The Scoop on Boots
You have decided your horse needs boots, now what? First of all, hoof boots have made huge strides in their ability to go on easily, stay on through mud, sand, and water, and come off easily when you have finished riding.
Testimonials
Wendy Hutchens is awesome, she comes and does mine on the SE side.
T.R., Bend,
Wendy just did my two today and did a super job, was on time and took the time to explain what she was doing. Thanks Wendy Hutchens, see you in 8 weeks!
J.L., Bend,
Wendy Hutchens is the best for barefoot!
R.V., Tumalo,
Wendy is awesome!
L.M., Terrebonne,
Agreed on Wendy Hutchens she is great with my 5 horses. I used someone else once, and one of my poor girls was so sore after!
N.Y., Tumalo,
Love Wendy! She takes great care of my two
B.S., Terrebonne,
I use Wendy Hutchens! She is awesome with my young girl. Takes time to get her just right and she's never sore!
C.V., Bend,
I second Wendy Hutchens. She does an awesome job and causes absolutely no pain. On time, shows when she says she will. Awesome lady.
A.W., Bend,
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Natural Hoof Care of Bend Oregon
Natural hoofcare or Barefoot trim is an essential part of keeping your horse healthy and strong. I have personally switched from rigid shoes to barefoot because natural hoofcare saves lives! Most horses that develop founder can be rehabilitated by first eliminating the shoes that caused it in the first place. Second, an improved diet can bring the damaged hoofs back to health. I have been an avid horsewoman all of my life, trained my first horse (a mustang) at 12 years old with Centered Riding techniques, and have ridden endurance since 2003.
All this time, I have realized that the best way to keep myself as a rider safe is to keep one's horse as comfortable and willing as possible. Before trying out some new training technique, I will always look to the horse for signs of distress or discomfort. Many problems can be eliminated by ruling out saddle fit, internal discomfort, and anything that keeps a horse from really striding out and enjoying himself. I have had to rule out young endurance prospects simply because years of bad trimming or shoeing had given them arthritis, and I have had older horses that had to be put down due to years of uninformed hoofcare catching up with them and having their hooves literally fall apart so they could no longer hold their own weight. I have also had horses founder in the middle of winter when they had very little to eat. All of these experiences have led to an exhaustive amount of knowledge that I have gained about assessing a horse's ease of motion, nutritional needs, and overall contentment.
What does this have to do with hoof trimming? First of all, I treat your horse as a whole equine rather than just a hoof that needs to stay still. I will assess your horse's overall body condition and way of going and work WITH his or her personality to make trimming a pleasant, rather than fearful experience. My knowledge of equine anatomy will help the hoof heal itself through the trim cycles. I will help your horse be comfortable without boots, but if you are riding many miles or on rocky surfaces, I can help you choose the type of boot that will get you on the trail quickly.
Please feel free to call me and discuss your horse(s) trimming needs.
-Wendy Hutchens, October 2014
Wendy Hutchens
Natural Hoof Care Practitioner