Natural Hoof Care

Barefoot Trimming helps your horse

Natural hoofcare or Barefoot trim is an essential part of keeping your horse healthy and strong. I have personally switched from rigid shoes to barefoot because natural hoofcare saves lives!

Only $60

Serving Bend Oregon and surrounding areas

text/call 541-420-6644

Natural Hoofcare

Essential part of keeping your horse healthy

Most horses that develop founder can be rehabilitated by first eliminating the shoes that caused it in the first place. Second, an improved diet can bring the damaged hoofs back to health. I have been an avid horsewoman all of my life, trained my first horse (a mustang) at 12 years old with Centered Riding techniques, and have ridden endurance since 2003.

All this time, I have realized that the best way to keep myself as a rider safe is to keep one’s horse as comfortable and willing as possible. Before trying out some new training technique, I will always look to the horse for signs of distress or discomfort. Many problems can be eliminated by ruling out saddle fit, internal discomfort, and anything that keeps a horse from really striding out and enjoying himself. I have had to rule out young endurance prospects simply because years of bad trimming or shoeing had given them arthritis, and I have had older horses that had to be put down due to years of uninformed hoofcare catching up with them and having their hooves literally fall apart so they could no longer hold their own weight. I have also had horses founder in the middle of winter when they had very little to eat. All of these experiences have led to an exhaustive amount of knowledge that I have gained about assessing a horse’s ease of motion, nutritional needs, and overall contentment.

What does this have to do with hoof trimming? First of all, I treat your horse as a whole equine rather than just a hoof that needs to stay still. I will assess your horse’s overall body condition and way of going and work WITH his or her personality to make trimming a pleasant, rather than fearful experience. My knowledge of equine anatomy will help the hoof heal itself through the trim cycles. I will help your horse be comfortable without boots, but if you are riding many miles or on rocky surfaces, I can help you choose the type of boot that will get you on the trail quickly.

Please feel free to call me and discuss your horse(s) trimming needs.

text/call 541-420-6644

Barefoot Trimming and Rehab

A barefoot trim using natural hoofcare methods is a different type of trim than a traditional farrier would give, or pasture trim that a farrier would give for off-season maintenance.

A barefoot trim that allows a horse to support its weight by the entire bottom of the hoof, rather than just the hoof wall. One can easily imagine the benefits to a foundered horse, where even farriers know that the weight of the horse must be padded at the frog. However, taking iron shoes off a hoof has many other advantages for the moving horse.

Renegade Hoof Boots are Best

The Renegade Classic and Renegade Viper hoof boots are the best on the market.

Unbeatable design and custom sizing options
Easiest to apply and remove
Every part is replaceable
Stay on reliably in mud, sand, and water

What you should know about shoes and barefoot trims

There is some misunderstanding about the nature of horse shoes, horse hooves, and barefoot trimming.

Yes, in most cases of founder, or laminitis, a properly performed barefoot trim will help the hoof heal and strengthen and you’re horse will be free from pain in a few months.

Hooves grow pretty fast and will need to be trimmed approximately every 6 to 8 weeks.

when you have a horse that is often dealing with rough terrain when being ridden, it is recommended that you have him or her fitted for renegade hoof boots which are quite easy to put on and rarely break, however if they do break then you can trust that Wendy will fix them in no time. Boots that almost never break and are just as easy to put on are Easy Care boots which serve the same purpose. But, if your horse simply has sensitive hooves, then Wendy will most likely recommend glue on slippers or glue on shoes.

Call Wendy at 541-420-6644 anytime for advice and she can schedule an emergency appointment for slight extra charge.

Shop our accessories

this is where you can get the ultimate hoof and riding accessories for you and your horse!

Renegade Viper Hoof Boot (One Single)

$130.00 – $140.00

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Renegade Hoof Boots

$200.00

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Thrush Mud

$20.00

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Some of our fans

From the satisfied costumers of Wendy’s work.

Agreed on Wendy Hutchens she is great with my 5 horses. I used someone else once, and one of my poor girls was so sore after!

N. Y.

tumalo, USA

Wendy Hutchens is awesome, she comes and does mine on the SE side.

T.R

Bend, usa

Wendy just did my two today and did a super job, was on time and took the time to explain what she was doing. Thanks Wendy Hutchens, see you in 8 weeks!

J.L.

Bend, usa

I’ve been meaning to write you since you were here and trimmed Rebels feet but time keeps slipping away. Rebel has already been tested for insulin resistance. She an IR horse, I think I mentioned that to you before? That’s why I’m so careful with green grass, sugars, grains, certain supplements, drugs and vaccines. She’s also low on her thyroid. So…best trim we’ve had in a very loooong time. She continues to move great and her feet look as good as possible, no chips/cracks/etc. I think I’d forgotten what it looked like to have her move so well. She also looks so much more balanced than she has in over 1 year.

A.W.

terrebonne, Usa

We so grateful to have met you! Our ponies are grateful too! Best wishes in 2023!

C. C.

Redmond, Oregon