EasyCare Customer Help Desk

Cornerstone Assisted Riding & Equitherapy

A few months ago EasyCare had the opportunity to donate some slightly used Easyboots to our friends at Cornerstone Assisted Riding & Equitherapy (CARE).  These hoof boots went to help some very special therapy horses named Dancer, Ike, Monty, Mr. Quickers, and Gabi. "They are each very special because they have the temperament to do the very challenging job of providing equine assisted therapy to our clients with special physical and emotional needs", says Wendee Walker of Cornerstone Equestrian Center.  Once the boots arrived Hoof Care Practitioner Jessica Armstrong stopped by to trim the horses and set them up in their new boots.  Thanks Jessica for making sure our equine pals were comfortable!

Cornerstone is completely run by volunteers and has been providing Equitherapy since 1985. They are located in American Canyon, CA.  Click here to learn more about their program.

      

Fits Like A Glove

  Karen Reeves sent EasyCare  these great pics of  her Mule Rosa in her fit kit shells.  She should be our poster child for the fit! The Gloves, our latest new hoof  boot design will be a must for her!

Numerous requests have been sent to EasyCare for the Glove Boot which is a form fitting, seamless boot that hugs the hoof and responds like a natural foot. The material this boot is made of stretches over the hoof and clings to the wall so as for little or no debris to enter the boot when riding in such conditions as sand and mud. The boot has no external hardware which means no replacing of cables. Studs an be used and are available for winter riding. If you have a horse that overreaches these boots have a faster breakover and as mentioned no hardware to catch on the front heel if you are wearing them on the hind feet.  

The Glove must be carefully sized and fitted to the hoof. Measuring in milimeters will make for the best most precise fit. The width and length of the hoof must fall into the same size catagory. In addition, these boots are sold individually. Which ever choice of boots you make, hurry and place your orders and get ready for some great summer riding! Happy Trails!

    

Business Hours for July 4th Holiday

As we near the upcoming 4th of July holiday, we would like to let all of our customers know that we will be closed on Friday, July 3rd in observance of the holiday. We will however be open for business on Monday, July 6th.   We will process all orders on that Monday, but shipping will not be possible until Tuesday, 7th as most freight companies will observe the 6th as their holiday off.

The entire staff at EasyCare, wish you and your family a most safe and joyous holiday!!!!!

Customer Testimonial - Easyboot Edge

The following is a customer testimonial sent to High Performance Hooves, one of our Hoof Care Provider dealers located in Stevensville, MT.  They passed this along to us here at EasyCare! The customer is Barb Garten from Hamilton, MT.  She is pictured below with her horse Chester wearing Easyboot Edges.

"I just returned this evening from a five day camping trip into the Bob at Benchmark and Swift Reservoir west of Dupuyer - almost to East Glacier.  I LOVE the Easyboot Edge.  I was up and down steep canyons and rock ledges and the boots performed excellently-they are a breeze to put on - so much easier than any before.  Very clever design, so you may want to invest in a pair.  They are wonderful!  Beautiful trip."

~ Barb and Chester ~                

                                                                               

Swedish Hoof School Seminar-Tucson, Arizona

You have only 3 days left to purchase pre-event tickets at a savings compared to the door price on the day of the event. Go to this link to purchase your tickets, http://swedishhoofschool.com/ .

The seminar will be Saturday, June 27th and Sunday, June 28th. Ove Lind is traveling all over the United States putting on his seminars for the good of the horse.

You need to sign up and don't miss this opportunity for more knowledge about barefoot and horse health than you can imagine.  Hope to see you there!!!!!!

Horses and Heat Stroke

In the July/August 2009 issue of  John Lyon's Perfect Horse magazine, there is a very informative article on heat stroke in horses by Dr. Eleanor M. Kellon, V M D. You can also go to the Perfect Horse website at  www.myhorse.com/perfecthorse for further information.

This article explains the normal range of  temperature that a horse has which is between 98.5 and 101 degrees. It gives you insight on how your horse's body cools itself.

It helps you to understand the conduction, convection and evaporation in relation to cooling the horse's body. It's not the hot weather that makes your horse hot in summer, it's the fact that there is less difference between the horse's body temperature and the air. The horses's body generates the same amount of heat during a given level of exercise in winter as in summer, it's just more difficult to transfer that heat to the air when the air is already hot.

There are also three myths about cooling horses that are explained and revealed as true or untrue. Grab an issue of the magazine and then you will have all this valuable information for future reference.

Little Lightfoot

Little Lightfoot is already practicing his racing skills!  Click here to check out this cutie in action!    Wonder what his boot of choice will be?  Epics, Bares... There's so much to choose from the options are endless!  A special thank you to Ute Miethe of Balanced Step for sending us this video and sweet photos.

"He's only about 3 weeks old and already almost as big as last years colt Zorro (although Zorro is rather petite)," says Ute.  Lightfoot and Zorro are pictured below.  Lightfoot is pictured above with his proud mama.

Be sure to check out the EasyCare Photo Gallery for other great photos of horses in action sporting their favorite hoofboots! 

Cowboy Cisco Rides Again

Here's a great photo of Cisco and Karen Reeves sporting Epics on a cattle drive. Karen says Cisco wore his Epics and went through it with out a hitch. There were three other clients there and their horses also did well in their boots. Karen mentioned there was one shod horse who lost a shoe out on the range. Hope he had a spare Easyboot with him! It's nice to see the horses performing so well out in the work world with a few extra minutes that it takes to apply boots instead of being shod. Good Job you two, we at EasyCare wish we were out there with you!  

Excellent Edge Fit!

Since our Easyboot Edge is a new addition to the EasyCare line, we get a lot of calls and e-mails here at the EasyCare customer help desk from customers asking about the fit of the boot and if their fit is good.  These pictures sent in from Angela show her horse wearing the Edge boot and it is an excellent fit!  If you have any questions on sizing or fit with the Edge, Easyboot Glove, Easyboot Glue-On's or any of our other boots or boot accessories please feel free to e-mail us at [email protected] or call us at 1-800-447-8836.   We will always be happy to look at any pictures you can send us to help make sure your horse has the best fit possible.                                                               

Going Green on Your Horse Property

There are many things horse owners can do to help make their barn and home more environmentally friendly. Here are some that will help you and for more go to  www.Cowgirl-Living.com and go to the March/April 2009 issue.

* Manage manure

* Fight pests naturally

* Save water

* Conserve energy

* Reduce waste

* Reuse and repurpose

* Use "Green" pasture practices

Check out this issue for more info about each way to be a "greenie".

   

MSM, The Good Sulfur

Most people consider MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) when they're thinking of joint products for their horses. An insufficient concentration of MSM in the body results in adverse physical and psychological stress, tissue and organ malfunction, fatigue and increased susceptibility to diseases. MSM occurs naturally in tomatoes, milk, asparagus, alfalfa, beets, cabbage, corn, cucumber, oats, swiss chard, apples, raspberry, beer, coffee and tea.

Want to read more? Find the rest of the story at www.holistichorse.com

Clipping at its Finest!

Check out this haircut!  Looks like someone got a little creative with their clipping.  This one sure makes me want to set sail to the islands!  A special thank you to Ute Miethe of Balanced Step for sharing this fun photo with us!

Ultimate Horse Trailer!

Talk about the ultimate ride!  A rolling luxury stable, the $775,000.00 Equine Motorcoach has a rear ramp leading to accomodations for up to six horses with hay mats, water buckets, a soft floor and power venilation.  Two remote cameras monitor the stock while the rig is under way.  Outside, there's an awning-covered tie rail with horse wash-down station, dedicated saddle and tack storage in side bays and an exterior sink, refrigerator, ice maker and stereo.  Riders roll in style, too.  A convertible queen berth and bunk options sleep up to six, and there's a full galley, with lacquer-coated cherry cabinets, electronic entertainment, wine storage and a complete set of linens and silver service.  The coach is built on a Volvo chassis with a 485-horsepower diesel engine.

To see more awesome pictures of this luxury trailer click here.

Dr. Bowker's New Facility Update

Just in case you haven't heard, Dr Robert J. Bowker's new facility near Lansing,  Michigan is up and running. The Center has been created with the lofty goals of becoming one of "The" globally recognized equine centers in learning, practicing, promoting and researching overall horse well-being through better nutrition, food and whole body health. Disseminating this information to the many horse-owners, farriers and barefoot trimmers and veterinarians around the world. These goals will be achieved, in part, through hosting "how-to" clinics of pertinent topics of routine horse health and well being geared towards the horse-owner of all ages and the veterinarian alike by invited local, national and international speakers.

They are also going to do boarding and have a Paddock Paradise track with lavish use of peastone!

For more information and to sign up for research updates go to www.coronavistaequinecenter.com

EasyCare wishes you all the very best in your new endeavors!

EasyCare's 2009 Hoof Boot Contest

EasyCare's 2009 Hoof Boot Contest is well under way.  Riders have already logged  an impressive 7,690 miles sporting their EasyCare Hoof Boots.  There's still plenty of time to get involved yourself.  So be sure to sign up if you're interested.  Click here to learn more about the contest, view the current standings and download the entry and verification forms.

21 Year Old Tulip Does 20,000

Read this great article about Tulip, what an awesome accomplishment! Congratulations Tulip, from EasyCare! Maybe we can interest you in some of our hoof boots. We have several which are great for endurance!

Tulip, a Morab gelding who will turn 21 on June 21, is endurance riding’s most enduring equine, with 20,805 miles to his credit. He is the first horse in American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC) history to surpass the 20,000 mile mark.
Tulip’s name? The rumor, according to Dr. Les Carr, Tulip’s owner, is that a bed of lovely tulips was nearby during Tulip’s birth. The 15.2-hand Tulip, registered as a half-Arabian by the Arabian Horse Association, is by the Morgan stallion Calamity’s Pizzaz, whose sire is from the Kingston line. His dam, Belif, is a granddaughter of Bu-Zahar, a son of Ferzon-Hall of Fame sire of National Champions.
Carr, of Somerset, CA, has amassed 46,460 miles of his own during his 24 years of AERC competitions. Both Carr and Tulip exemplify AERC’s commitment to valuing equine longevity. Although he has completed four 100-mile rides, Tulip’s specialty is the 50-mile endurance ride, especially when combined into AERC Pioneer Rides, which include at least three consecutive days of 50- to 55-mile rides. And the grey gelding’s not burning up the trail; he and Carr tend to finish towards the back of the pack in most competitions. “The AERC motto is ‘to finish is to win’,” noted Carr. “However, winning can be accomplished in different ways. One way to win is for the rider to make the decision to ride the same horse over a long period of time and place at the middle or tail end of the ride. This approach has been my choice.”
Carr’s horse philosophy has evolved over the years, and Tulip is his third horse to go over 10,000 miles. Carr credits starting slowly and carrying a lightweight rider—in Tulip’s case, junior Lainey Porter rode Tulip for his first few thousand miles of competition. “I sponsored and accompanied Lainey, who rode Tulip slowly and followed my strategies and lead,” said Carr. A pace of 5.5 miles per hour is another of Carr’s tenets. By not galloping or cantering, Carr plans to take nine to 10 hours to complete a 50-mile ride. To make that trail time easier on Tulip, Carr spends most of his riding time standing up in the stirrups. He allows Tulip to eat and drink pretty much continually along the trail, and carefully watches both Tulip’s intake and outgo which, Carr says, “provide significant clinical signs as to the condition of Tulip along the endurance trail.” Carr isn’t willing to take risks with his high-mileage horse. “If Tulip is even slightly off in his gait—even if the judges say Tulip could continue in the ride—Tulip and I load up and go home. Any sign of colic results in my immediately pulling Tulip from the ride and requesting immediate vet treatment,” said Carr. “My operating philosophy is that there is always another endurance ride to do, but not another Tulip.”Most years, Carr and Tulip would complete around 1,000 miles of competition a year. Their highest mileage year was 2006, when they completed 1,970 miles. Along the way, the pair have picked up numerous awards from AERC, including regional mileage championships and Pioneer Awards, even a couple of national mileage championships when he was ridden by Porter back in the mid-1990s.At age 74, Carr keeps himself in shape with bodybuilding and weightlifting when he’s not riding. At 5’8”, he keeps his weight at a trim 148 pounds. A practicing clinical psychologist, Carr considers riding “a mystical and spiritual experience.”

A stairway fall back in 1999 looked like it was the end of Carr’s riding, according to his team of doctors. But after a full year of recovery, he’s been back standing in the saddle for miles and miles every month, although his left leg remains slightly weakened. “I’m appreciative of Brent and Cheryl Johnson, who pitched in and rode Tulip for nearly 1,400 miles during my year off,” said Carr.

Carr has no plans to retire Tulip. The pair have already completed 670 miles in the current ride season. But Carr said that he and Tulip will no longer be doing as many five-day Pioneer Rides (250 miles over five days), instead focusing on one-day 50s and the three-day 155-mile Pioneer Rides.

“Life along the endurance trail is unpredictable, in line with our universe that is inherently chaotic and unpredictable,” said Carr. But the septuagenarian, who rides along with his wife, Jill, and her trustworthy mule, Walker, at his side, Carr hopes to ride Tulip as long as possible along the endurance trails.

For more information about AERC or endurance riding, please contact the AERC office, located in Auburn, CA, at (866) 271-2372, [email protected] or visit www.aerc.org.

Download Free Issue of "The Horse's Hoof" Magazine!

     For those of you not familiar with "The Horse's Hoof " magazine, it is a wonderful quarterly publication created by James and Yvonne Welz that has been around for 9 years.  They support hoof care that creates functional, healthy bare hooves.  They advocate more natural, humane living conditions for our equine friends and encourage all forms of hoof care and horse care that promote these basic principles.  They are not anti-shoe, simply pro-barefoot.  They embrace all trimming methods, styles and systems that have the common goal of hoof health.

They try to include trimming information in every issue, plus hoof photos, trimming photos and in-depth articles by hoofcare professionals using all methods and top experts such as Pete Ramey, KC La Pierre, Jaime Jackson, Dr. Tomas Teskey and Dr. Hiltrud Strasser.  If you love hooves you will love The Horse's Hoof Magazine!

Right now at www.thehorseshoof.com you can download a free  copy of issue #30 so you can have a look at the wealth of information they offer!  They are also offering a June Subscription Sale with $5.00 off every subscription from now until June 30th.

Distance Depot Owners Visit EasyCare

The owners of Distance Depot, Kent and Kristen Lacy came to visit us here at EasyCare on Friday May 29th. This was their first time in Arizona, so they did a bit of site seeing also. We welcomed them and introduced them to our staff here and spent the day with them on Saturday.

We are very impressed at their great business sense and how successful they have been. Kristen is the " jack of all trades" at Distance Depot. She does everything there besides being the owner. She will take your order, make the items that are made by them, pack it, ship it........just does it all! Kent has a full time job, but then works along side Kristen in running the business also. What a team they make!

They carry our EasyCare product line and also make a lot of items that they sell. You need to check out their websites to see all of the horse related items they stock and make.

We look forward to continuing our great relationship with them and wish them many years of success in the horse industry.

   

EasyCare May Special Winner

In May, we had a special for all orders amounting to $150.00 or more. We put all of those orders together and did our drawing on Monday, June 1st. Our winner was.....

Lynette Hulbert of Santa Barbara, California

Congratulations Lynette!!!!

Please make sure to watch for more upcoming specials. We list those in our monthly newsletter and on the home page of our website.

Happy Riding......