The Easyboot Glue-On shell has been developed as a high performance boot and an option for horses in speed and long distance events.  The light weight shell has thin walls that allow the boot to stretch and form to the hoof.  The end result is a seamless one-to-one fit that resembles a second skin over the hoof.   The Glue-On's will be sold in a set of 4 and is expected in the EasyCare office by February 2009.

More about the Glue-On shell...

The Easyboot Rx is just the prescription for horses requiring a therapy boot that offers stability and support without being heavy or clunky.  Veterinarians, hoof care professionals and horse owners alike will rely on the Easyboot Rx to help horses heal and recover quickly.  It provides support and relief for horses suffering from chronic lameness, laminitis, founder, navicular and other lower limb/hoof problems.  The boot can be used to speed recovery and offer protection after surgery or injury, lessen fatigue and add protection during trailering as well as offer a safeguard in the breeding shed.  It comes with an EasyCare Comfort Pad, but additional types and densities of pads can be purchased to customize the boot. 

More about the RX...

The Easyboot Bare was introduced in 2006 and has been a huge success.   The new Edge builds on the success of that model while bringing several improvements:
1. A new fastening system makes boot application easier.
2. A padded tongue adds comfort and allows the boot to stretch and flex.
3. A more aggressive tread pattern conquers challenging footing.
4. The gaiter is redesigned for a seamless fit.
5. A smoother interior hugs the hoof.

More on the Edge...

Finding creative ways to display and educate customers about product is a big part of retail sales.

If you are proud of how EasyCare products are displayed by your company, please send us a photo at marketing@easycareinc.com and a brief description of how you educate customers about hoof boots.  The dealer with the best display will win a $500 store credit!

Contest ends November 31, 2008.  Open to domestic and international dealers.

Purchase any combination of eight (8) Easyboots, Bares, Epics or Grips and get 10% off those boots and a FREE point of purchase display.  Sale runs through Nov 15, 2008. One order limit in November.  Domestic retail dealers only.

Christmas shoppers will be out and about before you know it. Stock up now on EasyCare's great selection of hoof boots, saddle packs, stirrups, sheepskins and much more!       

Thank you High Performance Hooves of Stevensville, MT for sending us the photo.

My daughter, Suzanne Haevischer, who lives near Fayetteville, TX, has an 18 year old, black Tennessee Walking Horse gelding she has owned since his birth.  He has always been somewhat tenderfooted and a little "pacey" in his gait.

About five years ago, to improve his gait, she started having him shod in heavier shoes.  Although his gait improved with the heavier shoes, he had intermittent problems with lameness, especially in his front feet.

About two years ago, she stopped using the heavier shoes and had another farrier do a "pasture trim."  Each time the horse was trimmed, he was lame a few days.  After three or four sessions with the farrier, we learned that a nearby natural horse care trimmer, Eddie Drabek, had openings for new clients.  Eddie came out and trimmed all our horses for the first time in November of 2007.

He also advised her to use Easyboots when she rode him until he was able to travel comfortably barefoot.  For about three months, she used Easyboots on all four feet when riding.  With the Easyboots, his gait improved immediately and significantly. 

Now, his feet have improved so much that she can ride him barefoot on all the sandy and clay based trails nearby and only uses his boots when we ride in rocky, mountainous areas.  He is comfortable riding in a nearby park that has a few miles of gravel trails, as well as on the shells at Matagorda Beach on the Texas Gulf Coast.

His gait?  It's better than it has ever been.  He travels fast and smooth!

He is living testimony to the benefits of Easyboots and barefoot trimming.

Photo taken by Jim Edmondson at the Supreme Trail Challenge Competitive Trail Ride held at LBJ Grasslands near Decatur, TX, on May 3, 2008.  Other photos by Jim can be seen at his website

Relda Sterkx

Round Top, TX

Alex is a professional trimmer having mentored under Pete as well as worked with veterinarians much of his life.  As for Florence, well if you have ever been lucky enough to attend one of Pete's clinics; Florence is a major factor in those amazing events coming together. 

We had a packed three days visiting and talking with all who stopped by.  Pete's new DVD and book were available and the entire EasyCare boot lineup, the various pads and boot accessories were on had for folks to take a look and ask questions. 

It was great to see all of you who stopped by and to our dealers who attended we thank you!  Where will EasyCare be next?  Check out our schedule and we hope to see you soon!

EasyCare Dealer, High Performance Hooves sent us this fun list, venting some suppressed frustrations no doubt!!  I'm sure many of you can relate.  For the rest of us; take note on what NOT to do if you want to keep your trimmer! 

Top 10 sure ways to annoy your trimmer:

1. Make sure your horses are loose in the pasture when the trimmer arrives. The larger the pasture the better.

2. Fill the trimming area with as many obstructions as possible. Dogs and children count extra.

3. Read horse magazines so that you can instruct your trimmer on the latest trimming techniques.

4. Be sure to feed the other horses while the trimmer is working.

5. Lead the horses through mud before bringing them to be trimmed.

6. Complain about the bill shortly after pointing out and discussing the huge price of your new truck, daughter's new saddle, new boat etc.

7. I try to clean his feet, but it kills my back when he jerks his feet away. Duh?

8. I bet you guys get used to being kicked like that, huh?

9. He's never done that before! Yeah right!

10. Do you charge less for ponies since they are smaller?

Here's the link: http://www.easycareinc.com/education/testimonials_gaited.aspx

This is a photo submitted by Cathy Tauer at Hill View Farms.  This is her daughter, Kelly, with her Peruvian Horse, Henry. 

This is Pleasure's Pot o' Gold,  a golden champagne Tennessee Walking Horse stallion going barefoot and bridleless. He is located in Belgium.

The horse industry directly produces goods and services of $25.3 billion and has a total impact of $112.1 billion on U.S. gross domestic product. Racing, showing and recreation each contribute more than 25% to the total value of goods and services produced by the industry.

The industry's contribution to the U.S. GDP is greater than the motion picture services, railroad transportation, furniture and fixtures manufacturing and tobacco product manufacturing industries. It is only slightly smaller than the apparel and other textile products manufacturing industry.

In terms of employment, the industry directly employs more people than railroads, radio and television broadcasting, petroleum and coal products manufacturing and tobacco product manufacturing.

The horse industry has a direct economic effect in the urban areas of $2.8 billion and employs 45,800 FTE employees. In rural areas, the direct economic effect is $22.5 billion and employs 292,700 FTE employees.

Click here for more interesting Horse Industry statistics and its impact on the American Economy!

To listen to a terrific interview by Steve Dale with Joe on WGN in Chicago, just click here:

   

The three great essentials to achieve anything worth while are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.

Thomas Edison 

EasyCare heavy duty magnetic hoofpicks are now available to dealers.  These magnetic hoof picks are made from steel and are super strong.  They are great for cleaning hooves as well as using to work with Easyboot cables and buckles.  Each hoof pick has a small powerful magnet embedded in it that will stick to any metal surface - never lose your pick again!

Purchase Old Mac's Original or Generation 2 (G-2) boots at the lowest retail dealer pricing for the entire month of June!  Dealers must purchase at least 4 pair of boots per order to get special pricing.  This offer is good for domestic EasyCare retail dealers only.  Old Mac's are perfect for your trail riding customers and for horses with a variety of hoof maladies.  Comfort pads are great as an add-on for more cushioning and therapy.

Mention that you saw the blog!

EasyCare would like to spotlight June dealer of the month, High Desert Hoof

Leslie officially has been in business a year and a half, working mostly in the Carson Valley area where she works with about 75 head regularly.  She also teaches owners to trim themselves and fits boots for non-clients.

Leslie is a member of the Pacific Hoof Care Practitioners which is a group of professional trimmers who want to share information in a supportive setting and continue their education indefinitely.  Leslie says the group saw the need for more training programs in the barefoot community and that demand is growing fast.  This program is flexible to accommodate the professional trimmer, who would like a support group with continuing education.  The organization also offers a comprehensive training program for anyone wanting to trim their own horses or start a new career.  They follow Pete Ramey's style of trimming and look at the whole horse and welcome anyone interested in learning more. 

When it comes to boots and pads, Leslie says they are critical to her success as a trimmer.  She adds that most of our domestic horses have underdeveloped hooves and must undergo a transition period, at the very least.  Many will always be ridden in boots.  I encourage all my clients to use hoof boots and pads.  She finds that when clients think the horse is OK without boots but then tries boots, they see how much better they really do move.  A correct heel first landing movement that boots and pads allow for, take the hoof to its healthiest form.  Leslie looks at riding time as healing time, so the horse needs to be moving optimally to truly utilize it.  If the horse is ouchy, the horse will compensate. 

As a professional, Leslie knows it is paramount to have what you need when you need it.  She has found the Fill Your Truck program perfect for doing just that.  Leslie says she spent her first year ordering something every week and worrying about running out.  With the Fill Your Truck program, she was able to round out her inventory and keep in stock those Epic #1s and #2s!

Leslie imparts these words of wisdom to other trimmers.  "Be honest and caring.  You won't always have all the answers, but if you are open and honest about it you will learn from every horse and every owner.  You both want the same thing, a sound and healthy horse.  Having outside support makes your job much easier.  Even if it's just another trimmer you can bounce questions off of.  The day you stop questioning, you've stopped learning."

This month's American Farriers Journal gives Pete Ramey's DVDs  a glowing review.  Here is what they had to say about the series.

"Pete Ramey’s set of DVD’s is without a doubt a must-have series for any equine professional farrier or horse owner. While he is an advocate of barefoot trimming, there are many ideas that you can learn from this package regardless of how you trim and shoe horses. In these 10 DVD’s, Pete Ramey spends 16 hours covering topics ranging from basic anatomy, biomechanics, nutrition, laminitis, navicular issues and problem feet. All are discussed in a clear, no-nonsense approach.
This series is filled with detailed information that all equine professionals can use. Everything is explained in such a way that everyone can benefit from Ramey’s knowledge and learn new ways to unlock tremendous healing powers from the horse’s hooves. It focuses on the ability to demonstrate the steps that are needed to drive a pathological hoof toward a healthier state. A combination of contemporary veterinary research and practical real-world field work will help viewers arrive at sound protocols that can be put to immediate use with any horse.
In 9 hours of classroom instruction, you’ll learn about the mechanics of trimming and how to effectively bring positive changes to the hoof over time. You’ll also develop a deep understanding of the internal hoof structure and see how it impacts a horse’s performance.
Following the lecture portion, you’ll view 7 hours of trimming on live horses suffering from a wide range of hoof concerns. This includes assorted breeds, a foundered mule and a draft horse. Finally, the DVD walks you step-by-step through an emergency call with a laminitic horse suffering from a 20-degree rotation. You’ll evaluate the trimming and progress during a number of visits with this laminitic horse.
Pete Ramey offers wisdom and insight that his years of practice and study have given him. If you own only one shoeing DVD series, this should be it."
American Farriers Journal May/June 2008 issue

In this DVD series Pete has a great segment on EasyCare's hoof boots and pads.   Check out our website for all these products and the DVD!

1. Use BodyGlide all around the fetlocks.
2. Loosen gaiters if you feel they are too tight (Usually they are tightened as much as possible per the Epic instructions).
3. Use vet wrap and/or knee high nylon stockings by  starting at the hoof and going up to the fetlock joint.
4. Wrapping duct tape around the pastern has also  helped with rubbing issues.