ANYA’S HOOFCARE JOURNEY - In the beginning

I learned to trim and shoe, and had been looking after my own horse, pony and donkey for years before I learned about "Natural Hoofcare" in early 1999 and started on a new path. At first sceptical, as the philosophy went against many vets & farriers advice, it was never the less logical, and the more I learned, the more I felt it was right. I decided there was nothing to lose in trying the technique on my already disabled pony and donkey. They had both been given no hope of change by the different vets and farriers I had consulted and my donkey was on permanent pain medication. Click here to read Benny's story.

I bought Jaime Jackson’s book "Horse Owner’s Guide To Natural Hoofcare" along with other books. I surfed the Net, learning all I could and I enlisted the help of experienced people to give me some hands on help.

Unfortunately, as it is with so many things, there are a number of conflicting opinions in the hoof care world, so I set about learning as much as I could of a range of different theories, to endeavor to make more informed and objective opinions. I found this was often very difficult, especially as there seemed to be lots of fanatics on either side of the fence that flatly denied the validity of conflicting opinions without providing evidence to verify their own.

I started trimming my donkey and pony’s hooves, and after a couple of months, with their rehabilitation successfully underway, decided to use the technique on my 3 other sound horses. Soon after this I was looking after my friend’s horses who lived in the same paddock. There were 13 different animals in all. Having that many horses to trim and watch at work and play taught me a lot.

2002: I and my friends now ride our happy comfortable horses, using boots instead of metal shoes for protection when necessary. My last riding horse didn’t get enough hoof conditioning work to really toughen her feet, only being ridden once or twice a week on average, but she could still travel happily on rough and stony or paved surfaces for 15km or so(probably far more, but I don’t push it) before I decide to put front boots on her to prevent excess wear.

About 2002 I started trimming or helping with other people’s horses, in the course of my other work, training and exercising horses. I notice a difference almost immediately in the way some of these horses move and they are obviously more comfortable. I have had success working on a number of horses with severe problems, including navicular syndrome, founder with rotation, chronic contraction, separation and severe cracks.

Learning curves and Holistic management

In 2004 I moved my horses from 40 acres of half bush, half 'poor' native pasture, which was a rocky hill paddock where they ran with their large herd. I moved them to the Yarra Valley - lush, rich 'improved pasture', soft footing. Much more ideal environment for horses yeah?? Wrong! This is where I started scratching my head again & learning how important other factors, such as diet, environment & exercise were. From tough barefoot 'rock crunching' hooves, my horses feet went 'splat'!! I suddenly found my education fell a little short when it came to these considerations! I knuckled down to learn more & correct these problems. I have found that even with everything else 'perfect', it can be difficult or impossible to effect big positive changes when diet and environment especially, are working against the horse.

Around that time I did very little trimming for other people at this time, as I was growing my family.

The continuing story: 2012

So here we are in 2012 already! After having kids, I got back into trimming professionally on a casual basis for a while. Things had changed a bit and it became more 'normal' as people started seeing the results of this 'alternative' hoof care philosophy & practice. Along with that, it was recognised that there was far too little research into it and far to little objective sources of learning. In 2009 I met Andrew Bowe, a Master Farrier who had set up a very successful 'rehabilitation centre' and teaches workshops around Australia. He had just started running the Diploma in 'Equine Podiotherapy'. I decided this was a course I wanted to do, being far & away more comprehensive than any other course available and with a strong basis in scientific research. Unfortunately I couldn't afford to do it until last year 2011. I have now completed the formal studies of this course, but am as yet unqualified until I complete the required extensive case studies.

I have encountered much resistance towards this philosophy and practice of Hoofcare, but just about all cases, of those people that have made the effort to learn about it and to really look at the examples in my horses and others I care for, their minds have been changed.

You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think! We all make mistakes, but I believe we all do the best we can, with the knowledge that we have at the time. Therefore it's so important to keep striving to learn and have an open mind. Studying different philosophies & the principles behind them is the way to come to more informed, objective opinions