The Horse's Hoof, News for Barefoot Hoofcare

Did you know? The Horse's Hoof Magazine is released on the first day of every season, so look for new issues on the 1st day of Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer!

NEW Issue: The Horse's Hoof Magazine Issue 33, Winter 2008 released on December 21, 2008 (1st day of Winter). The Horse's Hoof Magazine is a 24-page quarterly publication that focuses exclusively on the barefoot horse. Available in both printed and PDF versions. Ad-Free and subscriber supported! (PDF issues will be sent out on Dec. 21; printed issues will be in the mail the end of Dec.) Click here for the Contents List of every Issue! - Click here to subscribe

This website was last updated on 12-19-08

Your Barefoot Horse Resource!
Photos above, clockwise from top left: 1) Yvonne Welz riding Gezebella, 5 yo warmblood mare (always barefoot); they compete in dressage. Read about them in every issue of THH! 2) Karen Chaton riding her endurance champion Granite Chief+/, who has over 7,000 AERC miles; barefoot since 2005, they use EasyCare boots for protection on rides. Issue 29 of THH. 3) Lt. Randy Wallace of the Houston Texas Police Department riding barefoot police horse Chance up the stairs. The department has 29 barefoot police horses. Issue 29 of THH. 4) Rick Dabner riding To Liberate, a barefoot showjumper in Australia. Issue 30 of THH. Center hooves: Gezebella's feet - warmblood hooves that look and function like mustang hooves.

Issue 33, Winter 2008:
- Domestic vs. Wild Horse Hooves by Jaime Jackson
- Barefoot in Indonesia! A Natural Care stables in Central Java
- Winning Barefoot Racehorse in Canada
- Dr. Robert Bowker's Rehab Center: A Dream in the Making!
- Barefoot Barrel Futurity Superstar! 2008 WPRA World Champion Futurity Horse
- Is It Time for Hoof-Care Revolution? by Dr. Robert Cook
- A Rehabilitated World Champion Working Cow Horse
- Coming Soon from The Horse’s Hoof... HoofHelpOnline.com
- Side Dominance of the Musculo-skeletal System & Hoof Form
- Barefoot Show Jumpers in South Africa
- Dressage, The Natural Way for 3rd Level Dutch Warmblood
- 3rd World Conference on Hoof and Horse Care in Tuebingen, Germany
- Bruising by Bars and Imbalances
- Hoof Boots: Crutch or Tool?
- Mem’s Coffin Bones
- Belle, Then and Now - warmblood mare as a yearling & 5 yo
- Pro Corner & Resources, with 4 new EasyCare boot designs, new DVD from Pete Ramey, and lots of misc. info

The Horse’s Hoof Trimcast - FREE DOWNLOAD from Apple iTunes or click here to watch online! A 1/2 hour long step-by-step barefoot trimming video by James Welz. The Horse’s Hoof Trimcast is an informational series intended to assist those already trimming their own horse’s hooves. The first episode is a general introduction to how James trims. For more information on the tools he is using in this video, here's a reprint of our article from THH issue 21: "An Introduction to Power Tool Trimming"

The Horse’s Hoof 2008 Special CD - Get the entire collection of The Horse’s Hoof Magazine back issues (30 issues) on one single CD, available for the first time at a special introductory offer price of $49.95! Click here to order.

Welcome to The Horse's Hoof, News for Barefoot Hoofcare

"The Horse's Hoof" is this informational website, as well as a quarterly printed 24 page magazine, published since 2000, that is available in our online store. The Horse’s Hoof, both magazine and website, is a generic barefoot resource for both horseowners and professionals. We welcome and encourage all methods and theories of barefoot trimming, and support all forms of hoof care that focus on creating healthier hooves over the long-term. We advocate finding compromises to create more natural, healthier living conditions for all horses. We believe that a good system of barefoot horse care is the ultimate prevention against most serious hoof ailments that affect our domestic horses.

While barefoot can be used successfully for the rehabilitation of unhealthy feet, our main focus is on preventing unhealthy feet in the first place - through education and awareness. It is our goal that barefoot becomes a widely accepted choice for performance horses around the world, with hooves raised carefully from birth to be superior in every way. It can be done - we have that information available now, and many people are putting that to action (see the Barefoot Performance page). Using this knowledge, no horse should ever need to suffer catastrophic founder. The younger you begin a barefoot program with your horse, the better (ideally, at birth), but most horse's hooves can be significantly improved, and even become healthy enough to do whatever activity you desire. Barefoot is NOT a fad, or anything new - after all, horses were born with bare hooves. Learning to keep them that way successfully is the job of the barefoot horse owner, and we're here to help. Healthy hooves create happy horses!

The Horse’s Hoof includes a wide variety of information and links throughout this website, and in our magazine. We are completely advertising-free! The magazine contents are mostly different from the website, though we do include some articles on here from past issues (Click here for the Contents List). You will find articles and information from and about all the leading experts in the field, including Jaime Jackson, Dr. Robert Bower, Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, Pete Ramey, KC La Pierre, and many others, as well as experiences and stories from various practitioners and owners. We include a wide variety of material, some of it contradictory, as there are many differences of opinion - and we don't personally agree with everything we publish. We encourage and promote this interchange, because we feel this is what will kick barefoot hoofcare up to the next level! If you would like to read the personal opinions of James & Yvonne Welz, please visit our section (see left bar). In particular, our new Hoof Corner will present our ideas and philosophies on hoofcare that we have personally developed over the past decade.

Barefoot hoofcare is a young, developing art and science. There is so much ahead to discover. After nearly 20 years of hoof study, the leading hoof researcher in the U.S., Dr. Robert Bowker, says, "There is so much that we still don't know about the hoof!"

November 11, 2008
Friends,

Just a quick touch base. The 27 rescued horses are making the 10 hour trip from Northern to Southern California this Saturday to start their new lives with The Pegasus Rising Project which we founded, to ultimately help heal humans with emotional traumas. The boys will be at our place in Valley Center; the girls at a facility in Rancho Santa Fe. We’ve made impressive headway with a donated facility , 15 care volunteers and a therapy program director. Several articles are coming out in newspapers and magazines. And a new book “Angel Horses with a Message” will feature this story. Finally, our PR specialist is pulling the trigger on the news media as soon as we get them down here and situated. So hopefully toward the beginning of the year, adequate funding will start to come in.

Until then, we are in critical need of financial donations for food to keep the herd going. Times are really tough out here with the price of feed, fuel, foreclosures everywhere and continuing threat of fires. So we ask for your support in making whatever donation you can and also forwarding the attached informational story on to your friends, family and contacts. Even if you’d done so prior, as our updated outline details our “horses healing humans” emotional trauma therapy mission,.

If everyone donates enough for 5 bales of hay (about $100), that will feed the mother and newborn baby (above) for a month. We really need an infusion of funds to make it till the end of the year, so calling on you to open your hearts for support.

Love and Blessings ~ Cynthia, Tony and Shadowfax

Cynthia Royal
Co-Founder, Equine Behaviorist
The PEGASUS RISING Project
www.PegasusRising.org

CEO, Equestrian Director
www.IMAGINE-DiscoverTheMagic.com

Visit EasyCare's website for lots of info and articles on natural hoof care and hoof boots: www.easycareinc.com
Order EasyCare boots in our online store (compare our prices).

"I just want to thank you for such an outstanding magazine. If there was ever anything that brings hope into this world, it is The Horse's Hoof! Each issue is a celebration! Thank you!" -- Christine Ertl
"Sometimes I feel like I'm on Barefoot Island, and THH is my message in a bottle --LOL!!" -- Gail, a subscriber

The Horse's Hoof Magazine is a 24 page AD-FREE, subscriber-supported publication dedicated to the barefoot horse and his owner. Each issue is filled with a wide variety of barefoot horse & hoof-related articles—exploring trimming techniques, reporting on barefoot events, revealing exciting stories, and covering all methods and all styles of barefoot horse care. We present you with all the information, from all different points of view, as we journey into this exciting new world of modern barefoot horse care. Click here to subscribe.

Everyone Loves to Read The Horse's Hoof Magazine. Don't forget to order your subscription!

Did you know that The Horse's Hoof Magazine is 8 years old? It's true! We started publication in Fall, 2000.

The Nation’s #1 Selling Lifestyle Book Involving Horses Every Week Since Publication April 29th, 2008:
The Soul of a Horse: Life Lessons from the Herd by Joe Camp.

Finally! A book that ties in natural horse care, natural hoof care, natural training methods and our deep relationship with the horse, written in an entertaining way that animals lovers everywhere will be enthralled!

CLICK HERE to watch a terrific interview with CNN's Daryn Kagen and Joe Camp about Benji and The Soul of a Horse.

View the video of Joe & Kathleen Camp's herd, who live in a wonderful, natural environment: Dancing Barefoot Video

"Joe speaks a clear and simple truth that grabs hold of your heart. The Soul of a Horse reminds us of that magical connection possible between man and equine—if we only listen to the horse. For some people, this book will evoke that eternal desire to experience the true spirit of horses. For others, this book might be a challenging revelation—one that might forever change their relationship with horses, for the better."
Yvonne Welz
Editor, The Horse's Hoof Magazine

"Achieving high performance through Applied Equine Podiatry, a comprehensive guide to Whole Health Hoof Care."
$34.95 + shipping

Visit our store for more info.

Breaking Hoof News.... (for archive of all previous news items, please visit our news page)

The PEGASUS RISING Project: Rare Horse Herd Rescued From Noble Birth to Neglect. What Now? Click here to read all about it! Cynthia Royal, Co-Founder, Equine Behaviorist, The PEGASUS RISING Project www.PegasusRising.org - scroll down to read more.

Cynthia Royal and Tony Royal www.IMAGINE-DiscoverTheMagic.com in The Horse's Hoof Magazine:
PDF Article from issue 31, an introduction
PDF Article from issue 32, their organic horse care philosophy

April 17-21, 2009
AANHCP Official Orientation Clinics in Warrenton, Missouri
SIX DAYS OF AANHCP ACCREDITED NATURAL HOOF CARE CLINICS!
Open to Anyone Interested in Natural Hoof Care
These orientation clinics are accredited by the AANHCP and are the first phase of training in the “certified” Hoof Care Professional and Booting Specialist tracks. In addition to detailed practical instruction and supervised trimming experience, participants are given a well rounded background in the theory of the natural trim and factors that can affect its outcome.
http://www.aanhcp.net
http://www.liberatedhorsemanship.com/

Australia Equitana 2008 Competition: Australian Equine Barefoot Movement (AEBM) Inc. and CAVALLO HORSE & RIDER Inc
in conjunction with HEAD2HOOF4HORSES are proud to announce their Massive ‘MATCH THE LOGO’ EQUITANA 2008 COMPETITIONS. Tons of great prizes, including Cavallo Simple Boots, Dr. Cook's Bitless Bridle, subscriptions to The Horse's Hoof Magazine, and many more! Click here for details and entry forms.

New DVD: The Path of the Horse
A horse trainer gives up her career to travel the world, searching for people who might unlock the secret of how to move to the next level of understanding with horses. What she finds is simple but is she willing to pay the price to take the path less traveled? Includes Mark Rashid, Alexander Nevzorov, Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling, Linda Kohanov, Carolyn Resnick and Kim McElroy. Click here for more info: http://www.stormymay.com
To order in Australia: http://www.pathofthehorse.com.au or email: happydayz @ bigpond.com

Emergency Wild Horse Summit on Oct 11-12, 2008, South Point Hotel in Las Vegas
The Summit is open to all people who are interested in saving the "last of America's wild horses." Your input and support can make the difference between life and euthanasia of thousands of wild horses as recently suggested by the Bureau of Land Management.
for more info: www.wildhorsesummit.com or e-mail us at wildhorsesummit@gmail.com

Swedish Hoof School Seminar, Nov. 22-23, 2008
Tucson, Arizona (Embassy Suites Tucson - Williams Center)
"How feeding, digestion, environment and hoof care affects the function of the hooves and the wellbeing of the whole horse."
Buy your ticket online on the "Schedule" at www.SwedishHoofSchool.com or email swedishhoofschool @ gmail.com for more info.

Karen Chaton's Endurance Riding Blog
From award-winning endurance rider Karen Chaton. Educational type articles relating to horse health care, endurance riding competition and also hoof care.
http://enduranceridestuff.com/blog/

New boot design:
SABRE SNEAKER REHAB BOOT
Cushioned, lightweight, durable hoof protection - that stays on! This is an all NEW design, with a more environmentally friendly product. Includes design changes and enhancements over their previous boot, which makes the Sneaker easier to use, more durable and lighter and more comfortable for your horse.
http://sabresneakers.com/

Classical Training DVD from barefoot advocate Manolo Mendez
"Riding in Lightness, Classically Based Training for the Young Horse," part 1
This beautiful and inspiring DVD from a master of classical dressage. What makes it even more wonderful is knowing that his young horse Dario Fo, a Warmblood grandson of Donnerhall, is barefoot, and that Manolo embraces the barefoot movement. Manola's background is the Royal School of Equestrian Art in Jerez, Spain. He now resides in Australia and gives clinics around the world. A must-see DVD for training enthusiasts.
Now available from Australian Equine Arts http://www.ausequinearts.com/About_ManoloDVD.html

Slow Down Hay Feeder/Soaker
What an interesting product! It looks like it is basically a large bucket with a special feeding plate on top to slow down hay/feed consumption. As the horse consumes the hay, the feeding plate slowly lowers in the bucket. It looks very simple and easy to use, and could easily be added to any horse’s living area. The bucket doubles as a convenient way to soak hay, as well as being very portable. With the high cost of hay these days, the promise of less wastage is a big plus! For the natural owner, it might actually pay off to buy several of these and install all around a paddock paradise. The price for one complete kit is $395.00.
http://www.slowdownhayfeeder.com

The August 2008 issue of Horse & Rider Magazine has a couple of barefoot items: First, an article "New Stretegies for Going Bare" by Jennifer Forsberg Meyer. With input from Pete Ramey and Garrett Ford of EasyCare, this article covers new boot options, hoof casting, farrier training, and helpful tips for transitioning to barefoot. Next, Joe Camp shares in his article, "Horse Sense for the Soul" that an issue of Horse & Rider served as his starting point into the barefoot world, ultimately leading to the publication of his bestseller book, The Soul of a Horse. Read more barefoot items this month at HorseandRider.com

Belhaven Equine Solutions
Leah Hinnefeld is an attorney in Georgia, specializing in Equine Law. Her developing website is also a resource for natural hoof and horse care information, including a trimmers list, diet recommendations, and natural training information.
http://www.belhavenequinesolutions.com

Nevzorov Haute Ecole Worldwide Representative, Michael Bevilacqua, will be offering a weekend Seminar in Quebec, Canada this November 1 & 2, 2008. Alexander Nevzorov and his wife Lydia Nevzorova endorse the barefoot movement.
Further info about the seminar can be found on www.equiforme.net
For further info about NHE see: www.hauteecole.ru

Rule change to allow Barefoot Racing under consideration in California!
From an article on Fran Jurga's "HoofBlog" on July 20, 2008: "Dr. [Diane] Isbell continued, 'A number of trainers in Northern California are starting to train their horses barefoot. There are an increasing number of trainers doing that (and those horses are) working as well or better as they did when they had shoes on. We do know from research work that the bare foot is better able to utilize the internal shock absorption system of the horse, which does help to take some of the stress off the legs.'" Read the entire article here: Barefoot Racing in California?

The AANHCP Comes To Europe!
The skilled practitioners of the Association for the Advancement of Natural Horse Care Practices (AANHCP) are proud to introduce the science, principles and methodology of Natural Hoof Care based on the Wild Horse of US Great Basin.
The Symposium takes place on Saturday, November 1st 2008, from 9am until 5pm in the large event room of the facilities of the Pferdesportverband Rheinland e.V. (PSVR), Weissenstein 52, 40764 Langenfeld in Germany. Tickets: 20 Euro
For further information check www.naturhufpflege.com or e-mail: Gudrun Buchhofer (German speaking) at gudrun@go-natural.ca or Nick Hill at nick@cloverroseequine.co.uk

New program schedule for Strasser World Conference:
September 25, 26, & 27, 2008:
World Conference 2008 for Natural Hoofcare and Holistic Horse Care
Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, Tuebingen, Germany
Conference speakers include Dr. Robert Bowker - see NEW program below for complete listing!
Click here for Strasser World Conference Program PDF - Click here for Strasser World Conference Program .doc file - Click here for Registration Form 2008 PDF

Yvonne Welz, The Horse's Hoof, INDEPENDENT DISTRIBUTOR OF Dynamite Specialty Products

Buy Dynamite supplements online at The Horse's Hoof Store

The Horse's Hoof WebCounter count says that you are visitor number

If you have comments or suggestions for this website, email the webmaster at webmaster@TheHorsesHoof.com

About Us - The Story of The Horse's Hoof Magazine

The Horse's Hoof Store
Phone Orders
Toll-free Message Phone
1-877-594-3365
Leave a message anytime, and I promise to return your phone call promptly. -- Yvonne Welz

Download our latest product price list, includes mail order form (in Acrobat PDF format): THH Products Price List

Questions? Click here to send us an e-mail.

©2008 by The Horse's Hoof. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher and/or authors. The information contained within these webpages is intended for educational purposes only, and not for diagnosing or medicinally prescribing in any way. Readers are cautioned to seek expert advice from a qualified health professional before pursuing any form of treatment on their animals. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

The Horse's Hoof Website: Home - Shop at Store

James & Yvonne Welz: About Us - Horselovers Corner - Hoof Corner - THH Clinics - THH Trimcast

Education: Hoof Care Articles - Horse Care Articles - Barefoot Performance - Barefoot Stories - Hoof Photo Gallery

Resources: Events - News - Trimmers List - Friends List - Pioneers List - Classified - Resources - Links

If you don't see a column to the left: To view the frames version of this site, please click here: TheHorsesHoof.com

The Horse's Hoof is a division of:

The Horse's Hoof
P.O. Box 40
Litchfield Park, AZ 85340-0040
Phone (623) 935-1823
Toll-free Message Phone: 1-877-594-3365
(Leave a message anytime.)
Email: editor @ TheHorsesHoof.com (delete spaces)