From The Horse's Mouth

Transition Tuesday Week 11

Doing It California Style:

Hanging Out On The Tevis Trail On Week 11

That’s what the owner of this car said when she saw me taking this photo. Needless to say, she’s also doing Tevis this weekend.

I drove up to the Auburn area on Saturday: 842 miles from Scottsdale to Cool, CA in about 15 hours. Far looked a little lean when he got off the trailer, but he traveled well and was very relaxed. He was back to his old self 24 hours later. I’m sure it helped that he was back in his old pasture next to his former buddies.

Ready for his day in court.

I let him rest all day Sunday. He spent the day in the shade of a great Oak tree eating Leslie Spitzer’s nice Orchard Grass hay she gets from Nicholas, CA: much more interesting than the hay I brought from home.

On Monday morning we set off to the lookout point at the Tevis finish line. I have only ridden Far once since he got tangled up in the high line two weeks ago. I’ve been treating five wounds on various parts of his body twice daily since then and I think they will be only just healed by the time Tevis starts on Saturday.

It seemed fitting to have a shot of Far’s no-shoes feet on No Hands Bridge.

We rode 11 miles from the finish line to the Lower Quarry vet check and then turned around and came back.  I used the new style Gloves on the fronts and the older style Gloves on the hind with Powerstraps. The trail is not overly challenging at this point of the trail, but there is a good mix of single track trail with a few small climbs, some rocky sections and a couple of small water crossings.

A welcome break from the heat.

I obviously want Far to stay sound and healthy this close to such a revered ride, so it was very comforting to fit the boots and then start trucking down the trail knowing that Far has the ultimate hoof protection. My memory from riding Tevis two years ago is that there are rocks embedded into much of the trail, so there is constant tripping and stumbling as the dust from the horse ahead hides the rocks in the trail.

The trail is very well maintained and certainly makes the horse think about where he is putting his feet.

I used my trusty athletic tape on the hinds and none of the boots came off or twisted at any point. This must be the ultimate test! I’m looking forward to using the Glue-Ons for the 24 hours I hope to be riding on ride day, but the Gloves have become for me a very dependable and convenient way to train and to race. Far just slithered along the trail, picking his way over rocks and moved out at a good speed down the road on the other side of Highway 49. We paused for a while when we came to the welcome streams that cross the trail on the way to the finish line. He didn’t take a false step, nor did he trip, slip or show any signs of discomfort. In fact, his way of moving has really changed for the better in the 11 weeks since I pulled his shoes.

Crossing No Hands Bridge (the wrong way).

I have been doing some interesting reading thanks to some tips from a few of you out there. I spent the last week or so reading up on Dr. Robert Bowker. There is an older short article here that is definitely worth a look and a list of his published articles here. I’m fascinated by the notion that environmental stimulation of the back part of the hoof created from contact with the ground actually creates a more robust foot structure that will better withstand the concussion created every time a horse’s foot lands. That is obviously good for the endurance junkies of the world for all kinds of reasons. But is also good news for pack and trail horses out there who also spend time hundreds of hours on the trails.

Heading back across the bridge.

I’m heading up to Truckee on Thursday afternoon to claim my spot. Garrett is gluing on the boots for all the Easyboot junkies on Thursday and Friday with some boots that are still in the development stages and a new combo of glue. I’ll be sure to take lots of notes and report back on our experience from the back of Horse # 129.

A clean leg after a couple of hours on the Tevis trail. You can see one of his wounds from the accident two weeks ago was not irritated by the gaiters.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

Tevis Preperation

Busy couple of days but here is a quick Tevis update.

The booted gang is making progress toward our Tevis goals.  We did a short ride to the river and back today to show the riders and horses the finish.  Christoph Schork is leasing a couple horses to US riders and has Anton Reid rider here from Australia.  Duncan is also here from OZ.

Kevin Waters, Duncan McLaughlin, Johanna, Anton Reid and Tennessee Mahoney check out the trail.

Kevin Waters hanging out on No Hands Bridge. 

Christoph giving the riders some tips and pointers from No Hands Bridge.

After taking a look at the last 6 miles of the course we all loaded up and headed for Tahoe.  My folks have a summer house near the lake and close to Robie Park.  It was a bit tight but we managed to fit 8 rigs and 12 horses.  A nice meal and stories followed and we ended with the annual cherry pit spitting contest.

Spitting cherry pits from the deck.

Christoph won the pit spitting contest and the prized horse turd necklace.

Sean Mahoney works on a toothpick puzzel as Tennessee, Christoph and Duncan watch.

So far we have booted a bunch of horses and have a bunch more to go in the morning and Friday.  Good stuff, we will keep you posted on the fun.

New EasyCare hoof boot videos

We are launching a new series of hoof boot videos that feature different EasyCare team members explaining key benefits of our different hoof boot designs.  The idea is to have a professional yet casual video that gives dealers and  consumers the ability to learn more about the EasyCare Team and at the same time the EasyCare hoof boot line.   

Take a look at the Glove video below.  I'm personally explaining the benefits and features of the Easyboot Glove.

Durango to Tevis to TransRockies

This summer has been crazy, but it's about to get wild. 

On Monday we depart Durango, Colorado in route to Tahoe, California.  After reaching Tahoe I will be helping many Tevis 100 competitors with hoof boot application before  one of the toughest 100 mile horse events in the world. 

The following week it's off to the Canadian Rockies for the TransRockies multiday mountain bike stage race. I'm looking forward to the physical challenge and the beauty of the Canadian Rockies.  

More OZ in the States

I picked up Duncan McLaughlin last night at the Durango, Colorado airport.  I promised Duncan a Tevis horse many, many months back and he's now here and will depart with me for Auburn on Monday.  We are Tevis bound and the goal is to ship a Tevis buckle back to Australia with Duncan when he departs.

Before leaving Durango we had the opportunity to ride some of the non Tevis horses on my local trails.  It was a good time to test tack and boots before the event and blow off some of the travel cobwebs after the long flight. 

Duncan and Inferno in one of the high meadows above our house.  We are close to 10,000 feet in this photo. 

Duncan is a great horseman and respected hoof care practitioner in Australia.  Rather than waste his talents I asked if he would help me trim my gang before leaving for the big event. I've been doing my own trimming and I have a bunch to learn.  Duncan went through all my horses and really helped fine tune each horse.  Some of the horses I was doing better with and some needed more work by Duncan. 

Before we went to bed Duncan did about 90 minutes of body work on Cyclone.  Many tight spots were loosend and he should travel much better.  Cyclone was in heaven.

Awesome, knowledgeable horseman.  I've learned more from Duncan in a day than I ever imagined.  Quite humbling to be around such a balanced horseman. 

Off to Tevis we go.

New Easyboot Glove Photos

Gabe and I went up to the Colorado high country to take some more photos of the Easyboot Glove and the improvements that will be added to the product in the future.

We ended up getting some good photos and video.  Take a look at a couple of the shots from the day.

Vermont 100 in Easyboots!

Dear Garrett,

We are back, and as you know already, we had a great ride. With the help of Glue-on boots, a wonderful crew and an awesome horse, we came in 1st place and beat the course record by 39 minutes, finishing in 11 hours; 22 minutes.  I had tested the Glue-ons on my horse, “ Bullseye”, at home for 7 days, riding him about 40 miles on different terrains.  I was pleased with his movement and surefootedness , especially on pavement, so I tried them for the 1st time on a ride in VT.  About 70% of the course in the Vermont 100 ride is hard-packed gravel roads, with constant  climbs and descends.

Bullseye and I like to fly down the hills, and I felt like these boots gave us perfect traction; he didn’t slip even once.  It had been raining in Vermont for several days, and portions of the trail, going through woods, and climbing up rocky river beds, were quite muddy. He had no problem through mud, and I actually think he had much better traction climbing over slick rocks.  The  only time we slipped a little, was cantering over wet grass about a foot tall that was matted down and was slick and on soft ground, but other horses with steel shoes were doing the same. On other grassy areas that were recently  cut, we had no problem at any gait. I was paying special attention to his performance on grass, because his next 100-mile ride will be the WEG test event in Kentucky in October. I remember from a ride in Kentucky three  years ago, how slippery the wet grass was there even with steel shoes. So I was concerned , because in Kentucky, there is just about nothing but grass. But I think the boots will perform just fine.

Another concern was how they would hold up on the abrasive gravel roads. As I had mentioned to you before, last year we won the same ride in steel shoes, but the shoes were worn down 50%. The best I could tell, the front boots were  just a little bit more than 50% worn out at some areas, but the back ones had quite a bit more tread left on them. I should mention that I borrowed a couple of Gloves from Darolyn Butler to keep with my crew, just in case I needed them. She also finished the 100 in Glue-ons and came in 11th place, and she had a rider in 75 that came in 10th place with Glue-ons.  At first  she had boots only on front, and barefoot on the back. But at the last hold, with 12 more miles to go they glued boots on the back. I was quite impressed when I heard  that how quickly they cleaned the hooves with alcohol, dried them with a towel, and glued the boots on while the horse was eating. Yesterday at home, I pulled the boots off. I was trying to see if I  could just pull them by hand; no way possible. I wanted to see how well they were attached after 6 days and 100 miles, and they were still attached perfectly.  It took the usual screw driver and  hammer to pull them off. They probably would have stayed on for another 100 miles.  One day I’d like to try them on multi-day rides.  I’d also like to drill holes on the bottom and inject padding for added protection on rocky rides.   One final  thing I really  liked about the boots was the close and snug fit they had with no extra bulk  and no interference at all.  I didn’t even use interference boots, which I’ve always used with steel shoes.

Thanks again for a great product,

Farzad Faryadi

Easyboots at Fort Stanton Multiday Event

Tennessee Mahoney had an awesome week at the Fort Stanton Multiday event. 

Day 1, 5th Tennessee and Magnum

Day 2, 3rd Tennessee and Khyber

Day 4, 5th Tennessee and Magnum

Day 5, 4th Tennessee and Khyber

Transition Tuesday Week 9

An Inevitable Component of The Holistic Barefoot Transition:

Riding Barefoot

Redford, Far and me heading out on a very early Sunday training ride.

I’ve read that one of the changes that takes place in a horse’s foot when you go barefoot is that the circulation of blood throughout the foot changes. The nerve endings re-awaken and the foot comes alive again. Compare it to the feeling of your leg waking up after it has fallen asleep. It’s a wonderful image to think of the foot going through this rejuvenation process.

In fact they say the tenderness we see when a horse lands toe-first is because the feeling in the foot is beginning to return. And the best thing we can do for a horse that is showing a sign of such discomfort is actually to get out and about and moving to increase the circulation of blood. I find that fascinating.

Three equines with no shoes.

Of the horses in our herd here in the soaring heat of the Sonoran desert, one has adapted to barefoot without so much as a false step. Far is a stoic horse with a tough mind and a tough physical structure. In shoes, his feet looked high in the heel. Barefoot, his feet are getting rounder, the sole is more concave every week, and his foot is looking more balanced as the weeks go by.

Far’s feet are changing dramatically: the sole is wearing away in an interesting way.  I want to see less heel, but that will take time.

Rocky has been the most challenging horse in the herd thus far. We were too aggressive in the beginning with soaking his feet, scraping away the false sole and peeling away his frog. With less fussing, the horse is sound and happy. The more we fuss, the less well he adapts. There may be a lesson there somewhere.

Rocky’s feet look nicely balanced.

Redford has adapted well to the transition, but in an effort to reduce the impact of removing the shoes, we left too much sole and the pressure created under his foot made him quite sore – akin to the balling up of snow in mild winter conditions. As soon as the sole was brought back down level with the hoof wall, the pressure released and the horse was immediately comfortable again.

Leaving the ranch: we’re off at a trot.

Each horse is different and each horse reacts very differently to a shoeless program. One thing is true of them all: nothing can equal regular exercise. A good run with no hoof protection will really speed up the transition to a healthy and comfortable barefoot horse. We make sure that our training schedule includes regular work in the washes around our house without any hoof protection.

On Sunday, I rode Redford and ponied Far. One of the many great reasons for living in northeastern reaches of Scottsdale is that there are enough washes from our backdoor that we can ride down to the Verde River. The washes are a good workout for the horses and they provide soft footing for us to work the horses anaerobically with little risk of bruising their feet.

Redford and Far out in the desert without hoof protection: a sure way to speed up the transition process. I was pleased with the way they moved out. At one point in the ride Redford felt sore. When I checked his feet I discovered a few small rocks lodged into his frog. I removed them and he was instantly comfortable again. As the ride went on, he was more and more comfortable to move out. In the days following the ride, he has demonstrated tougher feet and a more comfortable way of going. I’m sure the barefoot training has helped.

Checking Red’s feet: if you look at the full-size image you can see the rocks wedged into his frog.

Neither Rocky nor Redford are ready for serious endurance training on the trail without Easyboot Gloves. In fact, there have been several days over the last ten weeks that their daytime turnout has included boots on the front to ease their sensitivity. This is a transition: the boots make it much easier to keep them in a conditioning program. Without the Gloves and the Glue-Ons, there would certainly be no running up and down the mountain!

Red’s feet are progressing well: the separation is reducing.

Another important element of any barefoot conditioning program has to include close attention to diet. Two of the horses here are very easy keepers: they gain weight easily and they have also shown a tendency to be more tender-footed. For the last month, those horses are getting less starch and sugars – grain has been removed from their diet; their beet pulp is rinsed after soaking and they are enjoying a low sugar feed. The results are surprisingly noticeable: not only is their weight in better check: they seem happier on the rocks; landing heel first when being trained without boots and standing square on their feet in the paddock.

So take your barefoot horse out on the trail barefoot at least once a week. It will speed the transition away from steel shoes and increase your confidence in this healthier way of life for your horse. Remember anything new takes time: my limited experience is that patience with your horse will create a healthier and stronger animal over time.

Take Garrett up on the 2010 Easyboot Tevis Challenge. It takes time to transition your horse so now is the time to pull those shoes and get out on the trail. I’ll see you at Tevis in 2010 (and in 09 if you are there).

Determination: a beautiful thing.

Keep up the (barefoot) boot legging!

Kevin

Vermont 100 in Easyboots!

Farzad Faryadi and Hot Desert Knight win the Vermont 100 in Easyboots.  More info and photos to follow. 

Tevis Easyboot Update

I've been using many different hoof boot, glue and packing combinations over the last couple months.  Based on what I've learned and the magnitude of a race like Tevis I will be recommending the following combination and application method for Tevis riders.

1.  Hoof Preparation.  Follow our current Easyboot Glue-On instructions but when you get to step #5 use denatured alcohol regardless if the hoof has been treated with an oily substance or not.  Initially the Vettec company suggested that we didn't use denatured alcohol but I've now found that it strengthens the glue bond.  Denatured alcohol can be purchased at any hardware store.

2.  Glue Choices.  I will recommend Vettec Adhere as the adhesive to bond the hoof boot to the wall.

3.  Hoof Packing.  I will recommend Goober Glue as the packing material.  Goober Glue has the best cushioning characteristics and is also the most forgiving.  Chris Martin has generously agreed to supply Goober Glue to all Tevis horses. I will have a good supply and will also have some examples of how it sets up inside the boot.  You will be impressed and want it under your horses feet. 

4.  Glue-On Shell.  I will have the new Easyboot Glue-On Shells for all horses.  The new version is not available to the general public yet but I will have enough to fit all horses at Tevis. 

I will be helping all Tevis riders with application.  Most all riders have scheduled appointments.  If you would like my help and have not scheduled an appointment please contact me as soon as possible. 

Dave Rabe Easyboot Glue-On Report

I talked with Dave Rabe yesterday and got some feedback on the Easyboot Glue-Ons we applied at the Strawberry Fields Endurance Event.  On 6/19 the day before the event, Dave and I applied Easyboot Glue-Ons on both of his horses after they had been standing in mud and water for two days.  The water and muddy conditions gave us a great opportunity to test the application process in difficult conditions.

The boots ended up accomplishing the following before they were removed.

1.  Three consecutive days at Strawberry Fields 6/20-6/22.
2.  Two days at the Shamrock multiday event between 7/3-7/5.
3.  Second place finish at the Big Horn 100 on 7/11.

Awesome results and an incredible test for the Glue-ons.

More new EasyCare hoof boot videos

We are launching a new series of hoof boot videos that feature different EasyCare team members explaining key benefits of our different hoof boot designs.  The idea is to have a professional yet casual video that gives dealers and  consumers the ability to learn more about the EasyCare Team and at the same time the EasyCare hoof boot line.  

Here are two product videos done by Brian Mueller.  Brian is the EasyCare Sales Director and is showing some of the features of the Easyboot and Easyboot Epic.  Learn more about both EasyCare hoof boot styles and Brian.

Proper Gaiter Fit

I continue to see photos of EasyCare boots in use that do not have the gaiter tightened well.  The gaiter is either loose, the sides are not aligned or both.

Here are some photos that show proper fit.

Nice fit.  Tight.  Look at the overlap of the two sides.  Both sides are straight at the top.

Tight fit, very little gap at the sides.

Here are some photos that show improper fit.

Very loose, needs to be much tighter.  Gap is much too big.

Sides are being pulled at an angle.  Sides need to be square to each other.

Too loose, sides don't overlap.

Here is a short video that shows how to snug up a gaiter.  

Transition Tuesday

Getting Ready For Tevis:

Trying Out The Latest Boot Design

The pine forest near Prescott is cooler than the sweltering heat of the Sonoran Desert and offers enviable trail testing opportunities for the boot experimentation we have enjoyed for the last couple of months.

Our plans changed this weekend for a variety of reasons and we did not make it to the wonderful Fort Stanton Pioneer ride in New Mexico. It turned out I had to work on Friday and Monday, so we went back up the hill to Prescott for some more hill work. I just counted the number of trips we have made up to the horse camp: we have been to that area seven times in the last nine weeks. Now that the temperature in the Phoenix area has hit 115 degrees, the temptation to get out of Dodge is even stronger.

The wisdom of the Oak: this was the view from the horse trailer this weekend.

 All of this training in the mountains has made us three very fit horses – so much so that I decided last week to enter Far in Tevis. A sound, fit horse is a terrible thing to waste, and he has impressed me so much over the last couple of months that I think this is a good year to take on one of endurance riding’s ultimate challenges. A big part of my decision is based on the level of confidence I have in the Glue-Ons: they provide dependable, lightweight protection and make me feel more comfortable about pointing my horse down that coveted trail. Far has been going nicely without boots on training rides around my place in northeast Scottsdale, but I will be enjoying the definitive hoof protection of Easyboot Glue-Ons for the Tevis on Saturday, August 1.

There are exciting things going on with the design of the Easyboot Gloves and Glue-Ons. I got to try out some of the new technology this weekend with the latest incarnation of the Gloves. EasyCare seems to be devoting a great deal of time and resources to get the technology just right and I really like these latest boots.

The new prototype gaiter material is softer and lighter in weight and seems more flexible than the previous model. The gaiter position comes up slightly higher around the pastern and the double Velcro fastening straps on the front are longer and softer. If your horse is prone to rubs on the side of the pastern area, this new design may be just what you need. Far has four white feet, and the skin just above his heels can get a little pink on a hot Arizona day in boots. I rode 25 mountainous miles on Saturday in the new boots and his heels were not pink at all, even in the 90 degree heat. (The new gaiter is still in the R&D stage but should be out later this year)

Comparing changes to the gaiter: the new design is on the right. The angle of the gaiter is different and the material is softer, lighter and more flexible.

The rear of the new gaiter (left) is contoured to better fit the shape of the horse.

The other design improvement is less obvious to the eye, but much more evident to the touch and out on the trail. The toe section of the shells used in the Gloves and Glue-Ons is much thicker than the previous model. You would not know it by looking at the boots and there is no change to the breakover. But they will better withstand a horse that tends to be rough on the front of the back boots.

We used the new style boot on Rocky this weekend and rode him 40 miles with them. He has been hard on the front of his hind boots over the last couple of months – but this new design showed no sign whatsoever of any punching out of the toe area. We looked for unforgiving terrain to experiment with these boots. There was no wear in the toe area, even in these conditions. That translates into a longer life for the boots.  (Easyboot Gloves and Glue-Ons with the thicker toe area will be available to dealers and the public in roughly a month)

Rocky on a rocky trail: perfect for testing the new boots.

The toes are in good shape after all those miles.

These things are tough.

I’m enjoying watching the horses’ feet change. In the photo below, you can see Rocky’s heel is finally coming back up and the false sole continues to wear down revealing a more desirable concave shape.

Rocky at nine weeks.

Check out the change in angle on Rocky’s front feet. It is absolutely fascinating to see the angle change and his foot begins to grow underneath him rather than out in front of him.

Rocky’s heels were horribly contracted on his hind feet. You can see in this photo how the heel is opening back out. There are no more signs of bruising the way he did when he was in shoes.

Of course, there are some things you just cannot control that seem to happen only once you send in your entry for Tevis. Far managed to get caught up in the highline on Saturday night. By the time I raced out of bed to see what all the commotion was about, he was standing back up, dripping from head to toe with the water from the 20 gallon water bucket. He managed to get some pretty significant rope burns around two of his pasterns and around his right butt cheek and got some contusions on his wither and front left fetlock. The swelling was bad enough on Sunday morning that I decided to let him rest and hosed down the wounds with cold water. On Monday morning, most of the swelling was down: now I just have to keep the wounds moist so they don’t dry and crack. I think he will be fine – he was to begin his pre-race rest period today anyway.

Far’s rope burn around the inside of his upper right leg: most of the swelling is now down.

I’ll see you at Tevis. Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

Tevis 2010

Tevis 2009 looks like it will have many booted horses.  It's too late for 2009 but I had an idea for 2010. 

If you want to ride Tevis in 2010 and ride in four EasyCare hoof boots we will pay your entry fee! I'll post more details later but will commit to it now.  More details will follow.

Tevis Cup

The Tevis Cup is approaching fast and more and more riders will be racing the 100 mile event in Easyboot Gloves and Easyboot Glue-Ons.  Many of the riders racing in glue-ons have requested that I help them with their boot application at Robie Park on Thursday or Friday before the event.  If you would like help with your boot application please let me know as soon as possible.  Time slots are filling up fast.

Sandy Brown and Ruby in 1998.  3rd Place and Haggin Cup

Garrett Ford and General in 1999 going over Emigrant Pass.

New EasyCare hoof boot videos

We are launching a new series of hoof boot videos that feature different EasyCare team members explaining key benefits of our different hoof boot designs.  The idea is to have a professional yet casual video that gives dealers and  consumers the ability to learn more about the EasyCare Team and at the same time the EasyCare hoof boot line.   

I'm super proud of the team of people that work together at EasyCare.  We have an awesome, hardworking, fun and knowledgeable group.  I hope you enjoy the videos and they give you a chance to learn more about our team.

When the videos are complete they will be located on each products page.  Here is one of the first videos.  Debbie Schweibert talks about the Easyboot Rx. 

Cloudveil

Over the years I've had the opportunity to do many types of activities and outdoor sports.  After years of equine sports, I believe the technical clothing offered to the equine industry is way behind that of the other outdoor industries.  Technical jackets and fleece products have come a long way and are my choice for outdoor equine adventures.  My favorite brand is Cloudveil and my favorite lightweight technical jacket is the BPM. 

Take a look at the Cloudveil Mountain Culture page and a recent post about our summer garden. 

No Time Like Now

My friend Terri and I were planning on a 50 at the local Chalk Rock Ride last weekend. Due to her horse being off, we decided it was no time like the present to take the young girls out for their first "endurance experience". Her mare is a big, beautiful, black 6yo Morab with a fairly quiet disposition. Mine is a smaller, bay, cute 1/2 Arab-1/2 mutt (with lots of Morgan in that half) DR Thunderbask 4yo. Her disposition leaves much to be desired at times (very opinionated alpha mare) and she is known for her quick moves when she spooks or gets in a tizzy because she wants it HER WAY. But when she settles down she is a sweet and fun horse.

Chalk Rock is beautiful, but VERY rocky, as 80% of the ride is on gravel ranch roads. So despite the fact that we were only doing the 10 mile (more like 12 mile) "Fun Ride," we were going to boot them up. Our club has 4 rides a year and all but one offers a fun ride, which is a great way to introduce new riders or young horses to the sport. You get to camp, do a pre and post ride vet check, and ride out on trail with other horses and such. We'd taken the Morab camping before, but not to a ride. And my filly just came back from her first 60 days of training, so was pretty green and goofy... They camped like champs, though the vetting could have been better (note to self, practice lip lifting and gum checking), and on Sat morning we were all set to go.

Well, we had to hand walk the first mile or 2, as they were neck arched and snorting at EVERY log and rock (like they've never seen those before). When we finally got up and moving, it was better, but being stupid and goofy, I sure had my hands full with the 4yo. We had Bares on the Morab, and Epics on front (another note to self...too many of our horses share sizes...need more boots!) and Gloves behind on my filly. The boots did GREAT! Neither of them had a single bad step on all the rock, and the boots stayed put, despite the many attempts at spooks, airs above ground, and jumps over tiny trickles of water my filly tried. I would have thought the boots would come off at the first spool across the road, but nope, they stuck like glue. And neither of the girls stumbled or otherwise felt like the boots interfered with their gaits (which are often already not the most coordinated thing at that age). We got to camp in one piece (and were MUCH calmer at the end of the ride...amazing what miles will do...) and overall it was a great first ride!

So even though it wasn't a "mileage" test as such, the boots got a solid workout and did wonderfully well. We followed that ride with another 12 miles at a local trail yesterday, and this time had twice as much jumping around (including into thick brush, up and down embankments, and into creeks...she is such a goofy kid...has potential for sure, but needs to settle down some :) ), but the boots stayed on until I took them off (Gloves all around this time). And my filly also has "non-standard" feet that are really wide and don't really measure to fit in a Glove, but with the flexibility of the material, they worked fine and didn't rotate or anything. I REALLY like the Gloves!

Natalie Herman

Transition Tuesday Week 8

Play Around:

Feel Free to Tinker With Your Boots!

I spent five glorious days up at my home away from home over the Fourth of July weekend. I am addicted to the trails and to the summer weather at 5,500 feet at the Groom Creek Horse Camp. Knowing the reserved spots were all booked for the weekend, I took three horses and hauled the 2.5 hours up to Prescott on Wednesday afternoon. It seemed to be the most likely way to get one of the ‘first-come, first served’ spots. I pulled into the camp at 4:00 PM and got the last spot. Phew.

The three horses racked up a total of 61 miles and more than 15,000 feet of climbing between them in Easyboot Gloves over the five days – and not one boot went amiss. We rode up sharp climbs and rocky mountain trails; we rode through hail and pouring rain; we rode along single track trails that became small rushing rivers. And the boots stayed on.

Rocky is ready for the trail: the Gloves are naked on the fronts; power straps and athletic tape on the hinds for added security.

One of the greatest barriers for me to go from steel shoes to barefoot was the perception that I did not have the time, inclination or ability to manage a barefoot horse. A steel-shod horse seemed so much easier to manage: the farrier comes to the barn, and presto: your horse is set for the next five or six weeks of riding. Low maintenance is good, right?  Eight weeks into my experiment, I’m not so sure. The horses’ feet now look rounder, more balanced and generally in much healthier condition than they were in steel shoes. The small increase in time and effort has been hugely beneficial to the horses. I also feel like I am in touch with all the various parts of my horse – I can see what is going on with the feet and make changes as I need to. They feel like they are moving more freely and with greater confidence over rocky terrain.

I can remember the not-so-distant days of feeling hesitant about how far I should really cut down the heel strap on the original style Easyboot. And then there was the ongoing quandary about whether or not I should flatten the metal teeth on the inside of the boot. I only used Easyboots in moments of desperation and so never really spent much time or effort on making sure the boots were properly set up for my horse. Ironically, when I rode Tevis in 2007, the only reason we finished is because I slapped a pair of Easyboots over the front shoes at 30 miles. A footsore horse turned instantly into a sound horse, and he took me right to the finish line at the Auburn Fairgrounds.

The new technology of the Glove is impressive: I really like the ease with which I can put the boots on and pull them off without using any tools, or wondering if the boot will help or hinder my horse’s needs. That being said, every horse is built very differently and I am finding a small investment in time and testing can be very beneficial to helping me get closer to achieving my competition goals.

In the case of Redford, now into week three of his transition, the hind boots seemed to be wearing prematurely at the toe area. It looked like perhaps he was forging – albeit quietly – and that the interference might prematurely wear the toe section of the rear boot away. The length of toe on his fronts is still longer than I would like it to be. When his toe comes back under him, his front foot breakover will occur sooner and I think the forging issue will go away.

In the meantime, I decided to play around with the boots this weekend. I confess I’m enjoying the chance to modify things a little to accommodate the subtle differences between each horse. In order to speed the breakover of Redford’s front feet, I rasped some of the tread down on the front of the front boots. I checked a worn boot first to make sure I was not going to compromise the integrity of the boot. I used a farrier’s rasp and spent about 45 seconds on each of the two front boots.

Rasping the front of the front boots at the toe to speed up the breakover.

The result: no more interference! The hind boots showed no sign of undue wear in the toe – we even went on the steepest and rockiest trail we could find to test them. Every horse moves slightly differently, and making a small change to Redford’s boots will improve the way he moves – and prolong the life of the boots.

I also tinkered with a couple of Glue-On shells and turned them into Gloves. In my haste to leave for Prescott on Wednesday I omitted to bring the box of new boots that I planned to use for the weekend. To my horror, all I had when I arrived at camp was some well used (read expired) Gloves and a miscellaneous selection of unused Glue-Ons.

Armed with handy hole punch and Phillips screwdriver, I set about making new Gloves. I unscrewed the three screws on each of the used Gloves so as to remove the gaiter from the boot.

The used gaiter is removed from the used Glove.

I used the hole punch on its thickest setting to punch three holes in the boot. It is easy to tell where to punch the hole because the exact position has a molded indent on the interior of the boot and a little star on the outside of the boot. I then screwed the used gaiter onto the new boot, starting with the screw at the back of the gaiter first. Voila! New boots ready for some tough miles. Total elapsed time: less than 10 minutes per boot.

Punching a hole in the new boot.

Almost finished attaching the old gaiter to the new boot.

The gaiter is now attached.

The converted Glue-On is now a Glove.

I took it one step further by removing the Power Straps from the used boots and re-fitting them to the new boots. I’ve stopped using Power Straps on the front because they don’t seem to need them. I still like the added security of Power Straps on the hind boots, but I have not really experimented without them. I’ll save that for another report.

Removing the Power Strap from the expired Glove.

The modified boots passed their test with flying colors. I enjoyed many miles of tough mountainous terrain, trotting through rocky outcroppings and across tree roots and sections of sharp shale. The hailstorms were exciting the first day, but getting caught in a storm on the second day seemed less novel. The boots did not even budge

Redford out on the trail in the converted Gloves. Not even hail and rain would pull those boots off.

I even had chance to enjoy the parade through downtown Prescott. What a hoot! It was fun to see so many horses in the parade wearing Easyboots. I’m off to Fort Stanton at the end of the week – hoping to ride three days in Glue-Ons.

Happy Fourth of July.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

Equine and Human Trade-offs

I like to look at the choice to keep my horses in a healthy barefoot lifestyle to that of a healthy personal lifestyle.  The opportunity to change your horse’s health sounds appealing to all horse owners but at the end of the day this change does require work and effort (reading, research, trial and error, learning, a hands on approach and work).  It’s very similar to changing your personal habits and living a healthier personal lifestyle. Everyone would like to be healthier, everyone would like to eat better, everyone would like to exercise more, everyone would like to drop some extra weight! 

Dave Rabe and one of his healthy barefoot horses.

I believe at the end it all comes down to choices and/or trade-offs.  Do I wake up early and get in a bit of exercise before work or do I like the 20+ extra pounds I’m carrying?  Do I cook a healthy dinner tonight or do a get something quick at the fast food restaurant on the way home from sitting in my desk chair all day?  Do I take the stairs or the elevator?  Do I read or sit in front of the TV?  Do I sit on the beach, buried in beer cans or turn the beach into an exercise opportunity?  Do I wear heels to work or running shoes?  Yes, the above are simplified choices that have not been complicated with our real or imaginary excuses. 

My wife and daughter hitting the paddle board on the 4th of July.

We all have the ability to make the same choices for our equine partners.  Should I leave my horse in the box stall or should I offer him turn out?  Should I offer my horse the 20 x 20 pipe stall or the 5 acre turnout?  Do I feed my horses grass hay or 100% alfalfa?  Do I get my horse out for exercise daily, weekly or monthly?  Do I have my horse trimmed every 10 weeks, every 8 weeks, every 4 weeks or do I trim a little each time I ride him? Do I ride my horse down the steep rocky hill or do I get off and walk?  Do I throw in the towel when it gets tough or keep trying new methods?

I believe its human nature to avoid the opportunities that take more work and effort.  Most people agree that it’s better for both equines and humans to have regular exercise and a healthy diet.  We know what’s good for us and our equine partners but the trade-off to make the correct choices is often more painful and requires more effort.  The easy choices made today are most often paid for in the future.  Laminitis, diabetes, founder, stress, colic, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and death are some of the forms of payment made by horses and humans. 

Is it easy to throw your horse a flake of hay in a box stall every morning and evening and schedule your farrier every 8-10 weeks?  Yes it is.  Is it more difficult to exercise your horse several times per week, feed and supplement the horse per his exercise, offer the horse turnout and trim and monitor the horse’s feet daily or weekly?  Yes it is. 

We all need to make the choices we are comfortable with.  It’s all about trade-offs.

A healthy booted equine foot. 

Horses with my daughter Alyxx

Alyxx loves the horses and knows each by name.  She like to help catch them, brush them, carry the tack and of course ride them.  When on the horse her most common words are "More" and "Faster".

A couple photos from an outing last week. 

Another Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On Success Story

Here is a photo of my monster pony, PF Fast Eddy, in his Easyboot Glue-ons up front and Gloves with the prototype gaiters behind, at the Almosta Bennett Hills Ride in the Owyhee Mountains. I glued on the front boots the Sunday before the ride as Eddy had been taking some tentative steps the week before due to all the wet weather we've had here. I took him out for a short ride the Wednesday before the ride to make sure he was feeling good, and he was! He felt the best he's felt all spring and was ready to rock n' roll at the ride. Steph Teeter graciously organized this ride in less than a week as the original Bennett Hills ride in Gooding, Idaho,  had been cancelled.

We went along the base of Toy Mountain for the first loop, and then up and down Toy Mountain (6000 feet) as an out and back loop, finishing the ride after fifteen miles through the desert. This ride, particularly the mountain out and back, had rock, rock and more rock. Along with huge climbs, several water crossings and some deep cow bogs, it was a great test for the boots. The boots performed flawlessly. Eddy moved out beautifully all day and never took a bad step. I did have an issue with one of my hind Gloves FLYING off when Eddy decided I was taking too long at a gate about a mile from the vet check. I got off to get the gate and after shutting it behind us, he jerked the reins out of my hand and launched himself down the road- think Quarter Horse breaking from the gate in a 1/4 mile sprint. One of my Gloves came off at the take-off, and quite honestly I was surprised the other one didn't. I jogged into the vet check where I was told my horse came long trotting down the road and went straight to the water tank. Grrrr. He vetted through just fine and went on to finish the ride in 6th place.

After vetting in and un-tacking, I pulled the glue-ons off very easily and was extremely happy to see the sole was not soft of thrushy at all. There was absolutely no rubbing on his pasterns, and I really think those new gaiters will make the Gloves virtually rub-free. Once again Garrett, THANK YOU for taking care of us and making me feel confident in booting again.

Amanda Washington

Easyboot Glue-On Success on the East Coast.

Pine Tree 100- A weekend of firsts!

Sharon Levasseur and her horse Zephyr had a wonderful weekend at the Pine Tree 100 in Easyboot Glue-Ons.

Read the whole story at here. 

Here are a couple paragraphs taken from Sharon's story to get you started.

"Last month, I entered Zephyr in a 3-day 80-mile ride to work on fixing the “race brain” that he has developed since we started racing 50s in 2007.  I knew that was the last step I wanted to conquer before trying again for a 100.  He did great so I decided to go ahead and enter the Pine Tree 100 on June 27.  I figured that with his race brain fixed, more advance planning, and terrain that is more similar to our home trails, we had a much better chance of finishing than in Vermont last year.

We did have some shoeing issues during the 3-day ride (lost both front shoes within a mile of each other on day 2 and finished the last 23 miles of the day barefoot in the front) so I made the tough choice to do an abrupt about-face and switch him to Easyboot hoof boots instead of shoes.  I posted a few updates about this transition earlier this month.  I had been planning to do the ride in Easyboot Gloves but was having some trouble getting the gaiters (ankle straps) to fit him properly, and I was worried about rubbing over the long distance, so I decided to just glue the boots on instead."

"I think the Easyboot Glue-ons HAD to have helped him, with all that rock a lot of people were having problems with footsore horses.  One rider even got pulled at the final vet check because of that... talk about heartbreaking!  It’s not usually so rocky at this ride so most people didn’t bother padding their horses, and I heard that a lot of people lost shoes."

Sharon Levasseur and Zephyr

 

Goober Glue and Easyboot Glue-Ons

I removed the Easyboot Glue-Ons that I applied with Vettec Adhere (walls) and Goober Glue (sole area packing) after a bit over two weeks on the horse.  The feet were in excellent shape and I'm now convinced that Goober Glue is the best hoof boot packing material you can use.  It's soft but offers just the right amount of cushion. 

To refresh your memory I posted about the application technique a couple weeks back.  I used Goober Glue in the sole area of the hoof and made sure to level it as to not cause any pressure points.  Read about the application here.  Goober Glue was applied to the sole first before the shell was applied.  No holes were used in the shell. 

Leveling the Goober Glue with a piece of cardboard. 

I did a bunch of training rides with the horse over the past two weeks. The horse was in and out of water, streams and bogs.  The biggest thing I noticed with the Goober Glue was less of the squish, squish sound you get with wet hoof boots.  It was like the water had nowhere to go inside the boots. In addition I noticed the horse being more comfortable and confident in hard and rocky ground (increased stride length). 

Back boots before removal.

Front boots before removal. 

As I removed the shells I used my thumb to push into the Goober Glue that remained inside each shell.  The cushioning was perfect.  Giving but resilient.

There has been talk lately about packing used in hoof boots and possible pressure to the hoof.  I personally don't see packing as an issue when properly applied.  Of course you don't want to apply unneeded pressure and fill the boot with a great deal of packing.  It would be like using an arch support in your shoe that is much to big!  A bit of common sense goes a long way when booting.  If you choose to inject material inside your boot make sure you use two holes.  It's very hard to inject too much packing material when excess material and air escapes from the second hole.  The holes also let material escape when the hoof is set back on the ground prior to the material setting up.  If you apply the packing material as I did above level before you apply the boot. 

I did a short video to show how the Goober Glue flexes and gives as I probed the impression areas of the frog with my thumb.  If my thumb get's this kind of movement think how the Goober Glue packing will move under the weight of a 800 lbs horse.

#3.5 and #4 Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-Ons coming soon

The Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-Ons have been a huge success in the equine industry in less than six months after launch!  Both products have been on the market a very short time and success stories continue to roll in as fast as we can post them.

With the success has also come requests for larger boots. For those of you requesting larger boots, I have good news.  I just approved drawings for the #3.5 and #4 Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On.  Molds will start next week and we should see first samples in three to four weeks.