The Humble Hoof

A continuation from Part 1, in this episode Pete Ramey talks about some approaches he takes to deal with hoof pathology in his day to day work. Discussed in this interview are wall cracks, white line disease, distal descent, glue on and tape on boots, improving movement, and more. For more information on Pete's work, visit http://hoofrehab.com.

In this interview, Pete Ramey talks about his journey into a holistic, "whole horse" approach to hoofcare, and what he has learned along the way. This episode is Part 1 with Pete; it focuses on the background to his approach with horses. Stay tuned for Part 2 (Episode 6), coming soon, which will get into more of the technical side of what Pete does in his work. For more information on Pete and his work, visit hoofrehab.com.

In this episode, Nic Barker talks about her rehab work at Rockley Farm in Exmoor, England, helping horses with a "navicular" diagnosis: bone damage, tendon and ligament damage, weak heels, etc. Rockley rehab horse owners also give their input on horses that have gone through Nic's program, and how they are doing now. You can learn more about Nic and Rockley Farm at www.rockleyfarm.co.uk/, as well as from Nic's books: Feet First by Nic Barker and Sarah Braithwaite, and Performance Hoof Performance Horse by Nic Barker.

In the early 2000s, Greg Sokoloski, a police officer in the Houston Mounted Police Department, decided to run an "experiment" on the horses in the police force. With some preparation and commitment, Greg pulled the shoes on these hardworking horses and put them back to work. Greg talks about how the Houston Police Department now keeps 40 police horses happy and sound barefoot. If you are interested in his story and the transition process he took, feel free to contact Greg at [email protected].

This episode includes an interview with Sally Hugg, "nutrition guru" and creator of California Trace minerals. In it, we explore how nutrition can help the health of hooves, and address various issues such as poor hoof quality, shelly walls, thin soles, laminitis, stretched white line, sore feet, etc.

I didn't think I would find people as interested in talking about hooves as I am, and somehow I did. This intro/teaser is a glimpse into why I wanted to start this podcast, and a little about what to expect in episodes to come. Future topics include: nutrition and the hoof, hardworking hooves, rehabbing soft tissue injuries in the hoof, etc. Interviews will feature Sally Hugg (California Trace), Greg Sokoloski (Mounted Police Force), Nic Barker (Rockley Farm), Pete Ramey, and many more.