|
|
This links page contains connections to many of our friends,
influences, and favorite places. We hope that these websites
will offer you additional education, inspiration, and new
connections as they have for us...
|
|
WingedHorseHealing.com
Pamela Sourelis is a certified SENSE Practitioner, Reiki Master and Animal Communicator located
in Woodstock, Illinois. Her services are indispensable for healing injured, lame and pathological horses.
She has worked with my animals, and I have thoroughly enjoyed her classes. Her work goes hand-in-hand
with proper hoofcare, and I recommend her services to all horse owners.
IAAOR - Illinois Alliance for Animal Owners Rights
The primary goal of the IAAOR is to ensure that the animal owner has the ability to choose from a wide range of mainstream and alternative animal care modalities to help fulfill his obligation to the care of his pets and livestock. When the AVMA Veterinary Bilaws were changed to allow animal owners and complementary non-veterinarian practitioners (bodyworkers, acupressurists, farriers, etc.) to be fined and/or sued for providing complementary or alternative care to an animal, IAAOR stepped in on behalf of animal owners and professionals and spent over $15,000 to get these laws changed. It is important that we as animal owners and professionals support this organization so that we may have the best defense against any future laws or bilaws that will prevent us from caring for our animals or providing services of care to the animals of our clients.
Hoofcare / Trimming Links
|
I have adapted my own trimming techniques based on a variety of teachings. I promote the study of all barefoot methods (not necessarily the complete usage of each of these methods, though). Some methods work much better than others overall (and some are complete nonsense except for a few techniques), however, I have learned from each of the following barefoot clinicians. After all, every situation, horse and hoof is different from the next, and each should be treated for what it is and what it needs. The more you learn, the better you can be able to do this. I have listed below all of the organizations and/or clinicians who have contributed to my education and understanding of the bare hoof: (some more than others)
Thrush Busters Study Group
This is a study group for Illinois horse owners, farriers, hoofcare specialists and other horse
enthusiasts to learn more about hoofcare, lameness, and barefoot trimming. The purpose of this study
group is to study all methods of barefoot hoofcare and to share experiences and knowledge among
members. We believe the primary objective is the well being of the horse.
UnitedHorsemanship.org
Martha Olivo is the president of United Horsemanship, an organization dedicated to
educating horse owners, farriers and veterinarians about hoof health. Martha has been my primary
mentor with regard to hoofcare, and she travels all over the US teaching lectures, clinics and
certification courses.
NaturalHorseTrim.com
Treating Founder without the use of Horse Shoes. This website has tons of information
on natural trimming and rehabbing hoof problems. There are several case studies and
lots of pictures. Although the website is titled "Treating Founder without Horse Shoes",
the principles it displays can be used on any horse to maintain healthy feet.
NaturalHorseTrim Yahoo Group
The online NaturalHorseTrim Yahoo group has over 2000 members that are dedicated to natural
hoofcare and/or learning more about it. On this list, you can ask questions, share ideas
and experiences regarding natural hoofcare. There are horse owners, hoofcare specialists,
farriers and veterinarians on the list, many with tons of knowledge to share. I highly
recommend joining the list for anyone who is interested in natural hoofcare.
TheHorsesHoof.com
An excellent website with articles and information. This website also sells the books,
"A Lifetime of Soundness" and "Shoeing: A Necessary Evil?" which are written by Dr. Hiltrud
Strasser vet. med. I highly recommend these books for all horse owners. The website also
sells trimming supplies, homeopathic remedies, hoof boots, T-shirts and more.
TheNakedHoof.com.au
Another excellent website with articles and information. There are also a couple of
severe case studies on this site. Also contains trimming instructions and illustrations.
StrasserHoofcare.com (Dr. Hiltrud Strasser)
Dr. Strasser is a German Veterinarian who has dedicated her life to studying and treating equine hoof
pathologies through proper management and natural horse trimming. From her website: "Most of the common health problems affecting domestic horses are a direct result of man made violations of the horse's natural life style and can be prevented through removal of the cause and a return to a natural lifestyle."
Dr. Chris Pollitt BVsc. Ph.D - University of Queensland
Dr. Pollitt has a video titled "Horse Foot Studies", which is available at www.hoofcare.com. This video
clearly shows the path of circulation in healthy and pathological hooves, as well as the decrease of
circulation in shod horses and damage to the coffin bone and sole.
Robert M Bowker, VMD, PhD
Dr. Bowker is the Professor of Anatomy at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University. Dr. Bowker has performed many studies on the equine hoof and has some valuable information and research articles available on his website.
Institute of Barefoot Equine Management
An institute for all barefoot hoof trimming methods. There are some interesting links and information on this website.
K.C. LaPierre, International Institute of Equine Podiatry
K.C. was once a traditional farrier until he discovered that all the problems our shod horses are having were a direct result of lack of information and education. He also has many books and videos available as well as an online learning center.
Jaime Jackson, Wild Horse Trim
Jaime Jackson has done extensive studies on wild horse hooves and has published a few books with detailed information about his studies. He promotes a wild horse trim, a replica of the natural wild horse hoof, for our domesticated horses.
Pete Ramey, Wild Horse Trim
Pete Ramey is a student of Jaime Jackson, however, I enjoyed his approach to presenting the information much better than Jaime's approach. Pete Ramey also has books available with more detailed information about the wild horse trimming methods.
AANHCP
An organization for trimmers that follow the wild horse model (Jaime Jackson, Pete Ramey, etc.)
Hope for Soundness - Gene Ovnicek
Although Gene promotes shoeing horses, I have learned a little bit from his barefoot experience.
Horse Training Links
|
John Lyons, Horse Trainer and Clinician
John Lyons has many, many books, videos and publications available for horse owners to learn more about training horses in a gentle, effective manner. His teachings are very simple and step-by-step. Most of my education about horse training has come from attending John Lyons symposiums and clinics.
Pat & Linda Parelli - Natural Horsemanship
Pat and Linda offer training, clinics, and certification courses for horse owners and trainers to build better relationships and finer communication with their horses. If you haven't attended one of the 2-day clinics that are a part of the 2005 Parelli tour, I highly recommend you do. The training methods are simple, although not always easy, and in a short time allow you to do amazing things with your horses.
Buck Brannaman - Horse Trainer & Clinician
"I've started horses since I was 12 years old and have been bit, kicked, bucked off and run over. I've tried every physical means to contain my horse in an effort to keep from getting myself killed.
I started to realize that things would come much easier for me once I learned why a horse does what he does. This method works well for me because of the kinship that develops between horse and rider." Buck Brannaman's book, "The Faraway Horses" is a great book to read!
Mark Rashid - Considering The Horse
Mark Rashid has some great books available, excellent reading. You know, those kind of books that you just can't
put down! Some of his titles are "Considering the Horse", "A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color", "Horses Never Lie",
and "Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse".
Essential Oils, Health, and Nutrition Links
|
The Ingraham Institute of Animal Aromatic Science & Research
Caroline Ingraham has been studying aromatic plant extracts and their symbiotic relationship to and animals since qualifying in aromatherapy for people with Robert Tisserand over 20 years ago. Her work is constantly evolving as she researches the use of essential oils, macerates and other natural substances.
Dr. Joseph Mercola
Dr. Mercola uses medical knowledge and common sense to bring you one of the best health-related websites available. Daily email newsletters inform you of new research and studies, tips on eating and living healthy and more.
Removable Hoof Boots
|
When transitioning a horse from shoes to barefoot, removable hoof boots are wonderful option for horses who may initially be sore or tender-footed. The hoof boots provide adequate protection to the hoof while the horse adjusts and "toughens" to the barefoot lifestyle. The wonderful thing about these boots is that they can be put on and removed at any time by the horse owner, allowing the horse to be barefoot in the pasture and booted while riding on rough terrain. The boots last much longer than traditional horse shoes since they are used only when needed, and can be resold when they are not needed any longer. And, they do not produce the harmful effects on hooves as nailed-on shoes do.
Cavallo-Inc.com
Cavallo has designed a new hoof boot that is SIMPLE and has fixed many of the problems people tend to have with some of the other hoof boots available. They are very easy to use and less expensive than any other riding boot I have seen. I also offer hoof boot fitting for these boots, and you can either buy them through me or through the Cavallo website.
EasyCareInc.com
Almost everyone has seen or used an Easy Boot. I don't recommend using Easy Boots due to the leverage, squeezing and ruts that they cause on the hoof, however, Easy Care Inc has come out with a new boot called the BOA boot, which is seeing promising results as well as the Old Mac boot which has been used for years with great results (many of my clients have tried both the BOA and Old Mac boots and have reported positive experiences with them).
Horsneakers.com
The Horsneaker company offers regular, semi-custom and custom-fit hoof boots. They offer Horsneakers and Hoofwings. For horses who are rehabbing and/or have deformed hooves, I wouldn't recommend the custom boots because (if your hoofcare practitioner is trimming properly) your horse's hooves may be changing shape. Regular boots such as the Hoofwings are a less expensive alternative for horses who may outgrow sizes quickly. However, once the hoof has reached it's ideal shape and health, custom boots are a good choice. Horsneakers is the only company I know that produces custom-made hoof boots for a perfect fit.
Hoof Boot Swap
Looking to buy or sell used hoof boots? Here's the place! An excellent source for those of you who have outgrown your boots, purchased the wrong size, or are selling boots that are no longer needed.
Treeless Saddles / Bitless Bridles
|
It is important to know that when using any treeless saddle, a proper saddle pad must be used to allow for adequate spine clearance between the saddle and horse's spine. One saddle pad, offered by TreelessSaddle.com (link below) is called a "Skito" pad, which allows for such spine clearance. Also, Pat & Linda Parelli (link above) are selling a saddle pad that has air panels that inflate and deflate as a direct result of pressure applied to the saddle when riding to reduce pressure points. A friend of mine uses Parelli's pad for her Bob Marshall saddle and loves it.
BitlessBridle.com
Dr. Cook's bitless bridle is amazing. I'm now using it exclusively on my Appendix
gelding and he didn't even need to be "trained" to use it! He showed improvement
immediately, in the very first ride with this bridle. I recommend it to everyone who
would like to be kinder to their horse, but still get the great response that you do
with a standard bridle.
GoTreeless.com
I own a Torsion saddle and it is incredibly comfortable for both horse and rider. I use it on my 15.3H Appendix gelding with a medium/narrow back, on my 12H Welsh gelding who has a wide, flat back, and also on my 16H Percheron who is extra wide. The only piece of equipment I change when switching from one to the other is the girth. I've also used this saddle on a few dozen other horses I've ridden and they all seemed quite comfortable wearing it. The only downsides that I have found is that it could allow for closer leg contact, and weight from the stirrups could be better distributed, but the many "pros" far outweigh the "cons" for my situation.
TreelessSaddle.com
The Bob Marshall treeless saddle is an excellent choice for western riders. I don't own one, but have ridden in a few and like the close contact and lack of pressure points on this saddle. The horses I have used this saddle on have felt so free and fluid in their movements, there is no hinderance.
AnsurSaddle.com
For english riders, Ansur has designed treeless dressage, jumping and close contact saddles. These saddles look more traditional than the Torsion and allow for freer movement and comfort in the horse.
|
|
|
