I always had a passion for animals, especially horses. Since I was very young, I dreamed and prayed for my very own horse. But, where we lived in Ohio we did not have room to keep a horse on our property. When I was 12 years old, we moved to North Carolina and finally had a place to keep horses. I started caring for the pets in my neighborhood when my neighbor's went out of town to save enough money to buy my first horse. By the time I was 14 years old, I had enough money saved to buy Tosha, an older palomino Quarter Horse who I loved very much.
When I got Tosha, she had a club foot and shoes on both front feet. From the time I got her she had lameness problems with her hooves. If she lost a shoe during riding, she was extremely lame. So, I kept her shod thinking she needed the shoes to be sound. Little did I know a horse who needs shoes to be sound is actually a lame horse under the shoes. After three years of using the same farrier, her feet continued to get worse every year. She got to the point where she started to show lameness in the shoes. I finally decided to go barefoot, had her shoes pulled, but continued to use the same farrier. My farrier was not happy with me for leaving her barefoot. But, a couple of months into being barefoot she was somewhat better.
Then, I noticed another problem. Immediately after my farrier trimmed her, she was much worse and walked away lame. Before I didn't see this because the shoes covered up the trim. She would start to improve and then go down hill every time she was trimmed. I then tried many other farriers in my area, hoping someone could help her. But all were the same. Leaving her worse after they trimmed. So, I then started trimming her on my own. And although I wasn't experienced enough at the time to bring her hooves back to a fully healthy state again. I was able to keep her pasture sound for the last couple of years she lived.
When I got Tosha, she had a club foot and shoes on both front feet. From the time I got her she had lameness problems with her hooves. If she lost a shoe during riding, she was extremely lame. So, I kept her shod thinking she needed the shoes to be sound. Little did I know a horse who needs shoes to be sound is actually a lame horse under the shoes. After three years of using the same farrier, her feet continued to get worse every year. She got to the point where she started to show lameness in the shoes. I finally decided to go barefoot, had her shoes pulled, but continued to use the same farrier. My farrier was not happy with me for leaving her barefoot. But, a couple of months into being barefoot she was somewhat better.
Then, I noticed another problem. Immediately after my farrier trimmed her, she was much worse and walked away lame. Before I didn't see this because the shoes covered up the trim. She would start to improve and then go down hill every time she was trimmed. I then tried many other farriers in my area, hoping someone could help her. But all were the same. Leaving her worse after they trimmed. So, I then started trimming her on my own. And although I wasn't experienced enough at the time to bring her hooves back to a fully healthy state again. I was able to keep her pasture sound for the last couple of years she lived.
I then bought Domino, a young beautiful paint cross. He had shoes on all four hooves. I pulled his shoes after I brought him home. To my surprise I found out he had a problem with his front right hoof. This lameness problem didn't show when I test rode him before I bought him since the shoes covered it up. I had several vets look at him. Each told me he had a different problem with his hoof, and their treatments I tried did nothing. I kept him barefoot and did as much research online as I could to learn how to trim my own horses. I knew there was more to learn then what I could find on the internet, so I started to search for a hoof school.
I looked at some farrier schools, but most were only 4-6 weeks long and the education was mainly about how to shoe a horse. They just taught how to trim every hoof the same in preparation for a shoe, not how to trim to better the hoof condition of each individual horse. I didn't want to learn how to apply shoes to cover up lameness, I wanted to learn how to trim to bring pathological hooves back to health again.
I looked at some farrier schools, but most were only 4-6 weeks long and the education was mainly about how to shoe a horse. They just taught how to trim every hoof the same in preparation for a shoe, not how to trim to better the hoof condition of each individual horse. I didn't want to learn how to apply shoes to cover up lameness, I wanted to learn how to trim to bring pathological hooves back to health again.
I then met an Equine Soundness Graduate. She told me about an upcoming continuing education they were having in South Carolina at Equine Soundness school. I attended the 2 day study at Equine Soundness and learned more in those two days then I had months of studying online. I had never before seen a school so full of information, knowledge and a passion to help horses and their hooves. I knew this was a school where I could learn about every pathological condition and how to help those horses. So, I signed up for the year long course at Equine Soundness.
I not only learned about hooves and each pathological condition that exist in hooves, but how the hoof functions as well as the horse, lower leg and hoof anatomy, equine nutrition and health, conformation, natural boarding, movement, horse behavior, equine dental and more. I also rode and trimmed with Don Vick, an Equine Soundness Graduate as well, while a student at Equine Soundness and over a year after graduating. I have seen many severe cases of founder that were given the euthanasia diagnoses from vets and I have seen them become sound again after corrective barefoot trimming, correct diet, owner involvement, ect.
My goal is to help as many horses as I can and
to trim every hoof to bring back to a healthy state again.
I not only learned about hooves and each pathological condition that exist in hooves, but how the hoof functions as well as the horse, lower leg and hoof anatomy, equine nutrition and health, conformation, natural boarding, movement, horse behavior, equine dental and more. I also rode and trimmed with Don Vick, an Equine Soundness Graduate as well, while a student at Equine Soundness and over a year after graduating. I have seen many severe cases of founder that were given the euthanasia diagnoses from vets and I have seen them become sound again after corrective barefoot trimming, correct diet, owner involvement, ect.
My goal is to help as many horses as I can and
to trim every hoof to bring back to a healthy state again.
This is my horse, Domino. Ever since I learned how to trim "correctly" at Equine Soundness, he has not had any more problems with his front right hoof, he has been sound for the past 3 years.
Riding Domino in the field metal and halterless. Who needs metal to ride a horse anyways? When I bought him 6 years ago, he was ridden in spurs and a harsh long shank bit. As I was told it was the only way to control him. But I didn't want to control Domino, I wanted to gain trust, respect and communicate with him. He has come a long way and taught me so much.
