EasyCare Customer Help Desk

Hoof Boot Contest Update

Here are the current results for the top ten riders in the 2006 Hoof Boot Contest!  The season is nearly over, just another weekend to go.  The 2007 ride season starts on December 1st.  If you or anybody you know is interested in entering the contest you can find everything you need on the EasyCare website at this link.   Click here to read the press release on the 2007 contest.

2006 EasyCare Hoof Boot Contest

TOP TEN RIDERS

EasyCare Helps Youth Learn About Hoof Care

The Saddletree Pony Pals 4-H Horse Club thanks you and the fine folks at EasyCare for your generous donation of hoof picks, caps, and product brochures for the November 13, 2006 Horse Health Care Clinic.  In addition to receiving these wonderful items, the girls attended a presentation by DVM Tiffany Clayton and DVM Cindy Eaton of the Apex Veterinary Equine Hospital.  Doctors Clayton and Eaton showed the girls how to check for normal respiration, heart rate (shown below), capillary refill time, and temperature.  They also gave a thorough overview of basic horse health care needs and procedures, including bi-annual vaccinations, periodic rotational worming, and proper daily hoof care.  We took turns putting our new hoof picks to good use on Cutie the quarter horse, who was amazingly tolerant of all this attention.

Having thoroughly perused the product brochures, we Pony Pals Advisors have determined that an appropriate topic for an upcoming meeting will be Horse Boots for Protection From and Treatment of Hoof Injuries.  We will be demonstrating how to put on a protective boot, and how to use a soaker boot from your product line. 

Thank you again for taking an interest in the Saddletree Pony Pals 4-H Club!  Your support is greatly appreciated!

Do you have a function and would like to see about a donation?  Please visit our website as all donation requests must be submitted on this form.

Preparing for the farrier: Take the time it takes....

For some horse owners, having your horse's feet handled regularly and trimmed by your farrier can be an easy, enjoyable process. For other horse owners, it can be downright frustrating for the owner, the horse and the farrier. If you have trouble handling your horse's feet - whether he pulls away from you, kicks at you, or is just uncooperative- the steps I am going to show you will be useful in overcoming these problems, teaching your horse to stand still and learn to relax when having his legs and feet handled. The biggest mistake people make when trying to handle their horse's legs, whether a young horse being taught to pick up its legs or an older horse with problems, is that they don't break the process into steps the horse can understand.  Click here to read the rest of the article from Downunder Horsemanship.

(Clinton Anderson). 

Tips for reducing heel rubbing

Here are some things to try that may eliminate heel bulb rubbing when using Epics and Bares with Gaiters

• Use a bandage wrap (similar to vetwrap) and wrap the entire hoof for added protection
• Add a layer of duct tape across the heel bulbs
• Add a strip of duct tape over the area getting rubbed after it's been wrapped with the bandage wrap
• Use body glide (a lubricant that riders use to eliminate chaffing)  You can find this at bike shops or on the internet
• Use Comfort Pads in the boots
• Double check your horses measurements with our free boot size calculator and be sure you are using the correct size boot

If your horse has unusually high heels, a long toe, or an odd shaped hoof then it may need a bit more work from a good farrier or hoofcare practitioner.  If your horses feet do need a bit of work, don't give up or get frustrated -- the effort will be worth it in the end.  The same goes for using the boots, it may take some effort to get them figured out for each horse. Once you do they will usually continue to work well for many years.

Here are some things to try that may eliminate heel bulb rubbing when using Epics and Bares with Gaiters

• Use a bandage wrap (similar to vetwrap) and wrap the entire hoof for added protection
• Add a layer of duct tape across the heel bulbs
• Add a strip of duct tape over the area getting rubbed after it's been wrapped with the bandage wrap
• Use body glide (a lubricant that riders use to eliminate chaffing)  You can find this at bike shops or on the internet
• Use Comfort Pads in the boots
• Double check your horses measurements with our free boot size calculator and be sure you are using the correct size boot

If your horse has unusually high heels, a long toe, or an odd shaped hoof then it may need a bit more work from a good farrier or hoofcare practitioner.  If your horses feet do need a bit of work, don't give up or get frustrated -- the effort will be worth it in the end.  The same goes for using the boots, it may take some effort to get them figured out for each horse. Once you do they will usually continue to work well for many years.

Happy Thanksgiving!

If the only prayer you say in your life is thank you, that would suffice.

Meister Eckhart

Another Happy Epic Customer

This was a post recently spotted on the Horsetalk Forum.

I just wanted to give you all a bit of positive feedback on the hoofboots I was considering getting way back in Sept.
I've had my full set of Easyboot Epics for a month now and really wish I'd got around to getting them sooner! Initially it was quite arduous getting them on and off, but I've relaxed, and the boots have also "softened up" a bit, and my boy now actually helps by bracing against me to get them on. I don't even use the special "pull-on" straps supplied anymore. I'm down to about 7 minutes to clean hooves and fit all 4 boots.

My horse is happy to go on gritty tarsealed roads and heavy metalled float parking areas which allows us to get out and about and do things. I use the boots all the time, in sand arenas and on all areas whenever we go anywhere. The only time I don't put them on is for a bit of schooling in my grass paddocks at home. I still need to organize a beach outing sometime. The problem I had with the hole in his sole (left rear) from a huge abscess back in June, is now no problem and he's cantering happily again on the right lead. We did have major evasion problems earlier which made me unhappy and nervous!

So to everyone who offered advice I say a great big Thank You. We're both very happy!!

GREAT FREEBIES

All online orders will receive a beautiful 2007 EasyCare Calendar and a current copy of The Horse's Hoof Barefoot Newsletter! 

Get'em quick while supplies last.

               

Sound Advice!

Here is a tip from a customer on changing the Boa Lace:

"Just wanted to tell you that one of the laces on my Boa's broke today, and I fixed it this evening with the little kit I bought. When replacing the wire one side would feed through fairly easily but I had a heck of a time with the other one, and now that I'm done I remember it was also hard to pull out, I think it had sand in it.  So, I used a small paper clip and pushed it through with pliers...that worked great and after that could slide the wire through with no trouble. Just wanted to give that little tip in case it would help any one else.

We love our Boas !"

And we love our customers!  Got advice?  Share it with us!   

Easyboot Epic/Bare Testimonial

E-Bey has never been shod, and when we started learning endurance together four years ago, everyone said he would need shoes if he was going to compete. I said, "OK," but I want to see how far we can get first." We now have more than 1,700 AERC miles, including several top-10s, multi-day and 100-mile rides under our girth, and E-Bey is still enjoying the benefits of the 24/7 barefoot lifestyle, thanks to the EasyCare line of hoof boots. Since hoof-boot manufacturers do not have the advantage of biomechanical hoof studies to work from, trial and error is the way they have developed. I didn't know of anyone competing a barefoot horse in boots, but I was willing to test unknown boot styles during competition these past few years because there was no other way to find out what was needed. I believe we are at a time in the history of horse keeping, when the technology should be available to make it possible to perform any equestrian endeavor without needing to nail on steel. For E-Bey and me, the timing has been perfect. E-Bey does all his endurance conditioning, military re-enactments and parades, including the 2006 Rose Parade, completely barefoot, and uses the Easyboot Epics/Bares for competition miles. The number of improvements and options that EasyCare has added to the hoof-boot line this past year is impressive, and I am sure it has helped many more horse owners to leave their horses barefoot and still achieve their riding goals. In addition, the awareness the current "barefoot movement" has brought to the average horse owner about optimal living conditions, hoof care and function, along with the proliferation of qualified barefoot hoof trimmers and hoof-boot improvements has already helped untold number of horses live a better life. Thank you EasyCare for investing the effort to move us forward into a new era of horsemanship!

Easyboot/Epic/Bare Pull Straps

Using the Pull-Strap:

After the boot is on as far as it will go, use the pull-strap (nylon strap that is included with each boot) for leverage to pull the boot the rest of the way on, as well as to pull the inside back strap out from under the sole of the hoof.  Make sure the back strap is not pulled into the soft area of the heel bulbs.  If you are applying the boot over steel shoes (which voids the wear warranty), make sure that the back strap is above the back of the shoe.

The pull-strap is THEN REMOVED and can be stored until your next boot installation. 

Click on this link for a video on using the pull-strap.

Easyboot Bare bungee and cover replacement

Replacing an Easyboot Gaiter

Easyboot Bare or Epic Taper Installation

Pete Ramey/Bowker/EasyCare Clinic

Below is an outline for Dr. Bowker's portion of the January Clinic.  Full clinic details can be found at Pete Ramey's website or EasyCare's website. 

Here is an outline for January 23-24 presented by Dr. Bowker.

January 23rd:

1. 8:00-10:00am Introduction of Functional Biology of Equine Foot and its Adaptive Capabilities
2. 10:00-10:15am Break
3. 10:15-12:15pm The Palmar Foot
4. 12:15-1:00pm Lunch
5. 1:00-3:00pm Wet Laboratory
6. 3:00-3:15pm Break
7. 3:15-3:45pm Marking and Interpreting Radiographs
8. 3:45-4:30pm Feral Horse as a Gold Standard?
9. 4:30-4:45pm Break
10. 4:45-5:30pm Pasture Monitoring of Movements

January 24th:

1. 8:00-10:00am Navicular Syndrome

2. 9:00-9:15am Break

3. 9:15-11:15am The Hoof Wall: its Growth and Adaptation

4. 11:15-12:15pm

5. 12:15-1:00pm Lunch break

6. 1:00–2:00pm Dry Specimen Laboratory

7. 2:00-3:00pm Barefooted horse and Ground Surfaces

8. 3:00-3:15pm Break

9. 3:15- 4:15pm Sole growth and Adaptation

10. 4:15-5:15pm Blood flow through Foot and Contact Surfaces

11. 5:15pm Discussion and Questions

Below is an outline for Dr. Bowker's portion of the January Clinic.  Full clinic details can be found at Pete Ramey's website or EasyCare's website. 

Here is an outline for January 23-24 presented by Dr. Bowker.

January 23rd:

1. 8:00-10:00am Introduction of Functional Biology of Equine Foot and its Adaptive Capabilities
2. 10:00-10:15am Break
3. 10:15-12:15pm The Palmar Foot
4. 12:15-1:00pm Lunch
5. 1:00-3:00pm Wet Laboratory
6. 3:00-3:15pm Break
7. 3:15-3:45pm Marking and Interpreting Radiographs
8. 3:45-4:30pm Feral Horse as a Gold Standard?
9. 4:30-4:45pm Break
10. 4:45-5:30pm Pasture Monitoring of Movements

January 24th:

1. 8:00-10:00am Navicular Syndrome

2. 9:00-9:15am Break

3. 9:15-11:15am The Hoof Wall: its Growth and Adaptation

4. 11:15-12:15pm

5. 12:15-1:00pm Lunch break

6. 1:00–2:00pm Dry Specimen Laboratory

7. 2:00-3:00pm Barefooted horse and Ground Surfaces

8. 3:00-3:15pm Break

9. 3:15- 4:15pm Sole growth and Adaptation

10. 4:15-5:15pm Blood flow through Foot and Contact Surfaces

11. 5:15pm Discussion and Questions

Below is an outline for Dr. Bowker's portion of the January Clinic.  Full clinic details can be found at Pete Ramey's website or EasyCare's website. 

Here is an outline for January 23-24 presented by Dr. Bowker.

January 23rd:

1. 8:00-10:00am Introduction of Functional Biology of Equine Foot and its Adaptive Capabilities
2. 10:00-10:15am Break
3. 10:15-12:15pm The Palmar Foot
4. 12:15-1:00pm Lunch
5. 1:00-3:00pm Wet Laboratory
6. 3:00-3:15pm Break
7. 3:15-3:45pm Marking and Interpreting Radiographs
8. 3:45-4:30pm Feral Horse as a Gold Standard?
9. 4:30-4:45pm Break
10. 4:45-5:30pm Pasture Monitoring of Movements

January 24th:

1. 8:00-10:00am Navicular Syndrome

2. 9:00-9:15am Break

3. 9:15-11:15am The Hoof Wall: its Growth and Adaptation

4. 11:15-12:15pm

5. 12:15-1:00pm Lunch break

6. 1:00–2:00pm Dry Specimen Laboratory

7. 2:00-3:00pm Barefooted horse and Ground Surfaces

8. 3:00-3:15pm Break

9. 3:15- 4:15pm Sole growth and Adaptation

10. 4:15-5:15pm Blood flow through Foot and Contact Surfaces

11. 5:15pm Discussion and Questions

Hands on with EasyCare Employees

When you call us here at EasyCare you can be assured we know our products!  Just recently all the employees got together for a refresher course in booting and pads.  It was a great evening where each of us got our shot to explain and talk about the various boots and options as well as demonstrate how to put on and fit, each boot EasyCare manufactures.  Yep, when  we say we've been there done that... we have!

Quote for the day!

Only those who dare to fail greatly
can ever achieve greatly.

    - Robert F. Kennedy

Comfort Pads Are A Hit With Hoof Care Practitioners

I want to thank EasyCare for developing their Comfort Pads!  I have found that most client horses who were chronically unsound in shoes became sound immediately when barefoot in padded boots, even horses that had been unsound for years.  Sound recently unshod horses transitioned to being able to go barefoot on trails more rapidly when ridden in padded boots for the first few months.  Why? The simple reason is that these dense pads increase heel comfort so that all horses - sound or unsound - are encouraged to move correctly, and when horses move correctly, their heels become stronger, their soles get tougher, and toes stop growing too long.  Comfort Pads are affordable, so most of my clients now use them!

Thanks again, Linda Cowles

Easyboot Bare Testimonial

My husband Jack and I rode our two horses at the Cross Country Trail Ride on an organized ride. This was located in the Eminence, Missouri Ozarks with all types of rugged rocky terrain.  We have gaited foxtrotters, and had our Bare Boots on.  We seemed to be the only folks with boots on.  Everyone marveled at how those boots stayed on during the ride as we gaited with the best of them.  Others had shoes, and many padded ones at that.  Our horses negotiated the steep hills, muddy bogs (as it had rained recently), and crossed the Current river several times (which was at times up to our horses shoulder),  all in our Bares. We never missed a step, or slipped in the fast current of the river as our horses negotiated over the rocks in the river.  The one picture is of my husband and I taken by the professional photographer we bought our picture from, and the other one by a friend on the ride just after we crossed one of the river crossings on the trail.  After our ride we had lots of questions about our boots, and how we use them with our natural barefoot horses. The economics of our barefoot/bare booted horses was only outweighed by the benefits of our horses healthier hoofs, we were able to show them over their horses feet with shoes on.

Laminitis in the rainy season

With Fall/Winter coming we have been receiving quite a few calls from customers regarding laminitis.  Here is a letter to Dr. Teskey and his comments:

Dear Dr. Teskey, My horse is having a severe reoccurrence of laminitis when it started to rain the last couple of weeks.  We have pulled her shoes and are following all of the methods suggested (freedom of movement with other horses, high fiber diet, using hoof boots, etc.).  My farrier is open to trimming the horse to the Strasser methods, but knows nothing about them.  He can only come out once a week.  I feel we are in an emergency situation.  What can we do RIGHT NOW to help her?  Your advise would be so much appreciated.

Hi there, Often times, wet weather will cause a horse's hooves to soften and bend and flex more, causing them to feel unstable to the horse.  If this is truly a case of laminitis, realize that it has not simply come on "all of a sudden"...it has been coming for a long time, and the wet weather is simply the "last straw" for the horse.  All horses living in wet conditions should be provided some "high ground" to keep their hooves from getting totally water logged.

I don't trim horses like Dr. Strasser teaches, though I've learned a lot from her.  I would say I think more along the lines of how some of the other natural hoof care people trim...see www.hoofrehab.com, for example.

Right now, it's important to be feeding grass hay only.  No alfalfa, no pellets, no grain, no fruits.  See www.safergrass.org.  Since this is a recurrence, do you have an idea what is going on with her metabolic and/or hormonal status?  More and more we recognize problems with sugar metabolism in horses that have recurring laminitis, so diet usually ends up the number one concern.  On the hooves, toes should be brought back to proper breakover and heels at appropriate height, but me saying this and you or your farrier doing it might be pretty different!  Certainly one of the more relieving things for these horses is to have some hoof boots available during the day at least.  There are pads that can be put inside the boots as well, and together they really make these horses so much more comfortable.  See www.easycareinc.com.

It's good that she is in with other horses for company.  Do what you can with the diet if you haven't all ready, check out some boots if you don't have any, and keep in touch...or we could consult more using photos over the email, too.

Dr. Tom T.

With Fall/Winter coming we have been receiving quite a few calls from customers regarding laminitis.  Here is a letter to Dr. Teskey and his comments:

Dear Dr. Teskey, My horse is having a severe reoccurrence of laminitis when it started to rain the last couple of weeks.  We have pulled her shoes and are following all of the methods suggested (freedom of movement with other horses, high fiber diet, using hoof boots, etc.).  My farrier is open to trimming the horse to the Strasser methods, but knows nothing about them.  He can only come out once a week.  I feel we are in an emergency situation.  What can we do RIGHT NOW to help her?  Your advise would be so much appreciated.

Hi there, Often times, wet weather will cause a horse's hooves to soften and bend and flex more, causing them to feel unstable to the horse.  If this is truly a case of laminitis, realize that it has not simply come on "all of a sudden"...it has been coming for a long time, and the wet weather is simply the "last straw" for the horse.  All horses living in wet conditions should be provided some "high ground" to keep their hooves from getting totally water logged.

I don't trim horses like Dr. Strasser teaches, though I've learned a lot from her.  I would say I think more along the lines of how some of the other natural hoof care people trim...see www.hoofrehab.com, for example.

Right now, it's important to be feeding grass hay only.  No alfalfa, no pellets, no grain, no fruits.  See www.safergrass.org.  Since this is a recurrence, do you have an idea what is going on with her metabolic and/or hormonal status?  More and more we recognize problems with sugar metabolism in horses that have recurring laminitis, so diet usually ends up the number one concern.  On the hooves, toes should be brought back to proper breakover and heels at appropriate height, but me saying this and you or your farrier doing it might be pretty different!  Certainly one of the more relieving things for these horses is to have some hoof boots available during the day at least.  There are pads that can be put inside the boots as well, and together they really make these horses so much more comfortable.  See www.easycareinc.com.

It's good that she is in with other horses for company.  Do what you can with the diet if you haven't all ready, check out some boots if you don't have any, and keep in touch...or we could consult more using photos over the email, too.

Dr. Tom T.

Trivia Contest

Enter EasyCare's Trivia Contest to be Eligible to Win Cool Prizes!

Tucson, AZ - October 24, 2006.  EasyCare, Inc. will be giving away multiple prizes including admission to an upcoming two day Pete Ramey Hoof Care Clinic that will be held in Tucson, Arizona on January 20-21, 2007.  Also included in the Grand Prize is admission to the Hoof Boot Fitting Clinic offered by EasyCare on January 22, and a goodie bag that will be filled with lots of great things. 

The Pete Ramey Hoof Care Clinic is being hosted by EasyCare at the University of Arizona Agricultural Center.  Pete Ramey is well known as the Hoof Rehabilitation Specialist and his clinics often sell out.  Dr. Robert Bowker will also be speaking on January 23-24, 2007.  More information on the entire clinic schedule can be found here.
This contest is available online only.  Entries must be submitted thru the EasyCare website or emailed to:  [email protected] November 1 thru 30, 2006.  Eligible entries will be drawn on December 1^st and winners notified immediately.  Contestants must answer all of the ten trivia questions correctly in order to be eligible for the drawing to win one the prizes.

Grand Prize:  Admission to Pete Ramey's Hoof Care Clinic in Tucson on January 20-21, 2007, the EasyCare Hoof Boot Fitting Clinic on January 22, and a goodie bag.

First and Second Place:  One pair of the new hoof boots that EasyCare will debut at the Hoof Care Clinic.    

Third thru Tenth:  One year "The Horse's Hoof" .pdf subscription.  The Horse's Hoof Magazine is filled with a wide variety of barefoot horse & hoof-related articles, covering the full spectrum of modern barefoot horse care.

Additional information on the contest including the trivia questions can be found on the EasyCare website by going to the Contests and Promotions drop down under the Cool Stuff heading. 

Boot Contest Mileage Leader

The Easyboot Epics and Bares that I used this year worked better than I ever imagined possible.  They were excellent and worked really well for my horses.  I had my shoer trim my horses every few weeks.  This was way better for my horses, their hoof walls are stronger.  The boots were a lot easier to use than I thought they would be and they held up extremely well.  I never had any problem with the gaiters all year.  I thought the Bares were awesome, no worry about buckles.  My horses travel just as well in the boots as they do with shoes on and they are much better off being barefoot.  My horses are kept in a 10 acre pasture with some rocks and they do just as well barefoot as they did with shoes on.  Thanks EasyCare for having the hoof boot contest!  I think your boots are the best thing on the market by far and haven’t seen anything even close.    Dave Rabe

Here is a video of Dave galloping with four Bares on.