Boot Camp, EasyCare, Inc. Dealer Blog

EasyCare Thought Of The Day

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Easyboot Epic Testimonial

Below is an email and pictures that I received from a woman whose mother is living out one of her life long dreams!  Check back, as I am hoping to get updates!

Danielle’s journey.

  I am writing on behalf of my mother Danielle. She rides horses since a child. She is 61 years old. She has only one leg following an accident when she was 35 years old. She is now on a trip across France starting from Alsace, near Germany, and planning to go all the way to the Cathar country, Carcassone area, Spanish border, and back home. The trip will last about 9 months. She is traveling alone with her 3 horses and 2 dogs. The 2 mares are pregnant and one of them will deliver her foal in April, while still traveling, but almost back home. Her horses are barefoot for over 2 years now. She already went 500 km. But her horses, especially the male, were in pain to be barefoot. We rushed an order of Easyboot Epics to be delivered to an address nearby where she was camping. Since then the horses are going without complaints and seem to love the boots. She already did more than 100 km with the boots and counting. She sleeps outdoors, near lakes if possible. Has solar batteries for her cell phone and recharges her batteries for her camera on a base with a crank.  As for her food supplies (animal and human), she carries 4 days worth and must make it to a village by then. So far so good. But on an earlier expedition, about 4 years ago, she starved and started eating what her dogs were bringing back, or what she found in the forest. This time she is trying not to let that happen again, and keep her routes close by villages when the 3rd day approaches. She is enjoying beautiful sceneries. Meeting wonderful people. And best of all she is enjoying herself. Now with the Easyboot Epics, her journey can only go easier.

Nadia

8/28: She is by a river "riviere de l'oignon", enjoying the good weather and the forest. One of her mare is wearing 4 boots epic. The male is still refusing to wear them, but it is just a matter of time.... Yesterday Danielle crossed a village and a woman offered her a room in her house because she heard of her and wanted to talk to her about this experience. But Danielle politely declined and went to set up camp in the forest. This experience is to be one with nature and prove to herself that she can do it. The local newspaper was looking for her but was not successful, maybe next time.... Danielle is trying to understand how to use her email with her cell phone. Once she'll be able to do that, she can email us photos and text directly that I will translate into English.

To be continued....

Nadia

EasyCare brings you the news, Mule's foal fools genetics

This is for all the mule lovers out there.  It's an event so rare that the Romans had a saying, "when a mule foals" - the equivalent of "when hell freezes over." This article from the Denver Post was sent to us from EasyCare Dealer and Hoof Care Practitioner, Karen Reeves from beautiful Keno, Oregon.  It is a great article with lots of fun facts about our friend the mule!

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_6464853

Hufshop is Now EasyCare’s Exclusive Distributor in Germany

Tucson, AZ August 23, 2007 Press Release:

EasyCare, Inc. has selected Hufshop as the new German distributor for all EasyCare hoof boot items. The Hufshop will carry the full line of hoof boots manufactured by EasyCare and will include Easyboot, Easyboot Epics, Easyboot Bares, Easyboot Grips, Old Mac's, Boa Horse Boots, EasySoakers, Comfort Pads and the majority of each hoof boots’ accessories.

The HufShop was established in 1999 by Claudia Baldauf-Jung and Bernd Jung. Both have been using hoof boots since 1994. They are committed to helping customers find the best hoof boot for their horse. The Hufshop already has both dealer and consumer websites in place. Please visit the Hufshop website at http://www.hufshop.de/ or http://www.hoofshop.com/ for more details.

EasyCare is very excited about this new partnership and is looking forward to better serving horse owners in the German and European marketplace.

EasyCare, Inc. has been a leader in the hoof boot industry for years, beginning with the invention of the Easyboot back in the early 70's. Since then, the need for boots has grown tremendously as more and more horse owners see the healthy advantages of pulling shoes and switching to natural hoof care.   EasyCare is excited about being part of this growing trend.  For more information about hoof boots or natural hoof care please call EasyCare, Inc. at 1-800-447-8836, e-mail: admin@easycareinc.com  or visit our website at www.easycareinc.com. 

Easycare committed to dealer network

Easycare is proud of the service we provide and resources we offer.  Make sure as an EasyCare dealer you are utilizing all we and our website has to offer.  If you ever have question we can be contacted by phone (800-765-2275), email or fax (520-297-9600).  Our normal business hours are Monday-Friday from 8am to 5pm PST.

Take some time to check our our website and make sure you are listed on our dealer locater and check your knowledge under our education tab.  Where you will find articles, testimonials, videos, downloads, useful links and even a brief history on Easycare.

We are committed to making selling our products easier for you, please don't hesitate to contact us with questions, concerns or comments. We are here to listen and help anyway we can.

More about Fitting Easyboots, Bares and Epics

Success with hoof boots depends largely on proper fit.   The number one reason that horses experience rubs is because of improper sizing.  Usually the boot is too big—either too long in length, or too wide.  But, horses can also get chafed by a hard part of the boot touching soft tissue. 

Once you have measured and have looked at the size chart you can determine what size the horse will fit into as it relates to the bottom measurement of the foot.  But, we know that a horse’s foot is three dimensional, and the bottom of the foot doesn’t tell the whole story, does it?

After putting on an Easyboot, Epic, or Bare you should look to see how close the boot is to the coronary band.  If the boot touches soft tissue at all, or is close (1/8”) do not use the boot.  This seems to occur more often in the smaller-size boots, but can happen in the larger sizes as well.  The new boots are much lower profile than they used to be, but some short-footed horses just don’t do well in these types of boots.  The only solution to this problem, if you are in a dire situation, is to insert a HARD, flat piece of material into the boot that will raise the hoof, but this is still not the ideal situation.  Do not insert anything that is soft and will squish down with wear, thus putting your horse at risk for a rub.

 

The second place to check fit is at the heel strap.  On an Easyboot you can SEE if the heel strap is touching soft tissue. The strap should not come in contact with the soft bulb of the heel and should stay SNUG against hard portion of the hoof.  Because of the gaiter on an Epic or Bare you will have to run your finger inside the back of the boot or pull the gaiter out of the way to make sure the heel strap isn’t touching soft tissue.  If your horse has a low or underrun heel you can cut the strap down and cover it with vet wrap. 

Most importantly, don’t forget to remove the PULL STRAP that you used to set the heel strap (see the photo above if you don't know what the pull strap is.)  If you leave it in the horse is in danger of stepping on it or getting a bad heel rub!

Go to our website for more information on fitting and sizing Easyboots, Epics and Bares. 

EasyCare Inspirational Quote!

A little neglect may breed mischief...
for want of a nail the shoe was lost;
for want of a shoe the horse was lost;
and for want of a horse the rider was lost...

-Benjamin Franklin

Dome Pads are Here!

We are in the process of producing dome shaped comfort pads that fit inside Easyboots, Epics, Bares and Grips.  They have been in testing for quite some time, with some amazing results.  Unlike our flat comfort pads, the dome pad lends more support to the inner frog and sole areas for horses that have sufficient concavity in the foot. (These pads are not for flat footed horses.)  If a customer is in doubt about which pad to buy and you are unfamiliar with their various uses, you should continue to steer your customers to our flat comfort pads which are versatile for both riding and therapy. 

We currently have medium size dome pads in stock.  They fit into the size 1 and 2 boots.

We will be getting large and small dome pads in the next eight to ten weeks.  We are not currently making them for the Boa, Old Mac's or Soaker lines.  For more information please give us a call at 1-800-447-8836. 

August Newsletter

Boot Camp Dealer Newsletter August 2007   in this issue :: August EasySoaker Special :: A Day in the Life of Horse Rescue :: EasyCare Scholarships and the Equine Science Academy :: Freedom For the Feet: Stepping Out of Steel Shoes in Style :: Five Tips For Easy Easyboot Bare Adjustments :: Help Us Name Our Next New Boot! :: EasyCare Event Schedule Dear Dealer, We have a lot to tell you about this month. Exciting things are happening behind the scenes at EasyCare! We recently arranged to donate eight $1,000.00 scholarships to the Equine Sciences Academy. Continue reading below to learn more. Check our EasyCare Video Blog to see some of the entries for the EasyCare Summer Video Contest. To learn more about the contest and how to submit your own video, click here. We are also developing a new hoof boot design. The new design is based upon several outstanding design features from our other hoof boots. We are really looking forward to launching this new boot design in 2008. In the meantime, we need to come up with a name for this new hoof boot. Continue reading below to learn more. We have also recently received a "Notice of Allowance" for one of our patent applications. This is an important patent and will help EasyCare protect our product range. Great News!

 

August EasySoaker Special Now is the time to stock up! During the month of August if you buy 4 EasySoakers you will get the 5th one free. Don't expect to see another soaker special in 2007, now is the time to make sure you stock up and have the sizes your customers need. Limit 4 free soakers per dealer, sale is valid August 1, 2007 until August 31, 2007.     EasyCare Scholarships and the Equine Science Academy Interested in a career in natural hoof care? EasyCare, Inc. and the Equine Sciences Academy are pleased to announce that EasyCare will be offering a total of eight first-term scholarships in the amount of $1,000 to the Equine Sciences Academy. Four scholarships will be awarded to the Fall 2007 class, and four to the Spring 2008 class. learn more...     Five Tips For Easy Easyboot Bare Adjustments from Karen's EasyCare and Endurance Musings Blog You really don't need the strength of King Kong to adjust your Easyboot Bares to a tighter setting. Here are some tips that will make it a lot easier, in fact it'll be so easy you'll wonder why you were trying to do it the hard way! (if in fact, you were) ;) Below the tips is a short video that may also help you to visualize it. 1. Loosen the screw (the farthest forward one), without pulling it out of the gaiter 2. Keep the end of the screwdriver in the head of the screw 3. Move the end of the screw at an angle into the tighter hole on the bungee 4. Use the screw as a lever to pull everything together 5. Line everything up and tighten click here to see the video...

A Day in the Life of Horse Rescue Easyboot Bare Testimonial This won the July testimonial of the month contest! Click here to find out how you can enter for your chance to win a pair of Easyboot Epics. They ride on wings of eagles, flying proud on that breathtaking Arabian mare. It was a great life lesson to the kids and adults alike that would have given up. It took a year but she is healed and in full service. Thank you for the continued advancements in these products. I solidly endorse this product as does Foxy. learn more...     Freedom For the Feet: Stepping Out of Steel Shoes in Style by Tomas G. Teskey D.V.M. We are intertwined, heart, mind and soul with these animals. They perform for us with a work ethic rarely seen in human circles, and become capable of so much more when we allow their feet to function properly. learn more...     Help Us Name Our Next New Boot! Submit your name ideas to us for the new boot currently in development at EasyCare. There is no limit to the number of suggestions per person. The first person to submit the name that we choose will win a year supply for one horse of the new boots. The new boot that we are currently testing and refining is a lower profile version of the Easyboot Epic. The totally new design will feature a lower fitting shell, a new fastening system and a low profile flexible gaiter that will conform to the heel area. Click here to submit your name submissions to us via email. learn more...     EasyCare Event Schedule Come and See Us! EasyCare will be attending several events in the coming weeks--everything from trade shows to hoof care clinics to endurance rides. Please click the link below to learn more about each event. We hope to see you there! learn more...

Don't miss the opportunity to have a photo of your horse in the 2008 EasyCare Calendar! If you have a good quality photo of your horse using any of our products please submit them to us! Remember to check our Dealer Search page to make sure your contact information is correct. If you are not listed please contact me and I will make sure we get you added. If you or one of your customers are looking for somebody to take care of your horse's hooves, give our hoof care practitioner database a try. Or if you have a good hoof care provider already, why not tell them that they can register in our database so that others needing their services can find them easily. Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter! Please let us know if you have any ideas or suggestions on how to make it better. If you have any questions about our products feel free to call our friendly staff at 1-800-447-8836, e-mail: questions @easycareinc.com or visit our website at www.easycareinc. com Be safe on the trail, Brian Mueller EasyCare, Inc. email: bmueller@easycareinc.com phone: 800-447-8836 web: http://www.easycareinc.com

Feedback on EasyCare Hoof Boots

Do you have feedback on any of our EasyCare hoof boots designs?  Ideas to make a product better?  Problems you are seeing or things that are working well for you?  We would love to have your feedback, both pro and con.  Feedback from our dealers and customers helps EasyCare to improve its products.

If you have feedback please click here.

Thank you for your continued support!

Do you have feedback on any of our EasyCare hoof boots designs?  Ideas to make a product better?  Problems you are seeing or things that are working well for you?  We would love to have your feedback, both pro and con.  Feedback from our dealers and customers helps EasyCare to improve its products.

If you have feedback please click here.

Thank you for your continued support!

EasyCare Hands on Training

Easycare believes in keeping our staff educated and informed.  We are holding hands on training for the entire company today at 2pm.  Every employee will be given a category to cover and present their area to the group.  We will be covering everything from boot repairs to sizing and fitting boots on our office managers (Nancy) horse.  We are committed to providing the best customer service, this is why we believe in doing hands on education.

EasyCare's Media Resource

Attention EasyCare Dealers, do you need an image for printing on business cards or flyers?  A chart for your website?  Well this is the place you'll find it!  We've made it easy for you to get all the media information you need with just a quick click.  If you can't find what your looking for email us your request. 

EasyCare Hoof Boot Contest Update

We now have 137 riders in our EasyCare Hoof Boot Contest and they have ridden over 13435 miles this year!  Click here to see the latest results.

$10,000 will be awarded to the riders who complete the most American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) or Australian Endurance Rider Association (AERA) miles in 2007 using two or four EasyCare hoof boots. 

1. 1st place - $3,000
2. 2nd Place - $2,000
3. 3rd place - $1,000
4. 4th place - $850
5. 5th place - $750
6. 6th place - $650
7. 7th place - $350
8. 8th place - $400
9. 9th place - $400
10. 10th place - $400

EasyCare inspiration for the day!

Words to live by.....

Author Unknown

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road your trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and its turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When they might have won, had they stuck it out.
Don't give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victors cup;
And he learned too late when the night came down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when your hardest hit,
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit!

In memory of Patricia Ann Allinder-February 20th, 1937 - August 5th, 1991

Show off your horse and his boots in our 2008 EasyCare Calendar!

Time is running out!  Do you have a great photo of you and your horse(s) in boots that you'd like to submit to us for consideration? 

If so, you may submit a large size, high-resolution photo through our testimonial form or drop your photograph in the mail. We ask that you send the largest file available since small images are not suitable for calendar printing. If we choose your horse, we'll send you a handful of calendars to pass out to friends and family. So get out there, get your boots on and get snapping!

Please include your full name, contact information, horse's name, location and any other interesting tidbits you'd like to share.

Deadline for Photo Submissions: September 15, 2007

Mail to:

EasyCare Calendar Submissions

2300 E. Vistoso Commerce Loop Rd.

Tucson, AZ 85755

Email: admin@easycareinc.com

August EasyCare Blog Special!!

This months EasyCare Dealer blog special is:

Purchase sizes 0, 1 and 2 Easyboots for lowest retail dealer pricing!!  No minimum required!!

Stock up on these sizes today!

Sale ends August 31, 2007.  EasyCare domestic retail dealers only.  Dealers MUST mention sale at the time of order.