Natural Hoof Care is a specialty, not just an absence of shoes.

My name is Suzanne Warsinsky. I enjoy offering natural hoof care to horses and their owners. I get up with a smile each morning thinking I am the luckiest person in the world to be able to do what I love every day. I enjoy my clients and their horses, those who are already bare and those who are transitioning to bare. I celebrate healthier hooves with my clients at each visit.

I began trimming professionally in order to offer high quality, performance- and health-based hoof care to equines of all sorts as a holistic alternative to metal shoeing. Most hooves respond beautifully to properly balanced trimming that "reads" the hoof and the use of hoof boots as needed, for riding and/or rehabilitation. Like a traditional farrier, my vehicle is fully stocked with a wide range of hoof boots and alternative materials for taking care of whatever hoof need presents.

While I love working with horses, I have a real affection for and welcome donkeys, mules and ponies as well.

I travel to a radius of about 1.5 - 2 hours from Montrose, WV 26283, farther for special cases, which roughly means I serve the WV, western MD and southwestern PA area. Call or e-mail me to make an appointment, or just to talk and learn more.

Suzanne Warsinsky
suzanne@talk2thehoof.com
304-940-9419

While I am putting together the pieces of this web-page, I invite you to “follow” Appalachian Hoof Care on Facebook. I have a public page, meaning no registration required, you can read what is there just as you can this page. If you are part of Facebook or would like to be, you can “like” the page and post comments, pictures, ask questions, etc. It is a good interim way of being in touch with folks about natural hoof care while I write the pieces for this web-site. There is information about diet, exercise, insulin resistance, cresty necks, caudal rotation, etc. already on that site. Just browse through, have a look at the links, photos, etc. I will be posting about starting foals right on the path to healthy hooves soon. Please click “here” to go to the Facebook page. Happy Spring

P.S. Spring is when folks who have pulled shoes for the winter often have their horses reshod for the riding season. PLEASE DON’T! Give natural hoof care a chance. Call or email me today. We can talk about which “high tech, 21st century shoe”, otherwise known as hoof boots, is right for you and your horse. I carry Renegades and EasyCare hoof boots in many sizes and styles. We can order whatever you would like that I may not have in stock.

And remember: natural hoof care can help heal whatever problem your horse’s hooves might be experiencing, not just cover up the issue with a shoe, setting the stage for a longer, healthier, more useful life for your equine friend.

Why Growing Numbers of Horse Owners Are Choosing to Go Bare

Satisfied clients wearing EasyCare Glove and Epic boots on a multi-day hundred mile ride in rugged Kentucky mountains this fall.

There are growing numbers of horse owners who are hanging up their horse shoes for good and opting to “go bare” or “natural” with their hoof care.

There are many reasons why horse owners are making this choice. First and foremost is hoof health. Generally speaking, hooves that are unshod are of better quality and more adaptable to surroundings and environmental changes. Another reason is that bare hooves tend to have better sensory perception for their surroundings, permitting the horse to do a better job at placing his/her feet in the best and safest place. Still another is that owners tend to know more about their horses and their hooves when they take them bare and enjoy the closer relationship with their equine friends.

Besides style of trimming, natural hoof care involves a more natural diet and lifestyle, and rightly should be termed natural horse care. While our domesticated horses are obviously not exactly the same as their wild brethren, there is much we can learn from them. Horses need as much turnout and movement as we can give them, preferably 24/7. They also need high forage, low processed carbohydrate diets.

I took my horses off of sweet feed years ago, got them out of their stalls and into 24/7 turnout with fresh water and shelter at all times. By adding appropriate vitamin and mineral supplements, along with omegas and probiotics, they are vastly healthier than before with better hooves, coats, immune systems and attitudes.

When hoof protection is needed, such as for horses being pastured in soft environments but being ridden on rocky terrain or those in transition, hoof boots are the obvious choice. They are available in a variety of styles for different types of hooves and needs and should be professionally fitted for optimum results. While they are a bit of an investment at the outset ($126-185 per pair), they more than pay for themselves in longevity (It is very unusual for a normal weekend rider to wear out any pair of hoof boots). At a cost of around $80-100 per reset of 2 shoes, the boots pay for themselves in two cycles.

For hooves with pathology that used to be the exclusive domain of shoes to “fix”, we natural hoof care providers have many tools in our vehicles, including hoof boots, various pads and orthotic materials as well as casting tape. In addition, natural hoof care providers are generally well-versed in diet and exercise with a keen understanding for healing that comes from the inside as well as the outside. And we also have a special weapon: the hooves themselves. Horses have an innate ability to heal themselves when permitted. Many of the maladies for which we have traditionally applied metal shoes to the hoof can be resolved through proper trimming, diet and exercise, with the occasional support offered by boots, pads, orthotics, casting. They truly are an amazing thing, hooves, and if we trust them and learn to read them, most of the time they will tell us what to do and not to do, as well as heal as much as possible on their own.

Hoof Boots Available for Professional Fitting and Sale through Appalachian Hoof Care
Full EasyCare line www.easycareinc.com
Renegade www.renegadehoofboots.com