How to Shoe A Horse

There are some things in life that are put there just to test ones resolve. In my case, it's what I refer to as "the dirty dish." No, I am not talking about the battle of the dirty dish that occurred between roommates in college, where in a passive-aggressive manner one or more of us would go on strike against dishes when a certain roommate who seemed to think washing dishes or even putting them in the dishwasher was against all religion, I am talking about a pathological or chronic flare present in my gelding's right front foot, or, The Bane of My Existence. Seriously guys. This flare has been a battle that appears to be uphill. One that I cannot seem to win. Sometimes I'm able to resolve myself to the fact that this will always be an issue, albeit a manageable one, but other times, the times where I am frustrated with something else or feeling like I can't catch up in other areas of my life, I have a fit. 


Topper has been in our "family" since June of 2009. He came as a three-year-old, all gawky legs, with the habitual stance of putting the right front foot back and his left front foot forward in order to lower his little mouth to the ground. Although somewhat tall for a 3yr. old at 15.1, the striking thing about Topper was (and still is) his crazy long legs. Unfortunately, he continued to grow and now at 15.3 he has continued on with his habit of right front back and slightly towards his center, and left front forward. As result, Topper's right front develops a flare at about 10 o'clock and his left front tends to grow a longer toe. I guess you could say it's a typical high/low case, but I believe this stance is the blame.

I have tried just about everything to "fix" it. But in one of life's important lessons, I have learned that you can't fix everything. Sometimes you have to just deal with the cards you were dealt and make the best of it, which is what I have done. To address the flare, it is absolutely imperative that Topper not go any longer than four weeks between trims. Even then, that is too long. The cycle seems to go as follows:

• Get busy and go four or so weeks without looking closely at Topper
• Catch a glimpse of The Dish on one foot and long toe on the other and freak out
• Talk my crazy self down and go nuts rasping and checking, rasping and checking
• Vow to never go longer than two weeks without addressing the flare/long toe and diligently work   at it for the next couple months
• Get cocky due to "beating the dish" and back off

Well you can see where this goes. Unfortunately it doesn't say much for my intelligence considering I have been rolling through the above cycle, over and over, for the past two and a half years. Sigh. Some people's kids. 


Because I am not a professionally taught trimmer (and obviously am not THAT good or maybe this WOULD be fixed) my intentions were not to explain how to trim the flare, but more about dealing with the frustration that you may come across while caring for your barefoot horses. Although I joke about it, I can honestly say it really upsets me that I can't seem to fix this but it is what it is and for whatever reason, I really love this crazy horse and he's worth it. I had one of my little fits the other day and for a second wished that I shod my horses, that I didn't know what I know or that I just didn't care. Of course the thought was fleeting when I realized that if his feet look slightly neglected after four weeks, imagine what they would look like after eight weeks in shoes. Not to mention the cringe-factor of nailed on shoes AND the cost of re-setting those shoes every six to eight weeks. No thanks. 

 
My plan to deal with this issue is to continue frequent trimming, which really seems to be the most important thing. I have worked hard on developing both sides evenly from the saddle, and he travels beautifully. In an ideal world, I would have raised feeders to help alleviate the need for Topper to eat from the ground with his legs ten feet apart, but that isn't really possible at this time. 

I know everyone has a dreaded Dirty Dish in their horse lives. What's yours? How do you deal?

~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

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!

Where did you spend last night? On or in the truck, trailer, the tack room where the heater went out?

Will the boots stay on in snow and mud if you use cold or frozen glue?


As the competition season for many riders gets slowly going, some riders are considering gluing Easyboots on their horse's hooves.  With frigid temperatures still prevailing in many parts of the country, successful gluing will depend on thorough preparation of Glue-On Horse Shoes and hoof glue.

After  many mistakes made by myself and after trying many different gluing methods, what proved to be the most successful method is a combination of VETTEC ADHERE or SOLE-GUARD for the sidewall of the boots and Goober Glue (or similar glue) for the bottom or sole area.

When Vettec glues are exposed to sub freezing temperatures, it will not destroy them, but one should refrain from heating them up too quickly. Best to slowly warm them up to room temperature. ADHERE will thicken a lot below 60 F. Best temperature for Adhere is between F 65 and 85 degrees. Sole-Guard is generally thinner. At cooler temperatures it might be better to use Sole-Guard. Its gluing characteristics are similar to the Adhere but it runs thinner. The cooler the glue, the slower the setting times.

During the winter months we need to take special care to thoroughly dry the hooves before gluing.

If the boots are cold, warming them up will make them more pliable and easier to slide onto the hooves. The glue will also stick a lot better to them.

After applying the Goober Glue to the bottom of the boot, we evenly spread the Vettec Glue to the side of the boot, but only to the top half. When sliding the boot then onto the hoof, the glue will then spread evenly over the whole side wall. Applying too much glue to the walls or too low towards the bottom and you run the risk of pushing some Vettec Glue to the sole area, which in turn could cause pressure on thin soled and tender  hooves.

Apply the Vettec glue just to the top half of the boots side wall. In the sole (frog) area the Goober Glue is already added. Like we stated many times, success in gluing comes from proper preparation of hooves, boots and glue.

Cleanliness and dryness are the secret to success. Then the boots will stay on for weeks without doing any harm to your horses hooves and without falling off in the middle of a ride or race. During the winter months, we add the third ingredient, which is warmth.

At the Global Endurance Training Center we are gluing on EasyCare Glue ons and Glue-On horse shoes all year long. And we are using hoof glues in all kinds of weather and temperatures. It is taking a some effort to pry them off after wards. That is how it is supposed to be. Clean, dry and warm are the magic words.

This boot will stay on no matter what the elements are.

Good luck with gluing.

Your Bootmeister

Submitted by Joanne Pavlis, Team Easyboot 2012 Member

Back in the December 2011 Newsletter, Garrett Ford wrote to us about the concept of “New Tracks”, and asked us the question “Have you ever thought about what tracks you leave”?

As a licensed race track trainer, riding instructor, endurance competitor, and equine wellness foundation founder, I think about this all the time. Whenever I contemplate the vision of “New Tracks”, I recall the remarkable journey I embarked upon with this new EasyCare concept and product. MileMakers has played, and continues to play, a small part in the overall EasyCare evolution of change, as we all move ahead with our new found knowledge and product development. When I think of what Milemakers does on a daily basis, it seems relevant as an answer to the proposed question.

MileMakers began seriously promoting EasyCare products and educating our local horse community about the benefits of equine hoof boot protection in 2011. It has been the best transformation we could have made for our horses health, while giving us the added benefit of exposure to the latest science and technology to better educate those owners who had been sitting on the fence between old school & new school thinking.  EasyCare is constantly improving their product to better the wellness of horses, and they do it by using sound research while listening to the horse’s response.

Time and again, I lay witness to the fact that people will not change unless they fully understand the reasons behind the need for change. That is why, at MileMakers, we believe in promoting the education behind the EasyCare concept as we develop one knowledgeable customer at a time. Each newly educated owner/equestrian represents a “new track”. And each “new track” represents a seed of knowledge that has been planted and will continue to grow.

When the new EasyBoot Racing Shoe concept came onto the horizon, there was a lot of head scratching, questions, and a whole lot of “what if” scenarios. Some race track officials and commissioners didn’t know how to react to this new product because it was a divergence from their zone of comfortable knowledge. Other racing officials embraced the new concept, and were able to easily see the benefits for the future of horse racing, and overall equine foot health. No evolutionary journey is without its setbacks. The key is to remain confident with your concept despite those who want to drag you back down to “what has always been” and “we’ve been doing it this way for the last 200 years”.

In 2012, MileMakers will walk our talk. We plan to take our 3 year old colt, Defying Magic, (a.k.a. Indy) to the race track.

He has been barefoot his entire life, and will only wear the new EasyBoot Race Glue-Ons, while running races, due to a Colorado Racing Commission ruling which calls for all race horses to wear hoof protection. He is the first foal we ever bred, and we will not trust his feet to any other type of hoof care product or ideology.  

The journey one must take when laying down “new tracks” will never be an easy one. But by using education and proven results we can progress one step at a time. That’s why at MileMakers our motto is “Not just a destination, but a journey taken one hoofbeat at a time.”  With “New Tracks” I am excited about what I do as a Team Easyboot member, and we plan to leave a lot of “New Tracks” in 2012.

“Sometimes you’ve got to run away and see if they follow” - Manfield Park.

EasyCare will accept applications for Team Easyboot 2012 until midnight on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. Visit the Team Easyboot section of the EasyCare website for more details and to complete the application form.

Everybody know that transitioning a horse from shoes to barefoot is supposed to be hard, and taking one that's already barefoot should make for a seamless transition. NOT. If you've been around horses for any length of time, you will know that there are never any "givens" when it comes to horses! 

Back in November, I brought two new horses into our herd. The first was Breve, a big old moose of a 7yr. old Shagya, who had been barefoot for years. A few weeks later, we introduced Nero, a 10yr. old Arab who has been in shoes for the "on" season since he was a youngster. Naturally, he was going to be the difficult to transition where Breve would seamlessly continue in his work with no issue. 


Can you really call taking a barefoot pasture horse to a barefoot performance horse a transition? I think you can. There are major differences in a "pasture trim" and a good barefoot trim, and unfortunately many people don't understand these differences. Does your trimmer understand it? Breve had been recently trimmed prior to coming to Idaho, but came with too long of wall, too long of toe and some serious imbalances in all four feet, it was obvious some major adjustments were necessary. Because I knew his feet would be making some serious changes, I waited a while to order boots for him, planning on trimming conservatively and letting him do some natural wear during our frequent rides through November and December. I backed his toe up some and balanced him, but was not aggressive in his trim. Even so, after about a month of riding twice a week, he started to hesitate over the rougher, harder and rocky ground. I wrote a few weeks ago about fitting him for boots. Since we've gotten his boots, I've alternated riding barefoot and booted in the last month. About a week ago, I attacked his feet and am very pleased with how they look at this time. Look at these changes! 


Now for Nero. Nero, Nero, Nero. Wouldn't you know it he hasn't taken a bobble? I don't even have anything to write! After pulling his shoes, I rounded the walls and left him for a week. Truthfully, I was afraid to do too much and have the ground freeze, leaving me with a sore footed pony. He just has his shoes pulled for gosh sakes! Of course until now, we've had perpetual fall, so no frozen ground to battle with. That is all changing tonight. But I digress. Nero looked great, and when I started to ride him the first part of December I was shocked! This guy doesn't miss a step! After almost a 600 mile endurance season in shoes, he hasn't skipped a beat. I really appreciate this guys toughness and inherently beautiful feet. While I am not foolish enough to expect a completely seamless transition to competing in boots, I am pleased with how things are going. I have also come to fully respect a good farrier, because I am certain our transition wouldn't be where it is today had Nero been shod poorly. Barefoot or shod, a good trim is imperative, and we should appreciate it when we see it. 

Poor Nero's transition has been so unremarkable the only pictures I have are of his ridiculously perfect little face. I guess that's the difference in getting a horse from someone who cares for them as you yourself do! No crazy physique changes, no dramatic before and afters, just an easy pony to love. I have been enjoying our weekly gallops to keep me sane and Nero legged up without pounding out too many miles. 

He is spoiled with us! Never a dirty bed, dinner on a silver platter, and a mint on his pillow at bed time. Oh wait. He really hates mints. 


Here shortly, I will be fitting Nero for his own Easyboot Gloves. I anticipate needing a very good fit in the front as I have watched him carefully and he appears to twist a bit in both fronts as he places his foot down. Luckily, he has beautiful wall quality, absolutely no flaring and appropriate heel height. If we have problems (and stating this as public record guarantees we will), they will be my fault. I plan to be prepared! 


~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho 

A man of faith, Mike weaves his clinics with horsemanship and life lessons. Coinciding with all this is stewardship of the horse and talk about natural hoof care and what means for the horse and owner. Mike has found many people don't give a lot of thought to their horse's hooves and he wants to change that.

Mike's story begins as someone who kept his horses bare simply because it was practical. If and when he needed to ride somewhere rocky, he would end up shoeing his horse for the trip. The expense for a one-time shoeing didn't really add up for Mike and he began searching for other options. He picked up a pair of EasyCare hoof boots and became a barefoot and booted fan for life and hasn't looked back.

Mike believes providing your horse with a natural lifestyle encompassing diet, exercise and barefoot hoof care is as close as we can come to giving them the life nature intended. 

Mike also contributes to the blog at the Houston Herald in Missouri. 


Will you be hosting a clinic in 2012? We'd love to tell others about it. Please drop me an email at dschwiebert@easycareinc.com with details.

I have used Easyboot Gloves since they were released and absolutely love their lightweight and sleek design. I’ll admit when I saw the Easyboot Trail, I was skeptical and couldn’t help but compare them to my beloved Glove. Even though they are light, they aren’t as light as a Glove. Although they are sleek for a boot, to me they looked downright clunky next to the Glove. After becoming a customer service representative at EasyCare, I knew I needed to ride in the Trails since they were our most popular boot in 2011. So for the past three months I have been using the Trails on Cal, my Tennessee Walking Horse cross. Cal has always been a sensitive horse, the type that would gimp over rocks even when he had shoes on. The Trails were a breeze to put on and I was absolutely amazed at how comfortable he was in them, even more so than when I rode him with Gloves on the front. Now I see what all the fuss is about; the Easyboot Trail really is amazing!

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! 

October 8th 2011 was spent working on my farmer's tan watching 175-odd horses and riders set forth on the [winterized] Tevis Trail.
 
The 20 mile loop out of Foresthill was the make-or-break for many riders and the 1,800' jaunt down and up Gorman Ranch Road (not part of the usual Tevis Trail) was - as expected by locals - one of the toughest parts of the trail. Deceptively trottable, it nonetheless took a lot out of many horses. Regardless of position, how long it took to reach pulse criteria coming into this check would dictate when they would be allowed to leave, refreshed after the hour-long hold.

Jeremy Reynolds (the eventual winner of this year's ride) arrived moments before the others but also dropped to pulse criteria first, so he would be first out at 2:58 pm. I went over to take photos. Jeremy and Riverwatch were already waiting to go and I positioned myself just down from the out-timer to get a shot of them--me thinking they'd leave at a fast walk or maybe a trot. “Go” yells the out-timer and they shoot out of there at a fast canter, around the corner, down the hill – on pavement. Ack! Thank goodness for Glue-Ons.


Next up is Rachel Shackelford, only a minute behind on her veteran horse, BR Cody de Soi. Apparently last year Rachel was running in third place and slipped on the pavement riding through Foresthill. Cody went down and the scrapes he sustained forced them out of the race. I thought for sure such an incident would cause her to rethink Cody's footwear, but, nope, she’s still in steel shoes <squeak>.

Just before she leaves, she laughs with someone and says she won’t slip this time. She departs at a fast trot, Cody slithering slightly on the pavement. Ack, I think, crinching up my body in angst.
 
(OK, so maybe this is a personal paranoia, but I'm convinced that any horse in steel shoes will automatically fall over if it does more than amble on pavement. Cody, however, has completed over 4,000 competition-miles during which time he has likely developed some balance skills, eh, Lucy?).


Three minutes later, Dennis Summers and OMR Tsunami (Lola) get to leave and this time I can relax - Lola's in full Glue-Ons so no slippage for them at an extended trot. 

Because of the rerouting of this year's trail, riders had to deal with more paved sections than usual and I'm sure the booted riders were glad for both the cushioning and the extra traction.

At the very beginning of the ride, riders had to cross the paved Highway-49 after crossing No Hands bridge going the "wrong" direction. Word at the ride meeting the previous evening was that riders would be asked to dismount to cross this road. My thought was "well, that won't be necessary for horses in boots, bummer." Apparently ride management changed their minds, however, and dismounting wasn't required after all. 

So many of the front runners came through Foresthill at a canter, but luckily many of them were also wearing glue-ons.

Given my own personal paranoia, there's no other way to go where pavement is concerned.

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"!

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."

Why, you might ask? Well let me count the ways...

1) Crack kills - Easyboots don't. It's pretty much that simple.

2) Crack is really expensive (I think, anyway) and is pretty much instant gratification. Easyboots last for miles and miles and miles! You can't beat that!

3) Crack is illegal and being in jail would suck. Easyboots are now legal in lots of different sanctioned horse sports including CTR. Glue-Ons are appropriate for many types of competition and hopefully the new Easyboot Race Plate will be allowed at race meets across the country very soon! 

4) Crack makes your teeth fall out and your skin fall off <ewwww!!!!> . Easyboots allow horses to live a more natural lifestyle the other 90% of the time they aren't being ridden. It's really a win-win. 

5) Crack must be purchased by specialized dealers across the land. While Easyboots are also purchased from specialized dealers across the land, you most likely won't get shot or robbed or have to wear wires to purchase them. It's a much safer situation overall. 


While I could go on and on, I think the above provides adequate reasoning why NOT to purchase illegal controlled substances, when you could be buying Easyboots for your horse instead. Of course for those who would never consider buying crack, we could substitute other frivolous (hopefully legal) things many of us chose to spend money on... a few lunches out a week, some Starbucks, manicures, fancy shoes, I could also go on and on about spending money on non-necessary things such as purses and luxurious make-up but not because *I* ever do such a thing!


When recently polled, the number one reason that people cited as keeping them from purchasing boots for their horses was cost. While I get the sucky economy deal, I also consider horses to be a hobby. An EXPENSIVE hobby.. one of the "you gotta pay to play" kinda deals. I also think about how much money the average crack user (who is usually unemployed and drowning in legal fees for past and present criminal charges) probably spends a week. The thought of spending $120.00 on a pair of Easyboot Gloves that will last my horse months and months of riding doesn't seem so bad. 

So lay off the crack and buy some Easyboots. It's a good decision. 

~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho 

Although I have already written a few posts under the Customer Help blog, I feel I should officially introduce myself as a hoofoholic. It all started in 2003 with my first horse Calatar. Admittedly, I knew nothing about hooves but I had a friend who was taking her horses barefoot and I decided to give it a try. Cindy "Hawk" Sullivan pulled Cal’s shoes and I never looked back. The more time my horses spent barefoot, the more I realized how much stronger and healthier bare hooves are. Cindy is much more than a trimmer; she is also a wonderful teacher who got the ball rolling for my trimming education. She taught me how to roll the wall for maintenance and emphasized the importance of environment in regards to hoof health. At the time, I had no idea who Cindy was or the impact she had on the barefoot movement but if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Submitted by Sabrina Liska, Team Easyboot 2011 Member

As many of us know, there is always that one horse that has beautiful tootsies, but is in that 'almost but not quite' fit zone. I have a such said horse. Trimmed and measured a few times by a professional trimmer but my beloved Epics were just a smidge too big.

What to do? My mare has a pair of size 3 Epics. She also has and wears successfully Gloves, size 2.5. On training rides and just trail rides, I like to use the Epics. Her feet are trimmed properly, and being of the gaited variety, I like her toes kept back for maximum breakover. The Epics fit with the athletic tape wrapped around twice, and the boots stay on, but I can hear a "space" in the toe area when we walk. It reminds me of someone wearing a clown shoe. That last statement is an over-exaggeration, but you get the point, and I'm not ready to give up my Epics.

A while back, I read the blog regarding an Goober Apron created by using Goober Glue around the edges of a boot prior to gluing the Glove on. The light bulb went off in the ol'e brain. What if I took some Goober Glue and did a bead of 10 to 2 in the toe of my Epics? The glue does not harden like plastic, its pliable, and once it dries, would stick nicely to the inside of the boot. 


I only applied a small bead of Goober Glue as I could always add more if I wanted to. It is more complicated to take away, so better safe than sorry. I left my boots out in the sun for the afternoon to make sure the glue was dry. I then rode my mare with the Epics and the Goober Glue. I liked the results. How easy was that?

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

Ok well it's not exactly Tuesday but it was written on Tuesday so technically I'm not too far off. Kevin Myers began the series, Transition Tuesday, some time ago. Kevin chronicled not only the transition from shoes to barefoot with their horses, but also the transition for himself and Rusty. It was informative and sometimes hilarious. Unfortunately, you won't be reading about the greased pig effect of silicone and Gloves during MY transition, but I hope there will be something of use for someone! 

While I know most people who read the Easycare blogs are already barefoot and well on their way to success, there are others who have yet to or have just made the decision to yank the shoes off their horses. It's a scary decision if you're new to barefoot/booted riding, but once made, rarely will you go back. The decision is much less scary when you've done it before, but there is still a little anxiety as to how this particular horse at this particular time will handle the transition. 

Nero is a 9 year-old CMK gelding. He has 1,820 endurance miles. All shod. He is in his prime and absolutely *loves* his job. I'll be taking Nero on for the next year, and hope to add many successful endurance miles to his record. Of course, these miles will done booted. I can only hope to do this fine horse justice. 

Nero came to me in shoes, set about six weeks prior. He was off, right front, with no discernible reason. Upon close inspection, I came to the realization that I couldn't really fault his shoe job. While I obviously don't shoe my horses, if I did, I would want their feet to look like Nero's. His heels were nice and open, the shoes were set wide, and his break-over was very nice considering he was six or more weeks into the set. Setting the foot down, I noticed that there were no flares and his coronary bands were very straight and not pushed up like I see a lot of shod and even barefoot horses. This says a lot for the trim he was given prior to shoeing. 


That all said, I could see exactly what we'll be working toward! Given that he was so many weeks into the shoes, he had a lot of foot growth. It is amazing to look at a hoof that hasn't been trimmed in that long and see how much growth there is! I can totally see why people new to barefoot worry about the "look" of a barefoot hoof. It is so much shorter, overall! I will be sorry to tell his mom, but our boy will be a bit shorter when this is all said and done! That's ok, he's a little tall for me anyway :) 


Unfortunately, none of this gave much reason for his lameness. I could only hope pulling his shoes helped, but at least I knew pulling them wouldn't make him more lame, or I hoped anyway! Luckily, I married the right guy for this job! My husband, who is an equine veterinarian, came out to take a look at Nero and help (help meaning do) pull his shoes. He noticed right off the bat that there had been a nail set on the outside of the right front, much higher than the rest. Nero was obviously uncomfortable when pulling that side of the shoe off, and settled when the nail came out. He also had some slight separation of the white line at the quarters, and had a funny looking crack along the toe that may have had too much pressure from shoe and dirt, and could have been causing some soreness. At this point, it's all speculation. Time will tell. 



After pulling Nero's shoes, I very lightly rasped the walls to round them, and headed back to the round pen. While I know he needs a trim, I like to give them a bit of time to settle without changing everything all at once. As for that day, wouldn't you know Nero was SOUND! Sound and sassy - a great combination! He was turned out on the hills with the other two boys the next day, and I will be doing a real trim on him in a few days.

While this isn't the best time of the year to transition due to the fact it's about the freeze and get REALLY hard, we'll do our best! Throughout the winter, I'll be writing once a month about our experiences getting Nero going from shoes to boots and hopefully completely barefoot as he lets us know he's ready. This is the fourth horse I'll have transitioned from shoes to bare, hopefully the fourth SUCCESSFUL horse! This horse has incredible feet and incredible abilities as an athlete. I cannot wait to see what Nero can teach me through the process. 



Next time: why you should buy Easyboots instead of crack. Oh yes. There are many reasons. 

Happy Riding! 

~ Amanda Washington
SW Idaho 

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.