Who are James & Yvonne Welz?

James & Yvonne Welz of the Phoenix area in Arizona have been horse owners for 20 years, and horse lovers for many more. And they've been married for 21 years, to boot (yes, they married very young)! But it wasn't until 1999 that their lives took a giant turn, when their beloved Lipizzan-cross mare foundered - and they stumbled upon the newly emerging system of barefoot horse care. The couple dove in head first -- James trained with Sabine Kells in Canada in 1999, then enrolled in the first year-long ESHOP (European School for Hoof Orthopedics/Dr. Hiltrud Strasser) course offered to North American students in 2000-2001. He has been trimming full time ever since, with a client base of over 200 horses, most trimmed monthly. He managed to find a blend between his theoretical educational background, and the practical application of trimming in the field, with the addition of studies into traditional farrier/vet education and the wild horse model - which he feels is very important.

Meanwhile, Yvonne utilized her advertising design background to start up The Horse's Hoof Magazine in the fall of 2000, along with this website and an online store. Together, the couple have spent many years raising awareness about barefoot horses, and counseling both their local Arizona clients, as well as horseowners around the world, on how to better care for their horses in captivity, through improved living conditions, and barefoot hooves. During these past years, they have encountered so many problems along the way, and then developed solutions to these problems. Time and time again, they have come to realize that the key to it all is prevention. Recognize the problems before they get worse! Reach the horses before they develop problems! Keep the shoes off the young horses, keep their living conditions as good as possible, and all horses can have healthier hooves! This is what they want to share with the public, though their Healthy Hoof Clinics.

First and foremost, James & Yvonne are just horsepeople, who want sound, sane, healthy, happy horses, just like you!

Hot Topic: What trim style do we demonstrate at our Healthy Hoof Clinics?

James goofing off with Kendra.

Yvonne riding Kendra (left) and Gezebella (right).

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For more about James...

Below: some of James' favorite feet (horse-customers for many years!):

For the details on hosting a Healthy Hoof Clinic, please contact editor@thehorseshoof.com or call our Toll-free Message Phone: 1-877-594-3365

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Hot Topic: What trim style do we demonstrate at our Healthy Hoof Clinics?