EasyCare Customer Help Desk

Tulip sets a new Record!

2009 has been quite a year for Tulip.  This Morab gelding turned 21 in June and has been credited with 21,155 miles to date!  Pictured here with owner Dr. Les Carr of Somerset California, Tulip is the first horse in AERC history to surpass the 20,000 mile mark.  Way to go Tulip!

Common Hoof Problems

Many problems can occur with the horse hoof. This interesting article addresses some common hoof problems including abscesses, cracks, sole bruises and corns.

Abscess

Abscess is an infection of the sensitive tissue of the foot. Abscesses result in varying degrees of lameness, depending on the severity of the abscess. Symptoms include the hoof being hot and an increased pulse. The abscess will take the path of least resistance and migrate up the hoof and break out at the coronary band. Once the abscess begins to drain, lameness usually subsides.

Abscesses can be located with hoof testers. Paring the area of the sole identified by the hoof testers is the quickest way to relieve pain and lameness. The sole will have a dryer, harder texture below the site of the infection. As the sole is thinned over the site of the abscess, it will become softer and spongy. Once the pus pocket is reached and drainage is initiated, pain subsides. Once drainage is established, flush the abscess with hydrogen peroxide or other suitable solutions. Irrigate the abscess with a germicide (iodine) and pack with a drawing agent (ichthammol). In persistent cases, a salve poultice applied directly on the hoof or soaking with epsom salts is required to draw the abscess to the surface.

Avoid cutting a large hole in the hoof when pairing or opening the abscess. In most cases, the less hoof removed, the quicker the horse can recover and return to active use.

Cracks

A crack is a visible vertical crack in the hoof wall. Cracks are referred to by location, such as toe, quarter, heel, or bar crack. Cracks run parallel to the tubules of the hoof. Cracks can be superficial to the hoof wall or can deeply penetrate the sensitive structures of the hoof. Dry and brittle hooves crack more easily than healthy hooves.

Treatment consists mainly of immobilizing the hoof crack, thus permitting sound hoof wall to grow down from the coronary band. Stabilizing cracking may involve side clips, burning the top of the crack, applying an acrylic, or rasping a half moon shape under the crack to remove the pressure that occurs when weight is applied on the hoof.

Sole Bruises

Sole bruises appear as red spots or specks on the sole and frog. They vary in size due to the extent of the blood vessels affected in the sensitive structures. The white line or the hoof wall also may be red. Sole bruises are caused by trauma from a sharp object or excessive weight-bearing of the sole on rocky ground. Barefoot horses should be trimmed so they walk on the hoof wall. Hooves that are trimmed too short are easily bruised on any ground. A bruised sole can be protected by shoeing with a pad and a flat concave shoe. Sole bruises rarely cause lameness unless they are severe. However, horses walking on hard surfaces may have tender hooves for a day or so due to a sole bruise.

Corns

Corns can be classified as dry or moist. Corns start out as bruises of the sensitive sole in the angle formed by the hoof wall and bars. This angle, where the wall and bars meet, is the seat area where corns originate. A dry corn is a red bruise in the seat of the corn area. The redness is caused by the horn tubular filling with blood from a ruptured vessel. A moist corn is yellow, with serum present.

Corns are caused by unequal pressure and concussion created by a conformational fault or faulty trimming. Corns can be caused by overtrimming the heels, heel calks (heel shoes that have small cleats on the end of the shoes), short-heeled shoes, unlevel shoes (shoes that have not been leveled properly after being shaped to fit the hoof but are simply nailed on the hoof), or leaving the shoes on too long.

Corns can be prevented by eliminating the causes. Pressure on the corn seat also may be relieved by trimming the sole between the bars and the hoof wall so that it is 1/8 inch lower than the wall.

Mystic Vision and Epics

    

Here is a customer testimonial about another happy horse!  This was sent to EasyCare  by Gayle and her horse Mystic Vision in his Easyboot Epics. Gayle is especially thankful for her wonderful trimmer - Pat Burton from Hoof Pros who suggested EasyCare hoofboots instead of shoes.  Thank you Gayle and Pat!

"Pat has been our farrier for about 16 years.  He was first recommended to us by our veterinarian when my daughter's 10 year old show gelding foundered.  Pat put heart bar shoes on him and kept him showing and going for 14 more years.  Taj's life and usefulness was greatly extended by Pat's care.  We recently had a stallion founder and Pat came to the rescue, this time with pads, boots and sole spray.  Even though the gelding did very well with shoes, the boots and pads are a dramatic improvement.  I had to make sure I had bute on hand every time Taj was shod to ease the pain of pounding on his feet.  The stallion is not subjected to that painful procedure.  There was a dramatic improvement after the first week of being treated with the boots as he progressed from nearly crawling to walking soundly, barefooted.  After only a few more months of treatment, he now trots, canters, bucks, and kicks like he used to - only barefooted!  We are all most appreciative, especially Mystic Vision, and consider it a privilege to have Pat care for our horses."

Pete Ramey's Next DVD is Available

Pete is doing a series of DVD's called "That's My Horse". Great material for everyone that wants to learn more about the hooves and see what makes things better for our equine partners.

Go to this link

http://www.hoofrehab.com/ThatsMyHorse2.htm

 

 

Horse Anatomy Fun

With 205 bones and 700 muscles the horse is a challenging animal for anatomy students to study.  That was until champion rider Gillian Higgins came up with the novel idea of showing people how it all works.  Rather than bog them down with dusty diagrams and skeletal sketches, she hit upon the idea of painting the inner workings of the horse on the horse itself.

Now veterinary students, race horse trainers, eventers, pony club members and dressage judges are flocking to her lectures to see the horse painting in action.  Ms. Higgins uses water-based hypoallergenic paints which are easy to wash off afterwards.  She takes four hours to apply the equine make-up painting the skeletal structure on one side and the multi-colored musculature on the other.

"Painting the skeleton and musculature on the other side of the horse really helps to bring the subject to life," she says.  "You discover how to get the best of your horse by seeing exactly what happens as it moves."

Normally her models are her 12 year old eventer Freddie Fox or six year old Henry- although if she travels further from home she relies on schools and colleges to provide a horse for her.  Greys are best because the colors show up more clearly.  Click here to learn more.

Equine Affaire 2009 in Springfield, MA.

If you're in W. Springfield, Massachusetts  this week, be sure to stop in at the 12th annual Equine Affaire www.equineaffaire.com  and visit with our EasyCare Representatives, Chris Freeman, Debbie Schwiebert, and Miriam Rezine. They will be happy to answer any questions and/or demonstrate our hoof boot line for you. Stop in at the Better Living Building Nov12 through Nov15, you will find EasyCare set up in Booth #508. 

There will be a host of clinics, seminars, and demonstrations to cover subjects as wide ranging as natural and alternative therapies, stable management, nutrition, and first aid techniques. Don't miss this great affaire!  

Veteran's Day

   

EasyCare would like to remind everyone to take a moment today to say a big thank you to all the men and women both past and present who have served our country to keep us "the land of the free and the brave." The United States currently has 170,000 men and women stationed in Iraq, 26,700 in Afghanistan and another 92,000 in other areas of the world.

If you would like information on how to help our troops you can go to www.uso.org or to www.nationalserviceresources.org.

University Professors Help Decode the Horse Genome

 

The Star Tribune has a great article written by Jenna Ross about the decoding of a horse's DNA.

More than a decade ago, two University of Minnesota professors thought the idea of decoding a horse's DNA was  "a pipe dream."  Today, it's a paper published in the journal Science.

Profs. Jim Mickelson and Stephanie Valberg are two authors of that study and part of an international team that has spent years investigating, mapping and now sequencing the genome of the domestic horse. The discovery is being celebrated by a scientific community that says it could change how diseases in both horse and humans are diagnosed and treated. It already has, the professors say. Go here to read more.....

One of the posted comments stated...It is truly amazing how close humans are related to other creatures. We are all creatures. 99.5% identity with chimps, 53% identity with horses, 29% identity with dogs.

Terra Firma Equine Center

Gail Snyder gailsnyder@netzero.net , Certified Trimmer and Instructor is holding a Natural Hoof Care Clinic  Saturday, November 14, in Sedalia Colorado. Gail is also an instructor for www.abchoofcare.com out of Jacksonville, Oregon and hosts many informative clinics that your horse will Thank You for attending! 

Listing of Topics: 

• Natural Hoofcare & Trimming
• Hoof Anatomy & Mapping Techniques
• Whole Horse Health Rehabilitation
• Lameness Rehabilitation Strategy
• Hoof Assessment, Balance, and Correction
• Learn How You Can Trim Your Own Horse

Date: Saturday November 14, 2009 

Time: 1-5 PM.

Location: 1772 South Perry Park Road, Sedalia, Colorado 80135

Clinic Fee: $35.00 for materials, reservations payable in advance

Please make check Payable to: Hoof Squad, Inc.

Mail to: Gail Snyder, 3134 Winnebago Drive, Sedalia, CO 80135

Email gailsnyder@netzero.net  for more information!

Seating is limited so call now, it's fun and informative!

Happy Trails from EasyCare!

Getting Ready for Winter Riding

With winter just right around the corner - I know for some of you it seems like it is already here - it is time to think about winterizing your hoof boots. The EasyCare  studs are designed for durability and ultimate traction, and are great for riding on ice, mud or turf.   You can add our studs to any of our boots, (except the RX and soaker). At the Kentucky North American Championship ride our Swiss EasyCare distributor, HoofGroove added studs to the EasyCare Glue-on boots (see picture above) with a unique stud system developed for the grass and slippery conditions found in Switzerland.  The studs were a great success!  Sibylle Krieg of HoofGroove has a great deal of experience with studs and has been providing horses traction with her stud system for years. you can read more about that here.

Our studs now come in regular (3/4") and long (1"). For the bigger size boots (size 5 and up) you will need to install the longer studs due to increased sole thickness.

So don't let a little ice and snow stop  you - get out and ride!

First EasyCare Facebook Contest Winners Announced

Check out the winners in the very first EasyCare Facebook contest at this link. Join in on the fun and maybe you could be a winner too!!!!!!

The Easyboot Facebook Photo Contest for week #2 is underway.  We are looking for a photo that shows the perfect hoof.

Hands on Wellness Lameness Prevention Clinic

The Worthy Horse

equine bodywork

with

Taraba Equine Sports Medicine Inc.

&

Heart ‘n Sole Hoof Care

Present

“Hands-on Wellness: Lameness Prevention”

November 15^th 2009, 9:30 am – 4 pm RAIN OR SHINE

Howlett Park Equestrian Center, Rolling Hills Estates California

Contact Susie Lytal at 310-488-4389 for Pre-Registration & Lab Schedule

Lecture 9:30 am - noon

• Equine bodywork and application of techniques
• Natural horse/hoof care
• Introduction to lameness, how they occur, how they can be detected & treated

Labs 1 pm - 4 pm

• Physical assessment- hands on bodywork, learn on your own horse!
• Palpation Techniques of your horse's limbs
• Transitioning the barefoot horse (hoof boot application)
• Saddle Swap, call for details!

Speakers and Presenters

Keith Taraba, DVM- Equine veterinarian specializing in sports medicine and surgery

Susie Lytal MS, CMT, CESMT- Equine bodyworker, equine biomechanist & skeletal balancing

Vanessa Taraba, MS- Equine exercise physiologist specializing in stress response

Jennifer Reinke- Natural hoof care Practitioner, Founding member of Pacific Hoof Care Professionals

 

Observers: Pre-Registration $40, On-site Registration $45

Attend all lectures, includes workbook

Lab Participants* includes lunch: Participate in one, two or all of them!

ALL LABS WITH YOUR HORSE, LECTURE, WORKBOOK & LUNCH $225

Lab space is VERY limited to ensure your satisfaction!

• $75 Bodywork & Saddle-fit lab with your horse, $25 without horse
• $65 “Hoof Boots Demystified” lab with your horse, $25 without horse
• $95 Veterinary lab with your horse, $30 without horse

*Lab participants must register for morning session.

We will be unable to accept participants or horses without pre-registration.

Stalls available for $20, to be paid in advance

                  

The Horse

He has galloped through young girls dreams, added richness to grown women's lives, and served in war and strife.

The horse, your friend and mine.

Barefoot Hoof Care Clinic with High Performance Hooves

Jay and Q DeHart from High Performance Hooves will be hosting a lecture and hands on cadaver hoof trimming clinic on Saturday, November 14th 2009 in Florence, Montana.   This clinic will provide a rare opportunity to trim and dissect a cadaver hoof and learn how your trimming affects the internal structures of the hoof.  Participants will also learn how nutrition, proper trimming, good pasture management can help your horse grow a healthy hoof.

Topics to be Covered:

Equine Nutrition, Pasture Care, Hoof Boots, Barefoot Trimming.  They will also cover Safe Horse Handling by Ethan & Lorri Zimmerman, 1* Certified Parelli Natural Horseman Instructors.

Cost:  $90.00 per participant - hands on class is limited.   Auditors are welcome - the cost is $40.00.

Location:  The Natural Horse LLC, Florence

Date:  Saturday, November 14, 2009

Time:  9 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

If interested in attending please contact Jay and Q DeHart for more information at 406-777-1256.

Please Note:  Dress appropriately for handling and trimming cadaver hooves.  Required tools; rasp, hoof knife, hoof pick and gloves.  Recommended tools; nippers and trimming chaps.

Sunny trusts his Easyboot Epics!

Hoof Care Practitioner Dawn Willoughby of 4 Sweet Feet in Wilmington, DE sent us these great pictures from a recent ride through Brandywine Creek with her Thoroughbred rescue Sunny.  He's seen here sporting Easyboot Epics with 12mm firm comfort pads. 

She says, "The Brandywine Creek, which actually can get quite deep and   wide, runs through my riding area.  We criss-cross at many spots.  One area which is about 10 city blocks has sand or tiny rocks so we can trot without fear of the horse tripping on a big rock."  Dawn is currently pursuing trips abroad to further educate others on barefoot hoof care. 

Thanks for sharing your photos with us Dawn!

EZ Rides All The Way

   
Lainie Ray has been riding in E-Z Ride Stirrups for quite a long time. She loves the stirrups almost as much as she loves her 11 year old Endurance Mare Shataan Park Sybella.  All the way from Australia comes this great photo of these two! There are several types of stirrups available at EasyCare, Standard Aluminum, Nylon, Leather and the beautiful Tapaderos. They come with the shock absorbing comfort top bars in half sizes from 1" to 3" and are available in brown or black. Thank You Lainie and Shataan from your friends at  EasyCare!

What a Horse Must Be Thinking

 

 

 

Owner:  Human assigned responsibility for ones feeding

Grain:    Sole virtue of domestication

Crossties:  Gymnastic apparatus

Latch:  A type of puzzle

Fence:  Object in the way of good grazing 

Jumping:  An opportunity for self expression 

Hitching Rail:  Means by which to test ones strength

Horse trailer:  Mobile bear cave

EasyCare Hoof Boots:  Ahhhh...relief for my "ouchy" feet!

Old Mac Original Boots Make First Trail Ride A Success!

  

  
"I just wanted to compliment you and your company one more time. The replacement boot arrived the day before we left for our trail ride just as promised. We rode for 3 days for a total of 25 miles over creek rock, water crossings, and knee deep mud. Never once did we lose a boot, and they offered excellent protection. They were definitely easy to get on and off. Thanks to your helpful service, we were able to take my 9 year old son on his first real trail ride without any problems with his horse's tender feet."
Stacey White

Cowan Horse Adventures

Here's a great way to spend an evening or a day out in our beautiful Arizona desert! It's a family run carriage and horse back riding operation in Southwest Tucson, Arizona, run by Brad and Caroline Cowan.

Click on to their website www.cowanhorseadventures.com and learn all about it. You can head out with family or  friends and take time to see those spectacular views on horseback, or in a horse drawn all terrain carriage. Leave the driving to someone else and enjoy! You pick the start time and also choose from a variety of trails, easy and flat to mountainous and challenging. A variety of gentle horses are offered. Mount selection is based on your skill level and size. Here are a couple of pictures of Caroline and Honey sporting Easyboots and Brad on Lt Go For the Gusto. Where's your boots Brad? The weather  is great folks, so call (520) 883-5529 and make your appointment to get out on those great Sonoran Desert trails with the Cowans! Happy Trails everyone from EasyCare!

  

 

EasyCare's on Facebook

EasyCare has recently joined the Facebook and Twitter world.  Just do a search for "Easyboot" to find us!  It's still a work in progress, but be sure to check it out.  This is another great place to stay up to date with all the EasyCare happenings.

Holistic Hoof Care - Hands on Feet Clinic

Hands on Feet

One-day Clinic on Natural Hoof Care Trimming

Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25 2009

Holistic Hoof Care presents an all-day clinic to learn the basics of natural hoof care and maintenance hoof trimming for the horse owner (or anyone wanting to learn more about the what and how of barefoot hoof management). This clinic will focus on how to interpret aspects of the hoof form and health and get hands-on instruction and coaching on how to do basic hoof rasping. 

 

For a detailed schedule please click here.  The clinic fee is $160.00 and is due by October 16,2009.

Please send registration to:  Holistic Hoof Care - 939 Wawaset Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348.

Space is limited to 10 participants – please call or email to reserve your spot!

 

Clinic will be held at the Holistic Hoof Care barn at 626 N. Walnut Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348.  Please call for directions if needed. 484-868-3715 or go to www.lauraflorence@holistichoofcare.com

Barefoot and Boots

Leslie McDougall from Troy, Montana sent us a few pictures of her ride in the Bob Marshall Wilderness....................

"I thought you'd like to see that we made it in to the Chinese Wall in the Bob Marshall Wilderness with Easyboot Epics. My one mare fits well in the size ones and we rode the whole way without losing a boot, even though we went through one real nasty bog hole. Here's a couple pictures....

 

 

I've had great luck with barefoot and boots, especially once I get the right size and type of boot for the horse"

Hoof Clinic with Ove Lind of The Swedish Hoof School

 

Ove Lind from the Swedish Hoof School in Sweden has been making his way across the United States bringing his knowledge to horse owners, vets and practitioners through his clinics and consultations.  On September 30^th,  Ove made his way to the Central Coast of California where hoof care practitioner Sarah Wiebe of Bare Hoof Trim, Paso Robles, CA hosted him for some one on one consultations with local horse owners. 

Hoof Care Practitioner, Dealer Rep, Debbie Schwiebert from EasyCare attended a full day of watching Ove trim and critique each horse.  Ove had an eager crowd taking in his ideas and comments.  Each horse appeared quite pleased with their trims, moving off happily when done!   It was a great day of discussion and learning.  To find out more about Ove and the Swedish Hoof School be sure to visit his website.

 

  

  

Pete loves his Old Mac G2's and Easyboot Epics!

My wife Brenda and I added "Pete" a 16 year old Appy to our family in November 2008. He had probably been in shoes all his life as evidenced by his small hooves. They were really contracted at the heal as well as the walls.

Within a week of getting Pete home he dropped a shoe and that allowed us to get started on his transition to barefoot. We contacted High Desert Hoof Care's, Leslie Carrig and she pulled the remaining shoes off Pete's hooves. She commented on how small his hooves were and how it was going to be a long process to get his hooves anywhere near normal.

Pete was very tender, especially in the front feet, so Leslie fitted Pete with a pair of Old Mac G2's. She is a master fitter and has a truck load or all types of EasyBoots on her truck.  When she left Pete was sporting the new Old Mac G2's with pads inside and was walking nicely.

During this past 10 months, Leslie has come to our house every 4 weeks to trim and check on Pete (and our other 2 horses). Pete's hooves are now spreading and have almost grown all new hoof. We ride in EasyBoot Epic's with pads now and we are looking forward to Fall and Winter riding.

By this time next year Pete should have grown out an all new hoof again and with the help of EasyCare we will ride anywhere and on any terrain you throw at us.

Thanks EasyCare and High Desert Hoof Care!

This photo is Pete and I at Washoe Lake in Nevada. Pete is wearing his EasyBoot Epic's.

Tipey-Toed Foals With Contracted Tendons

Here is an interesting article found in Equine Network for all you out there with a new foal! If you see your mare's newborn filly prancing around the stall like it is wearing invisible high-heels, you might be a little concerned that your foal is dreaming of being a ballerina instead of a barrel racer or hunter jumper. But don't worry; one of the most common deformities that equine veterinarians deal with in newborns is contracted digital flexor tendons. This may cause foals to walk on the toes of their front hooves instead of being flat footed.

Dr. Eric Carlson, equine surgery resident at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital, explains that there are several suspected reasons why this malformation may occur, though there is little hard scientific proof. "One reason contracted tendons might happen is due to intrauterine malpositioning, in which a mare may be carrying a foal that is a bit too large relative to its size," he explains. Other culprits may be ingestion of locoweed and hybrid Sudan grass during pregnancy, goiter, or a dominant gene mutation in the sire.

No matter what the cause, the end result is the same: a tendon that is too tight or too short for the foal's legs. Anatomically speaking, all horses have two major tendons that run directly behind their cannon bone (the large bone between the horse's knee and fetlock). They are fittingly named the superficial and the deep digital flexor tendon. Since the deep tendon attaches to a bone inside the horse's hoof, if it were to be contracted or shortened, it would cause the horse's leg to curl up beneath itself--which is exactly what happens in a case of contracted tendons.

Veterinarians can correct the deformity in many ways, but each case requires individualized treatment. Fortunately, "the prognosis for a foal born with contracted tendons is good," says Dr. Carlson. While some minor cases may not need any treatment, more severe deformities require intervention.

One of the treatment options veterinarians can try is an intravenous antibiotic. While the thought of using an antibiotic for a problem other than an infection may sound perplexing, "it is thought that the drug prevents the influx of calcium ions into the muscle fibers and brings about relaxation," explains Dr. Carlson. And relaxation is exactly what the doctor calls for if tendons are pulled so tightly that the hoof cannot touch the ground appropriately.

Other options include using toe extensions that help to change the break over point of the hoof and stretch the tendons, as well as splints or casts. In a few rare cases surgery is needed to correct the problem, but that is usually more common with the acquired deformities, not the congenital ones.

It is important to note that if a newborn foal has a difficult time walking, it will need human assistance every few hours around the clock to stand and nurse. Although Dr. Carlson knows all too well that sleeping on a straw-floored stall for a few nights with a newborn foal may not be the most comfortable bed, the reward is priceless. Watching what was once a crippled filly take her first few steps to nurse without human assistance is worth the wait--even if it does happen at two in the morning. 

Next thing you know he or she will be kicking up those bare hooves wanting to try on some new boots. Try EasyCare, we have a great selection to choose from!