Boot Camp, EasyCare, Inc. Dealer Blog

Oregon School of Natural Hoof Care to Host Dr. Bowker

EasyCare is excited to spread the news!  Open to the public!  Equine Hoof Specialist, Dr. Robert Bowker, VMD, PHD will be at the Oregon School of Natural Hoof Care August 2 & 3rd, 2008.  Dr. Bowker is a professor of anatomy and director of the Equine Foot Laboratory at Michigan State University's college of Veterinary Medicine.  This is a great opportunity to be with others interested in learning from the worlds leading researcher on the cellular structure of the foot.  Dr. Bowker helps one understand how the foot functions, repairs and works.   Cutting edge information will be discussed.  This is a fantastic opportunity to speak to Dr. Bowker as well as other hoof care professionals. 
For more details please contact Cheryl Henderson at 541-899-1535 and or visit the school's informative website.  Don't miss this amazing opportunity!

Easyboots Help Transition Barefoot Walker

My daughter, Suzanne Haevischer, who lives near Fayetteville, TX, has an 18 year old, black Tennessee Walking Horse gelding she has owned since his birth.  He has always been somewhat tenderfooted and a little "pacey" in his gait.

About five years ago, to improve his gait, she started having him shod in heavier shoes.  Although his gait improved with the heavier shoes, he had intermittent problems with lameness, especially in his front feet.

About two years ago, she stopped using the heavier shoes and had another farrier do a "pasture trim."  Each time the horse was trimmed, he was lame a few days.  After three or four sessions with the farrier, we learned that a nearby natural horse care trimmer, Eddie Drabek, had openings for new clients.  Eddie came out and trimmed all our horses for the first time in November of 2007.

He also advised her to use Easyboots when she rode him until he was able to travel comfortably barefoot.  For about three months, she used Easyboots on all four feet when riding.  With the Easyboots, his gait improved immediately and significantly. 

Now, his feet have improved so much that she can ride him barefoot on all the sandy and clay based trails nearby and only uses his boots when we ride in rocky, mountainous areas.  He is comfortable riding in a nearby park that has a few miles of gravel trails, as well as on the shells at Matagorda Beach on the Texas Gulf Coast.

His gait?  It's better than it has ever been.  He travels fast and smooth!

He is living testimony to the benefits of Easyboots and barefoot trimming.

Photo taken by Jim Edmondson at the Supreme Trail Challenge Competitive Trail Ride held at LBJ Grasslands near Decatur, TX, on May 3, 2008.  Other photos by Jim can be seen at his website

Relda Sterkx

Round Top, TX

Inventory is in!

We got a nice shipment of Easyboots, Epics and Bares in today.  One of the warehouse staff, Russ Freeman, is on vacation so we were a person down… so I had the pleasure of helping the crew (Mike Tilden, Christina Carbone and Roger Hoefs) unload the container.  What a hard working bunch, I had a great time working side by side with them!  If you have not guessed I am the guy who is sweating the most (Third from the left), office work has left me soft!  Time to get your orders in, these boots are moving fast

EasyCare Attends Equine Extravaganza

On the the road again...EasyCare hit the road earlier this month to attend the Equine Extravaganza in Raleigh, NC.   Dealer Rep. Debbie Schwiebert, met up with Hoof Rehabilitation Specialists representatives Alex and Florence Sporando (That's right, Pete Ramey's Mother-In-Law and Brother-In-Law).  Together, we joined forces to promote the barefoot lifestyle and to provide information on trimming and booting.

Alex is a professional trimmer having mentored under Pete as well as worked with veterinarians much of his life.  As for Florence, well if you have ever been lucky enough to attend one of Pete's clinics; Florence is a major factor in those amazing events coming together. 

We had a packed three days visiting and talking with all who stopped by.  Pete's new DVD and book were available and the entire EasyCare boot lineup, the various pads and boot accessories were on had for folks to take a look and ask questions. 

It was great to see all of you who stopped by and to our dealers who attended we thank you!  Where will EasyCare be next?  Check out our schedule and we hope to see you soon!

 

Quote of the day

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows achievement and who at the worst if he fails at least fails while daring greatly so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt

Movement in Easyboot Epics

We often asked at trade show and other events if horses move differently in our boots.  Click here to see a clip of how a horse moves while boot up on all four hooves.  We have quite a few interesting videos on our Website.  Make sure to check back often as we are always adding updated material.

Top 10 Ways To Annoy A Hoof Care Practitoner!

EasyCare Dealer, High Performance Hooves sent us this fun list, venting some suppressed frustrations no doubt!!  I'm sure many of you can relate.  For the rest of us; take note on what NOT to do if you want to keep your trimmer! 

Top 10 sure ways to annoy your trimmer:

1. Make sure your horses are loose in the pasture when the trimmer arrives. The larger the pasture the better.

2. Fill the trimming area with as many obstructions as possible. Dogs and children count extra.

3. Read horse magazines so that you can instruct your trimmer on the latest trimming techniques.

4. Be sure to feed the other horses while the trimmer is working.

5. Lead the horses through mud before bringing them to be trimmed.

6. Complain about the bill shortly after pointing out and discussing the huge price of your new truck, daughter's new saddle, new boat etc.

7. I try to clean his feet, but it kills my back when he jerks his feet away. Duh?

8. I bet you guys get used to being kicked like that, huh?

9. He's never done that before! Yeah right!

10. Do you charge less for ponies since they are smaller?

New Gaited Horse Page

  EasyCare has a new gaited horse page on our website.  We will keep it updated with stories, articles and dealers who can help customers with their gaited horses.

Here's the link: http://www.easycareinc.com/education/testimonials_gaited.aspx

This is a photo submitted by Cathy Tauer at Hill View Farms.  This is her daughter, Kelly, with her Peruvian Horse, Henry. 

Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners Hold Dissection Clinic

The Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners held a anatomy and cadaver dissection clinic this past April.  The course was held in Concow, CA and taught by professional trimmer, Sally Hugg.  EasyCare, HCP Dealer Rep. Debbie Schiwebert flew out to get educated in the ways of dissection and to see the hoof as only one can through an actual cadaver dissection. The course also covered terms and a view of the hoof through the use of the Glass Horse program.  If you haven't seen this, it is an amazing tool for anyone interested in the distal limb and provides an excellent way to become savvy of terms and terminology as they apply to the lower limb. Sally was a gracious host and a wonderful instructor.  There were many professionals in attendance who are also EasyCare dealers so it was icing on the cake for Debbie to finally put names and faces together and to get down to the details of dissection in the midst of some mighty fine company!  For more details on this course and others offered through the Pacfic Hoof Care Practitioners visit their website for more details.