Transition Tuesday Week 12

Giving Back To The Community: EasyCare Supports Barefoot Horses At Tevis

Far Gets A Tevis Buckle on Week 12

Members of the EasyCare team work on Far at Robie Park.

I was very impressed last weekend with the outreach activities EasyCare offered at the 54^th annual Tevis Cup. Several members of the senior management team flew into California. They brought with them truckloads of Easyboot Glue-Ons, tools and glue necessary to apply boots to 17 competing horses at no cost to the riders.

Imagine the planning that goes into getting ready for Tevis: getting up to Robie Park and preparing you and your horse for one of the highest profile endurance races in the world. It is a lot of work, and takes rigorous planning and a lot of help from your friends. Garrett and Christoph, both of whom were entered in the race, spent much of Thursday afternoon and all day Friday selflessly rasping and trimming horses’ feet; prepping them for the gluing process and applying boots.

Members of the EasyCare team provided support and kept the materials and equipment flowing. Each of them was willing to take the time to answer questions and explain what they were doing. Every horse was given the attention and care it would receive as if they were riding the horse themselves. It was quite a process to witness and testament to a philanthropic corporate identity. There was quite an audience and some interesting discussion about the barefoot lifestyle, training and nutrition. The success of the booted horses is creating momentum for a broader development in natural horse care. I am excited to be part of the wave: there is so much to learn and so much to be gained.

I was one of the lucky riders to benefit from the boots and support – and one of the lucky ones to cross the 100-mile mark at the finish line at Auburn on Sunday morning with a sound horse. I had tested the Glue-Ons in race conditions at the Descanso Endurance Ride in May and up at Groom Creek over a 65-mile training weekend in the mountains. I already had enough confidence in them to use them at Tevis, but I confess that having the company management team applying them added another level of confidence. It also proved to me that this is a process any of us can easily master.

It had rained and hailed for some of the afternoon on Thursday – the ground was wet and Far’s feet were definitely softer and moister than they usually are in Arizona. Garrett and his team were set up down near the vetting area on a bed of straw. We had each made appointments and we all lined up at the right moment to get the boots fitted.

Deconstructing The Application of Glue-Ons

1. Each hoof was trimmed and balanced. Any toe or growth that needed to be adjusted was removed with a rasp.

2. Denatured alcohol was liberally sprayed onto the hoof wall and sole.

3. Once the foot was completely clean; each foot was dried for a few seconds with a heat gun (I bought mine at Ace Hardware for $25).
   

4. The hoof wall was rasped to give the glue more tooth.

5. Goober Glue was liberally applied to the sole and was spread out evenly using a spatula.

6. EquiPak Adhere was applied to the inside of the boot shell walls and the boot was then fitted to the hoof.

7. A thick bead of EquiPak Adhere was applied around the top of the boot to create a seal.
   

8. The horses were encouraged to stand quietly for 30 minutes to let the glue set up.

9. Any excess glue (or straw!) that had seeped up near the heel bulb was removed the next morning.

Far went on to ride some of the toughest 100 miles of wilderness trail I have ever had the pleasure to experience. We descended 23,000 feet and climbed 19,000 feet. We trotted at 14 mph up and down hard-packed service roads, we picked our way through boulder fields and bogs and we cantered through the forest trails. We waded through rivers, climbed cougar rock and stumbled our way along precipitous mountain trails in the thick, soupy darkness of night. We climbed and descended along precarious canyon trails no wider than a horse. We crossed blacktop roads at a full trot with the satisfying silence of a cushioned grip and not once did I ever wonder if the boots would stay on.

Removing The Boots

1. Using a long-necked flat head screwdriver, we pried the seal open and pushed the screwdriver down to the bottom of the hoof wall.

2. Using some force, we peeled the boot back all the way around the hoof.
   

3. We then pried the boot off. It took us no more than five minutes to remove each boot.
   

4. The Goober Glue did not stick to the sole of the hoof and it provided a very soft cushion to the base of the foot. The EquiPak Adhere lived up to its name: the seals remained unbroken and there was seemingly no moisture in the boot. There was no sign of rubbing or pressure on the heel bulb.

5. These boots are ready for another 100 miles.

Thank you, EasyCare staff, for allowing me to conquer one of the greatest and most liberating challenges of my life. A full account of my ride will follow next week.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

 

Comments

[Jeremy]

Just read the easy boot article above. Do these boots have to taken off every day? Or can they stay on for longer periods of time?

What about the natural wicking of moisture from the heel bulb or through the hoof wall itself? Is sealing the hoof healthy?

Interesting article.

J

[Kevin Myers]

J,

The boots were only on for Tevis - they stayed on for four days. I only use them for competition. The rest of the time, I either ride barefoot or with Easyboot Gloves.

Kevin

[Rae]

Can the gloves be glued on again?

[Dunc]

Hi Kevin
Completely agree with you about the EasyCare Team. It was so great to meet Debbie, Bryan and Gabe from EasyCare - talk about a class act. With staff like these it is easy to see why EasyCare is such a successful company.

[Chris Martin]

More Tevis Glue-on pictures at

http://picasaweb.google.com/webtackUSA/GooberGlueAtTevis09#

Hope that link comes through...

[Theresa Bagwell]

Were the backs of the boots trimmed down at all? It looks like they *may* have been in the pics.

[Kevin Myers]

Jeremy,

The boots were put on a day before the ride and taken off the day after. Garrett recommends the boots stay on for no longer than ten days at a time.

Kevin

[Kevin Myers]

Theresa,

Yes, the backs were trimmed down on Far's hinds because his heels are still a little low in the back and Garrett wanted to avoid the risk of putting any pressure on the heel bulb area. Thr front boots were not altered.

I used the same size glue-on boots on him at the Descanso 50 without trimming the backs down and he had no rubbing problems at all.

Kevin