I'm still on baby watch... So now is a great time for me to catch you guys up on some of the stuff I've been reading/learning while I'm waiting for little miss to arrive!

Webinars are such a great way to either get acquainted with new topics or dive deeper into things I'm really curious about! The latest 2 from PHCP have been a fun way to explore groups of equines that I do work with but not a ton. 

The first was with Megan Hensley who is a donkey/mule trimming specialist. I have always known that donkeys and mules are different from horses in many ways and I do have a deep respect and admiration for them, but sometimes I get caught in the trap of thinking that sometimes they just won't ever give in or that they are just stubborn. Megan gave lots of great tips on how to get through to the hard to handle ones and how big the role of affection and care can play in your dealings with them. She brings mindfulness to the table and being intentional to a whole new level! She also gave some great guidelines for feeding and trimming that I look forward to sharing with my own clients. Check out her social media pages - The Donkey Farrier

Then my good friend and sort-of local colleague Kirsten Proctor gave a very helpful presentation on the importance of good hoof care for foals! It was great to hear that she suggests foals stay on a very tight schedule and that changes are made slowly and carefully to respect and nurture the growth foals are experiencing in their first months/years of life. She stressed the importance also of fostering a positive relationship between a foal and the trimmer/farrier from the start to help avoid behavior issues throughout their lives. It's one of the people that will have to work on them the most next to their owner! 

Just a little plug here for the next PHCP webinar - Carol Layton will be presenting "The Smart Way to Feed Horses" for us again and this is a really great one! Carol manages to take the seemingly complicated task of feeding our horses a balanced diet and makes it super comprehensive and easy to understand. If you've taken Dr. Kellon's NRC class or are waiting to, this is a great one to take also to help distill that information to something a little easier to digest (pun intended!). Anyone is welcome to sign up for these, not just PHCP members!

I am also enjoying going back and re-reading Pete Ramey's books as well as Nic Barker's. They have different lenses that they view hoof care through but one thing they both agree on is that the soft tissue in the hoof is often what makes or breaks the soundness in the end. Many of us get hung up on the outer structures or the coffin and navicular bones but the digital cushion, lateral cartilages, deep digital flexor tendon, etc are often where the pathology stems from. Which is good and bad because often times, those structures can be rehabilitated through proper use and protection! 

Also if you are driving a lot or just enjoy podcasts, check out The Humble Hoof! Alicia Harlov has done quite a few really good interviews with interesting people in the hoof care world. I think so far my favorite one she's done has been with Greg Sokoloski who was responsible for taking the Huston Mounted Police Unit barefoot and booted. He is a great story-teller and it was inspiring to hear how this change improved more than just the herd's hoof health but overall well-being.

Let me know if there is anything out there that you find really interesting or think I should look into! I'm always interested in learning more. I'm due in a few days so maybe I'll get some more reading in before then, but if not I'll likely be in touch after my baby is born! 

While I'm taking some time off from trimming to finish out my pregnancy, I've decided now is a great time to catch up on some books I've been meaning to read! Running with Sherman by Christopher McDougall was sent to me by my book-loving sister-in-law and I had no idea what it was going to be about. Turns out, it's a really captivating story of a family in Lancaster, PA that takes in a rescue donkey and not only rehabs him back to health but trains him to race and competes with him and 2 other donkeys in a 15 mile burro race in Colorado! 

There are other parts to the story to keep you interested and made me more curious about other topics that I might like to read more about. The author talks about their neighbor who is a young man who struggles with mental health ailments who is greatly improved by running with the donkeys, his Amish neighbors and their lives, the lives of other burro racers who have found their life's calling in the sport, a group of very tough women who have beat men in the race several times and many other characters that sometimes put the donkey, Sherman, on the back burner. 

I really loved how the author and the other players in the game really respected the donkeys they worked with and realized that in order to make the sport work, they had to learn to work WITH and not against these noble creatures. So many people see donkeys as stubborn or cranky but really they are incredibly intelligent and deserving of respect and dignity! (Please excuse my religious antidote but I can't help but notice that twice in the bible a donkey was the mode of transportation chosen in 2 of the most important times in biblical history... when Mary rode to Bethlehem to give birth to Jesus and when Jesus rode a donkey down the streets of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. They have literally been chosen by God, Just sayin'!) The runners realized that this was as much a joy as a challenge to get to work with these animals doing something that they probably wouldn't choose to do on their own. 

Lastly, I really enjoyed the pictures of the donkeys in the book because they looked so HEALTHY! I trim a fair number of donkeys and I can't tell you how many are unhealthy not because of being fed too much but moving too little. It's a really hard balance to strike when the only option for "exercising" your donkey is to give them more turnout space which in most areas means more grass to eat... which is really not helpful. These donkeys were running 4 times a week with their partners most days 10-14 miles! If I could get my donkey owning clients to WALK a few miles with their donkeys, I believe we'd see a marked improvement not just in their hoof-health but overall well-being (not to mention that most of us would highly benefit for more movement ourselves!) 

If you own a donkey (or a horse or pony for that matter) and one of your goals this year is to spend more time with them and get in shape yourself, I highly recommend reading this book and taking some time out of the saddle to get moving along with them! It has motivated me to hopefully make this something I can do with my horses that I hope to own someday. There are so many benefits besides just getting in better shape - building a deeper bond with your animal, enjoying more time in the fresh air and who knows, maybe you'll be inspired to load up and head to Colorado to see the World Championship Burro race yourself! 

Most days, my life is pretty laid back and predictable and I like it that way. I take my daughter to preschool 3 days a week and then I go off to trim for my roughly 40 clients who have collectively 145-150 horses. Some of these horses are more challenging than others and on the whole, I'm lucky to have wonderful clients who help me do the best work I can. I'm always pushing myself to learn more to be able to do my job better and that's what led me to join the Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners in 2015.

I have enjoyed the process of becoming certified to be a practitioner through mentorships, webinars and case studies. Then over the last 2 years I have started building my skills as a teacher and have recently had the honor of being accepted by a group of my peers to be a mentor for the program I admire so much. The main reason I love PHCP is because there is no one person who we all have to learn from and accept one method of hoof care. Each of us follows similar principles and techniques but we all have our own specialties and styles that often correlate with our geographic region and our area of passion and expertise. I'm honored to be a  part of that process for students and I look forward to learning from them as well!

I have always been driven to continue my quest for knowledge and I love the fact that hoof care is an ever evolving and changing field that allows me to continue to hone and refine my skills with every hoof I touch and every bit of information I take in. I always have horses and cases that make me question my knowledge and ability and it's through those trials that I grow the most. When I wonder, Am I worthy to be the person in charge of this horse's care? The cases where the vets and I are scratching our heads and trying out new techniques or revisiting tried and true methods until we find what clicks for that horse, those are the ones that spark my curiosity and keep me fresh and in the game!

I am heading into my maternity leave after Christmas with excitement for what the new year will bring. A new baby, a new role as a mom of 2 and a mentor for students hungry for answers and new questions to tackle. I look forward to the challenge and I hope to ignite and feed that spark in my students as I start booking mentorships in 2020! 

There are times I feel like I am so far in the weeds, I can't find time to come up for air! Summer is always a time when I feel like I'm just rushing from one trim cycle to the next and before I know it, it's time to go see horses that I feel like I JUST trimmed again. And I'm always amazed at how much they grow in 5 short weeks! 

I have been making some changes to the way I run my business in order to keep me safe, healthy and enjoying my job. This year I made a really simple change that made a world of difference - I simply made sure that when I sent my reminder email that I send every week to all my clients for the week with the schedule to ask them to make sure to have FLY SPRAY and/or a FAN on hand to keep me safe while working on their horses. I do keep some with me but as all horse owners know, it's not cheap and for 10-12 horses a day, that would add up. 

Not only is it expensive for me, it could potentially cause me to be injured. I feel more at risk for injury by a horse that is being pestered by flies and other biting insects than I do trimming in inclement weather. Neither is ideal, but I'd take trimming in a snow storm over trying to trim a horse who is stomping and even worse KICKING at flies any day. 

I have been amazed at the compliance I've seen. There are always a few who forget or just don't have any but for the most part, people will end up having both just because I asked! I imagine people just assume we're used to dealing with it and as soon as they hear it's threatening my safety, they hop to it. There is no gesture sweeter than a fan for your farrier/trimmer on a hot day. I certainly don't expect it but man is it nice when it's there :) 

Nothing earth shattering today, just a simple reminder that our job is tough and summer months can really take a toll on us. Be kind to your hoof care provider and they will be able to keep taking care of your horse! 

Today I had a conversation with a retired farmer who owns a small boarding operation. I was out in the paddock trimming a horse ground tied and he said, "I bet you can't do that with too many other horses!" thinking that horse must be one of the best ones I trim and it got me thinking, all of the other 6 horses I had trimmed so far that day had been trimmed the same way. Either at liberty or ground tied. At first I thought, maybe I'm just lucky and have a good bunch of animals I work on. 

But then I thought more about the ones who haven't always been so easy. I trimmed 2 mini donkeys earlier in the day who used to need to be tied hard and fast for me to trim them and if they hadn't already been caught, I didn't have a chance. I started out of desperation using the cheerios that I always had on me (for my toddler!) to try to win them over. It took me 6 months to be able to catch them on my own but now consistently, I can get them to come up to me and just stay with me. I do halter them, which is just funny because the other donkey who isn't being trimmed always tries to run off with the lead rope! I might be better off trimming them at liberty... 

Other horses who would yank their legs away on cross ties or if their owner was trying too hard to hold them still. Horses who would spook and freak out because we had tried to take them away from their herd into a barn that they had never been in. I started realizing that the more I tried to "hold" these animals, the stronger they made it known that they would not be held. It's not as easy on me to trim out in the field, especially in the winter. But if that's where the horse is happier, where I can get my job done safely and effectively, I'll do it (maybe with a little grumbling when it's 10 degrees without the wind chill)

Another thing I have realized is that I have pretty much stopped "moving a horse's feet around" or doing any kind of ground work or training on the spot. The reality is that I'm not a trainer and I'm not going to make the kind of progress I need to make by shaking a rope or making a horse back up. I always found that I could do all that stuff until I was blue in the face but if the owner wasn't doing it in between visits, I got the same reaction from the horse every time I went back to pick up the foot and that was just more frustrating. 

I had better results just by going slowly, talking softly and taking my time. Once I put the "trainer hat" on my relationship with the horse changes and sometimes not for the better. For my purposes as a hoof care provider, I need the horse to know that I'm not there to ask them to work or be uncomfortable, just to pick up all four feet for roughly 5 minutes each. That doesn't mean that I don't ever reprimand or make a horse know if they made a bad choice. Biting is one of those behaviors that I just don't tolerate and a horse will get verbally and perhaps physically reprimanded for. Kicking tends to be more out of fear or pain and I either just don't put myself in a situation where it can happen or minimize the potential impact.

I have taken a few horses off my books who are dangerous and to be honest, not a single one of them was "just a rank horse". Humans have failed them in some way and unfortunately, I'm not going to risk my life to get their hooves trimmed. I do my best to work with the tougher ones but if it's a clear pattern of behavior that doesn't change due to an owner's negligence either to training or addressing a cause of pain, I walk away. I should have always valued my well-being but now with having a young child, I just don't take unnecessary risks. 

All that said, I give a big shout out to all of my amazing owners with great horses who make my job fun and safe! I rarely have a bad day and it's all because I work with the best people and horses there are :) There are plenty of other hoof care providers out there I'm learning from who are doing this the same way and many are doing it better than I am. I'm a work in progress just like everyone else and I like seeing these improvements and enjoy the moments that make me see them in a better light. 

HAPPY SPRING!

This will be a very short post, but it is really necessary! This has been a tough winter for me and my business. Part of what I love about my job is that it is usually very flexible and has allowed me to be there for my 3 year old daughter when she needs me. Well, this poor kid has been sick on and off for 3 weeks and compiled with the really wacky weather we've been having, some days I fee like I'll never work (or even just go outside) again!

I have to thank you all for being so understanding and not freaking out when I have to push our appointments back (sometimes more than once!) so that I can either keep myself off the roads or just care for a sick toddler. I also need to thank my babysitter for sticking with us even when our schedule gets really messed up. And of course my husband who called out of work last week to share the snot-wiping duties so that I could finally fit a few of you in and who has hardly been seeing me on the weekends because that's just when I'm able to fit work in these days.

Things are likely to get more hectic when we plan to move in April, but I will do my best to keep the schedule as regulated as possible! I'm looking forward to a new chapter, transitions can just be a little tricky with a small child so bear with me. 

​Normally, I love winter and the quiet it brings. But after almost a month of being shut in a small apartment with a sick 3 year old, I'm joining the ranks of everyone who is counting down the days until spring arrives!!!! 

I almost don't know where to begin!! There is so much that I want to share about what I learned at the PHCP conference this past weekend in Reno, NV. I'll try to organize it by schedule so I don't jump around all over the place.

1. Reading Radiographs by Dr. Deb Taylor - LOTS of light bulb moments during this talk! Quite a bit that didn't have much to do with radio-graphs but about what they reveal by showing what's NOT there. The size and  shape of the digital cushion can be assessed in part through x-rays and that gives you a good idea of what might be causing your caudal hoof pain or improper landing which often go hand in hand. I also learned how to properly identify more structures (like the different coriums) and got a better feel for what is normal and abnormal in each of those. So much more detail there but I will try to keep it sort of concise :)

2. Club Feet by Christina Cline - I thought I was pretty savvy already about club feet but this really reinforced a lot of details that I had forgotten and gave me some great talking points when I try to describe this condition to my clients. Biggest take away for this - do not call it a CONTRACTED tendon! Sounds simple because I know that tendons don't contract (muscles do which are connected to tendons...) but I had been saying it like that! The tendon in that leg might be SHORTENED but not contracted. Wording counts!

3. Boot Modification by Pete Ramey (hands on!)- We learned a whole bunch of ways to help improve the tread and traction on the Easycare Glove boot and shell for slippery conditions. I bought some new tools and I'm ready to apply this for the winter! I also learned how to create a "toe slot" for  hind feet to help accommodate the more pointed shape of hind feet which should help with boot retention. I realized that I really need to be utilizing boots more in my rehab cases and even just for folks who ride their horses with good feet regularly. It makes such a drastic improvement in their movement and allows them to keep the positive progress we've made. 

4. ​Feldenkrais method with Mary DeBono - This was really just a primer for what I think is going to be a more in-depth exploration on my part. Mary had us start to think about the different way we do things and how it causes patterns to form in our brains which causes patterns in our bodies that sometimes perpetuate a pain cycle. I'm dealing with on and off back pain issues myself since my daughter was born and this is another valuable tool in my arsenal to help heal myself! 

5. Equine Cushings and Insulin Resistance by Jaini Clougher - This was quite possibly the most important for me personally. I always tell my clients that I only know enough about this topic to know when something isn't right... but I leave the rest to the vet or nutritionist. I still think it's vital to get those people involved but now I understand so much more about the process particularly in the diagnostic phase that I can help with and facilitate. Jaini described each part of the Diagnosis, Diet, Trim, Exercise (DDTE) which the ECIR group promotes in a way that I think most folks could actually follow it and not feel burdened by caring for their "special needs" horse. Yes, it still does take some thought and work to figure out how to make it work for you, but it is possible!! 

Lastly, I had the opportunity to take a special tour to see the wild mustangs just outside of the city! It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me and I'm so thankful to have gone. We did come across a deceased horse which was sad, but it allowed us to take some pictures of the feet which is invaluable! 

I'll put some of my pictures from the trip below, I'm so excited to put all my new knowledge to work helping the horses in my care. 

Summer has a habit of  away with me, FAST! I absolutely love everything about Vermont Summers, except for how fleeting they seem. We are already looking at students coming back to Green Mountain College soon for sports and I'm scheduling well into September!

I just wanted to update everyone on a few new things I've tried out this summer and really like. The first is Hoof Armor. I've heard a lot about it on Pete Ramey's Hoof Rehab facebook page and the price was right so I decided to give it a try. So far, I really really really like it! I have been putting it on thin soled horses who are either just coming out of shoes or just need a little extra protection in turnout and ideally they are still ridden in boots. I'm offering this service for $10 per foot and it only takes about 5 minutes per foot to apply. I can even teach you how to do it yourself if you like!

I also am branching out beyond Artimud which is my go-to for thrush treatment. I heard about Pure Sole Hoof Mud from my colleagues in PHCP. It's an organic hoof clay that works similarly to artimud for treating fungal and bacterial hoof infections. It doesn't necessarily replace Artimud for everything but I am really loving it for use under glue on boots and shoes!


This summer has been a time of reflection and learning for me and my family about how much we are willing to give up for our jobs and how much we want to make sure we spend time together. I have found that I really need to have a good work-life balance to keep myself sharp and passionate about what I do and that means that I'll no longer be taking on new clients unless I loose someone. I will make an exception only for horses that are adopted out of Gerda's Equine Rescue and will live within my already established routes. I am so fortunate to have so many loyal and supportive clients now who I need to make sure I stay on top of my game for! Thank you all for understanding and I will be keeping a waiting list so feel free to contact me if you want to be put on it. 

I hope everyone is having an amazing summer soaking in all the sun, staying cool and enjoying all of the joy and peace that horses and nature have to offer!

As I look out my window at the almost foot and a half of snow accumulation that we've seen this week, I'm inspired to write briefly about the importance of hoof maintenance over the winter. A few clients have wanted to skip having their horses trimmed during the winter months either because they felt they didn't grow enough, they weren't riding and therefore it wasn't important or they felt it was just too much of a hassle to deal with given the erratic weather of the Northeast.

There are quite a few reasons to keep your horse on a regular trimming cycle throughout the winter. First of all, it never hurts to have a professional just keep an eye on your horse. Small changes might not be noticed by the owner who sees the horse every day. Also, while hoof growth does slow in the winter (meaning a longer trim cycle), it doesn't stop all together. Some horses don't slow down at all and any pathology usually requires a shorter trim cycle no matter the season.

Third, if the hoof wall is allowed to overgrow too far, the frog will loose contact with the ground which has several negative effects. It weakens the frog which can start a chain reaction of toe first landings, thrush infections, etc all leading to pathology down the road. It also doesn't allow to the frog to help give the horse any traction over slick terrain like ice and snow. Have you ever noticed that frog tissue is almost the consistency of an eraser or a car tire? That's no accident! Along with the bars, frogs have a big part in adding traction to the bottom of the foot. 

Sometimes, in the summer months, with horses on a 4-6 week cycle it's all I can do to keep up with the growth and keep minor problems at bay. Keeping a 6-8 week cycle in the winter allows me to get ahead of some of those small problems and have a healthier foot going into peak riding season! 

It's not only important to keep your horse trimmed on a schedule but to keep up on checking your horse's feet regularly on your own. Just because and the ground is covered in snow doesn't mean your horse can't have some of the same troubles they have in the summer like thrush or bruises. I'm not completely unreasonable and I do understand that when it's -20 degrees out, this might not happen as often as we'd do when it's 70 and sunny. But it should still happen at the very least weekly. 

I enjoy the seasons and I do like the quiet and peacefulness of winter. But around this time in mid-February, I start getting the itch to put on some boots and hit the trail! I'm studying and seeing what's new in the world of glue-ons for this spring! I'm also participating in and hosting webinars for PHCP: http://pacifichoofcare.net/clinics/ Check them out, you don't have to be a member to participate and they are always full of great information! I hope you all are finding ways to enjoy your horses this winter and appreciating all this solstice has to offer!

   It's the time of year when we all start thinking about what we are thankful for and looking back on the past year in reflection. 2017 has been a very BIG year for me! 

   It started out kindof rough. In January, I started having intense back pain that causes spasms and kept me from being able to do my job effectively. I was in constant pain and was starting to fear that I might have to take a break from trimming. But I searched for answers and after several chiropractic adjustments, myofacial release therapy sessions and physical therapy, I had the tools to help me figure out how to heal myself! 

   Then, I started riding again. This past spring I was offered some very nice horses to ride from my amazing client and friend, Karen Moulder. She has a lovely herd of draft and TB crosses who were a real pleasure to enjoy the trails with and just tool around her arena. It felt great to get back in the saddle again and my resolution for 2018 is to get some more time in the saddle!

   My business grew in leaps and bounds! So much so that I decided it was time to find someone to help take care of my daughter while I put more weekday availability on the calendar. I started out thinking I would work just 1-2 mornings a week and a few weekends but my schedule has filled up faster than I intended and I'm now working 4 days a week from 8-1 and quite a few Saturdays with over 150 horses in my care! I am enjoying my work-life balance of getting to do what I love but still get to spend a lot of time with my almost 2 year old daughter. 

  I have been working towards my PHCP certification since I moved to Vermont 2 1/2 years ago and was slowed down a bit by moving, having a baby and starting my business over from scratch. Just a few weeks ago I finally completed my final media presentation and it was accepted by the organization and I was granted my certification! In total, I completed 5 mentorships with 4 different practitioners from NY, CO, NV and VA, submitted 3 case studies in photo or video format, taken at least 5 webinars on topics ranging from reading radiographs to intensive diet study and participated in a 2-day long clinic given by Pete Ramey this fall. It is an extremely comprehensive program and I am proud to be a part of and represent!

   I am thankful for all of the people in my life who have made this my biggest year of accomplishment since starting my practice 6 years ago. My mentors for PHCP, Jeannean Mercuri, Leslie Carrig, Paige Poss and Asa Stephens for spending your time with me, sometimes even traveling a great distance to make these experiences possible! My daughter's babysitter, Brooke Hughes-Muse and her family for making me feel great about leaving her in such capable and loving hands. My Myofacial release therapist Lindsay Courcelle who I highly recommend to anyone suffering from chronic pain http://www.alchemymfr.com and to the wonderful physical therapists at Vermont Sports Medicine. Karen Moulder for allowing me to ride your wonderful horses! And of course, to all of my clients for giving me the honor of working with you and your horses to achieve soundness and the best life possible through natural hoof care. 

   And last but most importantly, the biggest thank you goes to my husband. Luke has seen me through many phases of life in our partnership and he has never once doubted me, even when I doubted myself. He has shared in all of my joys and down times this past year and has let me know how proud he is of me and how much he supports my passion. He has spent many weekends alone with our daughter while I traveled to work, learn and teach and has never once complained when I spent evenings riding or getting the treatment that has kept me working. I have the best partner <3 

  Thank you for indulging me in this little reflection. It's been a great year and I can't wait to see what 2018 has in store for me and my family. I wish you all a very peaceful and restorative holiday season.