This issue marks the 50th edition of The Horse’s Hoof Magazine! This is quite the milestone for us, and to celebrate, we’d like to share some insights from some of the most influential barefoot advocates who have been our supporters throughout the many years. Here are their insightful answers to 3 very interesting questions:
1) What do you remember about the general state of barefoot hoof care back when we released The Horse’s Hoof—News for Natural Hoofcare Issue #1 in the fall of 2000?
Yvonne Welz: Barefoot was a “fringe” idea at that time, considered really out there, and not something that a typical horse owner would do with their riding horse! So the people who first became involved tended to be, like me, desperate horseowners with a very ill horse. Outside of Strasser’s and Jackson’s materials, we had very little support—or proof—at that time.
Dr. Hiltrud Strasser: The question “barefoot or shoeing?” was actually quite rare, because “naturally” the horses were always shod!
Dr. Robert Bowker: Barefoot was just getting into the press and the minds of people to move forward with this idea. Initially, “barefoot” was outside of the thought processes of most horse people and professionals (vets and farriers).
Dr. Robert Cook: In view of the tremendous interest that had, by this time, been shown by many horse owners in Strasser’s work and their early adoption of its application, it seemed possible that veterinarians were in danger of rendering themselves obsolete on the topic of equine podiatry. When owners appealed to their veterinarians for help with a transition from shod to barefoot for their horses, veterinarians were not only unable to help but often discouraged the idea. As a group, U.S. farriers were even more positively opposed to the barefoot movement and the President of the American Farriers Association wrote many articles in which he expressed a dissenting opinion.
Pete Ramey: I remember way more horses being euthanized for laminitis and caudal foot pain. Lowering the heels on a foundered horse was quite radical and quite backwards from conventional thinking at that time. Today, it is much easier to find veterinary support and scientific backing for most of what we do—way less legal worries (not that they ever slowed us down).
Cindy Sullivan: Keeping horses barefoot has always been around, but in 2000 we began to see what we now refer to as the “modern barefoot movement.” In 2000, people began to converge and coalesce around some core principles that served as a foundation for a paradigm shift in understanding that moved “barefoot” from simply not putting on shoes, to a holistic management system that began to change the way people think about equine husbandry.
Gretchen Fathauer: Barefoot was less mainstream in 2000 than it is now. It used to be that the only people who kept their horses barefoot were mainly interested in economizing on hoof care. That’s no longer the case. Back in 2000, the two leading barefoot advocates were Dr. Strasser and Jaime Jackson. Many more people have entered the field since then. Conflicts arose between people doing more of a Strasser clinic-style trim, and people doing more of a Jaime Jackson-style trim.
Cheryl Henderson: Back in 2000, Strasser was appreciated by veterinarians and the earlier adopters of the barefoot movement. This quickly changed because of a backlash from the farrier community. Dr. Strasser, Martha Olivo, Jaime Jackson, Gene Ovnicek and KC La Pierre seemed to dominate early on with barefoot information, hoof help, and trimming techniques.
Sabine Kells: To my knowledge, barefoot hoof care as a method was pretty much nonexistent in North America. 2000 was the year Dr. Strasser and I did our first North American barefoot seminar tour, organized for her by Jaime Jackson, who was thrilled to have found a veterinarian who promoted the barefoot horse. The majority of the public seemed to be coming to our seminars because they had a horse in trouble to some degree, and barefoot offered a solution, often one that conventional veterinary medicine had not been able to provide. In other words, barefoot seemed the last-ditch resort for those with a horse who had a conventionally “incurable” problem.
Claudia Garner: To be accurate, I came onto the barefoot hoof care scene in 2001. I was a professional trainer for sport horses with 30+ years of experience. The change came after I read A Lifetime of Soundness by Dr. Strasser and was absolutely taken by the logic provided in this book. At that time, the goal was to get as many horses out of shoes as possible. Just spreading the word about barefoot hoofcare and natural lifestyle was an all-consuming task. The Horse’s Hoof was (and still is) the only magazine dedicated to bare hoof care. At the time, there were only two schools of thought: Jamie Jackson teaching the Wild Hoof Model and Dr. Hiltrud Strasser teaching hoof care from an Anatomical Perspective. In the beginning, the two frontiers seemed to work well together; Mr. Jackson even had Dr. Strasser’s work mentioned in his Founder book (1st edition).
Greg Sokoloski: I got started in barefoot hoof care in 2003. I researched our Unit’s horses and found a lot of useful info that led to us starting barefoot hoofcare with our police horses. Soon after that, I started researching the horseshoof. com for more info and guidance. It was a tremendous help, and still is.
Darolyn Butler: Year 2000 was the year that I also discovered “barefooting.” Once I got on the bandwagon, I quickly discovered that it was quite controversial. My indoctrination was so immediate I that I never questioned “barefoot was better.” Little did I realize that there would be incredible resistance, balking, making fun of, shunning, biased treatment, etc. in my sport (Endurance) and in general.
Garrett Ford: I felt like a leper, and the barefoot/booted horse was often scoffed at. We were promoting that the barefoot horse should use hoof boots when needed. It was a tough message, as we were the only one doing it.
Carole Herder: Back then the information highway was still in its infancy. Support was uncommon, and if you wanted your horse barefoot, you often had to go it alone. The idea of barefoot was revolutionary. There were very few resources available, and it all seemed awfully serious and intense. It was a complicated journey fraught with pitfalls, like trying to read very expensive text books that were next to impossible to understand, and driving half way across the country to attend a trimming clinic in the middle of nowhere with other people just as confused as us.
Joe Camp: Sorry to say we didn’t enter the horse world until 2005, and when we did, we knew absolutely nothing. But the traditional advice we were getting seemed to make little sense. Fortunately we were more influenced by our research, which included THH, than by the local advice we were getting, even from our vet. Thankfully, by the time The Soul of a Horse came out, our vet was recommending barefoot.
James Welz: The dedicated barefoot hoofcare professional did not really exist at that time! The conversation was pretty much dominated by Dr. Strasser—that’s who everyone (involved in barefoot) was talking about.
2) What stands out to you as the biggest “ups” and the biggest “downs” in barefoot hoof care since 2000?
Yvonne Welz: Ups: everyone who took what they learned from our founders, and ran with it, and created their own fantastic and inspirational successes! Downs: We’ve been drastically hindered by politics, and negative disagreements that have created chasms between various barefoot groups.
Dr. Hiltrud Strasser: I remember the years 2002-2005 with high numbers of students in North America. The barefoot movement did start out very emotional. The Strasser barefoot movement was often attacked by farriers, but it was going “up.” The conference at Tufts University (2002) was an “up” because it made the barefoot movement known in North America. Some farriers wrote a lot of bad things about us, but this helped to spread the idea of barefoot horses. It was a “down” to recognize that Jaime Jackson used my material for his own book. Another “down” was when one of my SHP’s moved away from us and created an “internet education” of her own. It is never good when people divide instead of being a big and strong group!
Dr. Robert Bowker: Downs: the barefoot community is still arguing within itself and needs to get over it, and the “special” or “unique” things that different people have or use to trim their horse’s feet. I believe a mm here or there on a 1000+ pound animal is not that significant, but different people make it out as crucial to a healthy foot! People need to read the farrier science history of trimming, etc. in the late 1800’s! History is repeating itself here! Ups: the movement is growing around the world. Once people realize that they can do many things to get the foot to improve itself with trimming, diet, etc., both the owners and horses benefit: owners as they realize that they have to take responsibility for their horse’s care; horses as their feet are getting healthier! We all need to stop “marking the bushes”!
Dr. Robert Cook: Ups: The success that these leaders have had in establishing the barefoot management as a worldwide reality. Also, the determination, dedication and sheer hard work of so many enthusiastic horse owners who have studied and adopted barefoot management in spite of the hurdles they have been faced with. Downs: The continued resistance to barefoot management by veterinary practitioners in general, but also Vet Schools and the faculty at these schools whose research is hoof-oriented.
Pete Ramey: The biggest “up” is that through research, education and constant badgering by us “natural types,” horse care has improved across the board, almost worldwide. The biggest “down,” in my opinion, is the overall lack of hoof boot use by many “barefoot practitioners.” Every time a barefoot horse goes on a half-trail-ride or hobbles around a boarding facility, it hurts everyone in this fight—regardless of the true reasons for the lameness and regardless of that practitioner’s reasons for not providing boots.
Cindy Sullivan: The biggest “up” to me was the rapid spread and wild enthusiasm the “barefoot” concept received, as more and more practitioners held clinics and the horse-owning public embraced the concepts. An additional big “up” has been the emergence of some of the brightest minds, digging deeper and deeper for truth and understanding. The “down” has been largely due to some of those same “bright minds” who lead with ego and began to break off to mark their turf. The initial organic “open source” community working together to learn became fractured into several competing camps, each with its resident “expert” touting their method as better than that of others.
Gretchen Fathauer: The biggest up is that barefoot is gaining traction for rehabilitation, and for performance horses. It is no longer the province of backyard horses exclusively. In terms of downs, some people were going too far on less-is-more approaches. I think we will start turning away from magical thinking like “the hoof will tell you what it wants” because it’s a blind alley for people who lack experience doing dissections. Or an unquestioning faith that natural wear and self-trimming will work in all cases—it won’t work if the horse is living and working on soft ground.
Cheryl Henderson: Ups: Barefoot is accepted more in the professional arena, and awareness about hoofcare has succeeded in becoming mainstream. Downs: Some trimming camps become hostile towards others, trying to one-up others, even with lies and underhanded efforts, and people accepted hoof information without really thinking it through and would parrot hoof myths like they were truths.
Sabine Kells: Ups are the many barefoot horse victories, shown in the pages of THH over the years. Every time a barefoot horse wins a race, or places first in a class, or barefoot horses outnumber shod entries in a competition, it’s a huge “up.”
Claudia Garner: Ups: The bare hoof movement really has caught on. There are a lot more horses not just barefoot, but trimmed correctly, getting a better lifestyle, better nutrition. The whole scene has shifted. Maybe not as much as in the “10 Year Predictions” by Darolyn Dial-Butler, but certainly much more than we could have hoped for. There is actually some research into horse’s hooves now; more and better written materials (books) are available. The Internet has brought a lot more discussion to the subject. Many more schools are teaching bare hoof care all over the world. Many horse owners trim their own horses now. Downs: Barefoot hoofcare is not acknowledged often enough as a viable choice for many hoof ailments by veterinarians. The farrier community still seems threatened by bare hoof care practitioners. Sadly there is a lot of fighting over which trim is right. Many horse owners trim their own horses and soon hire themselves out as professionals without any training.
Greg Sokoloski: Biggest up has to be how successful we have been. Now all of our police horses work everyday without metal shoes, something vets and farriers argued with us could not and should not be attempted. The biggest down was all the negative attacks from horse people, farriers, and vets. The attacks were stunning to me—how they wanted us not to succeed, and some still do not. All based on what they do not know and still, to this day, tell others the incomplete story.
Darolyn Butler: Ups: Back then, the Easyboots was about the only alternate hoof protection there was; now with the different styles of Easyboots, Renegades, Cavallos and a host of others, we have great choices and life is good. Downs: Well, I’m afraid we converts had the fervor of “an obnoxious born again Christian”… Many of us intoned that if all horse owners didn’t convert to barefoot, they were going to “%^#&” or at least their horses’ feet were. I and others did a lot of harm, I think, in trying to force “barefooting” on people, and make them “wrong” if they chose to shoe.
Garrett Ford: Biggest Up: The most difficult 100 mile horse race (Tevis) has been won by barefoot horses racing in hoof boots in 2011 and 2012. The best condition winner in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 events has also been won by barefoot horses racing in Easyboots.
Carole Herder: Ups: From my perspective, the most progressive development has been in hoof boots. We have all these amazing, well-made well-priced boots that really support our barefoot objectives. Downs: Disagreement amongst the factions seems to be a characteristic of our world.
Joe Camp: The biggest ups for us, personally, are the hundreds and hundreds of emails we are continuously receiving from all over the planet which tell us about horses now leading happier, healthier, barefoot lifestyles. The biggest downs are the folks who shut down completely, will not listen to the science, and thereby keep their horses in a manner that diametrically opposes their genetic design.
James Welz: For me, the biggest positive has been the total lack of the typical injuries that most riding horses suffer, for both my personal horses and my clients’ horses. Negatives were created by people going out and making a big to-do trimming high profile horses—then having failure; people doing seminars before they had enough knowledge; and barefoot groups fighting between each other.
3) What are your thoughts on where barefoot hoof care is now headed in the years ahead—what do you see for the future of barefoot?
Yvonne Welz: I see a future where barefoot becomes more “normal” than shoeing (and I hope one day replaces it completely) for even high performance competition horses. I see a merging between boots and shoes, with a giant trend towards hoof health. I see a time when horses don’t ever need to be “rehabbed,” because they will be raised properly. And I see a point where “barefoot” is not the big deal, but HOW is what really matters, with the development of better trimming techniques to create and encourage healthier hooves in domestic horses.
Dr. Hiltrud Strasser: The never-ending discussions about barefoot or not is combined with questions of boarding conditions. Fortunately in Europe, there is a quickly growing community of open stable horse owners, which makes barefoot possible. I think in the future, more and more people will understand the nature of horses, and more and more will want to give their animals natural conditions to stay healthy! The hardest work is behind us! Now we have to provide really good education for hoofcare professionals, so that horseowners are convinced that barefoot hoofcare is the only right way!
Dr. Robert Bowker: The things we are arguing about now will be moot points when we realize that the overall horse’s health improves through not only better foot care, but also diet, exercise with stretching, etc., and good dentistry—everyone wins!!! Hey, this is what the medical community is talking to us about regarding our own health!!! Hello???
Dr. Robert Cook: In spite of the resistance and inertia from industry groups that might be expected to support the welfare benefits of barefoot management—tremendous progress is being made. The patient gardener’s wisdom about the growth of a tender plant applies, “first year sleep, second year creep, third year leap.” The barefoot movement may have to think in decades rather than years, but it will grow.
Pete Ramey: In the year 2000, in most cases, the only real hope for a foundered or navicular horse was the barefoot practitioner. Now, we no longer have those markets cornered. In 2000, if a horse wasn’t going well in shoeing packages, the only options were generally retirement or the barefoot practitioner. But now the farriers are smarter – better. We caused that, and we should be proud, but it may make us extinct in the end.
Cindy Sullivan: I anticipate more and more “natural” boarding facilities will be established, and they will become the most sought after locations to board a horse. I anticipate an increase in more holistic-minded veterinarians working together with alternative practitioners, embracing the team approach. I anticipate the mindset that most barefoot trimmers have—that all aspects of the horse’s life need to be addressed—will migrate more and more into the thinking (and teachings) of established equine professions and organizations to become the new “normal” model of “How to care for horses.”
Gretchen Fathauer: Barefoot will continue to gain new converts, both for rehabilitation and performance, because it works, if done well.
Cheryl Henderson: I see the barefoot arena utilizing some of the benefits of farriery with glue-ons, pads and lifts for orthopedic help, and farriery utilizing some of the benefits of barefoot with our knowledge on hoof repair and transition issues and the value of hoof boots.
Sabine Kells: There is so much education and information being disseminated and spread among horse owners, and such good results coming to light for even conventional eyes to see, that I do not believe the truth about shoeing & barefoot will fade away into obscurity again, as it did in Bracy Clark’s day. I think that more and more horse owners will become informed and take responsibility for providing the animals in their care with the basic requirements for health and wellness, rather than letting convenience, ignorance, outdated customs, or financial gain set those standards. With the benefits of barefoot so clear, I would hope that the future will see barefoot horses becoming at least equal in numbers—if not a majority—compared to shod horses, and that good barefoot hoof care will be taught as a matter of course, rather than as an “alternative” method.
Claudia Garner: Bare hoof care will become more sophisticated and more mainstream. It will eventually be recognized by veterinarians and universities. Horses will be treated better, and the day will come where everyone says they predicted this all along. Bigger seminars and conferences will win more people into the bare hoof paradigm.
Greg Sokoloski: We see the future almost everyday. People seeing us at work downtown, in parades, crowd situations, demo’s—seeing what can actually happen with the right information from the right people. We host hundreds of visitors a month, and we show them what a great, healthy police horse can do without metal shoes. I have visited many other units, and it never ceases to amaze me how people will not educate themselves on proper horse care and rely on others to make decisions for them, many times for the wrong reasons.
Darolyn Butler: I think we have nowhere to go but up!!! For the rocky and mountainous terrain, or for really thin-soled horses, the new protective boots are the answer. There’s just no reason to shoe with iron ever again. It may not happen 100%, some will always hold on to the “gotta be shod” idea… but I think the recreational rider is educating themselves and coming over by leaps and bounds. The professionals are realizing that they can extend the useful working and showing life of horses with good natural hoof care, so I believe you will see the same percentage of moving to “barefoot” that you have seen in the last 13 years.
Garrett Ford: I believe we are going to see longer and longer careers for barefoot horses, and as a result, more equine professionals will take note. I believe the future will bring more products that allow the hoof to function as nature intended, while providing protection, support and shock absorption.
Carole Herder: One very interesting thing I have noticed is a gender transformation. Hoof care practitioners are increasingly women who have started trimming their own horses, then helped their friends and neighbors, and are now making a rewarding career out of a job that was traditionally relegated to men. They are not defending 1,500 years of tradition, so they are out there learning and asking questions. It’s a whole new world in the hoof care arena, and women are finding a niche, as well.
Joe Camp: German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said, “All truth passes through three phases. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident.” I believe we are somewhere between 2 and 3, and if we spend the bulk of our time focused on kids and young adults, rather than those so stuck in their ways, we can hasten the process.
James Welz: I’d like to see more top competitors going barefoot, but barefoot has a long way to go before it is generally accepted. We are still greatly outnumbered, and it is really hard to overcome that—but to do that, we will have to stop pointing fingers at others. The people who will make a difference for barefoot are the new folks getting involved right now. Especially, the next generation of veterinarians seem to be a lot more receptive to our ideas. I expect to see healthier, sounder horses without degenerative debilitating diseases, and competition horses that are routinely competing well into their 20’s.
by Yvonne Welz and 15 famous barefoot advocates… published in The Horse’s Hoof Magazine, Issue 50, Spring 2013
Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, DVM, PhD: German Veterinarian who developed a barefoot trimming method for riding horses and for rehabilitation beginning in the 1970’s, and whose books helped launch the modern barefoot movement.
Dr. Robert Bowker, VMD, PhD: Professor of Anatomy at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine who has been researching hoof function since the early 1990’s—with all of his discoveries pointing towards bare hooves.
Dr. Robert Cook FRCVS., PhD.: Professor of Surgery Emeritus of Tufts University whose research has been focused on diseases of the horse’s ear, nose, and throat, and the harmful effects of the bit. Author of the book Metal In The Mouth.
Pete Ramey: Farrier whose barefoot books and DVD sets that have been instrumental in shaping the direction of barefoot hoof care, and founder of the American Hoof Association. His popular website features extensive articles.
Cindy Sullivan: Barefoot hoofcare professional and educator, owner of one of the first barefoot websites, “Tribe Equus” www.tribeequus. com and co-founder of the The Equine Sciences Academy.
Gretchen Fathauer: Owner of the highly popular laminitis website, “Treating Founder (Chronic Laminitis) without Horseshoes” and co-founder (in 2000) of the barefoot yahoo group “naturalhorsetrim.”
Cheryl Henderson: Initially trained under Martha Olivo, she is a barefoot clinician, researcher, rehabilitator, and the founder of the Oregon School of Natural Hoof Care.
Sabine Kells: The first Strasser-certified hoofcare professional in North America, SHP instructor, translator and publisher of Strasser’s books, and co-author of A Lifetime of Soundness and The Hoofcare Specialist’s Handbook. Key figure in the launch of the barefoot movement.
Claudia Garner: Barefoot hoofcare professional and founder of Equine Soundness Inc., a professional educational course.
Greg Sokoloski: The Houston Police Mounted Patrol Officer who was instrumental in taking their entire herd of police horses successfully barefoot, beginning in 2003.
Darolyn Butler: World-class endurance rider who was one of the first to go barefoot in 2000; in 2004, her own horse became the first ever to start and finish a World Endurance Championship completely barefooted.
Garrett Ford: Endurance rider, owner of the hoof boot company EasyCare Inc., and winner of the Haggin Cup in 2010 and the Tevis Cup in 2012 on a barefoot-booted horse.
Carole Herder: Barefoot educator, hoof boot developer, and founder & President of Cavallo Horse & Rider Inc.
Joe Camp: Best-selling author and movie maker (Benji) turned barefoot educator with his phenomenal book The Soul of a Horse.
James & Yvonne Welz: Owners, editors and founders of The Horse’s Hoof, and Hoof Help Online.
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