From The Horse's Mouth

Transition Tuesday Week 28

You Can Ride a Magic Carpet Without a Genie

The little red rocket at the Turkey Trot 75 Last Weekend in Arizona. Photo^© Steve Powers.

Isn’t it wonderful when things fall into place ‘just so’? I still get a little nervous before getting on Far – there’s a sense of anticipation, risk, the unknown and the unpredictable all rolled into one little chestnut gelding. And yet he keeps exceeding my expectations. Everything in the world is just right when I ride him.

Stories of magic carpets started in biblical times, but it was the collection of Arabian Nights that really stirred the fantasies of western cultures. I rode my magic carpet through the McDowell Turkey Trot 75 Mile Race on Saturday in Easyboot Glue-Ons. The 11½ hours of floating in the saddle gave me a chance to pause and reflect. Meditation in motion; literally.

We had a good ride all day. I had the privilege of riding for the first time with Kevin Waters and Stephanie Palmer DuRoss: two endurance heroes. We finished just a little while behind the front runner, and Far even got High Vet Score. Kevin rode Tahoe in Easyboot Gloves and got the Best Condition award.

I think it’s the first ride I’ve been to where there were fewer shod horses than booted horses in the mileage category I rode in. I’m not sure what the proportion of boots versus shoes looked like in the 50 mile event, but the winner, the Best Condition horse and the turtle were in Easyboots, and there was healthy booted representation throughout the pack. Times are definitely changing.

When you stop and boil it down to basics, things just have to be right starting from the ground up. If you don’t have four healthy feet on the ground, your chances of success are unnecessarily compromised.

Far and Tahoe coming into the 50 mile vet check.

Turning Down The Chatter

One of the teachings in yoga is about tuning out the noise around you and becoming focused on the moment. The horse communicates many things to us and we have to focus to hear what he is saying. You will increase your chances for success if you tune out the chatter and focus on your horse’s message.

1. Watch the stance. Does your horse stand square; does he seem to point one leg more than the other when resting?
2. Look at the symmetry.  Is one foot drastically different than the other side?
3. Feel the gait. Is one foot consistently more sensitive than the other? Which foot is the horse’s weight usually on when he takes a tender step?
4. Diagonals matter. Do you make a point of changing diagonals throughout your ride? Every single ride?
5. Re-evaluate the hooves. Again and again and again. How often do you take a rasp to your horse’s hooves and keep him in balance?
6. Look for pain. Look into his eye. Is it bright and alert - do you notice when it changes? Is your horse more irritable on one side than the other? Are there certain things that make him react negatively when you tack up?

Each of the messages above should influence the actions you take in your strategy for success.

Boot Your Horse; Be Present

One of the great things I’ve learned as a novice rider and boot user is to look more closely at my horses. I know what each foot looks like in a way that I’d not noticed when I put my faith in steel shoes. I’m more in control of how his feet evolve – I’ve taken on more responsibility to make sure each individual component of the horse is in step and in harmony. And I love it.

Ride The Magic Carpet

Much of the race last Saturday in McDowell Mountain Park was hard-packed granite and rock. The boots just float across leg-pounding terrain with not so much as a whisper and hardly a faulty step.

If you get the various pieces in order and invest a little time in getting to know your horse and your equipment better, things might just fall into place perfectly for you to ride your own magical carpet.

Keep up the bootlegging!

Kevin

 

Transition Tuesday Week 27

How To Keep Your Boots In Top Shape

(And Why You Should Care)

Applying a set of Gloves

Have you ever figured out exactly how long it takes you to tack up on the morning of a ride? I find myself constantly recalculating what time I need to set my alarm clock for the morning of a race. The same is true when I arrange to meet friends for a training ride. My current tacking up time is about 15 minutes – and that includes fitting four Gloves.

Checking the hardware.

Easyboots Are Tack, Too

All tack needs regular maintenance – and Easyboot Gloves are no exception. Your tack will last longer if you follow a few simple rules.

1. Keep it Clean. Rinse the mud and dirt off your boots and let them dry off before you store them. Make sure you get out any dirt that may have built up on the inside of the toe: it will be easier to get the dirt out before it dries hard.
2. Check the Hardware. No matter what the speed or distance you ride, boots are put through endless dragging, concussion, vibration and abrasion. All that wear can loosen the screws slightly. If you ride with loose screws, you run the risk of an equipment malfunction. Using a Phillips screwdriver, check to make sure the screws are tight. I check mine once a week. One of my riding buddies actually puts a dab of Loctite Threadlocker on the screws to keep them firmly in place.
3. Check the gaiters for areas of stress. Sometimes you may see the beginning of some separation where the gaiter meets the boot. Inspect your boots carefully once a week to make sure things are still holding together nicely. Remember you can change out the gaiters onto different boots if one component is beginning to wear. You can also save the boot shell and use it as a Glue-On later.

Changing out the gaiters requires using only three screws: one each side and one at the back.

Keep Your Boots On

Regularly assess the fit of your boots. I’ve got one horse who has gone down a size in the front as the hoof wall separation grows out. I’ve got another horse who has gone up a size in the rear as his feet expand. By making sure you have a good fit, you reduce or eliminate the chance of losing a boot or creating a rub. I had a blast this weekend by doing a fast 20-mile training loop in boots in deep sand. It was my last push before the Turkey Trot 75 this weekend.

Make sure the gaiters are not showing signs of distress. This is a healthy gaiter.

A few steps with the boot off but the gaiter still around the leg can compromise the durability of the boot. I haven’t lost a boot in a long time – and I’m doing lots of miles these days. If you’re torquing off your hind boots, check for fit and see if you can go down half a size. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of Mueller Athletic Tape on the hinds: simply wrap the tape three times around the top off the hoof wall below the coronet band. The tape becomes tacky and adds some tooth to the inside of the boot. It is very easily removed at the end of the ride, too.

The boots will loosen after the first ride with them. If you want yet more insurance against losing a hind boot, then invest in a pair of Power Straps. They help keep the boot snug and offset the additional challenges of booting a hoof with flare or imbalances.

Keep up the bootlegging!

Kevin

Transition Tuesday Week 26

If You Think Peripheral Loading Is

A High Carb Diet For Athletes:

Think Again

Natalia Magnicalballi and dancers of Ballet Arizona. Photo^© Rosalie O’Connor.

I’m fascinated by the mechanics of the foot. Take the photo above and imagine the forces exerted on the foot while it is on pointe. The career of a ballerina is usually over before she is 40 and a lot of it has to do with the kind of pressure her feet and ankles are subjected to. And her feet are ruined in the process.

The effects of a steel shoe are also interesting – especially when you think about how much pressure is placed onto the hoof wall. When you load weight onto the perimeter of the foot, you stress the mechanics of the foot and you prevent blood flow, much like the ballerina standing on pointe. Without blood, there is less growth and less capacity for shock absorption.

We’ve all had horses who seem sore when they trot down the road. I wonder how much of it is due to the compromised mechanics of the foot. Compare this to a Geisha whose feet are bound to prevent expansion and proper growth. One thing is sure: my horses have never felt as good as they do now they are barefoot.

Far on a training ride last weekend. He feels sound and happy.

The video below from Swedish Hoof School

is not for the faint of heart, but it is definitely worth seeing. I guarantee it will make you think.

 

I recently put Far back to work after a ten-week layoff following Tevis. It was his first rest in two years and I think he is better for it. I am surprised that the shape and structure of his feet have changed very little since Tevis. His heels still seem a little high and they are still a little contracted. It is interesting that his feet have not evolved as much as Redford’s. I suspect much of it is due to the lack of work.

You can see that Far’s heels are still a little high by the line above the boot.

Far’s front left foot: there is still room for improvement.

If you keep off the peripheral loading your horse might be better for it.

Keep up the bootlegging!

Kevin

Transition Tuesday Week 25

Telling Stories In Moab

The majesty of Moab.

Moab has long been used as a location for films, TV programs and commercials: many of John Wayne’s movies were filmed there. You can see some of Moab’s majestic vistas in Rio Grande; The Comancheros; Cheyenne Autumn; The Greatest Story Ever Told; Once Upon a Time in the West; Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade; and Thelma & Louise. Moab was also used as a backdrop for images in the Marlboro Man campaign.

Looking east towards the La Sal Mountains.  Utahs’s second highest mountain range with six peaks rising above 12,000 feet.

The third annual Moab Canyonlands Endurance Ride was hosted very capably last weekend by Sheri Griffith and her plucky team of volunteers.  A winter storm kept many of us away for the first day of the three day ride, bringing the number of riders on the first day down from the 135 who had pre-registered to less than 100.

Stunning trails.

Redford crossing some of the Slickrock.

I confess I cringed for the first five miles on Day 2. There was more deep sand than I had anticipated and I did not know if Redford would get rubbed by a build-up of the powdery sand in the gaiters. I stopped on the trail at about five miles and pulled back all four gaiters to check for abrasion: there was none.

I used these four Gloves for the two 50 mile races. They are only just getting broken in.

This was my second time to use Easyboot Gloves at a race: this time I used them as they were designed to be used. I have been trying out the Easyboot Glue-Ons at all the other races and they have worked so well for me that I was hesitant to try anything else. I rode Redford 100 miles over two days in the Gloves and the variety of trail conditions were a great test. We did many miles of deep sandy wash trails, Slickrock and gravel roads. The boots worked really well – there was practically no rubbing by the 100^th mile, and the boots hardly look like they have been used.

As Julia Lynn pointed out during our 19 hours in the saddle together over the two days, endurance is like several sports all in one. Not everyone has the same goal; some of the riders are out there to savor the miles and use every hour allotted to complete the course. I was one such rider this weekend: the scenery deserved all the attention it could get. I enjoyed being witness to some stories from some of the high mileage riders at the back of the pack.

Carol and Robyn Wadey.

MR Ladybird’s Easyboots.

Carol Wadey and daughter Robyn drove three days from their home town of Edson, Alberta, Canada to attend the event. Carol rode her 20-year old Spanish Mustang mare, MR Ladybird. She rode all three days in Original Easyboots. “I just love them” said Carol, “I only use Gloves when there is mud. The rest of the time I just use regular Easyboots and I never have a problem.” Carol and Robyn looked quite the part in their witch costumes.

Kerry Redente and Bountyful Prince.

There was Kerry Redente riding her gelding, Bountyful Prince, to become the 2009 National High Mileage Champion. She is well clear of the 1,800 mile mark with him for this year alone. You’ve seen Kerry’s smiling face in some of the EasyCare publications.

Carla Richardson knows how to crack a joke.

I had the pleasure of riding several hilarious miles with Carla Richardson on Day 3. She is definitely one of the funniest people I’ve ever met. Carla is originally from Texas and now lives in Delta Colorado.

Carla completed her first 50 mile race in 2008 and was immediately hooked. She and her gelding, SS Kharady Khid, have completed 1,430 miles together in 2009. “I had noticed so many endurance riders using glue-ons, and I was intrigued. After Color Country I went over to Christoph's and he put on Glue-Ons. I've used them on every ride since then, except for Virgin Rim when I used Gloves. My tough little energizer bunny Khid did beautifully in the Gloves, even through the clay, mud and volcanic rocks of the Rim ride. He didn't get any rubs at all.”

Dave Rabe and White Cloud.

Dave Rabe was out there too with White Cloud who looks like he will take second place in the National High Mileage standings. White Cloud has more than 1,400 miles this year, all of them in Easyboot Glue-Ons. Dave will probably clear 46,000 career miles before the year is over and is one of the most gracious people you could ever hope to meet on the trail.

Mari Ural at the start of Day 2.

And there was Mari Ural, who is about to cross the 20,000 career mile marker. Mari was there with her gelding Psyches Quest. She used Gloves all three days and her horse looked fantastic.

There are some good lessons to be learned at the back of the pack. And if you’re looking for ease of use, the Gloves could not be simpler to use.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

Transition Tuesday Week 24

If You Guys Only You Knew…

Five Things You Should Know If You Are Thinking of Pulling Shoes

Rocky. Photo © Merri Melde.

When I decided to make the transition to barefoot I made a commitment to stick with it for six months. As that date approaches, there are five things that stick out as some of the most important lessons along the way. It has not all been wine and roses: two of the five horses at our place went through some sore weeks. Both cases were due to human error.

Rocky’s sole.

1. The role of the sole

Rocky was the first to get tender: we were merrily soaking his feet every couple of days and then carving out his false sole with a farrier’s knife. We thought we were going to accelerate the process of exfoliation and make the transition faster. Obviously that was the worst thing we could have done: he went from being sound to being tender footed. We quickly changed our strategy and it took him a couple of weeks to be pain free.

Redford’s sole.

2. Even professionals can make mistakes

Redford was the horse who seemed to be suffering the most from the effect of shoes: his hoof walls were separating from white line disease. The first few weeks with him barefoot were mostly problem free. He was moving around fine without boots, but he was a little sore in the heel area which prevented him from landing heel first. I had his feet trimmed a couple of days before I was supposed to leave for a ride. The trimmer left most of the false sole and trimmed the hoof wall down below the level of the sole.

By the time I got home that evening Red could hardly walk: he was really sore. I had another trimmer come and give me a second opinion a few days later: it was decided there was too much sole and it was creating pressure. It was as if he was walking on snow balling up under his feet. The second trimmer brought the sole down to the level of the hoof wall and Red was instantly much more comfortable. He was sound again within a couple of days.

Maintaining a mustang roll.

3. Add hoof maintenance into your schedule

Take a rasp to your horse’s feet once a week – especially if you are working them. Help prevent the hoof wall chipping away by keeping a nice mustang roll around the base of the foot. Regular rasping will also help bring the toe back and can offset a flare if the hoof seems predisposed to flaring.

Pick the feet out regularly: horses can get thrush even in the driest of climates.

Riding Far last weekend with Gloves on the front and barefoot in the back.

4. Ride without boots

Find a trail with soft footing where you can take your horse and ride without boots. It really seemed to speed up the adjustment period for the two tender-footed horses when we started riding them a few miles each week completely barefoot.

Riding the Tonto.

5. Ride with boots

I have had practically no rubbing problems with gaiters over five months of a heavy riding schedule. But a friend of mine took a horse on a 50 a couple of weeks ago and used Gloves for the first time and the horse got rubbed from the gaitors in the pastern area. I suspect this could have been avoided if the horse had been ridden a few times to get used to the gaiters.

Rain – his first ride outside the roundpen took place last weekend.

Success awaits

I took these short videos of the horses at our place yesterday morning after the first cool night of the year. None of the horses were warmed up before filming and they were all worked over the weekend. You decide if going barefoot has been a success for us: I’m off to Moab Utah with a couple of them.

 

Keep up the bootlegging!

 

Kevin

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

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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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Transition Tuesday Week 14

Natural Hoof Care Clinic

Dr. Tomas G. Teskey, D.V.M.

I had the unusual privilege last weekend of attending a clinic by Dr. Tomas Teskey. As well as being a gifted and passionate speaker, Dr. Teskey is one of today’s leading authorities on the equine hoof and barefoot horses. I left the clinic with the impression that perpetuated shoeing of horse is not dissimilar to an addiction developed over time. We know it is not right, but we are afraid to break the habit. At Week 14 in my own transition experiment, and with a couple of significant accomplishments under my belt, I can assure you that a few boots in your tack room will allow you to make the switch.

Dr. Teskey presents his clinic in Cave Creek, AZ.

I have transcribed my notes for the benefit of the reader but remember that I am not a trained professional, and in no way do I attempt to represent the views or opinions of EasyCare or its staff.

Natural hoof care goes hand in hand with natural horsemanship philosophies and techniques. Both respect the natural abilities and welfare of the horse. A sound horse is one that can comfortably walk, trot and canter with animation and impulsion on unfettered feet. Protection for hooves, as needed, should be achieved with hoof boots: they provide dynamic, complementary shapes that allow the hoof to expand and contract with the movement of the horse. As passionate as Dr. Teskey is about barefoot, he underlines that hoof protection in the form of boots is a necessary tool for today’s working horse.

The morning was dedicated to the discussion of the barefoot hoof and he asked us to keep in mind the acronym PACES when thinking about the role of the hoof in the overall health of our horse. The afternoon was spent dissecting the lower leg of a horse. It really helped me better understand the mechanics in the lower leg of the horse.

P = Protection: the hoof protects all internal structures when it is healthy.

A = Adjusting Architecture: the hoof must be shaped correctly and be allowed to twist and torque in all directions to protect the horse and do its job in general.

C = Circulation: Robert Bowker at Michigan State University has a theory on equine foot physiology. His hemodynamic flow theory proposes that blood flow through the network of tiny capillaries in the heel region of an unshod foot plays a vital role in shock absorption of the hoof.

E = Exfoliation: of keratinaceous protein. Different environments produce differently shaped hoof capsules due to pressure.

S = Sensation: the horse literally feels his way along the ground and enjoys surefootedness by doing so. Feeling and touch are critical to safety; proprioception (the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts) is essential for survival. The traction provided is exactly therefore specifically designed for a specific and changing terrain.

Horses that self trim provide us one model and many ideas for trimming our horses. In other words, the type of trim is actually determined by the work the horse is doing. If you ride more, you probably have to trim less. When working with the unshod hoof, leave as much of the dead sole as is – don’t flake it off to the live sole because it will defeat the horse’s ability to exfoliate.

The soundest hooves are those designed through performance: weaknesses are not perpetuated in the long run. Domestic hooves can be conditioned beyond the performance level of feral hooves: horses are athletes and their ability to excel whilst barefoot is mind-boggling.

Dr. Teskey describes each component of the lower leg and the role it plays.

The Shoe

A shoe prevents natural movement of hoof walls but does not prevent downward movement of the coronet. Shoes are fixed to the hoof in the non-weight bearing, less expanded state – thus the sole is held in a vaulted position against the descending coffin bone. In the weight-bearing position, the hoof can expand in width up to ¼” more than the hoof in the non weight bearing position. The shoe eliminates this expansion.

Before and after: contracted heels can open back out. Shod hooves are disallowed torsion and flexion. Professor Smedegard (Netherlands, 1997)

determined that the shoe’s force on abrupt impact with the ground all at once prevents natural break-over and defeats normal mechanism.

Stone bruises, Dr. Teskey claims, are often not stone bruises: they are the effect of the coffin bone slamming into the sole and creating pain. The lack of torsion and flexion in the shod horse creates less circulation of blood and the heels begin to contract, creating pressure on the navicular bone. The steel shoe prevents flexibility and the intricate structure of the hoof and the way it reacts to concussion can become significantly compromised.

The nail holes used to apply shoes compromise insulation. In a study by Luca Bein, (1983, University of Zurich) a shod foot moving on asphalt at a walk is subjected to three times the impact force of an unshod foot moving on asphalt at a trot. Nail holes also allow the invasion of bacteria and fungi through nail tracks to inner wall and white line areas.

Corrective shoeing.

Corrective Shoeing For Under-Run Heels

There are no physiologic phenomena that direct hoof horn to grow towards steel, no matter how wide-set you set the shoes. Placing nails forward from the heel areas is erroneous. The geometry present in the hoof underpass definable mathematical changes upon weight bearing.

Shoes create a change in hoof momentum: shod horses suffer from an increased incidence of interference injuries. Lack of movement fails to drive the pump that promotes normal and adequate circulation in the hoof. More blood comes in and out of hoof with movement: negative pressure in every step pulls blood through the coffin bone and towards the hoof wall. Circulation is restricted in a shod hoof and is forced to travel via an alternative route.

Thermographic studies (Dr. H. Strasser, 2000) indicate that a shod hoof creates Ischemia (a less than adequate blood supply). Shod horses’ hooves are relatively cool and lower temperatures lead to reduced metabolism.

Less blood = less shock absorption (Bowker 1999)

Less blood = fewer nutrients = weaker, slower growth

The hoof is highly vascular: as dense as the liver and spleen.

As the coffin bone contracts, the navicular bone actually becomes pinched and the blood vessels are compromised. The navicular bone acts as a valve.

Most shod horses are toe strong and heel weak – people who think their horses cannot grow heel may be wrong – the heel may just be under-run. Heel problems are much more treacherous and much more diabolic than laminitis problems. Simply put, shoes are an important risk factor in the incidence of lameness of domestic horses. The data suggests they directly contribute to disease and handicap to a horse.

A contracted hoof capsule reveals the pressure created on the coffin bone.

Navicular Pain/Heel Pain

There is literally less space for the navicular bone in a contracted hoof. Navicular pain is from soft tissue damage and pinched coriums. Conventional farriery ignores the progressive deformities focusing on the symptom of lameness and shoes simply worsen the deformities. The only dependable way to bring the hoof back to soundness is to change the shape of the hoof by removing the shoes and implementing proper trimming.

Ossifications / Bony Changes

Ringbone is the result of chronic overstraining of soft tissue attachments and direct concussion to articular cartilage creating arthrosis of the pastern joint areas. Flexion in the hoof creates less stress on the pastern joint.

Sidebone is the ossification of lateral cartilage. Cartilage turns to bone because of constant injury or because circulation is diminished. Bone can and will actually decrease with the removal of shoes.

Conventional hoof care prepares a hoof for a laminitic crisis over time because pressure from steel on the outer wall causes shearing effect – the theory of peripheral loading.

Heel First, Then Toe

The heel must land first, and then rolling through the arch has to take place for the biomechanics of the hoof to work properly. Because so many horses are toe strong, they land with the toe – they are literally staying away from their heels. A strong digital cushion in the rear of the hoof is necessary for the hoof to be healthy. A steel shoe on a horse is akin to a board attached underneath the human foot.

Horses that trip or stumble may be trying to avoid landing heel first. It takes time to convince them – sometimes even after the pain is gone. The years of habit can be hard to break.

The same biochemistry is going on in the lamina as in Type II Diabetes patients. Nutrition is therefore very important. Historical traditional nutrition predisposes to insulin resistance/Type II Diabetes.

Conventional wisdom elevates heels – worsening stress on laminae – worsening circulation to the entire hoof. The deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) is not causing the rotation: it is the weight of the horse above it on a poorly aligned joint that drives the coffin bone downward after a weakening of the laminar connections.

The effect of raising a heel in a laminitic horse: more pressure on the coffin bone.

Elevating the heels to slacken the DDFT and stop further rotation actually helps the DDFT more easily accomplish this. Such a procedure is contra-indicated given an understanding of hoof biomechanics. Shoeing defeats what the hoof is designed to do: it worsens the problems. We simply cannot fix the problems using the same kind of thinking that formed them.

Checklist for Success (In This Order)

-        Nutrition: feed a high fiber, low carbohydrate diet.

-        Herd psychology: don’t underestimate the need for a horse to be in a herd.

-        Habitat & movement: keep the horse moving, using boots as needed to get the horse moving properly.

-        Hoof care from experience: mimic the self trimming hoof.

-        Teeth: a misaligned jaw will translate through the entire body.

-        Chiropractic: keep the horse in alignment.

-        Massage: keep the muscles healthy and supple.

-        Consistency: don’t stray from the plan.

See www.safergrass.org for info on good forage.

See it through and stick with it. It takes a long time to compromise the hoof and it can take a long time to fix it.

I’d like to express my gratitude to Kristin Walker for putting the clinic together and to thank the entire Teskey family for sharing their wisdom and their good home-grown food with us throughout the day.

A healthy foot in transition: this is the left hind leg of a neighbor and friend who is transitioning all six of her horses to barefoot.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

Transition Tuesday Week 12

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

Far Gets A Tevis Buckle on Week 12

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deconstructing The Application of Glue-Ons

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Removing The Boots

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

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

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

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

5. These boots are ready for another 100 miles.

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

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

 

Transition Tuesday Week 11

Doing It California Style:

Hanging Out On The Tevis Trail On Week 11

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

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

Ready for his day in court.

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

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

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

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

A welcome break from the heat.

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

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

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

Crossing No Hands Bridge (the wrong way).

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

Heading back across the bridge.

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

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

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

Transition Tuesday Week 9

An Inevitable Component of The Holistic Barefoot Transition:

Riding Barefoot

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

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

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

Three equines with no shoes.

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

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

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

Rocky’s feet look nicely balanced.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Determination: a beautiful thing.

Keep up the (barefoot) boot legging!

Kevin

Transition Tuesday

Getting Ready For Tevis:

Trying Out The Latest Boot Design

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The toes are in good shape after all those miles.

These things are tough.

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

Rocky at nine weeks.

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

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

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

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

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

Kevin

Transition Tuesday Week 8

Play Around:

Feel Free to Tinker With Your Boots!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The used gaiter is removed from the used Glove.

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

Punching a hole in the new boot.

Almost finished attaching the old gaiter to the new boot.

The gaiter is now attached.

The converted Glue-On is now a Glove.

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

Removing the Power Strap from the expired Glove.

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

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

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

Happy Fourth of July.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

Transition Tuesday Week 7

Transition For Dummies

14 Steps Or Less To Booted Success

We’re now seven weeks into the transition and it seems like a good time to pause and review the high points of moving from steel shoes to Easyboots. In this short amount of time, our four horses are all barefoot, our boarder’s horse is now barefoot and many of our friends and neighbors are barefoot or are just about to make the move. My horses’ feet look healthier for it – I like the way the hoof is growing, the way angles are changing and the way they move.

We went for a gratifying 25-mile training ride again on Saturday up in the mountains near Prescott. Having the Easyboot Gloves has changed our training regime considerably and our horses are much fitter for it. I hardly notice the rocks anymore! Below is a short video of Redford and me riding up some of the switchbacks near Groom Creek, AZ.  This was one of the few moments we were actually walking. The guy behind us is friend Bill Bennett on Hay Dude, riding in Easyboot Gloves and Easyboot Epics for the first time.

I have been watching barefoot riders for several years; always thinking I would never be one of them; always thinking the transition would require more of me than I was willing to offer. The points listed below are based on my limited experience and may help make the prospect your transition more palatable.

1.  Commit To It

There really is no time like the present: horses adapt very quickly to boots from shoes – you could pull the shoes one day and go to a ride almost immediately if you have the right equipment.

Far gets lunged on Day 1 barefoot without any signs of soreness. I like the way he is moving.

2.  Research A Barefoot Trimmer

There is almost certainly a barefoot trimmer working in your area. Talk to some of your friends about their experiences with the trimmer and make an appointment. A barefoot trimmer is different than a pasture trimmer and a different than a farrier. I strongly suggest you use someone who is trained specifically for barefoot.

3.  Measure The Feet

I wanted to make sure I did a good job of measuring the horse’s feet once the shoes were pulled. Our trimmer was kind enough to measure them for us so we could compare notes. He even had a couple of boots for us to try on to see how they fit. Follow the directions on measurements here: it is not as mysterious as you think it is going to be!

Rocky got measured for boots the same day his shoes were pulled.

4.  Get A Fit Kit

There is a virtually foolproof method to get the right sized boots for your horse – it is called the Fit Kit. For less than $10, you can enjoy the security of having a selection of boot shells to try on each foot. If the cut-out at the front of the boot is not expanded slightly while the boot is on, the boot is probably too big and you should try a smaller size. In my limited experience, we tend to choose a bigger boot than we should. The point here is to get a boot that will fit like a glove (no pun intended) rather than to get something that will make us feel good about how large our horse’s feet are.

Look for the cut-out in the shell to expand a little. I like to see a little more expansion than in this photo, but the shape of Rocky’s hoof is quite straight-sided.

5.  If The Shoe Fits…

Once the shell is more or less on, walk the horse for a few steps with the lead rope, then feel along the toe of the boot to see if the toe of the hoof is all the way down into the shell. If the toe won’t go down all the way, try the next size up.

6.  Place Your Order

Place your order with your local distributor.  I really like the Easyboot Gloves for training and for one-day 50 mile rides. They are quick and easy to put on and they leave the hoof wall completely unscathed. I have not had any rubbing problems whatsoever with gaitors.

Redford in action: I use lower leg protection on this horse because he is a little base narrow and because they provide additional protection from the different varieties of cactus we ride next to here in the desert.

7.  Get Some Accessories

I rode a tough 25-mile training ride in the mountains on Saturday and I did not lose a boot even once. I like the additional security offered by the Power Straps for the hind boots along with athletic tape around the top of the hoof before the boot goes on. When wrapping the tape around the hoof, start at one side of the heel bulb and go around the hoof three times, finishing again at the other side of the heel bulb. It will be a very snug fit and the tape gets tacky with moisture and provides additional tooth for the toothless boot to hold.

Redford, just before we headed out on our training ride. I don’t use any accessories on the front feet – I really don’t think they are necessary. I’m using Power Straps and athletic tape on the hinds for added boot security. 

8.  Put The Boots On

The easiest way I have found to put on the boots is to roll the gaiter down completely, exposing the shell as much as possible. Holding the leg between your knees, use both hands to pull the boot over the two sides of the hoof. Once over the two sides, firmly and confidently rotate the boot a little left and right so the hoof slips into the boot. Walk the horse around a couple of circles to make sure the foot is completely in the boot before securing the gaitor.

The gaitor is pulled down completely and the boot is secured over both sides of the hoof. In this case, the hind foot is wrapped in below the coronet band in athletic tape for additional grip.

9.  Keep An Eye On The Hooves

Lift your horse’s feet up every day if you are close enough. The hoof wall will need an occasional rasp here and there. If you are not comfortable doing this yourself for the first few months, ask your barefoot trimmer to come back out. You will be surprised at how quickly the foot grows – and a mustang roll will help early breakover and prevent the hoof wall from chipping too much.

Redford at just over a week without shoes.

10.  Keep The Sole Hard

Keep the sole as hard as possible. We live in the arid Sonoran desert with nothing but decomposed granite and a sand wash in the horses’ paddock. We nevertheless apply a sole hardening liquid to help keep the horses’ feet hard. Use the product of your choice – we use Jim Ricken’s Foot Formula # 1.

11.  Experiment A Little

I really like the Easyboot Glue-Ons for multi-day rides or multi-day camping trips. It may mean investing in some additional tools and supplies, but my experience with them has been nothing but positive. Talk about stress-free riding!

Clean, low profile and uncomplicated. I really like these Glue-Ons.

12.  Keep An Eye On The Boots

We rode with our good friend Bill Bennett up in Prescott on Saturday. It was his first ride ever with boots. He used Gloves on the hind feet and Easyboot Epics on the fronts. It was very entertaining to see him looking down at his horse’s feet every time they hit a rock or took a stumble. It will take a few hours in the saddle for you to adapt to the new sound of the boots on the ground– and to build your confidence in them. I managed to ride 25 miles on Saturday without straining my neck from the saddle to see if I still had all the boots on.

Bill on the hill: Bill gets busted again for checking his boots!

13.  Check The Boots Occasionally For Fit

I have found that the Gloves will stretch out just a little as the miles add up. When you stop for water or get off to hike down a hill, do a quick visual check of the gaitors to see they are still fitting snugly. I found I was not wrapping the gaitors tight enough in the first few rides – mostly due to fear of rubbing the pastern. I have found the boot stays on better if the gaitor is good and tight – and I have yet to experience a rubbing problem from them.

Redford after 25 miles this weekend: no rubbing.

14.  Keep Your Horse Moving

We’ve been lunging horses every couple of days if they are not working regularly. It increases the blood flow to the foot; stimulates growth and gets the horse used to the feeling of barefoot. We made the mistake of carving out too much dead sole from one of our horses last month and made him sore from it. He was tentative on the hard ground for a couple of weeks, but the lunging really seemed to help. From some of the reading we’ve been doing, we’ve seen that the nerve endings in the feet begin to get sensation back again after removing the steel shoes.

Rocky is booted in this video because we were trying out a different sized boot. Most of the lunging we do is barefoot.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

Transition Tuesday Week 6

The Instant Transition:

Redford Successfully Transitions Overnight From Shod To Barefoot Tough Training

Maverick Mountain near Prescott, AZ.

The last six weeks without steel shoes have been such a success that I decided to transition the last remaining horse in the herd into Easyboot Gloves and to experiment by instantly working him on some tough mountainous training miles.

The barefoot trimmer came on Friday to remove Redford’s shoes. I knew there was something going on with his feet from the way they were changing shape over the last couple of months. Removal of the shoes and pads revealed a mild case of white line disease, which was causing hoof wall separation within the hoof’s non-pigmented layer. It should clear up fairly quickly now that the hoof is open to the air.

The trimmer left most of the false sole untouched so as to offer the horse short-term protection and assured us that the sole would wear down quickly in our paddock.

Redford’s front left foot: you can see how much sole remained when the foot was first trimmed. Because the horse had been in Natural Balance shoes, there was very little toe on the hoof. The separation at the hoof wall is evident. The brown color is from the Jim Ricken’s Foot Formula # 1, which helps harden the sole and keeps thrush at bay.

The hind feet also looked in need of some love.

I am not a shoeing expert, but I confess I was surprised to see so much sole still there and wondered how it would affect the horse’s soundness. Application of the Ricken’s Foot Formula revealed a very thirsty sole – the foot absorbed the liquid quickly.

The next morning, the horse was still sound on the lunge line and was showing no pain whatsoever. He got loaded into the trailer with Rocky and we trailered up into the mountains near Prescott for a weekend camping trip. We went out for an afternoon seven mile jaunt with size 0 Gloves on the front and size 0.5 Gloves on the hinds with Power Straps attached.

An evening jaunt along some rocky trail.

Rocky sets out to conquer the mountain – and succeeds.

We were not able to get the hind boots on over the athletic wrap on Redford, so he went without. I had added Power Straps to the boots, which makes them less easy to fit because they stretch less as they go over the hoof. I like the added security of them, particularly on the hinds, but I have also not tested the Gloves much without them – I’ll save that for a future story.

We rode along a variety of rocky and mountainous trails. Redford showed no signs of discomfort during the seven mile ride, and the boots stayed on snugly. He seemed a touch clumsy over challenging footing – as if he was still getting used to the boots. When we got back to the trailer I pulled the boots off: there was no rubbing and no debris in the boots.

Back at the trailer after a short ride.

Redford’s front right – you can see the sole has worn down to the same height as the hoof wall. The lines on the bottom of the hoof confirm the boot fit is snug.

The right hind: no rubbing from the gaiter; lines on the sole confirm a snug fit.

It was cool enough at 5,500 feet to start a camp fire at dinner time. Sweet.

The next morning our good friend, Julia Lynn-Elias, set out with us to show us an 18 mile loop up and over Maverick Mountain. We were looking forward to discovering yet more trails in the beautiful Prescott National Forest . We were not disappointed: there were some serious climbs ahead of us. Over the 25 miles of training in two days, we would climb more than 10,000 feet.

We crossed water on numerous occasions, being sure to stop to let the horses drink and make sure the boots got nice and wet before climbing up and over the mountain.

Julia leads us out into the wilderness.

Redford was noticeably more sure-footed in the boots on the second day – he did not trip or stumble the way he did in steel shoes at the race the previous week.

Our trail guide would take us up and over the mountain on the horizon.

The desert flora: quite incredible.

This was one of the most dramatic climbs – amazing hills!

The boots in action.

Rocky at another water crossing.

This was the first time in his life Redford has worn boots with gaiters – and 25 miles of mountainous terrain through water, rock and sandy trails in 70 degree heat caused no rubbing whatsoever.

Redford’s feet are unscathed after his first 25 miles in boots.

The feet look good under there too.

Redford’s boots went through some very challenging terrain and they did not twist of come off. They held up very well to the work and he was sound every step of the way. I am so impressed by the speed at which you can make the move to boots. The 25 miles this weekend proves to me that you can make the transition to boots overnight. I would have been completely at ease in taking this horse to a race and competing on him.

Redford looked good again the next morning – he was sound out in the paddock in his barefoot state (I lunged him to make sure). This week’s experiment was very encouraging. Once those first few miles were under our belts, he was very sure-footed in the boots. He did not show any of the signs of tripping on the trail the way he did when he was in shoes at the race last week. He did not take any of the tentative steps over the rocks the way he did in steel shoes.  His legs had no windpuffs in them on the next day – something I could be assured of having with shoes; and the sole wore down quickly and naturally in the two or three days following his barefoot trim.

I’m well pleased to have a paddock full of sound horses – and I can hardly believe that I have gone barefoot with all the horses. Bring on the next ride.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

Transition Tuesday Week 5

This is the fifth post of a weekly series called "Transition Tuesday".  Transition Tuesday is written by Kevin Myers and documents the transition from iron shoes to barefoot hoof care and hoof boot use.  Rocky and Far are both seasoned endurance horses and have been in iron shoes for several seasons.  Transition Tuesday's weekly blog posts will document the process and learning curve involved in the transition to natural hoof care.  Feet will change shape, boot fit will improve as feet change and the learning curve will decrease.  The good, the awesome, the not so good, and what happens along the way.  Enjoy!

Catch the Wave!

Easyboot Glue-Ons at the Descanso 50 in San Diego County

View from the trail at Descanso.

I finally got to take Far to his first 50 in the Easyboot Glue-Ons on Saturday. This was to be the biggest experiment so far in the five-week transition. It was a resounding success: my ride this weekend confirmed this set-up as one that works well - even for a layman like me.

Far tries his Easyboot Glue-Ons at a race.

We had some challenges during the glue-on process on Thursday night because we ran out of tips to apply the Equi Pak glue around the top of the boot. It was a simple case of thinking there was another bag of tips in the box, when there were actually none left. The result was having to use our fingers to apply the bead of glue around the top of three boots. It worked just fine, but it did not look as professional.

Descanso is a six hour drive from home and is located in the mountains 45 miles east of San Diego at an elevation of 3,400 feet.  We arrived at base camp early Friday afternoon; let the horses eat and drink for a few hours before vetting in, then prepared the two out check bags for ride day. The Glue-Ons were staying on nicely, but I was apprehensive about being caught out on the trail with a lost boot. The race was one long loop out of camp with three out vet checks, two of which were in the same location. Since Far wears a different sized boot on the front versus the hind, I packed two spare Easyboot Gloves in my saddle pack and two additional spares in each of the two out check crew bags. I would not need them, as it turned out.

This marks the start of our climb up into the clouds.

The 6 AM start time came early the next morning, and we were a few minutes late leaving. That made for a stress-free start and an open trail that would let us ride at our own pace. Far was moving out nicely – stretching out further at a trot than he has before. Both horses seemed happy at 10.5 or 11 mph – this is about 1.5 mph faster than Far preferred when he was in steel shoes. The trail rolled its way along through oak woods and started climbing up into high plains: the views were stunning. I quickly forgot about the boots.

Climbing across the high plain – we will eventually go up and over the mountain on the horizon.

It took us 1h40 to get to the first vet check which the GPS told us was at 14 miles. The boots were looking good: they had not moved at all. I was surprised at how much interest there was in the Glue-Ons at the vet check. People have been reading up on the new technology, and were full of questions about the process. One lady had stories of how she transitioned her mare with contracted heels to barefoot with great success. She said the horse now moved across rocky terrain without ever flinching. Others were talking about moving their horses to barefoot. It really seems like there is a wave of people making the move right now, and lots of interest in how best to make the transition. I have found it much easier than I had anticipated.

The Glue-Ons at 12 miles – you can see the finger painting glue.

Far looking fresh at the first vet check.

Far (in boots) and Redford (in shoes) at the first 20 minute hold.

Ride manager Terry Woolley Howe, her army of volunteers and head vet Fred Beasom put on an incredible ride. I had the good fortune to go to the Warner Hot Springs ride a couple of years ago and was amazed at the hospitality. This ride was no different. There are hospitality stations set up at the vet checks and at various places along the trail where the horses can enjoy three different types of hay, oat mashes full of carrots and abundant water. Riders can enjoy fresh-cut fruit, home-baked cookies and refills of water and Gatorade. On hot years, they even provide popsicles for the riders out on the trail. Amazing! 

There were lots of places for the horses to drink.

The 20 minutes passed by very quickly, and we were soon back out on the trail, crossing a series of high pastures with a fair amount of climbing and some rocky, technical trail that required horse and rider to pay attention. We crossed water, went through rocky outcroppings, rode along sandy trails, and took some challenging single track along the sides of steep climbs. Far did not take even one tentative step, and he just flew along over the varying terrain as we climbed and dropped up towards the second vet check.

There was very little flat trail on the ride. Redford(in steel shoes) was happier in the front and seemed to trip less.

It was cold at the second vet check – particularly for horses and humans used to the Arizona heat! We had shed our coats at the first vet check and were now regretting it. The horses were cooler than we wanted them to be, and the hour hold seemed to drag by. We were mounted and ready to leave four minutes before our time was up!

The second vet check at 24 miles.

We set off across a marsh and past a lake full of birds. We crossed the road and started our way up and over the mountain. As we climbed, we literally rode through the clouds: the air was cool and damp and the mist wafted past us as we trotted up and up and up. 

A birder’s paradise: crossing the marsh before climbing the mountain.

Heading into the clouds.

The boots in action: starting the climb up and over the mountain.

Climbing.

The GPS quit some time during this loop at about 25 miles. We had already climbed 5,000 feet by then. The trail was an improved jeep road that had a good dose of rocks and challenging footing. Far was gliding along the road as if he was wearing Nike Airs! Redford’s steel-shod steps were much louder on the hard ground- you could hear the difference in concussion between the two horses. We would have to slow for him across the rockier sections – particularly on the downhill. His shoes were at four weeks and there was lots of toe that seemed to be causing him to trip a fair amount. He did better when he was leading, but those toes just seemed to be getting in his way. I’m really looking forward to pulling his shoes on Wednesday.

The boots at 38 miles.

The boots held up very well in the rocky footing.

We got back down off the mountain – the loop was much longer because of our slower speed, taking us almost 3 ½ hours to get into the 38 mile hold. The last few miles into the vet check were particularly fun – it was like riding on a rollercoaster, constantly rising and falling up and around with knee-banger trees and a good dose of rocks hiding in the sandy single-track trail. Redford was in front for most of this section, and Far would not always see the rocks below the billowing dust. He stumbled here and there, but the boots stayed put – even with all the water crossings we went through.

The boots look unscathed at 38 miles.

We set back off towards home after a fleeting 20 minute hold. The trail was even more like a rollercoaster as it darted up and around a verdant valley. The horses flew along the trail: I could have ridden like that for weeks and never have been bored. It was so nice to ride and not worry about losing a boot or taking a miss-step on the rocks.

The experiment was a success. We arrived at the finish line in just over 7 ½ hours – a little slower than I had planned, but the horses were in good shape and the Easyboot Glue-Ons looked as fresh and solid as they had at the beginning of the day. I love these things: you should seriously consider catching the wave if you have not already done so. Surf’s up!

Removing the boots by wedging a large flat-head screwdriver between the boot and the hoof.

Separating the boot from the hoof.

Far’s RF looking good.

The boot removed.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

Transition Tuesday Week 4

This is the forth post of a weekly series called "Transition Tuesday".  Transition Tuesday is written by Kevin Myers and documents the transition from iron shoes to barefoot hoof care and hoof boot use.  Rocky and Far are both seasoned endurance horses and have been in iron shoes for several seasons.  Transition Tuesday's weekly blog posts will document the process and learning curve involved in the transition to natural hoof care.  Feet will change shape, boot fit will improve as feet change and the learning curve will decrease.  The good, the awesome, the not so good, and what happens along the way.  Enjoy!

It has been four weeks since we started the transition to barefoot for two of our four horses. This seems like a good moment to compare notes between three of them.

I hesitated for years before trying barefoot because I thought the transition period would be too long and I thought booting the horses for training and competition would be more complicated than my patience would allow. I was wrong on both counts. If either of these reasons are factors for holding you back from making the transition, you should take comfort in knowing that the Easycare products really take the stress out of the transition management, and the transition can be managed in a much shorter span than you would anticipate. In fact, the transition can evidently be managed over night.

First, I want to confirm the strategy I’ve discussed in previous posts for the success associated with using athletic tape with Easyboot Gloves on the hinds. I am using the black 1.5” Mueller brand – you can find it at larger pharmacies such as Walgreens or at many athletic supply stores.

Note the use of the athletic tape as I carefully twist the rear boot on with conviction. The fit is quite snug, but the foot goes in nicely with a few walking steps forward.

We went out for a nine mile blast along the trails at Saguaro Lake on Sunday. We’re heading to Descanso Endurance Ride on Friday, so we are tapering off the work in anticipation of the 50 on Saturday. Half way through the ride, we waded the horses into the Salt River and stood in the water with the horses up to their knees for about ten minutes. I’d classify it as a good, long soak!

 

All four feet got a good soaking.

So did I! I think this horse has a higher IQ than I do. He knows how to splash the water onto his chest to cool himself down.

After the soaking, we trotted and cantered our way up a long incline wash, then up and over a short, rocky mountain trail with good elevation up and down. No boots were lost or harmed during the experiment!

Setting off from the river up the incline wash: we soon went into a working canter.

Heading up and over the mountain.

You can see that the hind boots stayed exactly where they should be. No muss, no fuss!

We removed the boots when we got home, after a 45-minute trailer ride home. The feet had enjoyed a good soak.

There was no debris in the front boots from the sand wash.

The soaking allowed me to pick off by hand some of the glue from last week (I’ve been remiss in cleaning the hooves after last week’s glue-on experiment!).

No debris in the rear boot. Note the athletic tape has stayed in tact.

I’ve been fascinated by the changes in the horses’ feet in the last four weeks and I have really enjoyed watching the shod horse go through the usual motions of outgrowing his shoes. Far has definitely adapted very well to the barefoot transition: there is less breaking out of the hoof wall than I anticipated as the old nail holes work their way down. His frogs have all peeled and he got his second trim yesterday. The frog is healthy and the sole is really beginning to show a nice concave form.

Far after he was freshly trimmed yesterday: healthy frog; nice concave sole.

Far’s feet are looking solid.

He shows no sign of any soreness when booted. After a soaking, he may be a little more tender on the rocks, as you would expect. The feet dry out within a few hours after soaking and become hard again.

Far at four weeks without shoes – and before his Monday trim.

Far’s feet are clearly showing signs of expanding closer to the coronet band.

Far’s feet have adapted well to the change

Red’s shod feet at four weeks – you can see the epoxy.

Rocky is taking longer to adjust, but he started with significantly under-run heels. The changes in his feet are also more dramatic: there is a noticeable widening of the hoof around the coronet band with the new growth. The angle of the hoof wall is changing, too, in a way that we were simply not able to achieve – even with a year of shoeing with a focus on changing the angle.  

Rocky’s feet are clearly going through some changes. You can see the change in angle of the hoof wall.

Rocky is freshly trimmed.

We were more aggressive with the removal of the false sole than we have been with Far. In hindsight, we may have acted too quickly with him. Fortunately, he is comfortable again, even as the hoof wall breaks out as the old nail holes grow down. There is some interesting bruising on the outside of his right hind that looked quite consistent until we pulled the shoes.

You can see the lines of old bruising on Rocky’s right hind. Note the absence of the red lines in the recent growth.

When we are out on the trail, we slow down on the rocks for the shod horse because he shows signs of the occasional sore step when going across rocky terrain. He has shoes, pads and Equi-Pak, but there still seems to be less protection than the boots provide to the barefoot horses. I was wishing all the horses were booted at our training ride in Prescott last weekend so we could move out at a consistent speed. As we enter the dry summer conditions, the shod horse’s feet are very brittle and are breaking apart around the nail holes. I’m using the same four Easyboot Gloves I started with four weeks ago on Far and they have lots of life in them yet. I called this morning to make an appointment for the shod horse to be re-set after almost five weeks. You do the math.

Red: the hoof has begun to grow over the front of the shoe at four weeks.

Red: The hoof walls are being held together through the dry AZ summer with epoxy and the shoes are being kept in place with clips. Note how little flare there is to the foot.

We’re off to Descanso on Friday and I’ll be using Easyboot Glue-Ons. I’ll let you know how it goes next week! I plan to glue the boots on Thursday and keep a couple of Easyboot Gloves in my saddle pack as a precaution.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transition Tuesday Week 3

This is the third post of a weekly series called "Transition Tuesday".  Transition Tuesday is written by Kevin Myers and documents the transition from iron shoes to barefoot hoof care and hoof boot use.  Rocky and Far are both seasoned endurance horses and have been in iron shoes for several seasons.  Transition Tuesday's weekly blog posts will document the process and learning curve involved in the transition to natural hoof care.  Feet will change shape, boot fit will improve as feet change and the learning curve will decrease.  The good, the awesome, the not so good, and what happens along the way.  Enjoy!

Lessons To Learn

There are some lessons in life that need to be learned more than once. I was reminded of a valuable one this weekend. I’ve summarized it in this week’s post and added two new lessons from my third week of training with Easyboot products. I’m planning not to need to learn any of them again.

I have noticed Far’s gait is changing: the first time I rode him in the Gloves, his gait was choppy – more so than his usual choppy self. This time, he was really surging from behind, using less loft and more travel with each stride. He has adjusted quickly to the sensation of the gaiters and his stride is becoming smoother than it was when he was shod. Fascinating.

Lesson 1 (Again): Use Athletic Tape on the Hinds

We trailered back up to Prescott on Sunday morning to our third consecutive weekend of challenging mountain training. We drove back to the trailhead at Seven Mile Gulch in Prescott National Forest. We managed to climb more than 6,000 feet over 17 miles of varied mountainous trail.

This was Far’s second long training ride in Easyboot Gloves and I decided to stay with the half size smaller boots on all fours the same way I had done a week ago for the Glue-Ons. This meant he wore 0s on the front and 00.5s on the hinds. The boots are a resounding success.

Putting the boots on when we tacked up at the trailhead. I really like how easy the boots are to put on. These boots have the Power Straps added – I use a different color on different sized boots. I don’t think I need the Power Straps on the fronts.

And we’re off!

The hinds were so snug that I decided athletic tape would not be necessary. They stayed on just fine until we crossed water and set up a steep hill on the other side – the left hind popped off. Addition of trusty athletic tape kept the hind boots on for the rest of the ride – even with crossing through water again. I’m also pleased to report they were much harder to remove at the end of the day than the fronts (which did not have athletic tape).

Putting athletic tape around the hoof – three times around is all it takes. The hoof was still a little wet when I applied the tape, but the tape did not move an inch once applied.

This is on our way back down from the look-out. 

From the ground, it is surprising how quiet the Gloves are on the hard road, whereas the shod horses were making quite a clang with each step. The reduction in concussion has to be better for them.

Lesson 2: Fits Like A Glove

I really like the way the gloves go on, stay on and leave little sign of having been there once they are removed. We rode through sand, mud, water, rock, shale and hard-packed dirt road.  At the end of the ride, I poured water into the boot so Far’s feet could have a nice soaking for the two hour trailer ride back down to Scottsdale.

The gaiter is pulled back to pour water into the boot for a good soaking.

Almost nothing gets under the boot, no matter what you ride through.

Look Far, no rubbing! This after 17 miles and two hours of soaking for the trailer ride home.

See how the boot was clean inside; the imprint on the athletic tape shows the foot was fit snugly into the boot.

I like how the boots are holding up to the mileage. The Gloves have now been used for 30 miles on rough trails with lots of changes in elevation.

Far’s front boots with 30 miles of wear.

Far’s hind boots with 30 miles of wear. Aesthetically, I should have done a better job of keeping the athletic tape below the hairline, but there was still no rubbing.

Lesson 3: Keep Some Sole

One of the two horses we are transitioning to barefoot got sore after the last trim. Rocky had been enjoying daily soaked feet, and the effect was the crumbling away of the false soul. Then the trimmer came and took away more sole and he became uncomfortable.

Rocky before four days of Gloves. The orange tint to the foot is from using Jim Ricken’s Foot Formula # 1 to harden the sole.

He got to stay home last weekend, and was still sore by mid-week: enough that we decided to ease his discomfort on Thursday with an interesting and encouraging experiment. We applied Easyboot Glue-Ons with athletic tape around the hoof wall and then we injected Equi Pak CS into the base of the boot to give him some additional cushioning on his tender sole. I really like the Glue-Ons because the shell stays on without teeth or a heel strap.

Amazingly, the boots stayed put for four days without so much as a twist – until we removed them on Sunday evening. Our four horses live out in a one acre dry lot (this is southern Arizona, after all) and the herd dynamics make for some interesting theatrics at certain times of the day. The most interesting time is just after sunrise – the four kooks are usually galloping around as if being chased by a bear. A long flat-head screwdriver is my new best friend.

Removing the gloves after four days: they wanted to stay on.

Rocky after four days of Gloves. The Equi Pak CS remains quite soft and provides additional comfort.

It is interesting to see the flaking sole continue to come away from the foot. The concave shape is beginning to appear.

The break did Rocky a lot of good: he is moving out freely again and there is almost no sign of discomfort. His feet were quite flat with shoes whereas now we are beginning to see a nice concave shape forming.

It was a good weekend – I’m planning on removing the shoes from my other horse now!

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

 

Transition Tuesday Week 2

This is the second post of a weekly series called "Transition Tuesday".  Transition Tuesday is written by Kevin Myers and documents the transition from iron shoes to barefoot hoof care and hoof boot use.  Rocky and Far are both seasoned endurance horses and have been in iron shoes for several seasons.  Transition Tuesday's weekly blog posts will document the process and learning curve involved in the transition to natural hoof care.  Feet will change shape, boot fit will improve as feet change and the learning curve will decrease.  The good, the awesome, the not so good, and what happens along the way.  Enjoy!

The Stuff That (Endurance) Dreams Are Made Of

3 Days; 16,000 feet of climbing; 45 miles

There are a few fleeting moments in life when everything comes together just right. This weekend was one such experience. Our ride plans changed mid-trip and we enjoyed a challenging three-day test experiment at Groom Creek in the mountains near Prescott, Arizona.  I’m pleased to report a perfect ten for the glue-ons: I’m convinced.

We had the first rain in Arizona in months for the two days leading up to our departure. The trimmer came out the day before we were to apply the boots to get the hooves looking nice and balanced. For Rocky, the rain and the trim would make him too sore to ride. Far would have no issues with tenderness.

The rain stopped long enough to prepare Far’s feet for the glue-on boots. This horse is now at almost three weeks since his shoes were removed and has adapted nicely to barefoot. His hoof wall is breaking out a little where the nail holes are, but there is nothing that concerns me. The rain seemed not to soften his feet that much, and we set about drying his feet out by using the heat gun on the sole and around the outside of the wall. You can tell when the feet begin to dry because they change color.

The trick is to have everything at hand. Here is a photo of the materials we used to apply the boots.

We cleaned the sole with a wire brush and then used the rasp on the hoof wall. We were not aggressive with the rasping because the trimmer had just been out the day before. These photos show drying the foot with a heat gun and then cleaning it with a wire brush.

This photo shows us rasping the hoof wall.

We followed the EasyCare preparation and glue instructions. One of the things that has prevented me from trying barefoot is my perception of the work involved. I really don’t know why I waited so long. The instructions are easy to follow, and although we were not as efficient with the EquiPak application as Garrett is in the video, I was surprised at how easy it is to do. This photo shows liberal application of the EquiPak Adhere to the inside of the boot.

This photo shows us using a rubber mallet to make sure the boot is snug. The mallet may be overkill, but it is reassuring to know that the boot is completely snug. Once we are more proficient, I suspect a couple of controlled twists to the boot will suffice.

Once the boot was attached, we applied a seal of EquiPak Adhere around the top of the boot and then injected Equipak CS into the base of the boot.

We arrived at the horse camp just before lunch and set off on a ten mile loop up to 7,700 feet. I made sure I stayed in the lead so my riding buddies could let me know when the boots came flying off. It would prove to be a great strategy to be up front for three days, but none of the boots would come off. My only regret was having to slow down for the other two horses who were not in boots: they became foot sore on the rocky trail.  Here are some photos of some of the trail footing and the obstacles we came across.

On Day Two we rode 25 miles across mountain ranges; through shale, across rock, through creeks, mud, sand and roots. We even got lost, and I was wondering if we would make it back to camp, but that is another story. I could not believe the boots stayed on in such challenging terrain, but they did. Here are some photos of more trail obstacles and rocky footing.

This is the view from the look-out tower at 7,700 feet.

I really like how light the boots are – Far was extending out nicely and his breakover was early and easy. The boots are so small and tight-fitting that it was difficult for my riding buddies to tell whether or not the boots were on. Far did not take one sore step on the rocks over the three days

On Day Three, Far’s legs were not stocked like the two shod horses and we rode nine miles at a fast clip. He stretched out more than he had done on the first two days. Some of the trail was sand forest service roads and Far’s hoof print was harder to find than the  prints of the horses with shoes. The prints suggest the boot spreads the weight out more evenly than a shoe does.

I was surprised at how little wear there was on the boots – I will feel very confident trying them at a five-day. Here is a picture at 45 miles of very rocky terrain.

Removing the boots was much easier than I expected. I simply used a flat head screwdriver between the boot and the hoof. Starting at the back, I worked my way around the hoof to the other side. You can hear the glue pulling away from the hoof wall as you work your way around. I then pried the boot off and cleaned out the glue from the sole. Each boot removal was less than seven minutes and I bet I will do it faster with practice. Here are a couple of photos of the removal process: starting by prying the screwdriver between the boot and hoof.

I took a video of removing one of the boots. I think a slightly larger flat-head screwdriver would be even better. The feet seemed fine after four days of being booted. The frog peeled away nicely after removing the boots and the sole still seemed quite hard. Some water had penetrated the boot, but the EquiPak product had kept the boot snug against the hoof wall and sole.

The following photos show the foot once the boot is first removed, and the removal of the remnants of the EquiPak CS & EquiPak Adhere.

This is the boot after removal – you can see there is actually not very much glue left in there, which is why I might try using these boots again.

Here is a photo of the front feet with one boot removed: you can also see how little wear the other boot sustained.

I was surprised at how nicely the feet looked under the boot – Far’s frog was peeling away easily, exposing a concave sole and healthy frog.

I really like the way his feet are looking. Here are the front feet after the boots have just been removed. Note the lack of glue build-up and the nice mustang roll on the toe.

We climbed more than 16,000 feet over the 45 miles. We hand-galloped, loped, trotted and walked. We went through water, mud, rock and sand – the boots did not even budge. I’m really looking forward to our next multi-day – these boots seem perfectly designed to meet the challenge. I’m thinking I might even use the same boots again.

Keep up the boot legging!

Kevin

Transition Tuesday

This is the first post of a weekly series called "Transition Tuesday".  Transition Tuesday is written by Kevin Myers and documents the transition from iron shoes to barefoot hoof care and hoof boot use.  Rocky and Far are both seasoned endurance horses and have been in iron shoes for several seasons.  Transition Tuesday weekly blog posts will document the process and learning curve involved in the transition to natural hoof care.   Feet will change shape, boot fit will improve as feet change and the learning curve will decrease.   The good, the awesome, the not so good, and what happens along the way.  Enjoy! 

Change Management – Anticipation is Always the Worst

Two of our four horses are making the transition from shoes to no shoes. I’ve got good news for all those of you who may have been resisting like I did: it appears to be a no-brainer!

It has now been ten days since we pulled our steel shoes with pads – a set-up we have been using on these young horses in the Sonoran desert for more than two years without ever pulling the shoes and letting their feet rest. Rocky has been showing signs of under-run heels and they were not getting better. Far’s heels were beginning to look unnaturally high – I just did not like what I was seeing. Nor was I enjoying the rising cost of regular re-sets.

The temperature in Arizona is already well into the triple digits by mid-May. Once Rocky’s shoes were pulled he showed signs of being a little tender out there on the decomposed granite we call home. Far seemed not to notice. There is no grass down here in the Valley of the Sun, and the dryness in the ground takes its toll on shoed feet. Nail holes crack and splinter and the false sole gets tougher and less concaved with each shoeing. Pads help keep a little moisture in the foot, but the hoof wall really suffers.

We measured the horses’ unshod feet; then we measured them again; then we had the barefoot shoer come back and measure them again. We transcribed our measurements and used the table to determine the size of boots we would need. The Gloves arrived in a big box – with the very reassuring Fit Kit to confirm one last time which size of boot we would need.

The boot shells in the Fit Kit proved which size was right for each set of feet, and we set about fitting the boots onto each foot. The process was simple – the boots slid on easily; a slight controlled two-hand twist here and there was needed to get the bare hoof completely into the boot and the gaiter wrapped around the pastern. Surely the gaiter would rub? 20 miles of testing would prove this not to be the case.

On Friday morning, only eight days after the steel shoes had been pulled, I set out on my own for a five mile ride from the house with four shiny new Gloves on Far’s feet. His break-over seemed easy and early; there was little sign or sound of weight or clunkiness. He moved out easily and freely as we wound our way along the sandy washes and single track trail heading north and west from the far northeastern reaches of Scottsdale.

I set out slowly and skeptically, gradually increasing speed and changing gait until we made it up to a full canter. The horse was happy, and so was I: this was easy.

At about the third mile mark, Far did a little scooch and both hind boots came off his feet: the gaiters stayed gripped around his pastern. He let me know immediately – the gait changed and he did a couple of bunny hops. I did my own hop – right out of the saddle; re-fit the boots and hopped back on board. A simple application of athletic tape around the hoof would fix that problem on my next ride, but I was hesitant for the next mile or so, and built speed back up slowly, wondering if the boots would pop off again. They did not.

We added Power Straps to the boots last night to get ready for a challenging 15 mile training ride up in the mountains two hours north of here. The straps straddle the split in the front of the boot, preventing the split from opening much at all. I’ve summarized the application of the straps at the bottom of this report.

I’m not convinced we really needed the straps – almost certainly not on the fronts, at least. I was actually more interested in going through the process of installing the strip for the experience. It involved using a hole punch on two places on the front of the boots, then punching holes on the power straps, then screwing the straps to the boots. It took no longer than five or six minutes per boot for the installation process.

We set off from Scottsdale this morning at 7 AM with Bill Bennett to meet our friend, Julia Lynn Elias in Prescott. At 5,000 feet, Prescott is at least 15 degrees cooler than the Phoenix valley, and there are some challenging training trails with good elevation gain and a generous serving of rocks. This would be the perfect location to test our new Gloves in varied terrain with good climbs, rocks and water.

 

We arrived at the trailhead near Lynx Lake at 9:30 and set about fitting the boots onto the two horses. I used athletic tape to ensure a snug fit on Far’s hinds. Rusty tried the tape on Rocky’s hinds, but found he could not fit his tight-fitting boots over the hoof so elected to ride without any tape under the boots.

We climbed and trotted and cantered walked and climbed and trotted and cantered and walked. The hills were long; the views were breathtaking; the rocks were prolific and the trail was everything we had hoped for. The horses glided along the rocky trails – quickly realizing they did not have to avoid the rocks in the same way as with shoes. I did not feel one tentative step – not even one sudden head bob when they hit the sharpness of the flint rocks on the trail. Sweet.

At the halfway point, as we began the descent back down towards the trailhead, I pulled opened the Velcro and pulled the gaiter down so I could investigate for the inevitable rubs around the pastern. Surely there would be a rub? There was not: the skin and hair showed no sign of any friction whatsoever. I could get to like this.

 

We wound our way down – mostly at a trot – still with no signs of the rocks giving them any sore steps. We came to a creek that was beginning to dry out: the horses drank and we made sure they stood in the water. The next test was about to begin.

We followed the shrinking creek for a half mile or so; letting the horses stop to drink in the deeper parts and enjoy some of the rich grass along the bed. We set off back up a long climb and whoosh – Far’s right hind boot popped off completely. I re-applied athletic tape around the hoof and slid the boot back on. I suspect I had not tightened the gaiter enough when we started – I was too worried about rubs on the pastern. I checked the left hind and noticed that the gaiter was looser than when we had left at the beginning of the ride. I tightened it and we were off again. Far would not lose a boot again.

Rocky would lose each of the hinds within the next few minutes: each definitely a victim of not having any athletic tape around the hoof. With the addition of tape, neither of the boots would come off for the rest of the ride. Lesson learned: athletic tape is a must on the hinds. I think added thrust of the hind legs changes the dynamic of the boot. The resulting torque is quite something.

We finished our 15 mile training ride without issue – we were a little over-heated once we got back to the trailers, but the horses did not seem phased. There was no rubbing on their feet; no build-up of mud or sand in the boot, and the hoof walls remained completely unscathed by the boot.

Good deal! Next stop: the Easyboot Glue-On for the Ride The Divide 50 in New Mexico.