No Hoof No Horse ( Barefoot In Paradise)

  

 

     Its taken me a while to get settled from our last trip to Maui, but I thought I would share some of our Clinic pix and a few thoughts on the future of barefoot in Maui, and whats in store for Jason and I for the future.  

     I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of folks that attended our Clinic, and the personal hospitality of the people and the Island. Most of the folks attending were either Farriers, practitioners, or owners that were doing their own trimming, and Dr. Brain from Maui Vet Clinic, and Dr. Betsy Allen who practises on the island as well. We started right off with the most burning questions on everybody minds and then dove into our first case. I love this kind of exchange, these people are very knowledgable, and really only need to connect the dots. Most have done their home work and just need to see things realtime to understand what they have been reading about for months, or in some cases years. We finished the Q&A discussion and then started in on a foundered mare that Peter, (one of the islands Farriers) had been working on for about 8 months. Peter has attended several Barefoot Clinics and put what he had learned to work on this mare. Peter and the owner Sandy allowed us to do the trim on this horse, and Jason and I shared with the group our technics on how to finish the final attachment of this horses coffin bone to the hoof capsule, and why releaving the hoof wall where the hoof is still separated is so important. Sometimes I forget that everyone doesn’t get the chance to take one of these founders all the way through to completion, and some of our attendees may have never seen one at all. This mare had the benefit of a very good Farrier that was applying natural hoof care practises and an owner that was dedicated to her recovery. We also had x-rays from the day of the Lamanitic episode and x-rays just days before the Clinic. What a great teaching tool it was to be able to see the obvious rotation in the coffin bone in the initial pictures and then see the results of months of Natural Hoof Care on the foot. It was very easy to see that this bone and hoof capsule were back in line with each other and that with maybe two more trims this horse would be completely connected and sound, Bravo Peter. Rick Allen put this clinic together for us this trip and I had the opportunity to work with Rick the day before the clinic and answer some of his big questions about his trim and how could he make it better. Jason and I showed Rick every little trick we have learned over the years and Rick shared of few of his with us, Rick has started moving towards more barefoot solutions for some of our old problems and recently got his Easycare Boot Dealership on Maui. Rick also is an EMT working for the ambulance company on Maui when he’s not working on horses. Rick not only serves the horse community there, but serves the community as a whole aswell.  

Going over the x-rays

Showing off new slide boot that Jason and I have developed

Explaining the trim on the founder mare

  We took a look at a three month old, that had some conformation problems, and then his mother that turned out to have a mild case of Asymmetry. Jason and I were able to show everyone what Asymmetry is and how it will affect their horses performance over time. asymmetry is a growing problem and is best addressed when the animal is young and able to change balance and muscle mass easily.  

  

I want to thank my two boys Ryan and Nick for coming with me to Maui to help with the video project, and of corse my partner Jason Mclure for flying in all the way from Kansas to be a part of the Clinic and video project. Jason’s nic name is Dorthy, of corse a reference to Kansas and the Wizard of Ozz,  so,Jason and I will be doing a clinic tour in the spring, back in his neck of the woods, and we will be calling it( What Else) Barefoot In Ozz.   

Equine Affaire 2009

  

Working on Yonnick Firehorse's horse Diva

    Last year I spoke at Equine Affaire in Pomona on Reversing Navicular syndrome with Natural Hoof Care. Jason and I will be there again in Feb 2011. Our plans are being finalized now but our hope is to be there for some Presentations, demonstrations and to do some one on one consultations at our both, with people looking for Natural Hoof Care solutions to their horses problems. As always we will represent our Easycare Dealership by answering your booting questions and help you pick the right boot solution for your horse. 

    Finally I would like to thank Crowdiddy Productions for their video work at the Clinic, and last but not least my good friend Wendy Agustin. Wendy opened her heart and her home to me and my family this summer, and there would have been absolutely no way we would have been able to do these two Clinic this summer with out her. There is always a unsong hero behind everything that we do, and for me that was Wendy, ill never be able to thank her enough for putting up with the chouse that came into her life when I hit Maui, things that only she and I understand, but I hope one day I will be able to be there for her, like she was for me, I love you Windy, We all do.

So untill next time remember(No Hoof No Horse)

Last week of Jaci’s rehab

The last week of Jaci’s rehab was very intense,and Jason was given his final instruction on her continued rehab at home. We went over all the pics of her rehab from start to date including her X-rays that slowed us down a bit when we discovered the reason for her intermittent dead lameness. Jaci’s feet have been changed dramatically and her foot, knee, and body balance are now all correct. She must go forward  remuscling her upper body and growing her new hoof capsule with her body now in balance. At the end of her first full capsule growth we should see an upper body in very nice balance and she will have evenly muscled her shoulders, not to mention the fact that her hoof capsules will be more symmetrical, due to the even weight-bearing in her front feet.

Arica and Jaci

Jason and Jaci

LF before Jasons going home trim

LF after trim

You can see the line od demarkation between the old and new growth.This was the low leg and the large underslung foot, it will be smaller after the process.

LF Bottom

Jaci’s LF has decontracted nicely and the frog is fat and healthy and getting healthier. The soul is still a bit thin on this side so she is not completely sound on it yet. She is sound in her boots at work so it is just a matter of time until she thickens in the soul and becomes 1oo% sound on her foot.

LH

Jaci’s hind feet are looking great, and well on their way to recovery.

LH Top

RF Bottom

RF Before first trim

RF Before first trim

RF Last trim

It’s harder to see on the RF than it is on the left, but this foot will be larger at the end of the process in contrast to the LF being smaller. This was the high-heeled clubby side, and the resulting flair or dish in the toe must be kept back while the new fully attached hoof wall is growing down. The upper part of the hoof wall, though hard to see, is larger than the bottom and when it reaches the ground will be larger than its former self. So the smaller high-heeled foot will be larger, and the flat underslung heeled foot will be smaller, in time making them = in size and weight barring. Whats hard to see in the pics is just how far we have gotten the RF heel down and back. If you look at the before first trim pic and then the last one, you will notice the changes in the distance between the back of the heels and the bulbs. We moved the heels back a full inch and one half, and what looks to be a shorter toe, will in the end, have new connected hoof wall added to it, increasing the length of the toe by about one quarter to one half-inch.

Going home BBQ

Jason spent 2 weeks with me over the summer, working on Jaci and riding along connecting the dots in his education. This is a Farrier that comes from the deepest part of Shoeing Country, and has routs deeper than most in the Horseshoeing world.  Yet he has been able to weather the storm of none believers, and has put what he thinks is right, and what he feels is in the best interest of his clients and their horses, ahead of what some people think of him and the critasisume he has received, from the old intrenched shoeing world. Im proud to call him my friend, and I hope in the future he will be able to be an inspiration to other Farriers young and old. Jason will report in regularly on Jaci’s progress and I will share those updates with you as they come in.  Jaci’s owners Kerry and Julie have been very instrumental in helping Jason move to the natural side of hoof care and I know he gives them a great deal of credit when it comes to his success in this area. As barefoot advocates Kerry and Julie have had to fight their own battles over the years, but the hardest one was probably making the decision to send Jaci all the way to Ca. for treatment. I am also proud to call them my friend, and even though it will take more time than we originally thought to bring Jaci all the way back to work, they have stud fast in their commitment to the process and I promise that I will not let them down. I have some other Asymmetry cases I will put up soon, until then remember, NO HOOF NO HORSE.

Farrier Transition

I wrote and article last month for Easycare Boots, in it I told you about one of my Farriers in transition, Jason. Well Jason is back for another week of ride along clinic, and will be learning how to finish up Jaci’s rehab at home. Ill post some of the high lights at the end of the week.