Just like everyone else at EasyCare, the horse and its well being have been burrowed deep into my heart for as long as I can remember. Regardless of a childhood of falling off my first Shetland pony over and over…..and over again, that affection for these complicated animals is still with me as an adult. I have found myself starting colts in Kansas, riding the pastures in search of lost cattle in Steamboat Springs, retraining rescue horses in Santa Fe, and most recently packing mules into the Weminuche Wilderness here in Durango. Being in all these circumstances has made me hyper aware of how much impact trimming and shoeing has on the health of the horse, and I am so excited to help customers of EasyCare find the solutions they need to keep their horses sound and happy!
My two geldings, Joey and Willie, have had equally strange journeys into my life. Joey was picked up at two years old, running wild in the Carson National Forest. He and I competed in a 100 day colt starting challenge through the rescue I was working for, and he went from scared of everything, to being my best adventure buddy. I adopted him after the competition and he has helped me guide through the Pecos Wilderness as well as performed as a lesson horse. The best thing about him? He has amazing feet from growing up in a rocky environment.
Willie was a much different story. He was 12 years old when I pulled him out of a pasture of 20 brood mares. He was originally going to be a project for me to start under saddle and sell for his owner, but from lack of proper trimming on soft ground, he was impossible to keep sound and also very timid from being bossed around for most of his life. I decided to keep him, and we are working on our partnership (and his horrible feet).
My hope is that by the end of the summer, the three of us (four, including Scout the dog) will have completed the journey from Silverton to Durango via the Colorado trail. We will definitely be in Easyboots, and I will give a full report after our trip.
Until then, Happy Trails!
Katie Johanson, EasyCare Product Specialist
