Under the Horse with Pete Ramey is a
comprehensive 16-hour instructional 10-DVD set by a natural hoof care
specialist, clinician, and author of the book Making Natural Hoof Care
Work for You reviewed in Winter 2006 and available from Rural Heritage.
This program covers the same material Pete teaches in the dozens of
often sold-out two-day 20-hour clinics he holds in the United States and
Canada throughout the year demonstrating his natural hoof care
techniques.
Pete began trimming and shoeing horses as
a conventional farrier in 1994, but migrated to natural barefoot hoof
care in 1998. Five years later he had become one of the nation’s
leading, largely self-taught experts in the field of natural hoof care.
His book is considered one of the best manuals on the subject. In the
four years since writing his book, Pete has expanded and refined his
theories on how we can enhance a horse’s natural ability to grow and
maintain a healthy foot.
To underscore his reluctance to convert
from conventional to natural hoof care, Pete talks about how much he
enjoyed shoeing horses and how sorry he was to never do it again. But
after practicing natural shoeless hoof care for many months, he was
unable to deny its success. He didn’t set out to never nail on another
shoe, he says. In fact, he left his anvil in his farrier truck for seven
years after nailing on what turned out to be his last shoe, in case he
some day needed to shape another shoe. “I didn’t want to sacrifice the
horse’s health for my ideals,” he explains, but he found he didn’t need
to.
In his introduction Pete describes one of
the underpinnings of natural hoof care: The study of the hoof structure
of wild horses. He explains how he spent three days following 60 wild
horses over rugged terrain to get a better understanding of how they
travel and how their hooves wear. None showed signs of lameness or
muscle soreness, but instead moved with the freedom and mobility of a
foal, gliding over the land as if their feet never touched the ground.
That kind of natural, effortless action is the ultimate goal of the hoof
care regimen he details in his 10-DVD program.
The first six discs are presented in a
classroom lecture format with Pete discussing in detail the specific
components making up the anatomy of a hoof and how they are used when a
horse travels over a variety of terrain. The first disc shows footage of
wild horses and photos of dissected hooves from wild horse cadavers. He
explains how the wild horses’ hooves grow and are worn, maintaining a
healthy shape through natural wear.
Also in the first disc Pete introduces the
use of the hoof boot to protect hooves under special terrain
circumstances or when a hoof needs rehabilitation. He provides a quick
overview of how the hoof boot evolved and some of his favorite
techniques for using one. He explains how every hoof is unique and
introduces the concept of reading hooves.
The second disc begins an examination of
specific hoof components, covering the sole (thickness, terrain and
seasonal variables, why proper sole maintenance and treatment is
important, and how to discern the internal structure of the foot through
the sole using the collateral groove), the frog (how it functions, the
best way to maintain it through prudent trimming, and troubleshooting
frog problems), and hoof bars (their function, maintenance, trimming,
and troubleshooting problems). When Pete started out shoeing horses he,
like many farriers routinely do, would pare down the frog when trimming,
but he has learned that a frog left largely alone will establish a
stronger, more calloused flesh that maintains its size through natural
wear.
“When you cut something off and it pops
back a few weeks later, it should tell you something,” Pete says. “That
horse is using a lot of extra energy to grow it back and there must be a
reason for that.” Excessive trimming of the frog is also responsible for
thrush infections and for an inability to easily clear up sites of
thrush.
Discs 3 and 4 continue with more
classroom-style instruction about heel heights (probably the most
critical of trimming subjects) and how your goal should be to
accommodate impact mechanics and not standing mechanics; hoof walls
(their function and maintenance, and how to grow a well-connected
healthy hoof wall; foot development and its direct relationship to most
hoof problems like laminitis, navicular disease, and hoof sensitivity;
how a sensitive hoof alters a horse’s style of walking, often worsening
the hoof and ultimately the rest of the joint structure and spine.
Discs 5 and 6 are almost entirely devoted
to discussing laminitis treatment and prevention. Laminitis is one of
Pete’s specialties and among the most difficult problems for horse
owners and farriers to handle successfully.
The remaining four discs leave the
classroom and show Pete trimming and booting a variety of horses on
client visits and at clinics. Some of the footage was shot by amateur
camera operators and is a little rough, but effectively shows a wide
variety of hoof problems and how Pete uses the considerations and
techniques he discussed in the classroom to cope with each unique
situation. The final disc has Pete on an emergency call from a local vet
to treat a horse with chronic laminitis in all four feet, then shows how
the horse progresses over the next 20 weeks during each maintenance
trim.
Throughout this series Pete maintains a
light instructional tone, using direct language to deliver clear and
precise instructions. He is obviously a master of the subject, yet
maintains a modest style, repeatedly reminding us he is always learning,
most often by listening to other hoof care professionals and by paying
attention to the horses themselves. Some clinicians who are engaging and
personable before a live audience can appear uncomfortable and awkward
when performing alone before a camera. Pete is at ease and
casual—neither unrehearsed nor overly staged. A large variety of clear
and descriptive photos, drawings, and exhibits make his classroom
sessions less tedious than they might otherwise be.
Pete’s initial clinics were one-day
affairs, but he never had enough time to get through the material. His
two-day sessions are now 20 hours long. Even so, he often hears the same
regret from his students: It is too much information too fast and
therefore impossible to absorb. These discs let you learn the same
material over a longer period with more breaks and the opportunity to
repeat segments to ensure understanding. Priced at $250, the 16-hour
program costs the same as attending one of Pete’s clinics. Samples may
be reviewed on YouTube (youtube.com/watch?v=7VcMU6vx_z4).
This program is intended for both hoof
care professionals and horse owners who are serious about their horses’
feet—and we all should be, for so much depends on hoof health. Whether
or not you subscribe to natural shoeless hoof care, you will benefit
from spending time with Pete Ramey as he explains how horses can grow
healthier hooves.