Dear HOOF-it Technologies

Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how pleased I am with the HOOF-it shoes that we've been using on our draft-cross Premarin rescue horses for the last three years. The sizes have worked well for their larger size hooves. We do alot of trail riding in the Sierras for pleasure and we are also members of the El Dorado County Search and Rescue mounted team, so we cover alot of rocky trails and slippery granite. We love the fact that our horses have traction on granite and pavement while other horses are practically "ice-skating" on slick surfaces wearing metal shoes.

Last year we started taking our Percheron youngster out on the trails, this year at four years of age we had him on the trails preparing him for his search and rescue qualification. Considering that he weighs about 2000 pounds and we'd be on rough terrain, we were curious to see how the Big-Foot shoes would hold up. The shoes are so durable that he actually wore the same pair through two shoeings. I 'd also like to add that his hooves have never been more healthy. Those of us who have adopted Premarin horses, most of them full-draft or draft-cross appreciate that Hoof-It makes the larger size shoes.

Many Thanks and Happy Trails,

Lisa and Brian Warner

Hoof care is the most important aspect of horse ownership. The first time horse owner usually does not understand the complexity of the hoof, even most experienced horse owners don’t. The easiest place to start your introduction to hoof care is to ask yourself just exactly what you are going to expect of your horse, and then set out to try and find an animal that will suit your needs. Don’t buy a draft horse to play polo. Don’t purchase an Arabian and try to cut cows with him. No matter what you and your prospective equine partner are going to do, the best thing that you can do is always place conformation over love at first sight; even though this is sometimes hard to do.

Always strive to find a horse with straight legs and good bone structure. Remember, the better you start with the better chance that you will have to enjoy a long relationship with your horse. If possible, check out his sire and dam, or if possible any siblings that might be in the area. Keep this in mind, just because a horse is a pure bred it does not mean that he will be sound. Whether you are looking for a potential futurity winner or a trail buddy, soundness of the feet is the bottom line.

A pre-purchase veterinarian check is a must, whether the horse is going to cost $500 or $500,000. If you can have a friend who is experienced with horses be there to lend a keen eye. Most importantly, to me at least, is to have a farrier present at your vet check. Often, farriers will see things that the vet will not. Farriers look at feet in a different fashion than a vet, based on their work, and experience.

Also, do not fall in love too soon. All horses cannot be great athletes. In spite of what we may think, owning him does not make him a world beater. However, treat him like an athlete. Warm him up properly, feed a high quality ration, and keep him fit, not fat. The better that you treat him the better you will both work together.

If everything is going along fine, but you begin to become suspicious that something may be wrong with his feet, you should look for an on again, off again, lameness in the beginning. Look for a choppy or uneven gait, a shortened stride, and a lessening of his willingness to work. If you notice any of the above traits, check the feet for an obvious trauma, such as a wire cut. You can also check for swelling and inflammation. However, it is always going to be the best practice to call your farrier out to take a look. Usually your farrier can make the proper corrections to get your pony back on the right track. If the problem is severe your farrier will refer you and your horse to your vet for medical attention.

With a little care at the purchase of your horse, and a watchful eye during your partnership, your pony should have a minimum of hoof problems during his life.

Having used the Hoof-it shoes on my horse for around 12 months including in the Snowy Mountains of Wyoming I decided to try them on the annual “Outlaw Trail Ride” across Wyoming to Thermopolis (www.rideoutlawtrail.com ) . This year I was a group leader on the trail. Hoof-it kindly provided a set of shoes for the ride as a trial. This ride is quite demanding on both horses and riders so it is important for a horse, its equipment and its rider to be fully prepared and fit to avoid problems on the trail. The ride has a total length of 110 miles ridden over 7 days with 1 rest day. As a group leader the actual riding distance is longer as there is always something to be attended to that requires leaving the group temporarily. The country covered is particularly rugged with elevations of over 9000 feet in places. The ground is frequently very rocky putting a lot of reliance on good shoes and a good farrier to fit them. The ride has a supporting farrier, veterinarian, vet-techs and doctors so both riders and horses have help in the event of problems. I had the shoes fitted by my farrier at my home in Cheyenne a few days before leaving for the ride. I had him put a full set of nails in as the only problems I had seen previously was the shoe distorting on the foot when heavily worn. With only 3 nails in each side this seems to be a minor problem which may not arise on normal ground. Riding in rough country can put enormous sideways pressure on both hooves and shoes. The shoes worked well over the ride and I think the hooves benefit from maintaining their flexibility that is lost with steel shoes. Wear was about the same as with steel so I do not anticipate having to replace them earlier than the next scheduled farrier visit. Grip on rock slopes and when crossing rocky stream beds is good. The farrier and the vet pointed out that this is both a good thing and a bad thing. In the event of a horse having weak or sore joints the extra grip may cause aggravation of the condition. However for a fit horse the extra grip I think minimizes risk of injury caused by unsteady footing. I have no hesitation in recommending these shoes for trail or endurance riding on the basis of my experience with them. I think more of the OTR team will fit them next year. One rider did point out as the thunder started that the risk of lightning strike could be reduced – a feature I was not keen to test!

Each year we caravan with friends up to Robie Park on Thursday to prepare for the beginning of Tevis. Our group gathers in the overflow parking lot to allow for plenty of room and less commotion. It also has a gravel base, so we aren't covered in dust before the ride even starts.

This year, after vetting through on Friday, we returned to camp to prepare the horses feet. Which meant pouring hoof-it into the hoofs of five horses. Piper was ridden by Brenda Benkley, Blues was ridden by Karen Bottiani, Smokey was ridden by Jamie Fend, Annie was ridden by Gary Fend, and Don was ridden by Nick Warhol.

This was the first Tevis for Piper, Annie and Don. Smokey and Blues were going for their 5th and 6th completions respectively.

After 5 or 6 years of using Hoof-it for these rocky rides, we have come up with a great system. Gary cleans the hoof thoroughly (especially under the lip of the shoe). Karen rips up duct tape...a piece for a dam wall at the heel of the hoof and 3 pieces fit together to cover the sole. I am in charge of mixing the powder and liquid at just the right ratio and just the right time. As Gary finishes cleaning the hoof, the mixture should be reaching a thickness that allows for easy pouring, yet not too far from setting (so the poor hoof holder doesn't have to stand hunched over forever).

Once the mixture sets to a fairly solid state, I cover it up with the duct tape and we move on to the next hoof. This keeps all the little rocks and/or hay from sticking to the still tacky Hoof-it.

This year, since we had 5 horses to cover, Nick took over the hoof cleaning and holding for half of the hooves.

The Tevis Trail is one of the rockiest and toughest trails I know, so hoof protection is a must. Out of the five horses that we had starting, 4 of them completed The Tevis. And all 4 of them had all of their Hoof-it in their feet at the end of the ride!

Since our horses live in a 100 acre pasture, padding isn't a great option. Plus, they don't usually need pads. Hoof-it is exactly what we need for the occassional really rocky ride. We use it at 3 or 4 rides each year, and have never been disappointed.

The first year we tried it, we discovered (the hard way) that you shouldn't leave the ingredients out in the sun. The mixture turned to a very thick clay as soon as the ingredients were combined. I kind of pushed the clay into the hoof with my fingers. Most of it stayed in for the ride, but it definitely wasn't the right way to do it! We now make sure that it is kept inside the trailer, in the shade.

I couldn't be happier with this product. It gives us such peace of mind when we're asking the horses to trot on down a tough road mile after mile.

Thanks.

Laura