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The Easyboot Glove continues to receive great reports in muddy areas. The close fitting, low profile design of the Glove keeps mud out and reduces the suction forces that pull hoof boots off. In addition the more aggressive tread of the Glove gives great traction.
Check out how clean the hoof and boot are after the mud test below.
I've been working on a new gaiter design on the Easyboot Glove. Once we finalize and decide on the design we will update the Glove design first and then implement the change on the Easyboot Edge, Easyboot Epic, Easyboot Bare and Easyboot Grip.
I did a short test ride with my little helper Alyxx this afternoon. After she wore out, Spyder and I did a nice 10 mile loop.
One of the new gaiter designs. The pattern has been changed to fit below the sensitive area of the extensor branches of the suspensory ligament. The whole design has been lowered, tweaked and improved. Results have been very good.
EasyCare had a nice visit with Mike and Chrisann Ware from Australia. Mike and Chrisann are very involved with the horse industry in Australia and distribute a great deal of hoof boots to the barefoot industry. Mike and Chrisann founded and run EasyCare DownUnder and Equethy. They are a huge asset to the horse industry and go back to the early days of endurance and natural hoof care.
We also had a nice visit from Blaine and Lynn St. Peter. Blaine and Lynn live in northern Colorado. Blaine is one of the regions best hoof care professionals and is working with EasyCare on some new testing.
With Mike, Chrisann, Blaine and Lynn in town we all took the opportunity to install some Easyboot Glue-On shells and the new Easyboot Glue-On with Cuff. It's one thing to see a video but much better to be involved in the process. Mike and Chrisann will take the knowledge back to Australia and Blaine and Lynn will distribute the knowledge in Colorado.
Pictured below. Chrisann Ware, Mike Ware, Blaine St. Peter, Lynn St. Peter and Garrett Ford
The Easyboot Glue-On Cuff in place and ready to accept a shell.
Easyboot Glue-On Cuff with shell, ready for screws.
Easyboot Glue-On Cuff with Shell and screws installed.
It was a fun day. Blaine, Mike, Chrisann and Lynn all had some great suggestions and ideas. Full speed ahead on the "Cuff" design.
Impressive results continue to pile up for Easyboot hoof boot products in endurance competitions around the world.
Australia. Carol Layton and Sqiggle finished first lightweight and Best Conditioned at the Kiwarrak endurance ride last weekend. "Many in the peanut gallery at the workout for all the division horses were heard to say that they felt that Sqiggle had the free-ist movement (I don't think that is a word) of the lot." Carol and Sqiggle used Easyboot Gloves during the event. Carol and Sqig are pictured below at the 2005 Shazada.
USA. Heather Reynolds and her mare Gem win their 5th consecutive event with three first place finishes at the Cuyama Oaks Pioneer. Heather and Gem won day #1, day #2 and day #3 of the Cuyama Pioneer. Gem also received overall Best Condition for the three day event. Gem recently was 1st place and Best Condition at the Twenty Mule Team 65 and the Shine and Shine Only 50. Heather and Gem have been racing in both the Easyboot Glue-On and Easyboot Glove.
Great job to Carol/Squiggle and Heather/Gem!
Hoofgroove Switzerland held a weekend conference with trimmers and hoof care professionals to showcase new natural hoof care products. Trimmers and hoof care professionals from around the region came to learn about new products and techniques.
Sibylle Krieg of Hoofgroove educated the attendees on the new EasyCare hoof boot line up and use of the "Fit Kit". The Easyboot Glove, Easyboot Edge, Easyboot Rx and Easyboot Glue-On were all demonstrated.
Dan Guerrera has a great line of hoof knives and spent time demonstrating proper trimming techniques. I have one of Dan's new knives and can't believe how easy it has made the little bit of trimming I do.
Katja Taureg spent some time showing horsemanship techniques and how to work with a horse that is new to trimming. I've had the pleasure to meet Katja in the past and she is a rare talent. She is a gifted person around horses and possesses some incredible artistic qualities. She is responsible for the Hoofgroove ShoeBiDu characters of each hoof boot.
Hoofgroove hosted an awesome weekend. I want to personally thank Sibylle for her energy and vision. Thank you for being a valued EasyCare partner. If you have hoof boot or natural hoof care questions in Switzerland, Hoofgroove will take good care of you. Contact Hoofgroove here.
We just received the spring Valley Vet Catalog and were pleasantly surprised with the exposure that has been put on the EasyCare hoof boot products.
There is a full page photo of Debbie Schwiebert (EasyCare's hoof care practitioner and vet sales rep) on page #3. On page #4 the Epic, Edge, Grip, Bare and Comfort Pads are featured. On page #5 you will find the Easyboot, Glove, Rx, Glue-On, Old Mac's G2 and Boa.
EasyCare has many great dealers and distributors but Valley Vet stands out as one of our best. Valley Vet stocks inventory, they have knowledgeable buyers, they carry a wide range of our products, they advertise and they pay quickly. They are an incredible partner and a asset to the equine community. Valley Vet is a great company!
Listen to Julie and Lori talk about some of the great new products Valley Vet now carries. Here is a radio episode from Stable Scoop where Valley Vet talks about the new Easyboot Glove.
Take a look at page #3 of the Valley Vet catalog below. Debbie and Cyclone take in the Durango scenery.
We have a new EasyCare home page up and running. As companies grow websites get cluttered and bogged down with info. More and more info gets pushed to the home page to make everything important. The message of what companies do gets lost.
Our new home page reduces the clutter and at the same keeps the focus on what we do. In addition it gives consumers the latest hoof boot news. I hope you like the new streamlined look. Let us know what you think.
Check out the new website here.
Dr Taylor is pictured below.
Ivy and Pete Ramey are currently
traveling to
Read more about the the study here.
Pete and Ivy applying the Easyboot Glue-On.
EasyCare has been given the opportunity to help fund Dr. Taylor's study and benefit horses with chronic laminitis years into the future. EasyCare's contribution is small when compared to the time and man hours provided by Pete and Ivy. In addition to EasyCare's donation and the time invested by Pete and Ivy, both EasyCare and the Ramey's intend to put in a call to action to the natural hoof care world when the time is right. The initial study is underway and results are looking very positive but in order for the study to continue and benefit horses around the world more money will need to be raised. We will post more about how you can get involved in the near future.
Pete Ramey doing what he does best.
Heather Reynolds and Gem record another win and best condition at the Shine and Shine Only I 50. Heather and Gem are using the new Easyboot Glue-On.
Heather and Gem are pictured below before the Twenty Mule Team 65. The duo also won and received best condition at the Twenty Mule Team 65.
Two rides, two first place finishes, two best conditions! Way to go Heather and Gem.
I just received the first parts off the new Easyboot Glove Power Strap mold. The parts came out very nice and fit the shells perfect. The Easyboot Glove is already the closest and tightest fitting gaitered boot in the horse world. The power strap takes the Glove one step further and makes boot fit more snug and allows fit to be more forgiving.
I'm super happy with the design and the additional benefits it gives the Glove. We still have some testing to do but you can expect the power strap to be available in the very near future.
Here are some photos of the Glove with the Power Strap installed. Check out the low profile of the strap.
Here are some photos showing the two shells that were paired with the Cuffs from the previous post. The front holes in both boots have been elongated slightly to match the wear of the hoof. The holes at the side didn't need to be elongated during the four week period.
You can also see some residue of Equi-Pak and Sil-Pak in the shells. I tested both products as a packing during the two 50 mile events.
Boots had two abrasive 50 mile events and roughly 60-70 miles of conditioning. A new pair of cuffs can now be installed on the hoof and the boots can continue down the trail.
The Easyboot Glue-On Cuff test is complete. The Glue-On Cuff adds a very unique application method to the Easyboot Glue-On shell and allows horses to remain barefoot and still have the benefits of a below the hairline boot. I'm excited about the possibilities and believe this will be one of EasyCare's biggest patents.
My trimmer is coming tonight so I decided to remove the "Cuffs" from Cyclone's front feet. The Cuffs have now been on for a touch over 4 weeks/30 days, and the bond is still exceptional. The first couple photos show the bond before I removed them.
I used a screw driver and a rubber mallet to remove the Cuffs. I started at the heel area and worked forward. The bond was still solid and it took a bit of effort. The Cuffs would have stayed in place for 2-3 weeks easy.
After removal the feet looked excellent. I was amazed to see the permanent marker outline I used to install the Cuffs still in place.
The Easyboot Glue-On Cuff experiment was a huge success. I think it has great potential in the boot/barefoot/horse world. I have a couple small tweaks to make but expect to see Team Easyboot Members testing them soon.
Glue-On Hoof Boots are now part of the Competitive Hoof Boot Upgrade Program. If you have used a non EasyCare Glue-On hoof boot in the past, turn it in to EasyCare for 50% off your next Glue-On boot order. Regardless of the condition of your glue-on shells you can get 50% off your next order of Easyboot Glue-On Shells.
EasyCare believes our Easyboot Glue-On shell design is the best in the industry. We believe after you try our shell you will agree. Rather than throw your non EasyCare glue-on shells in the trash when you're done send them back to EasyCare and try our Easyboot Glue-On shell at a 50% discount.
Program is limited to four glue-on shells per customer. Read more at the bottom of our Competitive Hoof Boot Upgrade Program page.
I just received a couple samples of a new dome comfort pad specifically made for the Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On. I've designed the new pad so that the hoof will fit all the way into the boot as if the pad was not being used. The low profile of the Glove and Glue-On shells just doesn't allow for our current styles of comfort pads to be used.
I'll get some test rides on the pad in the next couple days and post the results. I think the results will be good but time will tell.
News from Australian Team Easyboot Member Jenny Moncur.
“Hi Garrett
I have some info on Bill and Franky.
Bill completed the ride in 5 hrs flat for the 80 km. He came in third overall, which is pretty good considering he weighs in all -up at 110 kg with gear.
Frank had Gloves on the front that he has been training in with no problems. We had just received the Gloves from Mike for the hind feet so had not had a chance to trial them for fit. One of them came off during the first loop and had to be refitted.
For the second loop we put on a smaller size boot on that one hind hoof and it stayed put throughout the ride. Bill says that Frank was moving very well and seems comfortable in his Gloves. Bill canters most of the time in rides - does not believe in trotting!! - so he is a good test for boots at speed.
At the end of the ride they presented for Best Conditioned judging and Frank came second with excellent vet scores, despite nearly 40 mins difference in finishing times between him and first placed rider.
Photo below shows Nadine, Zeke and Bill starting out on the ride at Toongabbie.
Now a bit on my granddaughter Nadine. Nadine only commenced endurance riding in March 2008 and has taken to it like a natural. She has just turned 13 and has a natural balance and ability that riders twice her age would envy. Nadine has ridden my young horses Mullungdung Flora and Promise and gained qualified endurance rider status late last year.
Nadine and Flora are pictured below.
Both Flora and Promise are booted in Easyboot Epics or Easyboot Bares and Nadine has become very proficient at fitting and managing the boots. We are very excited about the Glove and Easyboot Glue-On boots as these will be even easier and more streamlined for the horses.
In Feb this year Nadine rode Mullungdung Flora in an 80 km ride at Toongabbie. It was the first ride out of Novice for both horse and rider. I had instructed them to complete the ride in about 5 and a half to 6 hours. Flora was going so well and traveling so happily in her Epics that Nadine did not have the heart to slow her down. Consequently they completed in 4 hours 49 minutes and gained equal first place Junior along with her training partner and friend Zeke Verspaandonk.
Nadine is now looking forward to her next ride on Promise in April followed by the big test of 160 km in May. Completing this will allow her to ride in the Tom Quilty ride being held later in the year at Tonimbuk in Victoria. A Quilty buckle will cap off a fantastic year for a very promising young rider."
Jenny Moncur
Another Easyboot Glue-On Cuff update.
I did the second day of the Old Pueblo Pioneer event on GE Cyclone and finished 6th. He still has the "Cuffs" on his front feet. These are the same cuffs I applied to Cyclone on February 15th.
The bond between the cuff and the hoof wall is holding up very well. There is no sign that any portion of the cuff is ready to come loose. The holes in the shell are still lining up well but I can see the hoof has worn roughly 2-3mm.
At around mile 20 of the 50 mile event I noticed one of the screws at the side of the shell was missing. It suddenly dawned on me that I forgot to put Equi-Pak on the screws to act like Loctite. I haven't had a chance to pick up the removable Loctite so I've been using Equi-Pak on the screws. With all the excitement before the event I forgot to take care of my own boots. After loosing the first screw I stopped at one of the water tanks and tightened all the screws. They were all loose.
Another mile or two down the trail and I could see another was backing out on the same boot. Rather than keep repeating the process I removed the shell and put on an Easyboot Glove. The Glove fit well over the cuff. Because I only had one Glove I tightened the other screws down tight and continued on. The screws on the second boot stayed well but I still had to tighten them several times. As they say in Hawaii "another lesson learned".
Other than the "Loctite" lesson the Cuffs are performing better than I expected. Here are some photos taken on 3/9/09 after removing the boots.
Shell on the hoof. Notice where the front washer is now and where it was. This is the how much the hoof has worn and how much I had to elongate the hole in the shell.
The Cuff before cleaning. A bit of sand came in the front.
The Cuffs after cleaning with a wire brush. The bond between cuff and hoof is still super solid. No signs of them coming loose.
Easyboot results at the Old Pueblo Pioneer were great. Here is a short list of people that were using EasyCare hoof boot products. This is by memory so it may be off a place or two.
1. 50 mile event day #1
2nd Place Christoph Schork
Best Condition Christoph Schork
10th place Dian Woodward
2. 50 mile event day #2
1st Place Christoph Schork
6th Place Garrett Ford
3. 50 mile event day #3
1st Place Christoph Schork
2nd Place Kevin Waters
Best Condition Kevin Waters
7th place Amy Ford (yes that's my mom)
8th place Dian Woodward
High teens Garrett Ford
High teens Debbie Schweibert
In addition to the riders listed above I saw lots of Easyboots, Easyboot Epics and some of the new Easyboot Gloves used by riders on the trail.
On top of the results above we had a great Easyboot Hoof Boot Demo. Christoph Schork and I did the demo in a nasty wind storm that blew dust and dirt. Thanks for everyone that attended and brought horses for us to demo on. Christoph, thank you for your help.
EasyCare had good results at the three day Old Pueblo Pioneer endurance event over the weekend. In the 50 mile events Easyboot products had a 2nd place finish, 1st place finish, 6 place finish, 1st place finish, 2nd place finish, Best condition day 1, Best Condition day 3, 6 place finish. More on the results later.
The highlight of the weekend was having Debbie Schweibert complete her first endurance event. For those of you who don't know Debbie, Debbie is EasyCare's Hoof Care Practitioner and Veterinarian sales representative. Debbie is one of the best people around. She's got a great attitude, she's fun, she's hardworking and she's a great horse person. Debbie is a real hand and one of those people that knows where to be and what to do around horses. She grew up in a horse/ranch family and has a wide background of different horse skills and experience.
Several months back Debbie, Cathie Hook (EasyCare's Marketing Director), Brian Mueller (EasyCare's Sales Director) and I were discussing endurance riding and Debbie said that she would love to try an endurance event if she had an opportunity. I agreed that it would be a great experience for her and would help her with her job functions. I have a couple horses going now and Old Pueblo looked like it would fit our schedules.
Because of a recent move and not having a personal horse at the moment Debbie arrived at the event this weekend with very little miles or even arena rides under her belt. She crewed for me on Saturday and got and taste of the action before departing on her first endurance event on Sunday. I convinced her to start with a 50 mile event and leapfrog the 25.
Debbie had a great day on Spyder and finished her first 50 mile endurance event. I believe we finished between 15th and 20th place.
Debbie and Spyder on the AZ Trail.
Debbie at the 25 mile vet check.
Debbie and Spyder at the finish.
Debbie and Spyder trotting down the trail in Easyboot Glue-Ons. Very hard to tell the horse even has boots on.
It was a great weekend. Debbie, thank you for coming out to the event, you did awesome. Just another experience that will allow you to better help EasyCare's practitioner and vet clients.
I've posted a bunch of information here on my blog regarding Easyboot Glue-On fit, Easyboot Glue-On application and Easyboot Glue-On removal. What I haven't shown is the process to get an Easyboot Glue-On shell ready for a second application. With the correct tools its quick and easy.
Here is a quick outline of what is needed to get a shell ready for a second or third application.
1. Remove as much glue with your hand, pliers or a screwdriver.
2. Use a dremel or drill press fitted with a circular wire brush to remove glue at the base of boot. Also smooth out the vertical walls.
3. Remove all dust and debris after step #2 with a brush or blow out the inside with air.
Here is a video showing the process with a drill press.
Photos of four shells after cleaning and prepping for a second or third application. Notice the amount of material removed from the four shells.
Manuela Volk has been doing a bunch of great hoof boot testing in the cold climates of Germany. "Manu" recently did some speed work in the Easyboot Gloves and got some great photos of the workout.
Thank you Manu!
Read more about the test on our Hufshop's blog. Hufshop is our distribution partner in Germany. You Go Germany!
Just got an e-mail from Chris Martin from FreeForm USA. Chris' horse Monk finished 4th with Lindsay Graham in the Twenty Mule Team 100 mile event fitted with four Easyboot Glue-Ons. The horse had an awesome day in it's first 100 mile event. Congrats to Chris, Lindsay and Monk.
Dave Rabe and Tigger had a great ride in the Easyboot Glue-Ons and finished 12th. Dave said that Tigger was coming off an abscess and he was thrilled how well the boots protected his feet and allowed him to go down the trail.
We have sent hundreds of "Fit Kits" out and many are coming back now followed by orders. Everyone is thankful for the "Fit Kits" and has commented about how it has made getting the proper hoof boot fit for their horses so much easier.
I have seen a couple comments about how a different size shell fits the horse better than the shell the consumer thought would fit based on their measurements. I'm not surprised by this and this is the exact reason we are recommending the order of a "Fit Kit" before purchasing an Easyboot Glove or Easyboot Glue-On! The shells have a great deal of stretch and flex and fit a bit different than our other hoof boot designs.
I posted a couple quick photos below to show just where we got the recommended measurements for the Easyboot Glove, Easyboot Glue-On and Fit Kit. These measurements are pretty darn accurate. People have questioned if our new sizing is accurate but after seeing the method below I think they will agree not only they are accurate but agree with the methodology.
How did we get our measurements for the new hoof boot designs?
#1. After the molds are done I cut the top portion of the shell from the sole. This allows us to take a very accurate measurement of the inside dimensions of the shell using a pair of calipers.
#2. In the photo below I'm measuring a size #00.5 shell. The true inside width measurement using calipers is 104mm. We list 103mm in our sizing charts to allow for a small bit of tolerance.
#3 The last photo shows a length measurement of the #00.5 shell as 113.5mm. We list 113mm in our sizing charts to again allow for a small bit of tolerance.
Quick blurb from the Twenty Mule Team 100.
I just got the news that Jeremy and Heather Reynolds both had impressive wins at the Twenty Mule Team in Easyboot Glue-On hoof boots.
Jeremy and his wonder horse Sir Smith won the 100 mile event. Jeremy and "Smitty" sailed over the tough 100 mile course for a super fast completion time. Heather and "Gem" won the 65 mile event and also received Best Condition and High Vet Score! Congratulations to Heather and Jeremy on an impressive weekend.
Dave Rabe also finished the 100 mile event in Easyboot Glue-Ons. I'm not sure what horse Dave rode or Dave's finishing time but will post more when I talk with Dave. Congratulations to Dave!
Sounds like all three riders had great results with the Easyboot Glue-Ons. The light weight boots stayed in place, allowed the horses to navigate the abrasive terrain and provided cushioning and traction.
I'll post more details about the Twenty Mule Team results after I learn more.
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