TESTIMONIALS

I knew little about barefoot trimming when I finally became a horse owner.  Due to hoof issues I found that I needed and wanted to learn, but it seemed to me that you had to choose who’s style you would follow and then consider everyone else to be “maddeningly” wrong.  One of the things that immediately impressed me about Cheryl’s School and made me choose it over all the others, was the fact that you weren’t taught to cling to a narrow dogma, instead information was presented & discussed from a wide variety of sources in (and even out of) the field.  Essentially you became a “student of everyone” and had access to large amounts of useful information that had been assessed and compiled by a really great group of well-meaning, truth-seeking individuals with varied interests and backgrounds.  Once presented with this information you were then encouraged to think and decide for yourself.   How refreshing!  

Best,

-Sloan

Sloan Johnson
Pacific Neurotherapies
245 Throckmorton Avenue
Mill Valley, CA 94941
sloan@earthlink.net
415 710-0399
Skype: sloanjohnson
www.pacificneurotherapies.com

I have a follow up story for you which is along these same lines.  Maybe you remember that I wrote you for support last fall because I had a very bad morning at my barn when a farrier chastised me in front of many people, calling me a horrible owner who was hurting my horse (because he was barefoot).  I had come from your school recently and felt confident and so calmly said “your opinion and mine differ greatly.”  But it really stung and I felt awful afterward.  Well… the follow up is: that farrier has now become a barefoot trimmer!!!   I have no idea what kind of training he’s had… hopefully he’s had some new training but he told the barn manager that he felt so bad after he yelled at me that he started looking into barefoot and became sold on it!  As you said, the truth will prevail!

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To whom it may concern,,, I Charlie Stonehouse, of Quesnel, Canada,,  graduate of Pacific Coast Horseshoeing School, and a variety of  workshops, farrier  for more than 10 years, shoer for my drafts, while horse logging for about 8 yrs, and also trimming/ shoeing my fathers standardbreds for numerous yrs,, did attend Cheryl Hendersons school regarding barefoot trimming /maintance,,,,,she and her staff, run,, as I felt,, a very informative, well ran school, )if I may ) regarding the trimming of equine feet,, I myself, have now,, after taking her course,,began using the barefoot method, and its belief and thoughts ,, I have had excellent results,, providing aid to my clients horses feet,,,, I myself gained considerable knowledge,, working with her and her co-horts,,, I believe I,m a better farrier today,, thanks to her,,,Charlie E Stonehouse,, 2643 Pinnacles Rd, Quesnel,B.C, Can.,,,,v2j-7g8,, 250-249-9642  cariboo_farrier@yahoo.ca

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     ABC Hoof Care, thank you so much for helping my horses back to healthy feet.  Your information and service has been invaluable to me.  I appreciate the time, dedication, photos, and education that you share with your trimming visits. 

     If you ever need a reference please use me.  Emily and Cheryl your dedication and skills are a gift that I have never seen from any of my farriers.

Thank you

Lynda Marikos

541-482-9791

Dear Cheryl,

My husband is Rod Seevers and he attended your great program last year at my encouragement.  I did not want to start our young horses in shoes and wanted them to be trimmed more frequently.  The most economical solution seemed to be sending Rod to "camp" as we called it.  We have 2 quarter horses that are 4 and 5 and a 15 year old appy.  When we bought her 4 years ago her feet had been neglected.  I was told by my farrier she thought she was club footed.  She didn't think she would be real sound.  Over that first year we suffered through 4 abscesses but with frequent trimming she was doing ok..  My farrier got pregnant and quit to go back to a real job with benefits.  My new farrier was never as good as she had been.  My appy always looked sore.  When Rod came home he was so excited about all the things he learned in your course he drove me crazy!  We hauled in gravel, changed their diet to whole oats, Equine Challenge and trimmed whenever our hearts desired.  My horses have the best feet!  My appy is sound, not looking sore and has not had an abscess since Rod took over.  My vet is pleased, I am thrilled and so proud of my husband.  My young horses came to us when they were 5 months old and if I have anything to say about it they will never know the feeling of shoes on their feet.  Keep it natural - it's the only way! 

Lynn Seevers   r.seevers@comcast.net

HI Cheryl,
  I had a wonderful time at your school. I have been a Natural Hoofcare professional since 2001. I have always tried to have an open mind and have studied many different methods. The reason I picked your school to further my education was your open mind including all methods. The instructors that shared their valuable information with us where from different hoof care back grounds and where able to keep a very positive open mind themselves. This is extremely important to me! I feel we can all learn from each other and the more we learn the more we will know how to help the horses in our care. I recommend your course to my clients and anyone who wants to get started in Natural Hoofcare. When I got home I was refreshed and was able to take what I learned and add to my previous knowledge, I know for certain I was able to help more horses because of it.
As a side note: The accommodations where great, food excellent! Company, couldn't be better :)
 
Looking forward to more learning in the future, keep up the great work!
 
Betsy Merritt
Barefoot Performance Natural Hoofcare
Massachusetts

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I am coming from a very traditional, scientific background in the medical field but have always been interested in alternative, natural ways of approaching subjects. So when it came to my horses and their well-being I was, of course, quite interested in checking out this thing called ‘Barefoot Trimming and Natural Hoof Care’.

I had not been too happy with the work my traditional farriers performed and after the last one who 5 years ago left quite an emotional mark on one of my yearlings with his roughness I began looking. I took a local one-day information session and was pretty much sold, mainly because of the immense knowledge the presenter provided. I attended my first 5-day course soon after to be able to work on my own horses with the occasional ‘check up’ of my new Natural Hoof Care Specialist. I also began reading anything I could get my hands on. In the fall of 2007 I came across the Oregon School of Natural Hoof Care and signed up for a one week course hoping to pick up some ‘new stuff’. It was the best thing I have ever done. Cheryl Henderson’s hospitality, her openness and approach to teaching, her passion and willingness to share her seemingly unlimited knowledge, and especially her non-judgmental way in regards to accepting all the different approaches within the natural hoof care profession are one of a kind. I spent the most enjoyable week learning, making new friends, and getting so much practical and theoretical information. I only have praise for Cheryl’s school and will highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about this very scientific field of Natural Hoof Care.

- Sonja, Ontario (Canada) samwyss@earthlink.net

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A year and a half into horse ownership our two quarter horses had experienced shoeing at the hands of four different farriers.  Each farrier was highly recommended by the well known equestrian set of our area and by local veterinarians.  While under the care of these farriers our horses kicked themselves, stumbled, consistently threw shoes and moved out with a toe first landing.  We have learned that this was due to unbalanced sore feet. We had a farrier take a blow torch to their soles because it was too much work to use the proper tools on their very hard summer feet; we had several hot nails pounded into the sensitive tissue of a hoof capsule and the list goes on.  Being new to horse ownership, my husband and I were committed to listening, reading and learning all the things necessary to take proper care of the new members of our family.  We really were trying to do the right things, we really did do research to find the “right” farriers.  I think the farriers really believed that they were offering a good service.  But our horses were suffering and contrary to the beliefs of many horse owners it did not have to be that way.  

We decided that we needed to be more proactive in our equine foot care education.  We needed to have our own opinions about what was right and what was clearly wrong.  We decided to attend the Oregon School of Natural Hoof care not because we objected to shoes, but because we were interested in learning about how the equine hoof works, what makes a sound hoof and how to recognize developing or festering issues.    

During the first couple of days of our seven day class we learned in detail about the inner workings of the equine foot.  We studied the bones, learned how the blood flows (and doesn’t when constricted by shoes).  We learned the function of the hoof cartilages and the pain that is caused when they are not healthy.  We learned the value of the frog, the sole and the wall.  Most importantly we began to understand and see the difference between a healthy and unhealthy foot.  By the end of day two, I was in tears knowing that our horses did not have healthy feet and that one of my geldings, who was consistently lame for “unknown” reasons, was likely suffering from severe problems in his feet that neither a farrier nor a vet had recognized.  

Over the course of the week we learned basic trimming skills and what to do about the problems that were facing us at home.  We were guided by an excellent staff from many different disciplines, all living in a philosophy that “is all about the horse”.  We came to understand that healthy feet require a commitment to the health and nutrition of the whole horse not just a method of trimming.  We witnessed serious debates about the proper treatment for a particular problem, but true to the school’s philosophy they were centered in finding a solution not holding onto an opinion.  Many of our class participants were farriers, natural hoof care practitioners or very experienced horse owners.  My husband and I had the least amount of experience, but the Oregon School team embraced us and worked hard to ensure that we either took home the knowledge we needed, or told us where and how to find it.  

When we returned home we had our farrier, truly the best of the bunch, pull the shoes.  She performed her standard pasture trim and with our new knowledge we understood that the “standard” was just not a true barefoot trim.  Since then with the support of Lin Seeley, an instructor and local mentor, and Cheryl Henderson, the angel that created the Oregon School, we have been trimming our own horses’ feet.  Every time we pick up a foot we learn something new and when we get stuck there is an entire support network to help us. 

Nine months later both horses are still barefoot and being ridden several times each week on trails of the Sierra Foothills and in the arena learning the good work of cows.  One is a barefoot rock cruncher and the other requires boots on the trail as he continues the healing process from his previous laminitic conditions.    

My husband holds a PHD in physics and is certainly not the horsey person in our family, but still, he considers our week at the Oregon School one of his best educational experiences.  We both felt empowered by our new knowledge, yet humbled by all that is yet to be learned.  We are truly grateful for the Oregon School and the dedicated instructors that helped us along the way.  So are our horses.   Lee and Cindy Hodge  Mount aukum Ca. cskeltonhodge@yahoo.com

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  My wife has been a horse owner since she was 7 yrs old. Horses became my passion after our marriage 19 years ago. Endurance, trail riding, team penning and just plain loving the "horse". (yes I am as horse crazy as any women out there!) We are always seeking the "right" answers for our equine friends. It is amazing how things just keep coming into perspective. Saddle fit, nutrition, dental care, HOOF care, ect. We struggled like all "horse people", one issue at a time. We had always "shod" our horses, and believing for so long that this was the "best" for our horses. Every winter with this, came the absesses, the "loose" shoes from the mud, ect. Summer was the "dry" hoofs. Our farrier was always "complaining". We were always trying to make him "happy" not the horse. My wife had purchased a very athletic, sweet, sound, 11 year old Arab gelding from a "natural balance"  farrier. (yes, farrier) he came to us set up with shoes set back. We had never seen this yet, but had heard about it.  She rode her new horse for 5 weeks with no issues. When it came time for him to be re-shod, we had "our" farrier shoe him. (he complained to us and said it was the "worst"shoe job he had ever seen.(even though the previous owner had riddin him over 700 miles of completed endurance with several "hunderds" and several "best conditions on this horse) Very "unbalanced" were his words!) Over the next 2 to 3 shoeings he became un sound. He would trip, roll his hind feet and buckle. My wife was concerned that he had back issues. She called his former owner. She highly recommended to get him out of "traditional" farrier shoes. Our farrier thought this to be   "hogwash" and would not accommate us. I was also dealing with a very "short" strided mare who would always trip and  was very "sore" footed at most all times. I felt very bad about this. We were ready for a "change". First came the new farrier (yes, natural balance from Gene Ovenick's school of natural balance). She (this was my first dealing with a women in the profession :)) got us on our way. The tripping stopped, the long strides became the norm, and we were very happy. (although my mare was still "tender"). I then acquired a 6 year old Foxtrotter/Arab gelding. He came to us "barefoot". I only rode him briefly, because I did not want to "hurt" him.(ha, ha the joke was on me!) Our farrier suggested to leave him "barefoot" because he had such great sole callus. (I had not a clue what this meant). ( I would also like to add that our other farrier would have never supported that) I rode him hard, through rock, gravel, anything!. He is amazing! Then....our "natural balance" farrier announced that she fell in love and was moving to Montana. Not good....At this point we just were not willing to ever go back to tradition shoes. My wife told her to pull her geldings shoes. She then gave me a short lession on trimming my own horses. I went with her on several appointments and trimmed for her. She left..... I struggled. I then started to search  the internet for help! This is when I came upon the web-site "ABChoofcare.com" I was amazed at what they had to offer. I called the school.  They were offering a class  towards the middle of September 2007. I explained to Cheryl Henderson that I was a "newbie" and that this whole "barefoot" thing was new to me and I didnt quite understand what I was doing..... I was reading books and visiting websites to learn, but needed "hands on help". With confidence she invited me to attend. My wife could also. I could bring the dog, the horses. This was to good to be true. ( we had planned our vacation during this time. We were suppose to go camping with the horses over on the coast and ride in the redwoods, beach, wine and dine! I was afraid she would be dissappoined. It turned out that she wasn't!) I announced to my wife that I was going to school in Oregon to learn about the hoofs! and that we were both going and this would be our "vacation" instead.  It turned out to be life changing. The passion and knowledge from the instuctors was incrediable. We lived, breathed, learned, talked, watched, trimmed, listened, laughed, cryed,(thanks Lynn)slept, got inspired, by "Hoofs". We learned about the importance of "environment", "nutrition" ( Thank you Mackie Hartwig for enlighting us even further about the "stewardship" of our horses. Thank you also for such an incrediable supplement that has also "changed" our lifes). This did not stop here either! They have continued thier support of me. At anytime I can call, email and get help. (which I do often) We have acquired life long friends. I have since attended a Dr. Bowker clinic, visited the school during another session, and am going to attend the "advance" session in July/August with Dr. Bowker again. I am also trimming for neighbors and clients as well. I have "transitioned" successfully 7 horses from shoes to "barefoot" with very "happy" customers. These horses no longer have the tripping, stubbing, unsoundness, contracted heals, anymore.With the boots that  are available there is no reason why any horse "can not" go barefoot.  My clients have commented to me that they have noticed that their  horses are happier, nicer, calmer,  and one horse "stopped" bucking with his rider. Our own horses are now going over any type of ground barefoot. Linda still "boots" sometimes when in doubt, but "Easy" is also now a rockcrusher like "Titan".  Thank you ABCHOOfCARE and all of your wonderful instuctors for helping me "transition" into a "barefoot" supporter! Ed & Linda McCoskey  edslinda@frontiernet.net

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When my wife, Peggy, and I decided we would become horse owners upon her retirement, we probably knew as little about horses as any two people could.  We had ridden a little many years ago, but had never truly taken care of a horse.  Our solution was to read every book in the library about horses.  In December 2006, God put our horse in front of us.  Charley is a Quarter Horse who was enroute to slaughter when rescued, had bad feet from years of neglect, was probably depressed, and was at the bottom of the pecking order where he lived, would probably be yard art for the rest of his life, and would bite men when the opportunity presented itself.

We started working with Charley under the guidance of a neighbor who owned the property where he lived.  The more time we spent with Charley the more we wanted to learn but also became more convinced we had made the right decision.  Our neighbor is a barefoot trimmer and I started learning by watching and eventually doing some closely supervised rasping.  Since we were planning to move to a metropolitan area in Texas (the nearest town has 61 residents and there is nothing larger than 20,000 people within 50 miles), it was obvious that Peggy and I needed to develop some serious horse care skills in a hurry.  I decided to learn how to trim.  I started looking for a school and found the school in Oregon; it appeared to be a good fit.

When I arrived at the class, I knew the basic mechanics of trimming...yep I could hold a rasp and a foot.  What I learned from Cheryl and the other exceptional instructors was why, when and what to trim.  I also learned that there is no absolute right answer in trimming and if you are going to trim, you can never stop learning if you are going to fulfill the obligations you have accepted in caring for your horse(s).  While what I know is still limited, I am getting better at trimming.  I have passed an important test; no one has come up lame or tender footed as a result of what I have done to their feet. 

If you noticed that the narrative went from Charley to horses, it is because horses follow us home.  We bought Aurora, Charley’s last daughter before he was gelded.  She was in a small pasture by herself; hay, water, and sweet feed were put out once a day.  At nearly two years old she was barely halter trained; at three and some months, she is lady most of the time.  Jupiter is a Belgian whose owner was reducing her herd (translated she dumped him) who is now the herd food services supervisor and follows Peggy I around the pasture.  Shady is the newest arrival, he is underweight and had fence staples put in his mouth to keep him from cribbing.  The staples are gone, his weight is up, and he still cribs some (but less and less);  there are not enough boards to buy and replaced chewed ones to justify what was done to his mouth.  Charley is now alpha in the herd, is rideable, and does not bite.

Since we leave for Texas on June 25 for a forever home for our friends, we will not get more horses in Florida.  We are building a sixteen stall barn in case we get followed home by Texas horses.  Larry Neaves To ABC Hoof Care Providers,       I really have to take a moment to thank you for your approach to barefoot trimming.  I have owned horses since I was 12 years old.  I was raised in a traditionally influenced home where the thought toward horses was the accepted belief that horses needed shoes, but your care has proved that to be wrong.  I always assumed that having a horse shod was in the best interest of the horse until one day when I was urged to consider letting my horses go barefoot by one of my neighbors. She explained the great benefits my horses would experience and why I should consider this new concept.  I vividly remember thinking that my horses would never be able to go unshod due to the fact that I tend to ride what can be some very rocky terrain, but the idea intrigued me and the monetary savings was appealing as well.  I tend to be a bit of a skeptic, but at the same time understanding the fact that nutrition and natural healing play important parts in the makeup of humans, I decided to give my horses the test experience of barefoot trimming while remaining alert for any possible set back.  I am ashamed to say that I was so skeptical that I kept expecting...almost believing, that any day there would be a huge problem.  Much to my delight, not only did my horses exhibit very little soreness initially, but I went on to ride them for 3 days on the Pacific Crest Trail covering over 20 miles a day after only 2 months of being barefoot with NO  PROBLEMS  AT  ALL!!  This trail is very steep in places, rocky and a great challenge to any horse, let alone horses recently unshod...Unbelievable.     Since that ride I also purchased a new 5 year old horse that had been in shoes since he was 2 years old and was horribly contracted.  I immediately had his shoes pulled off and he also had very little soreness initially.  That was 3 years ago now, and he too has been ridden on some very tough terrain including obsidian rock trails with no problems.  His contraction is responding well to the barefoot trim and is slowly but surely redefining his hoof shape into a more open heal with much less contraction.  I fully expect his hooves to continue to improve with your continued trims.      It has now been 5+ years that my horses have been barefoot, and not one of the 3 horses has experienced any problems.  In fact all the horses have much better movement, are more surefooted, and carry themselves with an agility that they never had before.  Thanks ABC Hoof Care for your dedication to the horse, it's comfort and health, to the owner, and for your absolute love and belief in what you do!  You have made a believer out of me!  

Larry Neaves  lneaves@bellsouth.net

To ABC Hoof Care Providers,

    I really have to take a moment to thank you for your approach to barefoot trimming.  I have owned horses since I was 12 years old.  I was raised in a traditionally influenced home where the thought toward horses was the accepted belief that horses needed shoes, but your care has proved that to be wrong.  I always assumed that having a horse shod was in the best interest of the horse until one day when I was urged to consider letting my horses go barefoot by one of my neighbors. She explained the great benefits my horses would experience and why I should consider this new concept.  I vividly remember thinking that my horses would never be able to go unshod due to the fact that I tend to ride what can be some very rocky terrain, but the idea intrigued me and the monetary savings was appealing as well.  I tend to be a bit of a skeptic, but at the same time understanding the fact that nutrition and natural healing play important parts in the makeup of humans, I decided to give my horses the test experience of barefoot trimming while remaining alert for any possible set back.  I am ashamed to say that I was so skeptical that I kept expecting...almost believing, that any day there would be a huge problem.  Much to my delight, not only did my horses exhibit very little soreness initially, but I went on to ride them for 3 days on the Pacific Crest Trail covering over 20 miles a day after only 2 months of being barefoot with NO  PROBLEMS  AT  ALL!!  This trail is very steep in places, rocky and a great challenge to any horse, let alone horses recently unshod...Unbelievable.

    Since that ride I also purchased a new 5 year old horse that had been in shoes since he was 2 years old and was horribly contracted.  I immediately had his shoes pulled off and he also had very little soreness initially.  That was 3 years ago now, and he too has been ridden on some very tough terrain including obsidian rock trails with no problems.  His contraction is responding well to the barefoot trim and is slowly but surely redefining his hoof shape into a more open heal with much less contraction.  I fully expect his hooves to continue to improve with your continued trims. 

    It has now been 5+ years that my horses have been barefoot, and not one of the 3 horses has experienced any problems.  In fact all the horses have much better movement, are more surefooted, and carry themselves with an agility that they never had before.  Thanks ABC Hoof Care for your dedication to the horse, it's comfort and health, to the owner, and for your absolute love and belief in what you do!  You have made a believer out of me!

Susan Alleman

Jacksonville, Oregon 

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I wanted to add my comments to the ABC Hoof Care website in the testimonials because I have benefited from the service and help that they have given to my two horses and me personally.

I will say about Cheryl Henderson, despite her vast knowledge, this woman is the very soul of humility. I have never heard her say a bad word of anyone; even when she has faced direct discourtesy from horse owners that don’t appreciate what she is trying to do for their horses about going barefoot.  She is overwhelmingly generous of her time and resources to those who wish to learn how to care for their horse’s feet.

 In the two plus years I have known Cheryl she has always been there when I, and countless others, needed her help and advice in their efforts to care for their horse’s feet. I will frequently send her photos of a foot with an issue of concern and, invariably, she is back to me in a day not just with cause of the problem, but with its solution as well. She has repeatedly refused my offer to pay her for such “consultation”.

 Here’s another example, again from my life. Last year I hit a very low point in my life and had to move back to Arizona. Financially, and in other ways as well, my situation was, without hyperbole, desperate in the extreme. I could not take my horses with me and I despaired for their lives because I could not care for them! Cheryl again to the rescue; she took them in and charged me only her cost to feed them and, in the bargain, she also cared for the Boys’ feet!  I have repaid that debt but during the six months that I was rebuilding my life, she never once pressed me for repayment.

I could go on forever so let me close with my offer for you to call me on this matter should you wish. My number is 602-615-7271.

Danny Lambert PA-C; BA, B.Msci

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I would like to pass the word out to everybody that you don't have to put
up with "BAD SHOEING" jobs, there is an alternative. And I might add a
GREAT!!! one.

 2 years ago, I started noticing on my then 6yr old gelding that he was
 REALLY interfering in his hind feet???? What is that all about? I also
 noticed that he had "flares" the size of dinner plates on both hind feet?
 Funny I never noticed those before. The next thing I noticed was he was
 being shod real upright and basically standing on his "tippy toes" and for
 at 1600 lbs horse that is a lot of pressure onto his front end. At this
 time my neighbor Laura Vaughan, had asked me about the shoeings and what

I thought of them. I told her I was not happy with the way my horse’s feet are
 starting to look. Anyway, she and I talked a bit about the barefoot and I
 basically told her I WAS NOT INTERESTED!!!! Time went on and I started
 questioning my farrier about all the problems that are starting to arise
 on my young horse all of a sudden. Flares, interfering ( destroyed a new
 pair of splint boots in the hind) and just the over all look of the foot.
 The answer I got was confirmation problems on the horse. Funny, I hadn't
 noticed any confirmation problems. Yes, he is not perfect, but he is put
 together pretty well.

 So, as the story goes with a lot of apprehension and terror, I fired my
 farrier, pulled off my horses shoes and haven't looked back. ABC
 Hoofcare, has been a very professional and supportive company. When it
 was time to do all this, I was given an explanation of what was going to
 be done and what would probably happen as far as a rehab. period for my
 horse. Well, low and behold the shoes were removed they did a trim and
 off I went. I would say my horse was a little sore for a couple of days,
 but no big deal. When I trail rode, I slipped on boots and off we went.
 I will never put shoes on my horses. Oh, BTW, I have a dressage horse and
 the biggest thing I really noticed is the improvement on his gaits,
 yippee!!!! Oh! one other thing my horse hasn't had any signs of flares in
 2yrs, interesting, eh?

 Michele and Tolkien

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I did not know anything about barefoot trimming, nor did I know about laminitis, this horrible disease that I know all to well now, until it struck my beautiful Andalusian mare when she was only 1 month in foal. She lay on the ground in pain for one month, as I tried all the conventional methods available to me. Vets and farriers with very good intentions and also knowledge. But first she had terrible reactions to Bute, next she could not support the tapping of the shoes and nails in her hooves as they tried to nail on special shoes made for this, the pain was so intense. I watched in horror and in my own physical pain, as she lay on the ground, hyper ventilating, in pain. I was sure she would abort, but I knew she did not want to die. I did not give up. Through many good people, I was brought to barefoot trimming. I had to learn it on my own, having no one in this beautiful country where I live who knew about it. Many people helped me, I read books and searched web sites. Struggled alot, working on my hands and knees, as she lay laying down, trusting me, that I knew what I was doing! A good friend led me to Cheryl and her web site. Not only from reading did I learn alot, but she also, personally came to my aid, writing, sending me diagrams from the photos I sent, back and forth, most of all she made it all make sense to me, through her mapping procedure, I could visualize it , the puzzle came together. It was a real break through for me, and made such a difference for Geisha, my mare. I can only say that my mare, Geisha, could not support the shoes on her, nor the painful touch of a nail being hammered into her hoof wall, it was impossible. Just try to imagine it yourself, being in extreme pain and someone hammering a nail into you! Geisha now has foaled a lovely colt, she is walking, one hoof healed, with concavity, the other on its way, another month of hoof growth. Everyone around me, vets, farriers and other horse professionals ,as well as good intentioned friends, thought she was a lost cause. But she was not......My sincere thanks to Cheryl who helped me to understand the hoof.

Terry Newton

"Hipica El Trance" of Costa Rica 

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  i was a horse-shoer for seven years-from 1998-2005 and off and on my whole life.  from 2005 to the present i have been a trimmer.  the horse under my care have very healthy feet.  the owners can do anything they want to as far as riding their horse.  they may have to use boots if the ground is tougher than the hoof, but that works.  horses are much healthier if trimmed on a timely basis than shod horses.  most people are not aware that a horses hoof was designed to carry the horse and it's rider comfortably without the use of shoes.  i have trimmed at least 50 horses in the last week and the the ones i do on a regular schedule are very healthy.  cheryl has been instrumental in my development as a trimmer and her only concern is the health and comfort of the animals she works on.   phill laubacher  trimmer montague ca 

Student comment sheets

Very professional, yet feeling of being in a relaxed, home setting.  I get a feeling that I hate to leave.  G.W.

Thank you very much for the knowledge I have received from this school.  And I would like to come back to help.  Jared G

The staff all had their own personal way – which this in my opinion is good.  The nutritional lecture from Mackey was excellent! Thank you

Cheryl & Laura your knowledge, sincerity, and commitment shows your true love for the horses.  If your even in our country your welcome at my fire anytime.  Thank you Bill

Great food thanks John! Oh, Yes! Wonderful, felt like family. Thank you!!

Everyone is so giving and open.  It made me feel welcome and safe which let me be open to learning more.  They were always available with all the students trimming.  There was plenty of instructors to give advice and help. Sue

Five Star accommodations.

Amazing accommodations.

Great Manual, hands on work with a teacher, anatomy models, dissections

I love this home and your environment and hats off to John.  I have loved being here, what a wealth of information.  The enthusiasm is so contagious..the learning environment and the home setting for me was so comfortable and made it so easy to learn.. thank you all so very much.  Vicki

Fun, interesting, challenging, great socially – Laura does it all  Lynn was great – a special person.

Excellent accommodations 4 star.  Well worth the money.  I wish you were closer to Indiana

Loved the location, set-up and especially THE PASSION of each of the instructors.  Thanks Cheryl, for opening your doors, heart & soul to all of us! Sonja  P.S.  I enjoyed the relaxed learning environment, and really appreciated the respect that each instructor gave each other, including Ramey, Jackson, etc., and accepting the individual differences.

Had a great time, food was great, comfortable bed, information was fresh.  I am looking forward to going home and trying white lightning.

Accommodations were great and thank you for allowing the dogs!! And Fabulous!! Thank You!  We’ve been touched and forever changed!

The staff s understanding of the hoof and qualifications to say great would be an understatement.  I had a great time.

This was a good course.  I liked everyone and was impressed by the quality of instructors and hospitality.  Thank you Matt

Wish the session could be extended to 10 days!  (Although you probably are glad to relax at the end of the 7)

Nice to meet people who seem to be concerned on the overall well being of the horse and open to anything that will advance that good.

This was a truly remarkable experience.  An atmosphere of a vacation/family reunion combined with amazingly informative hands-on school.  Cheryl is magical

I thought the whole week was great – think it would be cool to do a 3-4-5 day deal only for advanced trimmers.  I also think you are NOT charging enough this is worth way more than $1000.

If I could only have been here for the 1st 2 days it would have been worth the tuition.  Great info. C