| Natural Hoof Care Of Colorado |
| Barefoot Certification and About Me |
I have received my certifications for performing
barefoot trimming through the Equine Lameness
Prevention Organization. The organization was formed by
Gene Ovnicek and is directed by an advisory group of
equine professionals and experts that share the same
passion and goals for the future of the horse industry. As
a progressive organization, the primary focus is in the
field of hoof care, and more specifically the Natural
Balance Principles and Guidelines. They have developed an
educational format that offers lecture and hands on
training opportunities to horse professionals of any level.
The E.L.P.O offers Natural Balance Certification
opportunities for Barefoot Trimmers and Farriers. I
have also trimmed several hundred horses feet with a
certified Natural Balance Farrier during an
apprenticeship. I have also attended the Pete Ramey
natural trimming clinic. All of these well known experts in
the field of Natural Hoof Care have one overriding
concern, the best possible care of the horse.
barefoot trimming through the Equine Lameness
Prevention Organization. The organization was formed by
Gene Ovnicek and is directed by an advisory group of
equine professionals and experts that share the same
passion and goals for the future of the horse industry. As
a progressive organization, the primary focus is in the
field of hoof care, and more specifically the Natural
Balance Principles and Guidelines. They have developed an
educational format that offers lecture and hands on
training opportunities to horse professionals of any level.
The E.L.P.O offers Natural Balance Certification
opportunities for Barefoot Trimmers and Farriers. I
have also trimmed several hundred horses feet with a
certified Natural Balance Farrier during an
apprenticeship. I have also attended the Pete Ramey
natural trimming clinic. All of these well known experts in
the field of Natural Hoof Care have one overriding
concern, the best possible care of the horse.
| The road to becoming a Certified Natural Hoof Care Practitioner |
Before I was a teenager I was pulling shoes off our American Saddle Bred show horses after the show season A local farrier
showed me how to pull the shoes and do a basic reduction trim. Those big heavy shoes and long feet with pads were so smelly
and awful! I knew those show horses weren't being treated right, even as a kid. The show horse feet were all putrid and
soft, my barefoot riding horse was completely different, her feet were fairly hard and she was perfectly comfortable out in
the pastures, but I needed to ride a lot of gravel roads to get where I was going and she would tiptoe across the roads. I know
I'm not alone in that experience and it is probably why so many people don't believe a horse can go barefoot and be comfortable.
A few years later a crusty old Standard Bred trotting horse trainer, who was so poor he couldn't afford horse shoes showed
me how he kept his horses barefoot and still raced! Old Jack couldn't afford stalls, so his horses were kept in what amounted
to a junk yard not far from the fairgrounds. He didn't win much, but he had healthy (and happy) horses, sound and competing
barefoot in the 1960s! His trimming tips were pretty simple and they worked reasonable well; keep the heels low and the hoof
wall just above the sole. (in those days we actually though horses were meant to walk on the hoof wall!) After trimming my
saddle horse like this, the gravel roads became a breeze. Jack had taught me the vary basics of barefoot success, but there
was a lot more to come! Over the years I've encountered a few horses being ridden out on rocky mountain trails, barefoot.
I've been pretty impressed that the horses were such good horses with such good feet that they didn't need shoes. What I
was missing was the simple fact that at the same moment I was seeing those "special" horses, I was sitting on top of one
equally as capable. It was me holding the horse back, not the other way around.
My first introduction to the Natural Hoof Care concept was during an introduction to Dr. Barbara Page in Littleton, Colorado
over ten years ago. Barbara was doing a pre-purchase examination of a horse for me. She commented how good his feet were
and expressed that he would be capable of staying barefoot. She told me about the wild Mustang and even showed me a
cadaver mustang hoof. To be honest I sort of dismissed it. I recall thinking, "he isn't a Mustang, he is a Morgan". I just
jumped into shoeing the horse without a second thought. EVERYBODY else had shod horses, and I just didn't want to be any
different. But something did linger in the back of my mind. Every farrier I have ever used (and they were all good farriers)
recommended that I pull the shoes each year for a couple months to let the horses feet "rest". When those shoes came off
that horse, (and every other horse we have ever owned) would be pretty "ouchy" for a while, even around the pastures. Just
like as a kid, somehow this just didn't seem right.
Since that first encounter with Dr. Page I've followed the research she has done with Gene Ovnicek, a pioneer in the study of
wild horse hoof form and function. Gene has combined his 40 years of farrier experience with the information from other
scientific research as a foundation for treating and preventing equine lameness. Gene is currently involved with ongoing
research with Dr. Robert Bowker of Michigan State University and Dr. Barbara Page of the Equine Wellness Foundation. Gene
can bee seen weekly during the Dennis Reis - Universal Horsemanship show on RFDTV, the ten minute weekly segment entitled
The Natural Balance Hoof Care Corner investigates various aspects of hoof care, including basic hoof anatomy, biomechanics &
function of the foot, mapping out the foot & recognizing hoof distortions, dealing with minor & major lameness issues, as well as
illustrating the basic hoof preparation guidelines of Natural Balance Hoof Care. Don't be fooled by references to shoeing
during Gene's show, he has developed the best method of shoeing available, but he is also a very active barefoot advocate, and
has created a certification program for barefoot trimmers. Also, by coincidence, about five years ago Gene relocated his
business to Penrose, Colorado. Penrose is right next to Canon City, home of the Colorado Corrections Facility Mustang Adoption
program. This close proximity has permitted an on-going study of wild horse feet, and the information that has been applied to
the domestic horse has been very important. If you follow the writings of Pete Ramey you will hear many references to the
excellent research done by Gene.
So there you have it, how I got here, and what I can offer. Give me a call and we can keep or get your horse on the road to a
long, comfortable trouble free barefoot life.
Thank you for your time. I hope to see you soon. I'm sure we will be good friends.
Keith
showed me how to pull the shoes and do a basic reduction trim. Those big heavy shoes and long feet with pads were so smelly
and awful! I knew those show horses weren't being treated right, even as a kid. The show horse feet were all putrid and
soft, my barefoot riding horse was completely different, her feet were fairly hard and she was perfectly comfortable out in
the pastures, but I needed to ride a lot of gravel roads to get where I was going and she would tiptoe across the roads. I know
I'm not alone in that experience and it is probably why so many people don't believe a horse can go barefoot and be comfortable.
A few years later a crusty old Standard Bred trotting horse trainer, who was so poor he couldn't afford horse shoes showed
me how he kept his horses barefoot and still raced! Old Jack couldn't afford stalls, so his horses were kept in what amounted
to a junk yard not far from the fairgrounds. He didn't win much, but he had healthy (and happy) horses, sound and competing
barefoot in the 1960s! His trimming tips were pretty simple and they worked reasonable well; keep the heels low and the hoof
wall just above the sole. (in those days we actually though horses were meant to walk on the hoof wall!) After trimming my
saddle horse like this, the gravel roads became a breeze. Jack had taught me the vary basics of barefoot success, but there
was a lot more to come! Over the years I've encountered a few horses being ridden out on rocky mountain trails, barefoot.
I've been pretty impressed that the horses were such good horses with such good feet that they didn't need shoes. What I
was missing was the simple fact that at the same moment I was seeing those "special" horses, I was sitting on top of one
equally as capable. It was me holding the horse back, not the other way around.
My first introduction to the Natural Hoof Care concept was during an introduction to Dr. Barbara Page in Littleton, Colorado
over ten years ago. Barbara was doing a pre-purchase examination of a horse for me. She commented how good his feet were
and expressed that he would be capable of staying barefoot. She told me about the wild Mustang and even showed me a
cadaver mustang hoof. To be honest I sort of dismissed it. I recall thinking, "he isn't a Mustang, he is a Morgan". I just
jumped into shoeing the horse without a second thought. EVERYBODY else had shod horses, and I just didn't want to be any
different. But something did linger in the back of my mind. Every farrier I have ever used (and they were all good farriers)
recommended that I pull the shoes each year for a couple months to let the horses feet "rest". When those shoes came off
that horse, (and every other horse we have ever owned) would be pretty "ouchy" for a while, even around the pastures. Just
like as a kid, somehow this just didn't seem right.
Since that first encounter with Dr. Page I've followed the research she has done with Gene Ovnicek, a pioneer in the study of
wild horse hoof form and function. Gene has combined his 40 years of farrier experience with the information from other
scientific research as a foundation for treating and preventing equine lameness. Gene is currently involved with ongoing
research with Dr. Robert Bowker of Michigan State University and Dr. Barbara Page of the Equine Wellness Foundation. Gene
can bee seen weekly during the Dennis Reis - Universal Horsemanship show on RFDTV, the ten minute weekly segment entitled
The Natural Balance Hoof Care Corner investigates various aspects of hoof care, including basic hoof anatomy, biomechanics &
function of the foot, mapping out the foot & recognizing hoof distortions, dealing with minor & major lameness issues, as well as
illustrating the basic hoof preparation guidelines of Natural Balance Hoof Care. Don't be fooled by references to shoeing
during Gene's show, he has developed the best method of shoeing available, but he is also a very active barefoot advocate, and
has created a certification program for barefoot trimmers. Also, by coincidence, about five years ago Gene relocated his
business to Penrose, Colorado. Penrose is right next to Canon City, home of the Colorado Corrections Facility Mustang Adoption
program. This close proximity has permitted an on-going study of wild horse feet, and the information that has been applied to
the domestic horse has been very important. If you follow the writings of Pete Ramey you will hear many references to the
excellent research done by Gene.
So there you have it, how I got here, and what I can offer. Give me a call and we can keep or get your horse on the road to a
long, comfortable trouble free barefoot life.
Thank you for your time. I hope to see you soon. I'm sure we will be good friends.
Keith
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