Boot Camp, EasyCare, Inc. Dealer Blog

EasyCare Dealer, High Performance Hooves Clinic Is Huge Success!

Jay and Q DeHart, EasyCare dealers and operators of High Performance Hooves out of Stevensville, Montana held their first natural hoof care clinic this past month in Corvallis.  Despite the snow and ice, Q reported that the clinic was a huge success, with 75 people attending, some from as far as Southern California!  When Jay spoke on the topic of booting there were lots of questions and interest.  Dawn Merrill (Team Easyboot Member) came along to help and manned the table with the boots and pads.  Dawn addressed many questions on booting in regards to the advancements in booting and hoof boots; the ease of putting them on as well as the many benefits they offer the horse. For those of you interested Jay and Q will be holding additional clinics in the Whitefish/Kalispell, MT area the last weekend in May.  Contact them or the Backcountry Horsemen of Kalispell for more information.  They will also be giving a brief Barefoot Hoof Care chat and demo at the 2008 Horse Expo, at the Sapphire Event Center in Corvallis, MT on Saturday, April 12th.  See their website:  www.sapphireeventcenter.com for more info on the Horse Expo.

EasyCare Product Images

Updating your website?  Printing a new catalog?  If you need any EasyCare images for your website or for print ads you can find them on our website!  Just click here!   

Please feel free to contact us with any questions!

EasyCare Continues "Fill Your Truck" Program!

EasyCare knows the vital role hoof care professionals play in natural hoof care.  We want to make it easy for you the professional, to provide the best for your clients.  As a professional, having the right products, (boots, pads and accessories) is essential when out on a call.  EasyCare is offering an exclusive program designed just for Hoof Care Professionals that immediately puts our top selling boots in you hands. Don't miss out on this fantastic program, contact Debbie Schwiebert at 800-447-8836 X 2224 or dschwiebert@easycareinc.com for more information and "Fill Your Truck" TODAY!

The Black Heritage Riders Cross The USA In EasyCare Hoof Boots

The Black Heritage Riders are going strong as Miles Dean and Sankofa along with Reggie Gough make their way on a journey riding horseback from New York to LA!  Miles Dean, executive director of the New Jersey-based non-profit organization set out on a 6,000-mile trek from New York to California in September.  The 58-year old elementary school teacher is on a mission to educate people about African-American contributions and achievements.  Dean tries to average about 30 miles each day he is on the road and he hopes to reach California by February, which is Black History Month.  Hoof Care Practitioner Carrie Christiansen of Browns Mills, NJ provided Miles horses with a good trim, boots and education on booting.  Dean's horse sports Old Mac G2's in the front and Easyboot Epics behind, all with Comfort Pads.  Check them out in action and click here to track their progress!

EasyCare Comfort Pads Testimonial

The comfort pads you sent for me to try on my ringbone horse "Beene" are working wonderfully!! He is sound on all surfaces. Ed and I will certainly tell our "BenTheyre" trail riding readership that we like the pads. The article due next (for Jan 08) is going to talk about our observations on the trend to natural hoof care... utilizing the innovations in hoof protection with increasing trend of travel trail riding hoof care needs. I purchased a "hoofjack", tools, and 3 sets of Bares to test for "real use" for the article. Our farm site is www.bentheyre.com. Readers really like to go to our site if we have some little extra info for them to find when they visit. We are thinking maybe a listing of the items we liked best...

Thanks again for the pads!

Vanessa Waters

New Information on Laminitis Pain

Laminitis Pain might originate from a different source according to Stacey Oke, DVM MSc.  This article just in from the Horse.com .  EasyCare has lots of options in hoof boots and Comfort Pads for horses in pain or in need of some extra support.  Keeping a laminitic horse comfortable and walking, along with expert hoof and veterinary care is paramount for recovery.  Seeing is believing; check out this clip sent to us by Hoof Care Practitioner, Sally Hugg of Oroville, California of a foundered clients horse before and after with EasyCare's Epics and Comfort Pads.

The benefits of using EasyCare Comfort Pads with EasyCare Hoof Boots

It's great to hear from end users when they have found ways to use our products in ways that can help their horses.  Below is a comment from a rider who is in the EasyCare Hoof Boot Contest (currently placing in the top five) who just recently attended the recent Pete Ramey clinic in California.  Comfort Pads are a great accessory item to sell with our EasyCare hoof boots!  If you'd like more information on them or would like to place an order, please contact your sales rep. 

An important point I got from the clinic is to use my boots more. I have really only been using the boots for competitions and going barefoot the rest of the time at home and on training rides. I did notice that sometimes my horse seemed to be a little foot sore and a little short strided but I just kind of put it aside thinking it was better to "toughen" up her feet and I would never get her hoofs hard and develop thicker soles by using boots.

I found out I was wrong. What would happen is that my horse would start to walk toe first. Not super obvious but I could tell. Pete implies that as soon as your horse starts walking toe first you start going backward in hoof development. He said I would actually develop a stronger, tougher, better developed hoof using boots and having a properly loaded hoof with a properly working hoof mechanism then gimping along barefoot..

So, that's the main thing I am going to do...to use boots more around home. Also you have to use the foam pads. That I did already and I think they are great.

Lauren

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. 

The Grip Goes Rodeo

Pickup man and Hoof Care Practitioner Randy Hensley of Hensley Natural Hoof Care put the Easyboot Grip through its paces.  Randy (shown here) gets the job done this past weekend at at a Bad To The Bone Tour Rodeo in Peru, Iowa.  Randy is riding Frog his eleven year old Registered Quarter Horse gelding in the Easyboot Grip and EasyCare Comfort Pads.  Randy also added an inch of double sided tape between the boot and hoof wall under the buckle as extra insurance against twisting.  Randy said he couldn't be more pleased with the way the boots performed.  He said the boots drew quite a bit of interest and left that day with a few new potential clients!  Thank you Randy for this super testimony.

Debbie Schwiebert

Dome Pads Will Be Added to EasyCare's Product Line!

For the past few months EasyCare customers and dealers have been testing the Dome Pads, and providing us with great feedback on them.  The pads have been very well received! 

Good news! The New Dome Pads will soon be part of EasyCare's Comfort Pad product line! The pads will be available to our dealers very soon!  Watch for further details!

Carrying Accessories to Become Consumer-Friendly

Not too long ago I broke a toe clip on my mountain bike while riding over some rocky terrain.  I took my bike back to the shop where I bought it and, not only did they have all the parts, but they put the new toe clip on for me right then and there.  Meanwhile, I had nothing else to do so I looked around and bought another $100 worth of stuff and put several things on my wish list.  I could have ridden that afternoon without my toe clip, and I could have surfed around on the internet and ordered one, taken the time to put in my credit card, paid for shipping, installed it myself, etc... but I didn't want to.  I wanted to ride my bike with both toe clips that afternoon.  My problem was solved by a shop with great service that carries the accessories I need.  There are five bike shops within a 10 mile radius of me, four of which are closer.  But I want great service, and I always get it at this particular shop.  My point is that, because of a small repair and a little customer service, this shop will have my business for a long while and will make much more than the small amount they made off of the toe clip they sold me.  It's just something you might want to think about while selling hoof boots to a customer. 

Trail and Endurance Riders do the same thing I do.  They ride over rough terrain, hit rocks and break stuff.  The only difference is they have their lovely thousand-pound assistant to help them, which means that it is far more likely that they will break (or their horse will eat) a part.  Carrying accessories and repair parts will help you add an important aspect of customer service to your business.  For instance, if you carry Boas, you should sell the appropriate laces.  It is an added plus if you can install them for your customer.  Most parts of our boots are either repairable, or replaceable.  Eighty percent of our market is in a small range of boot sizes, so you don't have to carry parts for every size boot. 

Here is a list of accessories/repair parts you might consider having in your store:

1) Easyboots - cable/buckle kits (sizes 0, 1 and 2) and Up buckles in the same sizes

2) Epics - The above plus appropriate size gaiters

3) Boas - laces, gaiters and caps

4) Bares - bungees and gaiters

5) Old Mac's - pastern wraps for those who prefer them over gaiters

If the customer must do their own repairs, please don't forget to send them to the videos on our website at http://www.easycareinc.com/education/videos.aspx

"How To" Videos Available on the Web

Some really great videos are available on our website.  They include:

Replacing an Easyboot Gaiter, Changing a Boa lace, Replacing an Easyboot Cable, Fitting Old Mac's, Trimming a Comfort Pad, and more.  They may be viewed at http://www.easycareinc.com/education/videos.aspx. The clips are categorized and are only 30 to 45 seconds long.  These videos are especially handy when you have a customer with a repair question. Check them out!

2007 Images Update!

With the addition of the Easy Up Buckle and the change to the Cast Buckle system you may need to update your images.  All our images , new and old, can be found in the Dealer Area of our Dealer's Corner on the EasyCare website.  Need sizing charts and layout information for your website?  Click here!  

New Online Catalog

EasyCare has launched a new interactive online catalog check it out, its pretty cool.

March Specials

Get a Grip!                                     

15% off Easyboot Grips

The Easyboot Grip is essentially the Easyboot Epic with an aggressive sole and traction tread pattern. The Easyboot Grip is ideal for the barefoot horse ridden in soft muddy conditions or wet grass and snow surfaces. The aggressive traction pattern provides better grip on these surfaces but should never be used on dry surfaces or hard surfaces. The Grip should be used in soft soil conditions or soft wet grass and snow surfaces only! Although the Easyboot Grip provides increased traction in slippery conditions, riding horses in wet, muddy and soft conditions is dangerous and should be done at your own risk. Available in sizes 0, 1, 2 and 3 only. Sold individually.

Special must be mentioned at time of order. Offer expires March 31, 2007.  Limit 10 Grips per dealer.

New Comfort Pad System is Here!   

"A True Breakthrough In Healing"

Learn why renowned barefoot practitioner Pete Ramey calls hoof boots and pads "A True Breakthrough In Healing" in this interesting and educational article.

In March only, you can get this new revolutionary system for 15% off.

Special must be mentioned at time of order. Offer expires March 31, 2007. Limit 10 systems per dealer.

FILL YOUR TRUCK PROGRAM

 

THE FILL YOUR TRUCK PROGRAM HAS LAUNCHED!!! IF YOU ARE A HOOF CARE PRACTITIONER WATCH YOUR EMAIL OR PHONE THE OFFICE AND SPEAK TO DEBBIE at dschwiebert@easycareinc.com or 800-447-8836 x 2224 FOR ALL THE DETAILS.   

March Specials!

New Comfort Pad System is Here!

"A True Breakthrough In Healing"

Learn why renowned barefoot practitioner Pete Ramey calls hoof boots and pads "A True Breakthrough In Healing" in this interesting and educational article.

In March only, you can get this new revolutionary system for 15% off.

Special must be mentioned at time of order. Offer expires March 31, 2007. Limit 10 systems per dealer.

Get a Grip!

15% off Easyboot Grips

The Easyboot Grip is essentially the Easyboot Epic with an aggressive sole and traction tread pattern. The Easyboot Grip is ideal for the barefoot horse ridden in soft muddy conditions or wet grass and snow surfaces. The aggressive traction pattern provides better grip on these surfaces but should never be used on dry surfaces or hard surfaces. The Grip should be used in soft soil conditions or soft wet grass and snow surfaces only! Although the Easyboot Grip provides increased traction in slippery conditions, riding horses in wet, muddy and soft conditions is dangerous and should be done at your own risk. Available in sizes 0, 1, 2 and 3 only. Sold individually.

Special must be mentioned at time of order. Offer expires March 31, 2007.  Limit 10 Grips per dealer.

AERC

Karen, Cathie, Debbie, Chief and I had a very busy day at the AERC show yesterday.  If you are here in Reno come see us, we are in booth 327, 329 and 331.  Karen will be doing boot fitting clinics throughout the day. 

                              

2007 PRODUCT HAS ARRIVED!

We just received a large shipment of all new EasyCare products for 2007.  One of EasyCare's main goals for the year is to carry larger levels of inventory and stay out of "Back Order Situations".  Chris Freeman processes all back orders and has a new bat that will be used on EasyCare owner, Garrett Ford if we go into "Back Order Situations". We have strong inventory of all product except for the new Comfort Pad System and the EasyUp Buckle.  Both of these new products will be here in a couple weeks.  We have inventory of all EasyCare Hoof Boots.  New style Easyboots, New style Epics, New Style Bares, New Grips, Old Mac's G1, Old Mac's G2 and EasySoakers.

Make Your Customers Believe!

Clinton Anderson believes in EasyCare boots, click here to see why.

Comfort Pad System

One of our most exciting products this year is our new comfort pad system.  This product is an innovative addition to the horse boot world. We believe it will help set us apart from many other horse boot companies in adding a more versatile dimension to our boots.   While many horsemen and women see the benefits of using boots as hoof protection and may carry one as a spare in case a shoe is thrown, the benefits of healing with boots are now being discovered. (See, for example, Pete Ramey's article entitled Boots and Pads: A Breakthrough in Healing.)

The EasyCare Comfort Pad System was developed with the help of several well-known hoof care practitioners who work daily with pathological hooves. 

It comes with three pad styles molded in three different densities (40, 50 and 60).  The teal-colored pads are the softest, the black are medium (same density as our other comfort pads) and the red are the firmest.  The system allows for many padding combinations and gives practitioners and horse owners many treatment options.

1. The Frog Support Pad comes in three different densities to allow various comfort levels. Each frog support pad can be used with any of the Sole Pads. This gives the horse owner the opportunity to apply different pressure to the sole and frog areas.

2. The Sole Pad comes in three different densities to provide the ability to apply various comfort levels to the sole area. The Sole Pad may be used alone for frog pressure relief or in conjunction with the Frog Support or Frog Pressure pads.

3. The Frog Pressure Pad comes in three different densities to allow three different comfort levels. Each Frog Pressure Pad can be used with any of the Sole Pads. This gives the horse owner the opportunity to apply frog pressure and three different comfort levels to the sole independently.

The Comfort Pad System is sold as a kit of 18 pairs of pads. (6 pairs of Sole Pads in three densities, 6 pairs of Frog Support Pads in three densities, 6 pairs of Frog Pressure Pads in three densities). Each pair of pads is also sold independently. The densities can be described as soft, medium and firm.

Blog Specials!

Be sure to be on the lookout for upcoming posts on Boot Camp for blog only specials!  We will be adding them at random and the only way to find out about them is keep checking back.

The Grip is now Available!

About the Easyboot Grip 

Unrivaled Traction 

The Easyboot Grip is essentially the Easyboot Epic with an aggressive sole and traction tread pattern. The Easyboot Grip is ideal for the barefoot horse ridden in soft muddy conditions or wet grass and snow surfaces. The aggressive traction pattern provides better grip on these surfaces but should never be used on dry surfaces or hard surfaces. The Grip should be used in soft soil conditions or soft wet grass and snow surfaces only! Although the Easyboot Grip provides increased traction in slippery conditions, riding horses in wet, muddy and soft conditions is dangerous and should be done at your own risk.

Available in sizes 0, 1, 2 and 3 only. Sold individually

Demand is high, be sure to get your order in ASAP!

Epic/Comfort Pad Back Orders

For those of you who have been asking, our next shipment of Epics and comfort pads will come in at the end of November.

Comfort Pads-Two Thicknesses

Comfort Pads Available in Two Thicknesses

Due to the huge popularity of the Comfort Pad, EasyCare, Inc. will soon be making the product available in both the original ½” thickness and now the new ¼” thickness. This version of the Comfort Pad will be available in mid July and will offer more options for riders and horse owners. The new thickness will allow for more flexibility because the ¼” pad can be used by itself, stacked together, or in combination with the ½” thickness pads. This will be a great way for horse owners to customize their pad and boot fitting.

 

Comfort Pads are an excellent way to provide extra protection and cushioning for a tender footed horse or for one recovering from various hoof ailments, including laminitis and navicular. The EVA foam pads often provide immediate relief for horses with severe hoof conditions. The pads are an excellent way to provide frog and sole support and increase circulation which may accelerate healing time.

 

Multiple endurance riders have been testing them on rides and have found that they are a great way to add a little extra cushioning and protection for horses that will be going over challenging terrain that is rocky and hard-packed. Comfort Pads and EasyCare hoof boots are also an excellent way to help our equine friends go from being shod to being barefoot with minimal or no transition period

 

Comfort Pads are sold by the pair. They can be trimmed easily with scissors and will fit into any of the EasyCare line of hoof boots. The pads can also be used to achieve a better fit for horses that may be between sizes in a boot. Specify type of boot and size when ordering.

Shrinkage-Comfort Pads

The new comfort pads that fit inside our hoof boots have been a big hit with our dealers. Customers are riding in them as well as using them for therapuetic reasons.  As a reminder, do not leave them in direct sun or any place where there is above-normal heat, such as in a parked car on a hot day.  The pads will shrink and become less pliable.