The Natural Trim Goes to Panama

“Boquete Natural Balance Horse Week”

The Natural Trim Goes to Panama

By Dawn E. Willoughby, Natural Trimmer

 

Mario Chamorro, a horse owner living in Panama said, “I started barefoot trimming on my own about 3 years ago, in 2007. Since I didn’t have any guidance, I looked at the Hoof Jack™ as a non vital part of my tool set. When Dawn Willoughby came to Panama to teach a seminar this past January, she brought some stands with her. It was the missing link of my trim; it was what I’ve needed all along. I can now get very good mustang rolls on my horses’ hooves; they are even all the way around. Before I would rest the hooves on my leg, and to be honest, it is very hard to look and roll them in that position. Now I don’t even think of trimming the without the stand.”

Mario’s testimonial was typical of everyone I met in Panama who was new to trimming. I encouraged clinic attendees to trim with and without the stand. Learning to trim your own horse is hard enough without having him lean on you throughout the process. Horses love the stand too.

Only the two experienced farriers I worked with preferred to hold the hooves without the stand but of course they have developed the muscles for this work over many years. For novice trimmers, I strongly recommend the Hoof Jack hoof stand. I always have a few on hand at my place in Delaware and keep a few at Laura Florence’s Holistic Hoof Center in Unionville, Pa. I have tried metal hoof stands and the knock off of the Hoof Jack. They all have serious drawback.

Carol Delonis of Boquete Mountain Safari Tours organized my 3 clinics in western Panama for American and British Ex Patriots as well as local Panamanians interested in natural hoof care. Half day lectures, followed by lunch and full afternoons of hands on trimming made for a great 10 days in Caldera, a tropical paradise. We worked on the beautiful horses used for safari tours as well as horses located at attendees’ farms.

Gina McCall kindly hosted my 10 day stay at her boutique hotel, Rancho de Caldera, an Eco-tourist’s dream. I was awakened by the sun warming my toes and went to sleep with the sky filled with more stars than I had ever seen. Tropical birds visited my porch every morning sharing breakfast crumbs from my English muffin. Happily they weren’t interested in my famed, organic coffee grown near by. With unlimited wind, solar and hydro power, Rancho de Caldera is off the grid. I don’t have words to describe Chef Craig’s ethnic cuisine. You will have to visit Caldera and experience it for yourself

Texan Ex-Patriot, Bradd Ferraris of Boquete Safari Mountain Tours inspecting the mustang roll applied by Mario Chamorro on broodmare, Louisa’s rear hind foot. I was told Louisa kicked and so saved her for when I wasn’t rushed. Gentleness won her over and she was fine. This was a lesson I stressed to the local Panamanians throughout their training. Treat the horses kindly and in most instances they will be much easier to work with.

   

This is my home base at Rancho de Caldera, owned by Gina McCall. An early morning swim and stretch prepared me for my days of teaching the natural trim. ‘A Sanctuary for the Soul’, this boutique hotel is a must for any Panamanian trip.

  

Close up of Cliff’s trim. Notice the lovely thick wall. For the rehabilitation trim, I just added a bevel, rasping right to the laminae allowing the flared to grow out. Once the flare is grown out and the wall well connected, trimmer Eliezar will bevel just the outer wall, letting the bright white inner wall grow up over the sole a 1/16” to 1/8”, for the maintenance trim. This slight increase in the sole concavity will take Cliff to a new level of soundness. I balanced the heels but tried to leave them standing over the frog to protect it, enabling Cliff to come down as hard as he wants on the back of his foot. Eliezar will not trim the frog or sole. Cliff got his name from, falling off a cliff! I did some Equine Touch body work on him. His back end was so sore!

  

Trimming from the top is easy with the ball attachment on the Hoof Jack stand.

John, of Boquete Mountain Safari Tours, lead Cliff off after a trim. He walks comfortably on the gravel driveway but with someone on board still prefers the grassy shoulder. Carol’s horses are ridden in bitless bridles and well padded saddles. I gave Cliff the black Nurturel that he is modeling

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For more information on:

Trim Your Horse™ clinics go to www.4SweetFeet.com, Dawn’s site.

Boquete Mountain Safari Tours, go to http://www.boquetemountainsafaritours.com/More photos are on Carol’s Blog.

Rancho de Caldera, go to http://ranchodecaldera.com/

Equine Innovation and the Hoof Jack, go to http://www.hoofjack.com/v/vspfiles/home.asp

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BIOGRAPHY

Dawn Willoughby is a lifelong horse lover. She started riding lessons at Derby Down Stables in Kennett Square, Pa. at 7 and was given her own horse, Bridgette Belle, when she was 10. Dawn now lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her husband, Drew Knox, Rottweiler, Lily and rescued racehorse, Love “Sunny” Days. Her main interest is teaching horse owners to trim their own horses using information and methods gleaned primarily from Pete Ramey and Dr. Bob Bowker. She teaches 1:1 locally, and does clinics nationally and internationally, working with owners and their horses. See www.4sweetfeet.comfor more information on the natural trim and natural horse care; go to Equihab on YouTube for 3 trimming videos on the Rehabilitation Trim, and 4SweetFeet on YouTube for more videos from Panama.

 

Comments

[Joseph]

my God, i thought you were going to chip in with some decisive insght at the end there, not leave it with �we leave it to you to decide�.

[New Jordans]

It's great to hear from you and see what you've been up to. In your blog I feel your enthusiasm for life. thank you.