From The Horse's Mouth

Easyboot Hoof Boot Exchange boots for sale on E-Bay

The EasyCare Hoof Boot Upgrade Program continues to crank along.  The program allows hoof boot users that are unhappy with a current hoof boot design the ability to send in the unwanted boots and receive half price on any EasyCare hoof boot.

Over the past couple months we have collected the hoof boots turned in under the exchange program and we will E-Bay the entire pile of boots to the highest bidder.  The pile contains Cavallo Horse Boots, Marquis Horse Boots, Horse Sneakers, Davis Horse Boots, Renegade Hoof Boots, Bosana Horse Boots, Swiss Horse Boots, etc. 

Many boots are in new condition, many in slightly used condition and many in a more used condition.  Sizes are in all ranges but are primarily the more popular sizes. Check out more details and place a bid at the hoof boot E-Bay auction.  The Cavallo boots alone have a $1800 retail value.  This is a smoking opportunity for the right person. 

I'm often asked to comment on other hoof boot styles made by different manufacturers.  To be honest I like all the other brands and believe all the boot manufacturers are proving the same concept and we are all spreading the same message.  Hoof boots sales are currently a blip compared to iron shoe sales but we continue to close the gap.  We are all making each other better and the competition between the hoof boot manufacturers is the only thing that continues to make hoof boots improve. 

Cavallo Horse Boots.  The pink pair are pretty cool.

Marquis Horse Boots.  One pair painted Red,

Swiss Horse Boots.  Some have toe slots.

Horse Sneakers.  Check out the Flames.

Renegade Hoof Boots.  Strap on boots and Glue-on shells.  Many of the glue-on shells are in new condition, never used.  We also got back several of the strap on front units only.  Not sure why just the front?

Castle Plastics

Transition Tuesday Week 23

Make Your Horse Lame

Rocky in the rocks on a training ride last Sunday at Indian Springs.

Why do some people easily make the leap from shod to barefoot while others struggle?

• It’s not because their horse feels no pain.
• It’s not because they ‘know people’.
• It’s not even because they’re lucky.

It’s because they’re not scared of making their horse lame.

And when they make that leap, they no longer have to focus on short-term fixes that keep their horse flirting with soundness. They focus instead on long-term strategies that make their horse healthier.

Clydea and Rusty enjoying a brief pause at the Verde River during the training ride.

The shocking part

I’ve been picking up my horses’ feet every day for the last few months and squeezing their heel bulbs between my thumb and forefinger. I’m actually pinching myself to make sure what I am seeing is real. It is astounding to see how much the heel area moves from the simple pressure squeezing it.

Imagine the forces on that foot at a trot or canter as the foot falls to the ground. Better yet: imagine what happens when a steel shoe is added into the mechanics. The video below shows some of those effects very well. But there are so many more, as Teskey points out here in a 2007 interview and here in a presentation he made more recently.

Watch the video. Better yet: cut to the chase by watching closely what happens at the 10 second point and then again at the 12 second point. The rest of the clip becomes redundant.

Listen up

There is more to this than just pulling the shoes and slapping on a set of boots. Success will require you to evaluate diet, environment and activity, just as it would if you were making changes in your own lifestyle.

Rocky in a set of Gloves.

The cool part

Barefoot success may be well within reach. Take these five steps.

1. Keep off the sugar. Starches release an enzyme in the intestine that can cause the lamina in the hoof to become soft and separate from the hoof wall. Feed high fiber hay and supplements, but keep off the carbs like grain and molasses. Stay away from grain crops like wheat, oat barley and rye.
2. Keep the herd a herd. If possible, don’t keep your horse in solitary confinement. It’s better for their head with a buddy.
3. Keep your horse moving. There is nothing better for hoof growth than the flow of blood through the highly vascular hoof created by constant movement in an outdoor environment. Avoid life in the stall if you can and use boots as needed for exercise.
4. Trim the hooves. Bring in a professional hoof care practitioner who specializes in barefoot trimming. Learn for yourself how to do a little regular hoof maintenance (if I can, you definitely can).
5. Be consistent. Stay committed and don’t stray the path. Be patient.

The moral

You will become a better horseperson and your horse will likely enjoy a happier life and a longer career, not matter what their job.

You might make some mistakes along the way. But even the most sensitive footed horses can trot down the trail with the heavenly cadence of an even beat. I have five horses at my place who make a good case in support of barefoot.

The view from the trail at Indian Springs: a good place to pause and reflect.

The end

Do what you think is the right thing but don’t underestimate what a new discovery might mean for you. Take comfort in the knowledge and technology advancements that help us keep the inside of a horse in harmony with the outside of a horse.

So go ahead: pull the shoes and see if you make your horse lame. The boots can help you ease the transition if you need them and they will also help you go down the trail. You’ll be shocked: I was.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

 

Easyboot Facebook and Easyboot Twitter

The www.easycareinc.com home page has Facebook and Twitter icons at the bottom.  Sign up and follow EasyCare and the hoof boot world.  Some fun stuff, discounts and incentives will be added in those areas very soon.

Is Shoeing a Necessary Evil? By: Neel W. Glass, Ph.D.

Dr Neel Glass was a man ahead of his time.  I continue to get a kick out of this article and I'm amazed at the forward thinking of Dr Glass.  Written in the 1970's "Is shoeing a Necessary Evil" shows the progressive thinking of Glass.


Neel Glass and Easyboot Dandy.  Neel is wearing a buckle from his 1975 Tevis finish with four Easyboots. 

"Horses have been shod by nailing on iron shoes for over a thousand years.  However, shoeing can cause a variety of hoof problems, and the cliche Shoeing is a necessary evil is nearly as old as horseshoeing itself.
 
Since the introduction of Easyboot early in 1972, we have received many reactions and questions and heard many different attitudes expressed on hoof care, treatment, shoeing, and related subjects.  These attitudes have ranged all the way from positive statements that horses should always be shod; to equally flat statements that all shoeing is harmful, the horse should always be barefoot - nature intended it that way!
 
Since there seem to be so many opinions and questions on these subjects, it may be of interest to recount some facts and to describe problems that exist which led to the development of Easyboot.
 
The first use of the horse by man is lost in antiquity but it is clear that the first tribes to use the horse in battle had a tremendous advantage.  However, the eventual limitation of the horse in long hard campaigns and forced marches was the wear of their feet.  At the time of Alexander the Great, horses were not shod except occasionally with a rawhide wrap and there were instances where campaigns were slowed down, stopped, and even lost because the hooves became worn out and broken to the point where the horses could not continue on."

Continue reading here. 

Blog World New Media Expo

Blog World Expo in Vegas was pretty amazing.  EasyCare is doing many things right but we have some huge opportunities in front of us.  It's exciting when you are blown away by the work ahead and the possibilities!  Expect some progressive changes from EasyCare in the near future.

Off to Blog World Vegas

Off to Blog World Expo in the morning.  

EasyCare has done a great job with social media in the past and we have big plans and goals for 2010.  For a small niche company, EasyCare webstats and blog stats are super strong and continue to grow. 

Use Compete.com to look at how www.easycareinc.com compares to others in the hoof boot world, equine industry and outside the equine world.  Make sure you compare www.easycareinc.com to the "Real Leader" in the hoof boot world.  Easy to see who the leader is! 

Not bad for a small company in the horse boot industry.  Can't wait to see the progress in another year.

Easyboot Facebook and Easyboot Twitter are up!

EasyCare just started Easyboot Facebook and Easyboot Twitter pages.  Easyboot Facebook and Easyboot Twitter will quickly build and populate.  Come check it out.  Find the Facebook page here. Find the Twitter page here. 

EasyCare will do some fun stuff with both the Easyboot Facebook and Twitter pages.  If you're a hoof boot user it will be worth the time!

Easyboots at the USEF Kentucky Cup Endurance Event

Three of the top ten finishers at the 100 mile USEF Kentucky Cup Endurance Event used Easyboot Glue-ons.   Weather conditions were extreme, temps low and riders and horses trudged down the trail in pounding rain.

Farzad Faradi and Hot Desert Knight Placed 8th, Christoph Schork and TC Moonshine finished 10th and Jeremy Reynolds and Sir Smith finished in the top five.  Sir Smith would eventually be pulled at the finish.

Christoph Schork and Moon tromp through the rain.  The Easyboots and studs provided nice grip in the challenging footing.

I spoke to Christoph Schork last night on the phone.  He responded with the following "It was one of the most difficult endurance events I've ever done.  The mud and footing was 6 to 8 inches deep on most parts of the trail.  Conditions were very tough and horses really had to work in the mud and slop.  Very few horses would have finished if it was not reduced from 100 miles to 75 miles"

The Kentucky Cup rounds out an incredible endurance season for barefoot horses, hoof boots and Easyboots.  What a year, top tens and huge success at Tevis, First Place and BC at the AERC 100 mile National Championship and three top ten finishes at the USEF Kentucky Cup. 

Peripheral Loading

I've seen tremendous success with the EasyCare Comfort Pad line and/or using either Goober Glue or Vettec Equi Pak CS as a packing/hoof filler inside EasyCare hoof boots.  All three products cushion the sole and eliminate peripheral loading that can happen to barefoot horses when wearing hoof boots.  Although the majority of horses are fitted with hoof boots on a temporary basis peripheral loading does happen if comfort pads or some type of packing is not used. 

The recent success of the Easyboot Glue-On line used with Goober Glue as a packing has caused some negative feedback and scuttlebutt in some boot users not using EasyCare products.  I don't agree with the negative feedback and believe people who are applying boots long term without packing are doing their horses a huge disservice. They will be using a packing in due time. 

Over the last couple days I've taken a close look at what my horses naturally have packed in their feet and I'm amazed at how closely the natural packing mimics the Goober Glue and Vettec Equi Pak products we apply in the Easyboot products.  It's hard to argue that these packing materials are not meant to support the hoof, sole and bottom of the hoof as nature obviously has intended.

The big advantage and difference between the natural hoof packing that most horses feet are packed in daily and the Goober Glue/Equi Pak products that we recommend to reduce peripheral loading is that the Goober Glue and Equi Pak products are much more forgiving and provide a great deal of cushion.  In addition as the materials set, extra material quickly exits the back of the shell eliminating any potential sole pressure. 

Take a look at the photos below.  In my opinion it is hard to argue that the hoof is designed to carry a packing.  The packing is intended to eliminate peripheral loading.

Cyclone's front foot packed by nature. 

Nature's packing removed.  The natural packing takes an exact impression of the hoof just like Goober Glue and Equi Pak. 

Flash's hoof packed by nature. 

The natural packing removed. 

Goober Glue in a Easyboot Glue-On after removal.  It takes an exact mold of the horses bare hoof just like nature's packing.

Applying Goober Glue before installing an Easyboot Glue-On.  Looks just like a hoof with the natural packing.

Horses that are in sandy areas or dry areas don't get a packing that sticks in the hoof like the photos above, but the hoof is packed with sand or loose material everytime the hoof touches the ground.  These packing materials are what the hoof needs and the  way nature has intended.

Suspending the hoof and sole in an iron shoe eliminates the hoof working as intended (peripheral loading).  Suspending the hoof in a hoof boot for long periods without packing has the same effect.  The great thing about hoof boots is they are usually used for hours at a time and the horse is barefoot (without peripheral loading) the remaining hours of a day.  Packing becomes very important when glue-on boots are used for several days at a time. 

Transition Tuesday Week 22

Crossing the 20,000 Mile Threshold

Celebrating Kevin Waters

Kevin Waters and Tahoe’s Thunder won first place and Best Condition at the Virgin Rim ride when they crossed the finish line in Nevada on September 20. Kevin also reached the noteworthy 20,000 AERC career mile marker.

Kevin and Tahoe at the National Championship 100 in 2009. Photo © by Merri Melde & Endurance.Net.

Originally from Chicago, Kevin is not really sure why he started in endurance – or what keeps him in it. “You do get to see a lot of country,” he said in his characteristically ironic way. He started riding horses when he was three and took on his first endurance ride at the Black Hills ride in South Dakota. When he crossed the 10,000 mile mark, he was sure he would quit riding endurance. Now that he’s doubled that mileage achievement he says he hopes he won’t make it to 30,000 miles. We’ll just have to see about that.

Kevin and Ali 'Palomino' at Tevis.

Kevin has been using Easyboots regularly for more than 20 years now – mostly the Original Easyboot, and mostly over shoes when the trail dictated it. In some years he was able to get as many as 1,000 miles out of a single Easyboot. In 2002 alone, Kevin accumulated more than 2,000 miles. In that same year he rode all five days on the same horse at each of the New Mexico Renegade; Fort Stanton Pioneer; Outlaw Trail and Owyhee Canyonlands Pioneer rides. He did it all in Easyboots and managed to take home five BC awards in the process.

Like an old friend: the Original Easyboot.

At his 20,000 mile mark, none of Kevin’s competing horses are in shoes. He made the leap to barefoot almost 12 months ago. He was riding the horse he affectionately refers to as Palomino at the Las Cienega Pioneer Ride southeast of Tucson in December 2008. “The steel shoes wore out before the three days were over, so Garrett helped me pull them and we used a set of Gloves so I could finish all three days. I haven’t looked back since.”

That’s a bit of an understatement, considering Kevin has gone on to win seven BC awards this year, and counting, including Overall BC at Paunsagaunt (Bryce Canyon) XP five-day in September. Every BC was in Easyboot Gloves or Glue-Ons.

Garrett helping Kevin apply a set of Gloves to Palomino in the mud at Strawberry Fields.

 Kevin’s training strategy is uncomplicated: he usually starts his horses by running with them. He’ll climb aboard only once he feels the horse is mentally and physically ready to carry a partner. All of Kevin’s horses are long term competitors: he attributes high mileage in a horse to being able to resist the temptation to ride up front too frequently. “I try not to get caught up in the speed,” said Kevin, “I prefer steady over speedy.”  The one constant in Kevin’s own training protocol is to run: he usually runs for an hour every day. He likes to run in Asics, and thinks the sport of endurance will see a resurgence of runners in the next few years.

If you have seen Kevin at a ride, this is probably how you saw him.

Kevin has not had as many horses as you would expect over a 20,000 mile career. Nor does he want to calculate how many miles he has driven in the various rigs he has owned. Three horses seem to stand out for him. His first endurance horse –George- was very highly spirited. He is 30 now, and still lives at home. On Al, he rode more than 6,000 miles, and more than 4,500 miles on Quidado. “I always ride according to how the horse feels on that day.”

Rides are not always a trot in the park for Kevin. He took Tahoe to the National Championship in California this year and although they finished, they did not have the kind of ride Kevin had planned for. “He got metabolically upset up in the first 13 miles and then just would not settle down and would not pulse down the way he usually does. It was just not his day.” Tahoe went on to get first place and BC at Virgin Rim ten days later: you just never know.

Kevin Waters on Day 1 at the Grand Canyon XP last weekend. Photo © by Steve Bradley.

Kevin feeds electrolytes quite sparingly, usually buffering them with molasses or apple sauce. On a hot, long, challenging ride he will give smaller doses more frequently.

His strategy for resting a horse is also unique to each horse. Every horse gets some rest every year – usually as much as two months per horse.

A trio of horses in Gloves.

There are currently three horses competing in the Waters’ herd, with none currently in the pipeline. He has owned 11 year-old Tahoe since he was six months old. He ran with him in hand from ages two through four, then had a young girl use him in lessons for a year before running with him for another year. He started competing in endurance with him in 1999. “Two horses are definitely easier than three to keep going!”

Kevin can often be seen spending time running with his horse at a race. He says he usually runs about 10% of a race, but when I have seen him at competitions I’m sure he has run more than that. In the earlier days, he says he ran as much as 90%.

His running strategy proved to be very successful at Tevis this year where he finished in 30^th place on Palomino after running about 25% of the trail. This was Kevin’s first Tevis attempt and it was a much more enjoyable experience than he had anticipated. He found riders and crew to be nothing but generous; the army of volunteers and vets helped his vet check experiences run smoothly and efficiently. “And the ledges were not nearly as tough as I expected them to be,” he said. “The only thing was that you just had to keep hurrying all day.”

When asked what one piece of advice he would give to the reader, he encourages a transition to barefoot today. Quidado is now 19: Kevin is convinced that he would have enjoyed a longer career if he had switched  him to Easyboots ten years ago. Quidado used to battle issues from contracted heels and almost got laminitis. “I just wish I’d gone barefoot sooner.”

Kevin and Palomino at Grand Canyon XP in 2009. Photo © by Steve Bradley.

“If things go wrong with Easyboots, it’s all your own fault,” Kevin went on to say. “Johanna and I don’t trim that well, but we are learning, and we have found that boots are much more forgiving than steel shoes. Now my horses have no more bruising and no more crumbling of the hoof wall.” He laughed when I asked him what he thought the biggest challenge was in using Easyboots: “To stay off to the side of the road.”

Kevin’s short-term plans include returning to the Big Horn in 2010 because it is an unusually challenging ride in terms of trail and resources. He says his long-term plans are to quit endurance. Like I said, we’ll just have to see about that.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

---

Champion

Just saw this on my buddies Facebook page.  So true, it's time to bring it and turn it up a whole new level.  Hang on. 

"Champion, whether at home, work, community or baseball - is the ability to take our performance to a whole different - and better - level when it counts most."

New EasyCare Hoof Boot Design

It's weird how the mind works.  I've had the perfect hoof boot designed in my head for the last several months but I've been unable to figure out one attachment point.  I stopped by the ski sale over the weekend and found the attachment.  Full steam ahead.

Part Easyboot Glove, part football helmet, part snow board binding and part Crocs. 

Heading South

The snow has arrived in the mountains above Durango and its time to head south to Tucson.  It's been a fantastic summer of hoof boot research and design.  In Tucson we will firm up all the new designs, implement hoof boot improvements, design the 2010 catalog and finalize the marketing direction for the upcoming year.

I've been using the mountains of Colorado for hoof boot research and development for the last 5 years.  The mild summer temps, changes in elevation, water crossing, mud and miles of trail have contributed to the Easyboot Epic, Easyboot Bare, Easyboot Grip, Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On designs.  The summer months in Colorado and the time spent on a horse have proven to be invaluable to product development.

Packing for Tucson is always hard as my R&D selection of boots grows over the summer.  FedEx makes daily deliveries and my horse stalls quickly fill with hoof boots.  All these boots are now being packed and will end up in the R&D room in Tucson.

I'm not sure what will make the 2010 EasyCare hoof boot line up yet.  Our 2009 product selection was our best yet and the equine accomplishments in EasyCare hoof boots in the 2009 season alone are staggering.  Many of the 2009 products will be improved going into 2010.  We do have a cool new hoof boot design that is pretty trick that will be launched after a couple more tweaks.  

I took a walk around the place today to take a look at what we are leaving for the warmer temps of Arizona.  Hate leaving this beautiful place but Tucson and the Sonoran Desert have a beauty of their own.

October Trails in Durango

Lisa and I got out this weekend for some single track on the Durango trails.  Trails are tacky, leaves are changing and there's a chill in the air.  Horses, bikes or on foot, this time of year is incredible.  

Transition from iron shoes to hoof boots in weeks!

Amanda Washington and Belesema Replika's story from shod to barefoot in weeks!

I picked up my new mare, Belesema Replika, over Labor Day weekend at the Old Selam Endurance Ride up in Idaho City. Special thanks to Kim Johnson of Belesemo Arabians for allowing me this amazing opportunity. I had ridden my gelding, PF Fast Eddy, on day one of Old Selam, happily glued into his Glove shells with Goober Glue as the adhesive. Eddy flew through the course, up and down the mountain trails, over the rocks, on top of the pavement- it was awesome! I let him go faster than usual because I had planned the spend day two of the ride either riding Replika or volunteering. Replika did day one with her old owner, and about halfway through the ride, she pulled a shoe- along with a huge chunk of her inside hoof wall. She finished the ride with a regular old-style Easyboot, completing as fit to continue.

Due to the pulled shoe, we decided to do a trail ride the next day. Yikes! Replika was about a grade three lame on the left front, the foot which was shoeless, in an Easyboot and missing a large portion of itself. We went back to the trailer and I proceeded to pull the remaining three shoes. Her front feet were extremely short and very flat, her back feet were an odd shape of high-heeled clubbiness. I did some minor trimming on the hinds, taking off a bit of heel which immediately softened the angle and made them more "normal." Thankfully, she had a good depth of sole with lots of concavity. We took Replika home and put her in a pair of boots in the front. She was extremely footsore barefoot. The next day I fitted her for glue-ons and three days later she had front boots glued on with Goober Glue as the adhesive and smeared into the sulci for frog support. She was quite sore on the foot that she pulled her shoe off, which is fairly normal considering all of the soft tissue damage that can occur in that situation. Every day she got better and better. I pulled the boots off every week for a day or so, and put them back on. Our horses are on 180 acres in the dry desert foothills, and are constantly on the move. She didn't have the foot to sustain anything being worn off. After two boot changes, she was 100% sound and had an awesome toe flip to show for!

At the beginning of week three, I decided to take Replika to the Owyhee Canyonlands 5-day ride. I was eager to ride her and knew she would be quiet in camp if one day was all we did. I glued on a new set of shells, still using the GG as a packing and as the main adhesive. I wouldn't have it any other way- that stuff rocks! I packed up bringing a lot of entertainment for my days spent sitting around camp. Little did I know....

I saddled up for day 1 of Canyonlands. We were to do Wildhorse Butte- one of my very most favorite rides. This ride has amazing footing, awesome washes to fly through and gorgeous views down by the river. I knew she would be good for this ride as there are literally about ten rocks on the whole trail. She was awesome and finished the ride like it was ten miles. I thought, what the heck, we'll do day two, and then she can rest.

Day two was fairly miserable considering the first loop was 30 miles of ROCK. I don't mean rock like the kind you can pick through and not hit, I mean the kind that is EVERYWHERE! A friend and I rode together, both on barefoot, booted horses. We rode very conservatively, taking our time through the rocks and taking care of our horses. I thought this would be the end of our journey, no way would she hold up over all those rocks and be fit to continue, let alone go on for another day! This little, tough, amazing mare surprised me as she just kept going- carefully picking her way through the rocks, never taking a bad step. She finished in great shape and with the kind encouragement from my friends, we decided to start another day.

Now day three was the kind of day where you wonder why you put yourself and your horse through the sport! It's also the kind of day that after you safely finish, and you and your faithful horse are tucked in for the night, you realize why you do it. Rock, more rock, long climbs out of three canyons and more rock. 'Nuff said. Both Replika and I were tired after this ride. She was beginning to show the signs of leg weariness, and I think the rock got to her at the end as she was being very careful not to step on any, which made for slow going. However, her completion exam received all A's and she trotted out with lots of impulsion and was very sound. At dinner that night, several-time Tevis finisher told me; "If you can do that ride, you can do Tevis! Today was perfect Tevis conditioning." Needless to say, we took the next day off.

Replika ate and drank more than my monster-sized gelding ever has. This mare really takes care of herself. She looked great the next morning, and spent the day happily snoozing in the sun. I decided to go again the last day, which would be a repeat of the Wildhorse ride. Unfortunately Replika developed a very nasty case of scratches overnight, which made for a sore spot on both her left front and hind pasterns. She kept trucking, however, and again, finished the ride in fantastic form. Three weeks out of shoes, we went four days and 205 miles! This mare is amazing!!!! However, we couldn't have done it without the use of boots to ease the transition. She is now comfortably barefoot cruising around the pasture after growing enough foot to protect herself, and will spend the rest of the fall trail riding and doing whatever else her princess self wants to do.

I have been incredibly impressed, relieved and thankful for the Easyboot Glue-On shells, Gloves and the Goober Glue which I have been using exclusively since July. Thank you Garrett for setting us up and allowing us to test some of the new products! It was this very ride last year, that I lost all four boots within five miles of the start using another brand of boot and Adhere as the adhesive. I know many are using Adhere successfully, but it's just not for me. The success of gluing with Adhere depends on the storage, age and condition of the Adhere, considering the same person can out on several sets of boots, using the same process and still have problems. I can use Goober Glue without worrying about getting any on the sole and causing pressure points, or causing pressure and discomfort in the heels. I love the fact that you can apply the boots at a leisurely pace and can use the same material for extra protection in the sole. My husband, who is an equine veterinarian, loves the frog support that the Goober Glue offers when applied as a sole packing. If I had to glue boots with Adhere one more time, I think I might have been husbandless at this point! Nothing causes a good fight like that of applying boots with a substance that cures in .02 seconds, for an important ride, on an impatient gelding. Ahhh, it's a good thing to relax!

So that's my story of our transition to barefoot. Of course one can argue that a booted horse really isn't "barefoot," but for all intents and purposes, my horse is much better off with rubber boots than steel shoes and pads. Thank you for allowing us this option!

In the famous words of Kevin- "Keep up the boot-legging!"

Amanda Washington
SW Idaho

Easyboots at the Kentucky Cup North American Team Challenge

The Kentucky Cup North American Challenge is just around the corner and will be held on the October 14th weekend.  Riders from more than 20 countries will compete in the Kentucky Cup Endurance Race. 

One of the challenging things about the Kentucky venue is the miles and miles of grass.  Many of the sections will be slick and slippery for all the horses despite the use of iron shoes or hoof boots. 

Several of the top US riders including Christoph Schork, Jeremy Reynolds, Heather Reynolds, Tennessee Mahoney and Farzad Faryadi will be racing the 100 mile event in Easyboots. 

The slippery grass conditions call for extra traction.  Expect to see iron shoes caulked or studded.  I've just shipped several pairs of Easyboot Glue-Ons and Easyboot Gloves to the Kentucky venue.  I've called in the expertise of our Swiss EasyCare distributor to stud the boots with a unique stud and system developed for the grass and slippery conditions found in Switzerland.  Sibylle Krieg of HoofGroove has a great deal of experience with studs and has been providing horses traction with her stud system for years.

The two photos above show booted horses in action.  Both photos are of Swiss horses using the HoofGroove studs in demanding events with lots of change of direction in slippery grass.

The studs are a unique design that provides grip but not excessive grip.  HoofGroove has also fabricated a unique machine to counter sink the head of the stud so not pressure is put on the hoof in any area.

I'm really impressed with the studded boots and plan to discuss adding the studs to the EasyCare line.

Here are a few photos of the unique studs developed and installed by the HoofGroove team. 

The inside photo shows how the studs are recessed. 

Bottom view showing traction.  Good traction but not excessive.  It's important to not have excessive traction over the 100 mile event. 

Another view of a studded shell. 

Transition Tuesday Week 21

*Major* User Error

We went up to compete in the Man Against Horse Endurance Race this weekend. If there is one ride that boots should be on every horse, this is it. And there were scores of booted horses competing.

Man Against Horse is one of only a few races I am aware of in which the equine and human races are held consecutively. Interestingly, there is no Ride And Tie component. The first Man Against Horse race took place in 1983 and was conceived by Prescott, AZ residents Gheral Brownlow and Steve Rafters. Gheral was a runner and owned a store in town. Steve was a cowboy who worked for the Prescott Police Department and enjoyed riding horses. Rumor has it that they decided to put on the race while at one of the taverns on Whiskey Row in Prescott.

It is an unforgiving trail.

Ron Barrett, a local runner and endurance rider, became ride manager in 1988 and moved the ride from its original location at Whitehorse Lake to its current location at the base of Mingus Mountain in Prescott Valley, AZ. All proceeds and donations from the event go to support food banks in the area. Over the years, more than $100,000 has been given to feed the hungry.

Our preparation for the event went seamlessly – we arrived at base camp in good time on Friday and helped Kelli Bourgeois and her horse, Gunner, get set up in Glue-Ons on the fronts and Gloves in the back. Kelli pulled the shoes on her horse this summer and is really pleased with the changes in Gunner’s feet. This was Gunner’s first competition in boots after his traditional Arizona summer lay-off, and Kelli went on to finish in 15^th place in the 50.

Rusty prepares Gunner’s feet for Glue-Ons.

A light rasping on the hoof wall will provide the glue some tooth to adhere to.

Gunner is good to go. The boots worked perfectly.

I got this note from Kelly on Monday:

“Just wanted to thank you again for the boots and for gluing them on. Gunner did great and I'm really quite happy!!  His legs look great and I took him for a short walk yesterday and he was happy and chipper - next 50 mile ride, I'll just plan on glue-ons all around - I really felt safe and confident knowing those boots weren't going anywhere while climbing over all of the rocks. Greg & I took them off yesterday and it wasn't too bad. Used the big screwdriver and they came off nicely. All of the glue inside the boots came right out and I'm pretty sure they could be reused one more time. One boot ended up with a TINY little hole from the screwdriver, but I think if the whole boot was glued on, it shouldn't really hurt the integrity of it.”

Kelli crosses the finish line with Gunner and her riding buddy, Greg Rose on Hot Lips.

Rusty and I had a catastrophic wardrobe malfunction: victims of our own equipment experiment gone awry. In the week prior, Rusty has tested using silicone mixed with a little water applied to the sole of Rocky’s feet. He then put on Gloves over top and rode in a variety of terrains at a variety of speeds. The silicone set up nicely that weekend: it stayed in place and Rusty simply put on the Gloves when he rode, and removed them when he was finished.

There is really no need for additional protection under the Gloves, but we were intrigued by the idea of adding some additional cushion for an infamously rocky competition.

Once we were installed at Base Camp, we mixed the silicone with a little water and applied it to the base of the front feet using a spatula. We covered the foot base of the foot in saran wrap to keep the silicone from attaching itself to anything, and left the horses overnight in an old discarded set of Glue-On shells to let the silicone set up.

Applying silicone to the sole with a spatula.

The sole is covered with saran wrap and an old boot is used to keep the hoof protected while the silicone sets up.

When we pulled the saran wrap off the feet to apply the Gloves the next morning, the silicone had not set up. With only a few minutes before the start of the race, we decided to just put on the Gloves anyway and set off.

Setting off at the start of the race. Photo by Ashley Wingert

It is a beautiful sight to see runners and riders leaving in the early morning light. The long line of competitors stretched out across the open country like a like a string of worker ants leaving the nest. Those first few miles are very exciting while the order evolves and the riders and horses find their places. Runners yield to horses and horses yield to runners with a satisfying display of mutual respect.

Redford and me in the early part of the day.

Spot the trail!

My first Glove oozed off at about four miles as soon as we hit the first rock. To my horror, I discovered the silicone was smeared all around the sole, hoof and heel bulb and had taken on the properties of Vaseline. I wiped the boots and hooves as best I could, but everything was now well lubricated – shiny and smooth and slick. The boots would work their way off countless times all the way to the first vet check at 16 miles. I managed to borrow some denatured alcohol from a friend and attempted to restore the feet and boots to their natural state, but alas, it was too late. The ride is one big 50 mile loop, so there was no opportunity to get back to the trailer and change our strategy.

The perfect ride for boots.

We would inch our way to the 38 mile mark, but time was most definitely against us and after 10.5 hours on the trail, Rusty and I got pulled for being Over Time. There was just no way we could finish the last 12 miles in 90 minutes with an average speed of 3.8 mph.

We would climb up to over 7,000 feet. The views were stunning.

It was a good lesson to learn: the Gloves work just fine without any additional sole packing. It turned out to be a day full of humor and an opportunity for me to practice my Zen Master side.

Starting back down the mountain.

Keep up the boot legging (but don’t lubricate the inside of the boots)!

Kevin

Fun balance exercises that help equitation

Over the years I've had the opportunity to participate in endurance riding and have been involved in the sport since 1982.  Some years I can't find the time to fit in any endurance rides, in a big year I may end up with 750 miles.  The main reason for my dabbling in equine endurance is our family involvement in other non equine endurance sports.  There just isn't enough time in the day.

I started to get more involved in endurance this season and contacted a couple dressage instructors to improve my equitation.  As a heavyweight rider I knew that a more balanced rider would only help my horse in 50 and 100 mile events.  Time restraints with family, career and others things got in the way and I have yet to take a dressage lesson.  It's on the list and will happen eventually but over the summer months I stumbled on several exercises that have really improved my balance and equitation.

I believe that trail running is the best thing you can do to help your equitation.  Trail running  strengthens your core, heightens proprioception, improves your balance and helps maintain optimal weight.  In addition it allows you to feel what your horse is feeling and see things from your horse's view.  Run up hills, run down hills, run in rocks, run when you're tired, continue running when your gut has shut down.  Trail running will change the way you ride and compete with your horse.

For some reason everyone has an excuse for why they can't run.  I personally think most of the excuses against running are made up excuses and that's a whole different subject.  If you can't run (or have an excuse why you can't run) then get out and hike.

Lisa and Roxy running through the Flying Monkey Forest.  Add a backpack or weight and you really appreciate what your horse does for you. 

Duncan McLaughlin and I run Engineer Peak outside Durango.  Uphill to 13,000 feet.  Makes you ride your horse up hills differently. 

Although trail running has been my personal release and core exercise over the years, this summer Lisa and I added two additional fun balance exercises that have helped our equitation and mulitisport activities.  The slackline has been the most challenging and has provided the most bang for the buck.  The slackline is a piece of 1 inch webbing that is strung between two trees or objects.  The goal is to walk across the slackline.  As you progress tricks are added.

The slackline is the best balance exercise I've ever done.  It's improves your balance rapidly, builds your core and gets the heart rate up a bit also.  All my horse friends that visited over the summer were drawn to it.  Awesome equestrian exercise. Get one at www.slackline.com. 

Lisa shows a successful crossing of the slackline

Lisa on the slackline.

Rusty Toth giving the slackline a try

In addition to the slackline we recently added a new toy to the balance exercises.  I purchased a unicycle a couple weeks back and have been learning how to ride it.  It requires allot of core and balance.  It's also a perfect tool to help equitation.

Alyxx and I race around the driveway.  Big wheel vs small wheels.

Over the summer months and 2009 endurance season there have been several people or events that have reminded me about equitation and how important it is for each of us to improve our fitness, balance and core strength.  You see some beautiful riders out there and you see allot of riders who could benefit from lessons and better balance.  I personally would like to become a better balanced rider and believe it would be a huge benefit to the horses I ride.  I'll continue the trail running, slackline and unicycle until I can connect with the dressage instructor. 

Boot Maine-ia: 9/30/09

On Saturday the 19th, several fellow members of the Mid-Maine Equestrian Search and Rescue (MMESAR) unit visited me for a weekend of pleasure riding. Here is Joe, tied next to Zephyr to keep him company while I gave his front hooves a quick trim prior to putting Easyboot Gloves on. Even with a fresh trim, I had to go with the size 2s, the largest I have. Those flares on his hoof walls are really interfering with the fit. After trimming, we tacked up.

When we left the property we rode .3 of a mile up the paved road to the trailhead of the historic Ice Road trail, which was used many years ago to haul ice on horse-drawn sleds from Hancock Pond to local ice houses. The trail is one of my favorites, but I think I may be the only local horse person who uses it, so in the summer time it gets ragged. I’m not even sure it’s used for much snowmobiling in the wintertime! There’s some mud, a couple of short go-arounds for downed trees, and a few downed trees to step over. I have to be honest, I enjoy the obstacles, it makes for good training on surefootedness. Zephyr can, and does, trot most of that trail.

We crossed several paved roads on this trail, then came out on a paved road, which we followed for maybe half a mile until we reached a small river with drinking access next to the bridge. Zephyr sucked down about 3 gallons of water, I think! Even Joe got in on the action; Jill hadn’t been sure what he’d do when faced with water. It took him a minute but he got there!  Love this first picture…

Check out Joe’s Cavallo Simple Boots! Jill is considering switching to Easyboot Gloves, she liked the looks of those gaiters better than the ones on the SBs. The SBs are rubbing his heels so we spent some time discussing trimming for hoof boots, and the evils of hoof flares.

I had to lead through the next section of trail, it’s a really neat trail but not well known and the owner likes it that way. To keep it hidden, not much is done in the way of trail trimming. I hadn’t been through in about a year, so there was more dead wood than usual. Zephyr got to show off his mad skillz as a chainsaw horse! Not really, no chainsaws in sight… but when you can grab a dead tree in one hand, grab the breastcollar’s wither strap in the other hand, and, without steering, urge the horse forward while pulling at the dead tree (resulting in the tree breaking in half with a loud CRRACK and falling on the horse’s rump) with the horse staying calm, I think you’re entitled to brag. No pictures from this section, silly me.

We popped out on a lovely 2-mile stretch of dirt road. For a road with no houses on it, there was a surprising number of vehicles! All trucks, of course, given how rough the road eventually gets.

We emerged into the blueberry barrens and were all overcome with the sense of how lucky we were to have such great weather, great company, great horses, and great places to ride!  The footing was everything from sandy dirt to granite ledge, but Zephyr was quite comfortable in just his front boots.

This stone house is an old homestead. I wish I knew more about it than that! All I know is that it’s at the top of the hill, and from the far side, it has a killer view. You can see all the way to Bangor!

The trail back included a long uphill on a rocky section of the dirt road. I was pleased with how comfortable Zephyr was on the rocks, despite being barefoot on his hind hooves.

When we were almost home, we stopped at Hancock Pond for a drink and a splash. Zephyr’s boots did not make a squelching noise when Zephyr stepped out of the water this time, so I think the squelching is a good indication of when the boots are too tight in the heel!

When we got back home, the boots looked great. New gaiter style on the right hoof, old gaiter style on the left hoof (reversed in photo). Still not getting the new gaiter as tight as I want, but it’s better, and clearly it’s working.

All in all, I think we rode about 14 miles, and since we mostly walked, it took us about 4.5 hours.  A great day!

Transition Tuesday Week 20

Transition Tuesday Week 20:

That Was Then, This Is Now

A Warm, Late September Morning

I pulled Redford’s shoes 14 weeks ago and I’m still trying to justify my hesitation in doing so. With shoes he had a tendency to demonstrate some tender footedness over rocky terrain, even with shoes, pads and EquiPak. I was not convinced he would be a good barefoot contender.

Redford just before his shoes were pulled.

His feet were dry and the hoof capsule was beginning to look tubular and much longer than it should have been. The arid Arizona summer conditions were already beginning to take their toll on the moisture content in the sole, and the hoof was breaking away. We fixed the breaking hoof wall by adding some hoof cement.

When I first pulled his shoes his feet were tender for a while, but that soon changed as the feet began to retrieve their natural shape.

Redford’s front feet today.

I took this photo of his right front feet last night. His feet are rounder and the length of the hoof capsule is shorter. His feet are not dry or flaky or brittle, and there is a concave shape showing in the quarters of his hooves. He stands more squarely now than he used to, and I no longer need to use interference boots on him.

Look at the waves on the inside quarters: there is some funky stuff going on beneath the surface.

Red’s first week without shoes.

Compare the angles of the hoof in the photo above to Red’s feet today. His breakover is very different now and is continuing to change quickly.

One of the most noticeable factors in the transition process is the speed of hoof growth in working horses compared to the speed of those who are working irregularly. The hooves of the horses who are not working appear to grow at less than half the speed of the working horses. The horses who are working regularly are definitely making the transition more quickly.

Red’s right front foot in his first week barefoot (the redness is the Ricken’s hoof hardener). The separation of the hoof wall is the result of White Line Disease.

The same foot last night: he has made significant progress and the White Line Disease is almost completely grown out.

Red’s feet are so much better – even after four months of searing heat and no moisture. I’m looking forward to taking him to the Man Against Horse race this weekend in Prescott Valley. I went to the race in 2004 and had a great time so I’m really looking forward to going back. I’ll be riding him in Gloves because I plan to take him to the Grand Canyon XP on the following weekend in Glue-Ons and I don’t like to keep a horse in the glue-ons for much more than a week. Besides, the Gloves are so easy to put on and remove.

Riders and horses at the start of the race last year.

As a parting thought, it is interesting to compare this previously shod horse to a young horse who has never seen a steel shoe in his life. Rain has been with us for seven weeks now – he is three years old and a real pleasure to have around.

Rain’s feet: he spent most of his life in the Dulles area of Oregon. Look at the width of his frog.

I am fascinated by the lack of contraction in the heels of this young horse. His frog is nice and wide and the hoof shape is round. I wonder if the other horses in the herd will get to this point? The striations on the base of his foot are from ponying him last evening in Gloves along our road. We have been working him mostly barefoot, but we also want to get him used to the boots.

Rain after his evening feed.

Rain likes play with his feed tub while he waits for the other horses to finish. Last evening he put it on top of the barrels in the round pen. I’m hoping to teach him to do the dishes before the New Year.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

2010 hoof boot product line up and EasyCare catalog

The 2010 EasyCare catalog is in the works.  It's all coming together quickly and will include many improvements to the current hoof boot line up and a couple surprises.  The HiTie will once again be EasyCare line up.  We are excited to incorporate the HiTie back into the product mix and plan to add a couple new HiTie accessories. A new HiTie website will be up shortly at www.hitie.com. 

The 2010 year is shaping up to be a good one.  Our new catalog and hoof boot line will be announced at the WESA dealer trade show.   We will also attend several US and international consumer shows.  Look for our 2010 tradeshow and event schedule to be updated and posted soon.

The process of gathering good images for the company catalog website, catalog and advertisements is always fun.  I've added a couple of the images Gabe and I captured this weekend.

EasyCare Hoof Boots and Football

With the college and NFL seasons in full swing, there has been many EasyCare hoof boot sightings. 

The Kansas City Chief's mascot "Warpaint" was spotted in Boa Horse Boots the opening weekend.

USC's Traveler has been spotted in Old Mac's.  

Traveler has also been seen in Easyboots.

Boa Horse Boots on the Horsemen Arena Football mascot. 

Crowd control at the NFL and college games is performed by mounted officers using EasyCare hoof boots.

Let us know if you see any EasyCare sightings this football season.  Send photos!

Bryce Canyon report from Kerry Greear and Hawk. 1st place five day horse!

I had not done an endurance ride since Ft. Schellbourne.  Life just sometimes gets in the way of our fun and the endurance ride our family manages, the Ft. Meade Remount, took many hours in July.  But the lure of motorcycles including riding dirt bikes in the Dixie and attending the vintage races outside SLC as well as the beauty of Bryce and Zion convinced my husband, Mike, to head south with sister Colleen and me to Bryce.  I was also excited to see Raven, my granddaughter, who lives in Cedar.

We left the Black Hills on Saturday and did the 50 at Happy Jack (Laramie, WY) on Sunday.  That was beautiful, lots of mist in the am and beautiful rock formations.  We used Gloves with Goober Glue for cush and finished 3rd and won BC.  Hawk looked and felt great, always wanting to go but never pulling on me.  The cush from the Glue was evident on crushed granite roads we spent some time on during the first 25 mile loop.  In 2005 I did that ride in steel and could feel Hawk's feet sliding around----that day the boots made for a great ride for his legs!

We traveled to Bryce on Monday and Tuesday then Hawk was able to rest Wednesday while we explored Bryce.  I was delighted to reconnect with Brenda Benkley whose company and horse's gray butt I enjoyed on the California Loop at Tevis in 2005.  That evening we hooked up with Garrett Ford and "the crew" and 1-2-3-4 all GlueOns were in place with Goober Glue for cush and Adhere to hold on the boots.  I loved the "seal" of Goober Glue to prevent any sand from entering the boots. 

Thursday through Monday Hawk and I went out every day with the goal of finishing and having a good ride.  Hawk and I have almost 3,000 miles in endurance together plus about that in trailriding.  He knows what to expect from me and I know what to expect from him.  He is awesome on trail winding around, I always go slowly on rocky downhills and get off and let him follow me on most downhills.  Bryce had quite a few areas that even I can "jog" to take stress off Hawk's legs.  We were steady travelers most days and finished in the top 10 on 4 of the 5 days.  After day 4, I knew we would be in contention for the fastest overall time but it didn't alter my plan----steady and careful.  I finished 5th day 5 with Rick Leonard while our horses wanted to canter and we talked to them about our willingness to wait another ten minutes for a cold beer!

The Glue Ons not only stayed in place well, they sealed out any sand.  The cush was evident in Hawk's movement on hard road and over considerable rock during the 250 miles.  We iced, liniment, hand walked him every evening but he had almost no fill.  We battled a large bite under the saddle area that his sister gave him prior to the trip but my Specialized Saddle and lots of Desitin helped that and we were able to prevent the scratches that affected many horses. 

Bryce is a beautiful ride with significant changes in terrain, scenery throughout every day.  There is wonderful water and grass along the way for the horses.  Lunches were in wonderful places and the atmosphere throughout the entire ride was positive, fun and focused on the horses.  Mark was one of the best vets I've ever experienced at a ride.  There were a few incidents and injuries during the ride but all in all very few when you think of how many days, miles, and the type of terrain.  As a nurse practitioner, I try to always focus on prevention whether in camp or on the trail.  I was glad I didn't have to utilize my skills to any degree on the trail.

Hawk once again showed his morab "morability" on this 300 mile endurance adventure.  Now he is back to running with his friends in the pasture, being a ladder when I see a few apples I want to pick, and babysitting kids and new riders.  We do plan to go to the Moab ride and try to do all 3 days.

THANKS FOR THE GLUE ONS AND GOOBER GLUE.  What innovative products that ARE WORKING.  I'm a believer.

Hawk (Summerwood Silverhawk) and Kerry in the Black Hills of SD

First and BC at Calero Classic

Jeremy Reynolds and Mya were first place and Best Condition at the Calero Classic. 

Amazing results for the Easyboots product come in daily.  If we haven't posted your results or story please hang tight and we will post soon. 

Transition Tuesday Week 19

Transition Tuesday Week 19:

Our Own Little Paddock Paradise

One of the items Dr. Tomas Teskey talked about at some length during his presentation in Arizona in August was the importance of keeping a horse moving to ensure a healthy hoof. In Jaime Jackson’s latest book, Paddock Paradise, A Guide To Natural Horse Boarding, he describes the methodology used in a paddock design to imitate the constant movement of horses in the wild.

Lined up just after the morning feed enjoying their Bermuda hay.

We used this theory to inspire our own paddock set-up last week. We have five horses that are using one large paddock just over one acre in size. We are located on the outskirts of northeastern Scottsdale, Arizona, which means there is no grass: just lots of decomposed granite, several trees for shade and a wide sandy wash that runs through the property and makes for a comfortable horse bed at night.

One of several Ironwood trees on the property: they create useful shade during the day in the hot desert sun. The bark also withstands anything a herd of horses’ teeth can do to it.

We secured the feed tubs to the fence along one of the short sides of the rectangular paddock. It is directly opposite the water trough, which means the horses have to cross the entire long side of the paddock to get to the water. With daytime temperatures well over the 100 degree mark all the way into September, the horses drink a surprising amount of water. That means they are adding up miles by crossing back and forth along the paddock, through the wash and back up to the water countless times during the day.

We have a three-year old gelding, Rain, who just came down from Oregon in August. He brought with him all the excitement and anticipation of working with a young horse – including the need for a roundpen. We usually set up the roundpen in a different area than the paddock, but with the theory of a paddock paradise in mind, the roundpen is now smack bang in the middle of the horses’ area.

Looking north: the 60’ roundpen is set up in the middle of the paddock.

The design works well because the horses all have to go around the roundpen to get to and from the water or hay. When herd dynamics dictate movement, the horses closer to the bottom rung often get to go all the way around the roundpen to get to the other feed tubs. It has become quite entertaining to watch. They run around the perimeter of the paddock in the cool morning temperatures, and we have been encouraging them to do the same at sunset. They can put on quite a show and really get some speed up.

Looking southwest: the water trough is under the tree near where the trailers are parked. A soft, sandy wash separates the water from the rest of the paddock.

Another view looking to the southwest with a better view of the roundpen. The hay barn and stalls are off to the right.

We use our stalls twice a day to feed soaked, rinsed beet pulp with low starch feed and vitamins. The only other time we have used the stalls is if a horse is injured or is being newly introduced to the herd. 

Looking northwest – the lineup. Rain is in the center of the photo.

Speaking of movement, we have enjoyed adding Rain, the young gelding, to the herd. It is nice to work with a horse that has never had shoes on: his feet are wonderfully round with large, flat frogs. We ponied him around the area on Sunday for the first time and got him used to the sensation of working in Gloves. He did just over a mile at a walk and trot and did really well. He needs to lose a few pounds and this should help the effort. Redford is the most diplomatic of the horses in the herd, so he got used for ponying after a ten mile loop into Tonto Forest from the house. I snuck in a ride on Far – it is the first time I have been on him since Tevis.

Redford and Rusty ponying Rain. You can see both horses are barefoot in the hind and both are wearing Gloves on the fronts.

For more reading about Jaime Jackson, visit www.paddockparadise.com. For more information on the Association for the Advancement of Natural Horse Care Practices, go to www.aanhcp.net. For links to hoof measuring tips and other hoof protection products, check out the EasyCare website here.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

A week of firsts

Alyxx had a week of firsts! A great week of family and work wrapped in one. 

We went straight from a family vacation at Lake Powell to the Virgin Rim Endurance Ride.  More than half of the horses on day one and day two were fitted in Easyboots.  Easyboots won the first and second day and also received best condition on both days.

Alyxx water skies at 2 1/2 years old.

Alyxx catches her first fish.

Alyxx hits the slide.

Alyxx crews for mom and dad at Virgin Rim.  Mom finishes 3rd (Easyboot Glue-Ons) and dad 4th (Easyboot Gloves) on the first day.  GE Cyclone gets Best Condition (Easyboot Gloves).  Christoph Schork and Dian Woodward tie for first place.  Kevin Waters in 5th place.  First five horses in Easyboots. 

Alyxx helps the Duck mark trail.

Cyclone and I navigate an ocean of sheep.

Lisa and Inferno.

On the second day I had the opportunity to ride with Kevin Waters and his awesome horse Tahoes Thunder.  It was a special day for Kevin as he logged his 20,000 endurance mile.  Kevin and Tahoe were first place and best condition.  Congrats to Kevin and Tahoe!

Kevin and Tahoe lead us out.

New EasyCare Team Member- Miriam Rezine

EasyCare is proud to announce the addition of Miriam Rezine to the EasyCare Team.  Miriam will be spending September and part of October in Durango, Colorado to learn about the EasyCare hoof boot line.  She will be using the entire line of hoof boots on several horses and will also compete in a couple endurance events.  In mid October she will move to Tucson and join the EasyCare customer service team.

Lisa Ford (front) and Miriam Rezine head up a trail in Durango.

"My name is Miriam Rezine, I am 24 years old and just graduated from University California State Monterey Bay with a degree in Human Communications. I have been riding horses since I was about 6 years old. I have trained in several different equine disciplines including western pleasure and hunter jumpers but my heart has always been in endurance. I competed in my first limited distance ride when I was 13 years old, and although I took a long break to explore other types of riding, I am glad to finally return to the trails I love so much. 

I am very excited to join the EasyCare team and look forward to helping customers!"

Transition Tuesday Week 18

Glue-Ons: Even You Can Put Them On

Ten Easy Steps to Glue-On Bliss

Gloves: think of the miles ahead.

It has been an exciting season for Easyboot with the introduction of the Gloves and the Glue-Ons to the market. I remember a few people riding in the boots at Death Valley at the end of December. Then there were some serious contenders using them at Old Pueblo in southern Arizona in March. I watched a fitting demonstration there for the first time. I was intrigued and felt for the first time that I might even try them for myself one day.

 

Making the leap to booted success.

Fast forward to the revered Tevis cup in August and the unequalled success of the Glue-Ons there, then on to Bryce Canyon XP five weeks later where boot users consistently predominated in the top ten, and took home the best condition award on four out of the five days. Last weekend the boots got the crowning glory of taking first place and best condition at the National Championship 100 mile event, and best condition at the 50 mile event. It sure makes you think about the benefits of barefoot principals and booted protection in the sport we like to call home. I think Gloves are an excellent product for training and 50 mile races. I think Glue-Ons are also worth serious consideration and I have really enjoyed every one of the low maintenance rides I’ve had with them.

 

A freshly applied set of Glue-Ons

 

There were line-ups at Garrett’s rig every evening at Bryce XP for Glue-Ons to be put on competing horses. I chatted with some of the horse owners and bystanders about the process of putting on the boots during the week. Although the Garrett/Christoph team make putting the boots on look pretty swift, I can assure you that putting on the boots is not beyond your own capacity. Let’s recap my own experience before leaving for Bryce. I am not a hoof care professional – I’m not even that handy! But I did manage to get each horse booted in 45 minutes. Click here for the company’s official instructions on preparation, application and removal of the boots.

 

1. Get the right sized boot: order a Fit Kit based on simple hoof measurements and then order the boots that make sense for your horse.

 

 

 

2. Make sure your horse has had a trim recently and the feet are in good order. Pick the feet and brush off any additional residue with a wire brush.

 

 

 

3. Using a rasp, rough up the outside of the hoof wall to give the glue additional tooth.

 

 

 

4. Dry the hoof wall using a heat gun.

 

 

 

5. Extract five pumps of Goober Glue into a Tupperware container and mix glue according to the current recommendations by Chris Martin.

 

 

 

6. Using a spatula, apply the Goober Glue to the underside of the hoof.

 

 

 

7. Apply EquiPak Adhere to the inside wall of the shell. It helps to have someone else to hold up the horse’s leg, but you can also use your thigh to hold up the leg.

 

 

 

8. Put the boot on, make sure it is on straight, and then lift up the horse’s opposite leg. Use your finger to make a seal with the bead of glue around the top and rear of boot. Hold the leg up for 60 seconds, then release.

 

 

 

9. Have fun: go ride a five-day or a 100 and enjoy booted comfort for horse and rider.

 

 

 

10. Take off the boots within ten days using a large flathead screwdriver – the hoof will obviously be healthier if it can breathe.

 

You may have a slightly harder time taking them off than putting them on, but that is actually the point of the exercise, isn’t it?

 

Keep up the boot legging!

 

Kevin

Easyboots top ten and BC at the 50 mile AERC National Championship

Easyboots had another great day at the 50 mile AERC National Championship.

1.  Heather Reynolds was 3rd place and also awarded 50 mile Lightweight Nation Champion!  Heather and MaKazin also received the FEI Best Condition. 

Heather and MaKazin

2.  Jeremy Reynolds was 4th place overall.

3.  Christoph Schork was 8th place overall.

4.  Dian Woodward was 11th place and was also awarded 50 mile Heavyweight Nation Champion!

5.  Dave Rabe was 45th place overall.

There were several other riders that I believe were in Easyboots but I didn't list them because I'm not 100% sure.  Read more about the event here. 

Punch marks on the Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-Ons shells?

We did some mold revisions to the Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-Ons last month.  The purpose the of the revisions was to add more thickness to the toe area of the shells.

I just noticed the front punch marks were eliminated from the shells when we did the mold revisions.  The front punch marks are used to install Power Straps on the shells. The punch marks have been added back to the outside of each shell but we do have some inventory in circulation without the punch marks.

This is what the front punch marks should look like. 

This is what a shell looks like without the front punch marks. 

If you receive an Easyboot Glove that does not have punch marks at the front it is still very easy to install a Power Strap.  Simply put the punch inside the shell and punch in the middle of the recessed area.

Punching the hole for the Power Strap from the inside.  No outside punch marks needed. 

Easyboots win BC at AERC 100 Mile National Championship!

Just heard that Monk won BC at the AERC 100 mile National Championship!  Congrats to Monk, Chris Martin and Lindsay.  In addition a big congrats goes to Chris for thinking outside the box and developing new training methods.  Chris can also be thanked for testing and developing Goober Glue. 

It's been a crazy summer for wins and BC's in hoof boots!

Easyboots win AERC 100 mile National Championship!

Monk owned by Chris Martin and ridden by Lindsay Graham win the AERC 100 mile National Championship in Easyboot Glue-Ons applied with Goober Glue.  Chris and Monk have been using Easyboots and Goober Glue for many months with great success. 

Chris is responsible for tinkering with different types of adhesives and now manufactures and sells Goober Glue.  

Congrats to Monk, Chris, Lindsay and Goober Glue.

Monk and Lindsay finish first at the AERC National Championship in Easyboot Glue-Ons and Goober Glue!

New testimonial section on website

EasyCare has a new testimonial section on the main website that allows consumers to upload testimonials quick and easy.  Log on and submit your Easyboot success story now.  All qualifying testimonials receive a free hoof pick!

Garrett and Cyclone on the way to a best condition in the Easyboot Gloves.

Transition Tuesday Week 17

Boots At The Front And At The Back

Bryce XP 2009

Bryce Canyon XP.

I managed to squeeze a couple of days between work obligations to get up to the Bryce Canyon XP this weekend. I came home feeling blissed out after seeing so many beautiful vistas.

Preparing a boot for application.

We used Easyboot Glue-Ons for the ride. We applied them on Thursday morning before work and left on Friday morning to make the 8.5 hour drive to Bryce. Some riders seem hesitant about applying the Glue-On boots themselves, but let me tell you: if I can put them on, anyone can! Each horse took no longer than 45 minutes each to apply the boots. More on that next week.

Not all of the trail looked like this, but I was pleased to be in boots.

I rode with Rusty on Day 3: I took Redford and Rusty rode Rocky. We used some experimental glue on the boots and they held up really well. We started at the front of the pack and kept up a steady pace all day. The horses moved out nicely over the rocky roads and seemed to have a lot of fun.

I estimate that about a third of the riders each day were using boots.

We finished in 8^th and 9^th place. It was supposed to rain most of the day, so the Duck changed the trail and kept us on good footing trails. It made for a fast ride: we finished in a smoking 5h20. Both horses looked fantastic at the end. We showed for Best Condition, even though the Duck said we did not have a chance against Garrett! His horse looked awesome.

There was lots of green grass along much of the trail.

It is fascinating to me to see that boot users are spread throughout the pack. I used to have the sense that boot users tended to ride a little slower and accumulate more miles. Now the boot users are at the front of the pack; at the back of the pack and spread out nicely in between.

Garrett applies boots to a horse after dark.

After the ride meeting, Garrett spent a couple of hours applying boots to some first-time Glue-On users and to a couple of converts. He and Christoph Schork worked well after dark and managed to gather quite an audience.

I rode Redford again on Day 4 and had a blast. I enjoyed the stunning scenery and the good company of strangers out on the trail. The views really are quite breathtaking, and the long day was full of many moments of pure exhilaration. Dian Woodward and Christoph Schork tied for first place and Dian got BC. They were two of at least four riders who finished in boots in the top ten. Barb Debi got third place in her first ever Glue-On attempt, and Kevin Waters was not far behind her, also in Glue-Ons. Kevin was riding the same horse he rode at Tevis, and would go on to ride all five days on him.

The views make your heart sing.

The scenery makes you feel free and very much alive.

Boot users everywhere.

Redford finished strong at about 4:20 PM – he was a monster most of the day. I came home on Monday – Day 5. It was a drag to leave all those wonderful trails before the ride was over, but I am glad I made it up there and I had to get back to work. When I got Redford off the trailer, I was surprised at how little swelling he had in his legs. He used to get huge windpuffs when I rode him in steel shoes. There is almost no swelling in his legs now: the reduction of concussion obviously makes a significant difference.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

Easyboots perfect at Bryce Canyon XP?

What a perfect week for Easyboots at Bryce Canyon XP!

Day #1

-1st Place Tie- Christoph Schork (Easyboot Glue-ons) and Garrett Ford (Easyboot Gloves).
-Best Condition- GE Cyclone in Easyboot Gloves.

Day #2

-1st Place - Dian Woodward (Easyboot Glue-ons)
-2nd Place Christoph Schork (Easyboot Gloves front and Easyboot Glue-ons back).
-Best Condition- Belesemo Inferno in Easyboot Glue-ons.

Day #3

-1st Place Tie- Christoph Schork (Easyboot Glue-ons) and Garrett Ford (Easyboot Gloves).
-Best Condition- GE Cyclone in Easyboot Gloves.

Day #4

-1st Place Tie- Christoph Schork (Easyboot Glue-ons back and Easyboot Gloves front) and Dian Woodward (Easyboot Glue-ons).
-Best Condition- TC Moonshine in Easyboot Glue-ons.

Day #5

1st Place Tie- Christoph Schork (Easyboot Glue-ons) and Dian Woodward (Easyboot Glue-ons).
-Best condition- We don't know yet?  If the best condition horse is wearing Easyboots it will make for one heck of a perfect week.

Overall 5 Day Best Condition Horse

Kevin Waters and his awesome horse Golden Ali.  Ali was fitted with Easyboot Glue-ons.

Overall 5 Day Fastest Combined Time

Kerry Greear and her horse Hawk.  Hawk was fitted with Easyboot Glue-ons.

The Bryce Canyon XP event should give all the barefoot and hoof boot doubters something to think about. 

Easyboots excel at the Bryce Canyon XP

I just returned from the first three days of the five day Bryce Canyon XP.  Over the years this has been my favorite event and I was anxious to return.  I spent the afternoon before the event helping riders with boots and was shocked at the number of riders in Easyboots, Easyboot Gloves and Easyboot Glue-Ons.  The three days I attended the event there were 5+ riders in the top ten each day and I would guess close to 20 riders in Easyboot products each day. 

On the first 50 mile day Christoph Schork and I rode the majority of the day together.  We ended up tieing for first place.  Christoph rode Double Zell in Easyboot Glue-Ons and I rode GE Cyclone in Easyboot Gloves.  GE Cyclone was awarded Best Condition.

A good look at Cyclone's Gloves at the first vet check.  Cyclone is my main horse and has been ridden all year in Easyboot Gloves.

On the second day I spent the majority of the day riding with Kevin Waters, Miriam Rezine and Linda Morelli.   Kevin and his horse Golden Ali were using Easybooot Glue-Ons, Miriam was riding my horse Spyder in Easyboot Glue-Ons, Linda was using Renegades and I was using Easyboot Glue-Ons on Belesemo Inferno.  Kevin, Miriam and myself were all using glue-ons applied with new glue-on techniques or adhesives.  All boots that were applied with the new techniques performed perfect.

On day two, Dian Woodward finished first (Easyboot Glue-Ons) and Christoph Schork finished second (Easyboot Glue-Ons on the back and Easyboot Gloves on the front).  Miriam finished 4th, Linda finished 5th, I finished 6th and Kevin Waters finished 7th.  Belesemo Inferno was awarded best condition.

Kevin Waters and Ali trucking down the trail.  Kevin runs darn good for an old guy.

Kevin (off the horse) and Linda head down the trail.

Miriam and Alliance under the pink cliffs. 

Christoph and I rode the third day together and again we tied for first place.  GE Cyclone was awarded best condition again. 

Christoph tailing up a climb.  The root system on the dead tree behind Christoph was pretty cool. 

The highlight of the week was hanging out with old friends, making new friends and touching base with Dave and Anne.  Dave's trail marking crew is now hanging ribbons on cows ears.

Yes, that is a ribbon attached to the cows ear!  Yes, its an XP ribbon with a clothes pin. How do you follow that trail?

Easyboots are kicking butt at Bryce Canyon 5 day

Easyboots are kicking butt at the Bryce Canyon 5 day event. 

1.  Day #1.  1st place and best condition.  5 or 6 horses in the top ten.
2.  Day #2.  1st place and best condition.  6+ horses in the top ten.
3.  Day #3.  1st place and best conditiion.  6+ horses in the top ten.

Details and photos to come.

Easyboot Gloves In The Back Country!

Tamera Arnold of Better off Bare put Easyboot Gloves to the test in the back country!  She recently went on a week long ride in Ashley National Forrest in Northeastern Utah.  10 horses logged appoximately 45 miles in their Gloves.  They rode through large meadows with boggy sticky mud and never lost a boot! Tamera says in the past it was so bad that they'd loose 2-3 shoes!  They also rode in some pretty rocky terrain.  "By far this was the best trip ever taken with any booting product," she says. 

Her photos below say it all.  Thanks for sharing your photos and Glove success with us!

  

New hoof boot video page

We have a new hoof boot video page up and running.  The page allows you to view sizing, fitting and removal by each product.

Take a look at the new page here. 

Transition Tuesday Week 16

Week 16:

A Taste of Research and Development at EasyCare

Prototype boots at 10,800 feet.

There is magic up in the mountains north of Durango,Colorado as you head towards Silverton. It is the kind of magic you felt all around you when you were a kid. It creates in you an awe of your surroundings and a sense that you are more alive and more aware than you have ever been. The aspens rustle in the wind; their white bark leaves a chalk memory on the palm of your hand as you brush by it and the contrasts of primary colors stimulate your eye. The peaks stitch their patchwork from one valley into the next, calling you ever upwards towards their summit. It is powerful stuff.

I had the privilege this weekend of seeing some of the field testing going on behind the scenes at EasyCare. I was impressed with the ongoing commitment of the team to perfecting the product and testing the various design elements to their limits. But more than that, there is genuine excitement about the current technological advances in boot design and what the evolution means for us all, whether we are hardcore endurance enthusiasts or riders who just love to be out on the trail with our horses. We all benefit from this.

The staff at EasyCare are testing all kinds of subtle and not so subtle prototype component changes in the Gloves as well as various (and virtually limitless) choices of adhesive for applying the Glue-Ons.

A boot user’s fantasy. Each of these boots will play their own role in shaping the evolution of the Easyboot product line.

All but one of the horses we rode this weekend have been barefoot for some time: their feet look healthy; they have good hoof angles, nice wide frogs and good concavity to their soles. One of the horses used for boot testing was shod until two weeks ago and his feet are remarkably different. It was good to see first hand that these boots work for feet at both ends of the spectrum of transition.

Cleaning up the feet on the horse that is new to barefoot.

Work started with a little clean-up of the feet. A hand grinder was used to balance out the hoof wall: it was fascinating to see this method and seemed to be less challenging than using a rasp, providing you knew what you were doing. The feet were cleaned with a wire brush – no additional cleaning or drying took place.

The hoof wall is rasped in preparation for gluing on the boot. It will be interesting to observe changes in the angle of the hoof wall as this horse adapts to barefoot.

We removed Glue-Ons from one of the horses before re-applying a different set. This shoe had Goober Glue applied in the sole area. You can see how this boot could be re-used: the Goober Glue peeled right off the boot, leaving very little need for clean-up.

This is one of the horses that has been barefoot for some time. The feet are healthy and hard even in the wetter pasture environment of the Durango valley.

Compare the angles and lack of waves at the coronet band here to the foot of the gray horse, above, that is just now transitioning. Which foot do you want to put miles on?

The EasyCare team leaves no stone unturned: look at all the various types of glue they are experimenting with.

We tried several different types of glue on several feet with the Glue-Ons. Some of the glues require an additional step in mixing before applying, and some just go straight on the foot out of the tube. Each glue took a different length of time to set up, and each glue had a different index of softness once it had set up. Check back at the EasyCare website to get the most current fitting and application advice.

On with the boot.

I got to ride Cyclone – what a cool horse. He had some prototype Gloves on the front and Glue-Ons on the back to test a couple of the glue options.

We rode many miles at great speed – trotting and cantering up and down some very rocky trails.

We pushed the horses and the boots all weekend. Try as we might, none of us could lose a boot.

These were some fun twisting trails – we even came upon some elk.

The trails in the Durango area provide challenging mountainous terrain with a variety of conditions to ride in.  There is a good combination of rock, water, mud and everything in between.

Day Two

Cyclone’s feet get a good soaking in the deep mud and water.

There are some remarkable views from up there.

I came home feeling very alive and brought with me some good memories: 20-somethings doing yoga in the street at the farmer’s market; splendiferous mountains; good food; clean air: a healthy lifestyle for humans and horses alike.

Do the right thing: keep up the boot legging and create your own magic.

Kevin

Barefoot horses and barefoot people

Take a look at the similarities between barefoot people/horses and what's going on in the running shoe industry.

"Recent research suggests that for all their high-tech features, modern running shoes may not actually do much to improve a runner’s performance or prevent injuries. Some runners are convinced that they are better off with shoes that are little more than thin gloves for the feet — or with no shoes at all."

Check these shoes out here. 

Hoof Boot testing in Durango over the weekend

Rusty Toth, Kevin Myers, Miriam Rezine and I did some boot testing in mountains of Durango today.  Six different glue-on application methods and some new R&D gaiters for the Easyboot Glove.  We have another ride planned for tomorrow.

Rusty wins over Alliance with a carrot straight from the garden.

The views around town are stunning.  Testing boots is tough work.

Discussing barefoot horses and hoof boots over wine and burgers.

Press Release for the 2009 Tevis Cup

Hoof Boot Success at the 2009 Tevis Cup

EasyCare owner Garrett Ford described the The 2009 Tevis Cup as a "sink or swim" moment for the company. Riding a wave of success generated by this year's release of 4 revolutionary new hoof boot designs, Garrett attended Tevis this year not only to compete, but also to put EasyCare's name on the line. He and several company representatives were at the staging camp at Robie Park in the days leading up to the race, fitting and applying Easyboot Glue-On hoof boots for anyone competing in the race, free of charge. The idea was to show the endurance riding world that these new hoof boots were up to the challenge of what is regarded as the toughest endurance race in the country, if not the world. In all, 19 horses were fitted with Easyboot Glue-Ons.

Check out a full photo gallery.

Installing boots at Robie Park

The Tevis Cup is a 100-mile endurance race that takes horse and rider through some of the most breathtaking and rugged terrain on the planet. The course starts before dawn at Robie Flats, high in the mountains above Lake Tahoe, and finishes 100 long miles away in Auburn, CA. The fastest riders finish around the 17 hour mark, with riders coming in throughout the night and well into the morning hours.

Dave Rabe and Christoph Schork arriving at Robinson Flat.

Because the race is so hard, and because the vet checks set up at regular intervals along the race course are so strict in ensuring the horses' health and well-being, the average completion rate for Tevis over its 50+ year history is around 54%. Yes, that means that only about half of the riders that enter actually end up finishing the race. Most are pulled at a vet check because their horse doesn't meet the many stringent requirements for heart rate, soundness, gait, etc. Others simply can't complete the grueling course before the 24-hour cutoff time expires.

Tevis barefoot good luck.

Of the 19 horses that were fitted with EasyCare Glue-On boots, 14 finished the race, including two top 10 finishes: Tennessee Mahoney and Salty came in 6th, and Megan Doyle and Kanga Roo finished 8th. Garrett and several members of his riding group finished around 30th place. Complete ride results can be found here. The finish rate for booted horses was 73%, well above the 54% average, showing once again that hoof boots have earned their rightful place in the endurance riding world and are here to stay.

Tennessee and Salty

Easyboot Glue-On applied with Goober Glue

EasyCare has been working on the glue-on process for a couple years now.  We have a very good set of instructions for glue-on application that have worked extremely well for hundreds of riders and thousands of installations.  Although our current application methods are working we continue to seek better methods.  Methods that are better for the horse, quicker and easier on the pocketbook.

Chris Martin has been working with the Goober Glue for many months now.  He continues to try different methods and most recently has been mixing a bit of water with Goober Glue to accelerate the curing process.  I have been using the Goober Glue as a packing (I think it's the best boot packing material available) but I have only used the Goober Glue for a couple full installs due to the longer set up time.  I did a complete install yesterday using Goober Glue and the new instructions posted by Chris Martin. 

I have to say that I'm impressed with the Goober Glue and the new method really speeds up the process.  Here are a couple photos that show the new method.

I used a small plastic cup and squeezed in five pumps.  Next I added a 1/2 teaspoon of water.  The key to the whole process is mixing the Goober Glue and water together.  The better you mix it up the quicker the set time.

I purchased a small paint mixer and added it to my DeWalt.  The mixer and DeWalt really mixed the Goober Glue and water well.  I think the mixing is the key!

The next step is to use a putty knife and apply a thick bead of Goober Glue to the walls of the shell.  The boot is then slipped on the hoof.  Give the boot a quick twist to smear the glue.  Then twist back to center and let the horse stand.

Put a small bead around the top of the shell.  Use your finger to spread it out and make it look nice.

What you didn't see in photos is I also used the putty knife to apply the Goober Glue to the sole area.  This makes the install a bit trickier but it was a non issue. 

I was surprised how quickly the Goober Glue set.  It was very tacky and set in roughly 5 minutes.

So whats the big deal with Goober Glue?  Why are we spending time with this process if the current process works so well?  I'll list the reasons below.

1.  I believe the Goober Glue is the best packing available and provides the perfect cushion and support for our barefoot horses.  This support removes peripheral loading inside the boot and gives the sole and frog the support the doctor ordered.   Read more here.  

2.  Goober Glue is very tacky and sticks very well to the hoof and Easyboot Glue-On shell.  It sticks so well to the sole of the hoof that very little moisture gets inside the shell.  On one of my last installs I peeled Goober Glue off the hoof, the bond was so good that no water was between the sole and Goober Glue.

3.  Goober Glue sets with water.  Much easier to work with when the hoof is wet.  No need for denatured alcohol.  In fact denatured alcohol is bad for the Goober Glue set up process (recently learned that).

4.  Goober Glue is easy to remove from the shell after use.

5.  It has a nice price point and can be used in a standard caulking gun. 

6.  The bond between shell and hoof wall is flexible.  The Goober Glue will elongate many times before the bond breaks. 

The only thing I don't like is the set up time.  Mixing with water makes the set up time much quicker and mush less an issue. 

To learn more about Goober Glue and how to purchase click here. 

Boot Maine-ia: 8/21/09

Do boots work on the east coast.  Heck yes.  Boot Maine-ia is hoof boot perspective from an East Coaster.  Sharon Levasseur will be posting her experiences under Boot Maine-ia.

Boot Maine-ia: 8/21/09

On Sunday 8/16, I was horrified to see damage and bruising on the hairless part of the skin on Zephyr’s heels on his hind feet.  I couldn’t take pictures that night, but this is what they looked like the next morning.  I applied Equine Relief as soon as I saw the damage, and it looked SOOO much better in the morning!  Instead of raw soft skin, it looked like a nice dry/hard frog.  That’s what you see in the pictures below.  I couldn’t even see any bruising, even though it was obvious the night before.

I have no idea what caused it, it appeared overnight when he was spending his days hanging out with his cow/horse friends in the pasture down the road.  His last glue-ons were removed two weeks ago (on 8/2), otherwise I would have suspected the heels of the boots had been too tight.

Please forgive/ignore the mud on the bottom of his hooves that makes them look wonky.

EasyCare was about to send me a set of the new EasyBoot Gloves with the prototype gaiters, and I needed to double-check sizes.  He’s been wearing size 1s on his hind feet, but due to the bruising/damage I was considering whether he should bump up to 1.5s instead.  So on 8/19 I trimmed his hind feet in preparation for a fresh fitting.

Here’s both hooves after their trim.  I’m still relatively new at this, so feedback from knowledgeable professionals is welcome!  Looking at these pictures though, YES, I can see that his toes are creeping forward; it’s especially obvious on the left hind.

LEFT HIND: Farrier trim first(photo taken in early June), and my trim second (I’ve been trimming him since the June photos).

Right Hind:  Farrier trim first, my trim on second.

 

Here’s his right hind hoof in a size #1 Easyboot Glue on.  The first photo is the original version of the Glove, in June after the farrier removed his shoes and trimmed him, and the second photo is the new thick-toe Glove.  (I realize his hair looks brown in the new photo, but it was just the lighting and the dirty leg!)  I don’t know if his hoof got bigger in addition to the toe getting longer, or if the thicker-toe version is also less stretchy, but it definitely fits differently.  His hoof doesn’t go all the way in.

And here’s the same hoof in a size 1.5.  Again... farrier trim photo is first, mine is second.

 

My conclusion... it’s clear that his hooves are all a little longer than they were when I first did the fit kit.  I keep trying to get the hoof wall even with the sole, but when I do, he’s really ouchy on any kind of rocks or pebbles.  He may just need some hoof wall!  I’ll continue to take pictures and compare them as I go along.

 

Transition Tuesday Week 15

Week 15:

Adjusting Diet To Ensure A Sound and Healthy Barefoot Horse

Tom’s Thumb: our new favorite trail accessible from our own back yard.

The path to natural horse care has had several surprises for me. The last 15 weeks has been a fascinating journey: one of the biggest discoveries was how closely connected diet is to soundness. In his Checklist for Success, Dr. Tomas Teskey lists nutrition well above natural hoof care. He suggests the most important element of a healthy horse is feeding a high fiber, low carbohydrate diet.

Rocky and Redford heading back down a trail in the McDowell Mountains. You can see the city of Phoenix off to the distance.

Our feeding regime has definitely changed since we pulled the shoes on our horses. Rocky and Redford are easy keepers – prone to a healthy layer of fat over the ribs. They both showed some sensitivity to rocks and hard ground, even when they had shoes and pads.

Rocky: we are heading up to the top of the thumb visible just above his eye.

They showed similar sensitivity to hard ground when we pulled their shoes, although it seemed to come and go. Over the last month, we have changed the way we feed. We continue to feed good quality Bermuda hay. We have found a supplier whose hay is consistently long in stem and nice and leafy. The horses like it, too. They get enough to keep them busy all day and all night. I would like to feed it out three times a day, but a full time job in the city dictates a twice daily feed schedule. We try to balance it such that they do not leave any hay, but they also do not go so long without food that they become hungry. It seems to work out to about two good sized flakes per feed per horse, twice a day.

Far enjoys a morning feed of Bermuda hay. We feed in tubs to reduce the amount of sand ingested from the desert floor.

We also feed them a beet pulp/supplement mix twice a day. We buy the beet pulp in pellet form and soak it in the hours between feeding. We rinse out the soaked beet pulp just before we feed it so as to remove the sugars present in the molasses in many of the bags we buy. The easy keepers get a small scoop and the challenging keeper gets two small scoops per feed.

One of the descents on the training ride this weekend on the McDowell Mountain range.

Each horse also gets a low starch pelleted feed. We were feeding whole oats for some time but we eliminated that in an effort to reduce their carbs they were ingesting. We have been trying out a few different brands. We tried Cool Stance for a while – made from coconut meal. The horses were not overly impressed. We are currently trying the Triple Crown low starch feed. Each horse gets half a small scoop and they eat it willingly.   We add Equerry Choice as the vitamin supplement and during the summer we add about a tablespoon of salt to each feed. We also grind flax seed and feed about three tablespoons per horse per feed.

Our cache of Bermuda hay.

The most sensitive footed horses are showing the greatest change on the low carb diet with barely so much as a flinch when barefoot over rocky ground. We have been integrating one or two rides per week without any hoof protection. It really seems to encourage growth of the hoof and speed up their ability to go without protection. Their feet are looking better with each passing week; they are all showing a nice concave shape to the foot and better angles and stronger hoof wall with better angles. We look for more challenging training trails on the weekends and use the Easyboot Gloves.

Redford makes the climb up towards Tom’s Thumb: an 1,800 foot climb in three miles.

This week we found a new and very challenging trail just a few miles from our place that boasts more than 6,000 feet of climbing in less than 14 miles. At least half of the trail is very rocky. I think the climbing on this trail was more challenging than climbing up to Devil’s Thumb at Tevis! We were using older boots on some of the steepest and rockiest trails I have been on in recent memory. The tread on the boots just does not wear out and the boots did not twist or come off, even on these ridiculous trails. We continue to use athletic tape on the hinds which is an added insurance policy on the rocky, mountainous trails. The front boots go on straight out of the box and are holding up really well to any trail we throw at them. 

These boots have done about 15 miles of the Tevis trail in training, as well as more than 25 miles at Prescott and another 22 miles this weekend at Tom’s Thumb. There is lots of life left in them.

We’re taking Rocky and Redford to Bryce XP in a couple of weeks. Far is heading into week four of a three-month lay-off after Tevis. I’m finding it really hard to resist the temptation to ride him.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

EasyCare hoof boot radiographs

I recently started using a great local vet named Ben Hufnagel.  He has a long back ground in feet (he's better with that last name) and corrective techniques.  We originally meet over a heath certificate but we soon started talking about hoof boots and how far they have come in recent years.  He's now trialing boots on his Icelandic and has a bunch of stuff to apply to corrective cases.  In his words "Hoof boots are on the tipping point"

We did a series of radiographs today with every EasyCare hoof boot.  It was a fun procedure and really shows whats going on inside a hoof boot, thicknesses around the walls and break over.  It will take me a bit of time to get them all up and adjusted but here is a quick idea of what they look like.

View of Cyclone's hoof without a hoof boot. 

View of Cylone's hoof in an Easyboot Glue-On.  No glue.

View of Cyclone's hoof in an Easyboot Glove.

View of Cyclone's hoof in an Old Mac's G2.

New Glue-On technique for Goober Glue and other slow setting adhesives

I've been experimenting with Goober Glue and a couple other adhesives that set slower than the Vettec products.  The Goober Glue type products are great but because they take longer to set are more difficult for total glue-on application.  Most horses have an issue standing still for 30 minutes.  One twist or pivot during the set time compromises the bond.  

The thing I like about Goober Glue and the longer setting adhesives is the holding power and the softness of the glue.  The Goober Glue has the best shock absorption qualities of any glue I've used.  These adhesives are also easier to remove from the shell when done making multiple reapplications a non issue.

I had an idea over the weekend that actually worked out very well.  I used Goober Glue inside the glue-on shell but used a gaiter to keep the shell in place during the set up period.  So essentially I used the Easyboot Glove to start the process and then after a couple hours I removed the screws and gaiter which converted the Easyboot Glove back to the Easyboot Glue-On.  The process was quick, easy and no mess.  Very easy to do yourself without a helper.  Also a non issue on a horse that won't stand still.  No need to worry about the shells twisting during the set up period.

The process actually worked better than I expected. Here is what I did.

1.  Fold the gaiter back and put Goober Glue inside the shell.  I applied the Goober Glue pretty thick on the walls only.

2.  Goober Glue inside the shell, gaiter folded out of the way.  Hard to see the Goober Glue in the photo.

3.  I then applied the adhesive directly to the sole and leveled.  See method used at Tevis in previous blog post.

4.  Slip on the boots and tighten the gaiters.  Let the horse stand or turn the horse out in a small area.  The gaiters kept the shells in place and allowed the glue to dry without me stressing about twisting, turning or coming off.


5.  Another shot of the boots as the glue dries. 

6.  Remove the screws that hold the gaiter to the shell.  Set the screws and gaiter aside for the next application.  It took me a couple minutes to remove the 12 screws on the four boots (3 per boot). 

7.  The gaiters looked great after I removed them.  No glue on them and ready to be used on an Easyboot Glove or to repeat this glue-on process again.

8.  Done and ready to ride.  The t-nut stays with the shell and is glued in place.  I have some big conditioning rides planned this week.  I'll let you know how it works.

Of all the glue-on methods I've tried over the years this one is actually the easiest, the process is not messy at all and it can be done with one person at a quick or leisurely pace.  The Goober Glue type glues are very nice and actually have a great bond to the hoof.  I've been reluctant to really push these types of glues because of the set up time and the potential problems caused by longer set up times.  This method may be the answer that I'm looking for.

I'm setting aside these gaiters and will continue to use them for this process.  I'm curious to see how many uses I can get out of them but I guess it will be endless.  One thing to note: For this type of application a #1 gaiter can be used on a #0, #0.5, #1 and #1.5 shells.  

I like the process so much I've actually moved forward with the patent work.  Good stuff and another option in the arsenal. 

Auburn University Update

Adam Cooner LC/DC study at Auburn University PowerPoint presentation. This is a very important step towards studying and evaluating LC and DC development in live horses. Cool and informative 3d MRI and CT models.

EasyCare is proud to be part of the study and delighted to see how our small bit of funding allowed Adam to make a huge amount of progress over the summer months.  

Check out Pete and Ivy's page to down load the presentation under the "What's new on this site" area. 

I can't have my boots but this bucket is the next best thing.

Bigger Easyboot Gloves and Easyboot Glue-Ons coming very soon

We have completed bigger molds in both the Easyboot Glove and Easyboot Glue-On.  We will be adding two larger sizes to the EasyCare range (#3.5 and #4) very soon.