules but all want the final decision to come from a higher power or the rule-making committee.  We are in this for the long haul and I’m happy to go through the process.

The director encouraged us to participate in aluminum plates but we decided it would be the best decision to scratch Clunk.  Clunk has been at the Arapahoe track and training in the Easyboot Race shoe since August 8^th.  After our meeting on Saturday August 20^th and looking at our hoof protection options, I decided that it would be in the best interest of the horse, jockey and other horses and riders to scratch Clunk from the race.  Clunk was training and performing in the Easyboot Race shoe for over 40 days and I just didn’t think it was safe or smart to change equipment the day before the race.  Yes, we could have come home with some money if Clunk ran in the August 21^st event but I thought the safety of horses and riders was more important.

I’ve taken some time to summarize the products shown at the meeting (with photos) and the subsequent reactions from the stewards.

The Easyboot Race plate next to and aluminum racing plate.  The stewards said there was no difference between the products and the Easyboot Race plate did not violate the rules.  Our Easyboot Race shoe could be glued and nailed in this configuration. 

The Easyboot Race plate with sole intact next to an aluminum racing plate with pad.  The stewards said there was no difference between the products and the Easyboot Race plate with sole plate did not violate the rules.  Our Easyboot Race shoe could be glued and nailed in this configuration.
 

The Easyboot Race plate with sole intact and including the cuff system next to an aluminum racing plate with clips.  The stewards said there was no difference between the products and the Easyboot Race with sole intact and including the cuff system was no different than an aluminum racing plate with clips.  Therefore it would not violate the rules.  Our Easyboot Race shoe could be glued and nailed in this configuration.  The cuff system allows for a very large gluing surface and a very secure bond. 

 

The Easyboot Race shoe next to an aluminum racing plate.  The stewards all could not find a portion of the Easyboot Race shoe that violated the rules.  Our Easyboot Race shoe could be glued and nailed in this configuration.  The cuff system allows for a very large gluing surface and a very secure bond.

Another perspective of the Easyboot Race.  The heel can easily be trimmed from the rear of the shoe if needed.
 

Despite the disappointing outcome of the Saturday August 20th meeting, I’m looking forward to the September 13^th commission meeting.  We have indicated that we would like to be part part of the meeting as we would like to do everything possible to hit the ground running for the 2012 Arapahoe race season.

I fully believe we will be racing at Arapahoe Park in the Easyboot Race in 2012.  We will keep you posted on our progress.

Submitted by Susan Gill, Team Easyboot 2011 Member in Australia

Jenny Moncur and I have just come home from a fantastic weekend which involved travelling 5+ hours each way with another special friend - Colette - to compete at our first 80km endurance ride in a long time.  My last serious ride was the National Tom Quilty 100 miler in 2009.  Since then I've had a bit of a holiday as I've brought along 2 youngsters and just completed 20km and 40km training rides.  Jenny is in the same position but more so, her last long endurance ride being in 2006.  My mare Joby was going to be completing her first 80km ride, and Jen's mare Promise was under the 13-month rule so running to novice times as well.  Colette came along as Camp Boss and strapper, and did an awesome job of organizing us both so we could relax and enjoy the ride.

Weather where we live has been wet, wet, wet.  In the end I decided to wait until we arrived to glue on Joby's Easyboot Gloves because the afternoon was forecast to be quite fine.  Her feet aren't the best barefoot examples at the moment, with dodgy frogs due to persistent thrush from her environment.  I just wonder what so many of the shod horses hooves look like from a worm's eye view!  So glueing on her boots seemed like the hassle free option to provide maximum comfort for the longer distance - Sikaflex cushions make her feel like she is striding across grass when she's travelling along bitumen and gravel roads.  And the ride conditions were very "ordinary" - wet, cold, and plenty of mud - again another reason to glue to minimize time and effort checking boots between legs.  Jen had originally planned to do the 40km training ride but stepped up to the challenge on the day, so she was riding Promise in Easyboot Gloves with hoof pads. 

Never one to be totally in the background, I pre-painted Joby's Easyboot Gloves in bright blue to match my riding colours - it would have looked a picture if my shirt wasn't hidden under wet weather gear!  I approached the glueing process with a typical aussie attitude of "she'll be right mate" which probably should have been refined slightly but got me through nearly the whole ride without a glitch.  Yes Kevin I agree, boot fit AND preparation are key factors - I did lose one boot around the 60km mark but Jen spotted it flying off so it was easy to find!


Each hoof was cleaned up on the sole with a hoof pick and then scrubbed with a wire brush, but remained moist due to the wet conditions of the past week.  I wasn't worrying about the dampness as Sikaflex reacts in a positive way to moisture.  The hoof wall was dry-scrubbed of mud, but possibly a fine residue remained in places - the boots were definitely less bonded then normal.  Perhaps I should have given them an actual wash.

A little touch up trimming, taking off a bit more toe, just to help fit and breakover, and a light rasp on the hoof wall if I remembered.  This is her off-fore.  You can see she's got a few trouble spots, a sad frog, and a bit of a flare to one side - a case of go with what you've got on the day.


Doesn't the boot look beautiful although it got covered in mud soon enough.  The gaitor is still attached at this stage. Again in hindsight, I could have used a greater quantity of glue - I hardly had any oozing out of the boot, and no mess on me at all - a dead giveaway when I think about it.


I just squiggled a quantity of sikaflex onto the sole, into the collateral grooves, and the concave area of her sole, knowing that when her boot was put on, the glue would ooze into position as needed because it is quite liquid under pressure.  Boots actually go on easier too, because it acts like a lubricant on the hoof.



The fit isn't that tight, the vee isn't stretched at all, but she actually needs that size for length.  So 4 boots in places, she snoozes quietly in her yard, and we fill in the rest of the evening.  I think the whole process for each hoof took less than 10 minutes - I was pretty cruisy about it.

Around midnight the rain started - we must have brought it with us.  I listened to the leaks in the horsefloat where we were sleeping, and wondered what else would be getting wet - pretty well everything due to more leaks or just condensation.  A 6am ride start meant getting up at 5am to get organised.  Jen put on Promise's Gloves in the rain.  I was one up on her via glueing the afternoon before although I did need to unscrew all the gaitors (Experience Tip: don't clog up the screw heads with paint, otherwise the screwdriver won't grab and undo the screw!).  We both got equally we saddling up the horses!

Off in the dark to start our first 40km loop.  Apparently it was really miserably cold and wet the whole day but we didn't notice because we were having too much fun!  Joby took it all in her stride like a seasoned campaigner, taking her example from Promise who knew what it was all about.  We rode to the conditions and enjoyed nearly the whole loop.  One section was quite daunting to most riders - it was a very boggy slippery track up a very steep hill, and down the other side.  Yes the boots slipped a bit but we just sat quietly on the horses and allowed them to choose their path, trusting that we were safer on then off them. Promise did a couple of metre long skids on the way down and looked like an elegant ice-skater, totally relaxed and unfazed by the experience - she almost looked like they were deliberate by the way she coped!

Back in camp, great parameters for both horses although Jen was starting to feel the pain from an extremely dodgy ankle.  Out again in continuing wet and cold weather.  Although the rain cleared up intermittently, apparently temperatures never made it to 6 degrees celcius for the entire day (according to the weather chart it actually felt like only 1.5 degrees for most of it) - but the horses just kept going like they were having as much fun as me.  Jen was past it, but her attitude kept her going to the end.  

Joby and Promise vetted through beautifully, with Joby winning the Best Managed Novice Horse Award which kept me grinning.  At a ride where some riders didn't bother starting due to the perceived conditions of the track, we felt really comfortable about going ahead, knowing that we'd all be ok.  Mind-set is everything, setting yourself up in a positive way makes all the difference!  My attitude was easy to maintain - I knew that I'd rather be out riding than not, so I was happy.  Jen's attitude was much stronger - it had to be for her to get over the pain and continue on.  We crossed the finish line together, knowing that the four of us have just passed one milestone and are now set up beautifully ready for our next adventure - a mini marathon in August.

Jenny was a little worse for wear after the event, succumbing to hypothermia, but was much better the next morning after sleeping with 2 hot water bottles and a Jack Russell Terrier :)

Lesson 1.  Dress for the conditions, even if you think you don't feel the cold.
Lesson 2.  Be a tad fussier with preparation and enjoy the results.
Lesson 3.  Attitude makes all the difference!

Racetrack Intrigue 
I've always been a bit intrigued by the racetrack industry and the mystique that surrounds the horses, trainers, owners and conditioning process.  The stories of horses like Man O'War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Big Brown fueled my interest and the draw to someday own a racehorse. 

Shoe or Boot?
EasyCare hoof boots have been used in just about every equine sport, but have yet to make an impact in flat track racing.  Until recently, hoof boots have been much too heavy and bulky to allow a race horse to be competitive.  When the Easyboot Glue-On was developed, it started my curiosity about campaigning an Arabian track horse in a modified version of the Easyboot Glue-On shoe.

Why Bother?
Life on the race track presents challenges to the equine hoof.  Many track horses have challenges with brittle walls, tender feet, lack of support, and contracted heels from continuous shoeing.  Track horses that rip off a shoe and lose hoof wall also have a difficult time holding shoes and as a result miss conditioning and races.  Track horses are subjected to pounding workouts and as a result are prone to injury.  It is for these reasons I believe the sport could benefit from a more supportive shoe.

Imagine: The Easyboot Race

1. The Easyboot Race will allow the hoof to expand and contract as nature intended.
2. The Easyboot Race will provide support and comfort for quarter cracks. 
3. The Easyboot Race will allow farriers and trainers another tool for problem feet that will not hold nails.
4. The Easyboot Race will allow farriers and trainers an option that flexes and absorbs concussion to extend the horse's health and longevity. 
5. The Easyboot Race can be trimmed and modified to suit a specific horse, track or surface.
6. The Easyboot Race will be less likely to hurt horses, jockeys or spectators if they do come off. 
7. The Easyboot Race will allow trainers to train the horses harder and on less than perfect surface conditions. 
8. The Easyboot Race will bring the track an affordable glue-on solution. 

I probably heard my college football coach utter the phrase "speed kills" a hundred times.  Size, strength and athletic ability nearly always fail when confronted with speed.  We often entered a game as the bigger and strong team, but left the field beaten badly by a team with more speed.

The term "speed kills" is very relevant to the horse, shoes and the hoof boot world.  Getting shoes and hoof boots to work for a leisurely trail ride at a walk is comparatively easy.  As speed is added, shoes and hoof boots are put under a great deal of stress and torque.  The race track is the ultimate equine speed sport and the next arena for Easycare product testing.  Participation in the race track industry will make our products lighter and sleeker, allowing us to perfect the product line for all equine disciplines. 

I've tried unsuccessfully to convince race track trainers and race track owners to use hoof boots for flat track training.  I wasn't convinced they were right. I thought a custom designed racing shoe/boot would give horses that run at speed a comfort advantage and extended longevity.  Rather than continue to wonder, I decided to purchase a racetrack Arabian.  My plan was to pull the aluminum racing plates, improve the trim on his feet, condition him a bit in the Colorado hills and then take him back and race him in the new Easyboot Race shoes. 

Submitted by Christina Kramlich Bowie, Team Easyboot 2011 Member 

The annual Cooley Ranch Ride was held the weekend of July 16-17 in Northern Sonoma County, California. As always, it was a gorgeous and fun filled weekend, with beautiful trails, perfect weather, great management, wonderful people, awesome prizes, and incredible food and wine! Who could ask for more?  This is the kind of ride that reminds me of why I am so hooked on endurance.

The Cooley Ranch is a private property that has been in the same family since the 1800s. As ride managers Cynthia Ariosta and Forrest Tancer pointed out, as funds for our public parks dwindle in the state of California, it will increasingly be up to us endurance riders to cultivate relationships with private ranchers to hold rides on their lands. Crawford Cooley is extremely generous with the land and we are grateful he lets us use it. The ranch has very steep hills and is a real challenge for horse and rider. Usually the weather is hotter than it was during the weekend, but no one was complaining about that. Forrest and Cynthia did an amazing job organizing the meals: a casserole competition for Friday night with a wine tasting, a delicious paella dinner on Saturday, and a lovely dinner of roast pork loin on Sunday evening. No one wanted to leave.

As far as boots for the weekend, I decided to glue them on because of all the steep hills and water crossings, plus the fact that it’s a two day ride. I figured I had spare Gloves, but at least we’d start with Glue-Ons. I’ve been having good luck with the combination of Goober Glue on the frogs and on the walls, with Adhere in the quarters and along the top seam of the boot.  We booted on a very hot day, and we did the first two boots quickly, which was great. Then I opened another tube of Adhere that was either too old or just too hot and it set up before I could get the boot on. Then that happened again with another tube.  A few nasty words escaped my mouth, I admit - I hate wasting boots. Finally, the third tube was fine, and we booted a few more hooves and then ran out of time. Pascale and I popped the remaining two boots on in camp.

A few notes on using Adhere: 1. It has a shelf life of about a year, and it's possible that one or both of those tubes that went bad were too old, as someone had given them to me. 2. The ambient temperature is important to consider when applying boots using Adhere. On a very hot day, some find it works to keep the tube in the refrigerator before opening it so it doesn't set up too quickly. A cooler could also work, but just be sure that no moisture gets close to the glue.  In the winter months, many find it works to wrap the tubes in a heating pad for a while before applying the glue to the boots.

But back to the ride: The first day I rode with Pascale who was on my young horse, Brigadoon, and we had a blast. We took it pretty easy, enjoyed the views, and had no booting problems – YAY!  The next day my friend Bob Spoor, whose horse Logistic had BC’d the first day, dropped the gauntlet on me and urged me to ride with him. He rides a bit more aggressively than I do, and I made it clear that I might not stay with him, even though Czeale is a veteran and able to go plenty fast. It turned out Czeale and Logistic were great together! Their gaits are well matched (even though tiny-but-mighty Czeale is probably two hands smaller than Logistic!), they drink about the same, and they recovered about the same too.  

Riding with Bob is intense. He’s very competitive. We started a few minutes late so the first loop there was some question about where we were in the group. We passed a bunch of horses right off the bat. It was a lollypop shaped loop with some doubling back, and of course I didn’t have time to look at my map at any point. After awhile I noticed that we were seeing some trail for the second time and wasn’t sure if we were on the return trail or if we had missed a turn. I started to remember a time at another ride when Bob went an extra 25 miles on a 50 and we all teased him for winning the 75….! He wasn’t thinking that was so funny right then. Then we passed someone we had already gone by, who was pretty darn sure he was on trail.  Hm. Somewhere we had indeed missed a turn. Fortunately we saw the way back to the vetcheck and down we went. We had simply done the lollypop twice – an extra few miles.  Oh yeah and somewhere in there Czeale lost a back boot, but I taped his hoof, popped on a spare Glove and off we went – my only loss for the whole weekend.

So we started loop 2 back a bit further back than we’d started, but no big deal. We just kept cruising and by the time we got to the next vet check we were back to #2 and 3.  Both horses ate well, peed, and rested at the vetcheck, and we pulled out just a few minutes after the number one horse. The trail had a long stretch of flat and we cantered most of it. Along there we passed the number one horse walking back towards the vetcheck – he had lost a shoe and his boot had fallen off.  I only had a 00.5 which wouldn’t work for his horse, so we kept moving. Then we went through a lovely long creek bed and sponged off the horses.  There was a huge hill and we walked up it, and got off and walked down the other side. I walked slowly down that hill as my knee was really starting to ache – and I know it pained Bob to wait! Just as I got to him and got on, a few riders came tearing down the hill after us and passed us cantering through the rocks. We let them go for the moment. When we got to the wide open road again we started a nice easy canter and just kept going, passing both of them. There was another huge climb going into the finish, and we let the number one horse have that, as we didn’t think it was worth it to sprint up it. We finished a minute after him and both our horses recovered and showed for best condition. Bob’s horse got overall best condition for the weekend! What a fun day! What an incredible, exciting weekend! When can I go again?

Going barefoot with a natural trim and boots for riding, is not without its twists, turns and bumps in the road. I was a professional trimmer working in Delaware for six years. During that time, I specialized in teaching owners, mostly women, to trim their personal horse(s). I quickly learned that in addition to teaching them to trim, I had to prepare the owners for issues they might face, if transitioning to bare feet were to be successful.

1. Criticism
2. Soundness
3. Chipping of the hoof wall
4. Abscesses
5. Rehabbing cracks, holes and other deformities
6. Concerns post-rehab
7. Building a strong back-of-foot

Soundness: I expect most horses to walk soundly after every trim. If there is any tenderness, I figure out what's going on. If I did something wrong, I apologize to horse and owner. Then don't repeat!

• The Whole Horse Symposium: Mind Body Spirit.  October 15 and 16. The Nat'l Equestrian Center in Lake St. Louis, Missouri. Great discounts for 3 or more and early birds. Fantastic lineup. Priceless conference.
• 2011 NO Laminitis Conference. The first annual with Dr. Robert Bowker, Dr. Eleanor Kellon and other major players. August 5, 6, 7. Syracuse, NY. Only $175!
• Under the Horse, 10 DVD series with Pete Ramey. $250 and worth every cent.
• Equine Sciences Academy to learn about all aspects of natural horse care. Audit available
• The Horse's Hoof. Article series on the frog is archived.
• My site, 4 Sweet Feet, for many articles on trimming and natural horse care all geared to the owner. Free trimming videos focused on the rehab trim for the owner are posted.
• The Swedish Hoof School has some very interesting You Tube videos on hoof mechanism.

I hope you will share my posts far and wide. My goal is education for the horse owner. If you can't find a trimmer in your area, I will help online. I am available for affordable clinics for owners who want to learn to trim their horse. For other resources, kindly check my site. Thanks for spreading the word about care for the natural horse!