Name: Merlynn Burns
Location: Pearblossom, CA
Contact Info: mgraphics@prodigy.net (661) 944-4877
Age, Breed, Problems: Shetland/Mini 4 yrs, foundered twice
Trim for others?: Possibly
Date: 3/24/02

Not finding any solutions and solid answers for the foundering problem my pony was facing, I did some research and found out about the Strasser trim. I implemented it the best I could by instructing my horseshoer to please trim her to a 30 degree hairline and to back the toe up. There was evident relief, even though the bars and frog were left alone. Later, after attending a Martha Clinic, I tweaked and continue to tweak the trim on my pony. Over a period of 2 months we have gone from  flat soles with long skinny frogs and oblong feet to rounder, concave, shorter, wider frogs and dramatic soundness improvements. Today, 2 months later she is galloping, bucking, and trotting happily with her "herd". She is still healing, but what a difference! I am very grateful for the knowledge that Strasser and her students have made available. I have every confidence in the correctness of this trimming method. While every horse is different and may require a slight variation of the trim - on the whole from what I have observed with many horses is that it is very successful.

Name: Joni Libert
Location: Kenai, Alaska
Contact Info: 907-283-5688
Age, Breed, Problems: 18/Quarter Horse/ Foundered
Trim for others?: Yes
Date: 3/24/02

Rescued an 18 yr old QH/Gelding in 2000. Foundered in all four feet. Foundered again after a "specialist" applied orthopedic shoes, & burned the bottom of his soles (to "toughen" them up, she said). Removed shoes 3 months later & began trimming on my own after reading an article on the "Strasser Method" in "Natural Horse Magazine" by Yvonne Welz. Went to 2 clinics, & became a "Strasser Method" student in 2001-2002. My horse is recovering nicely in spite of my initial inexperience in learning to trim. He will be used this summer for first time since his rescue in 2000. His demeanor & whole-horse attitude has changed for the better. He is not 100% sound yet, but his progress is steady. Without this trim (& lifestyle change) he would not have survived. I was told by a farrier to not waste my time, he would never be rideable & that I should euthanise him. Good thing I did not listen. Now my friends say he is one of the best horses they have ever seen, & he moves like a dream!

Name: Lana Gray
Location: Kenai, Alaska
Contact Info: peraxies@hotmail.com
Age, Breed, Problems: 18/Quarter Horse/ Foundered/ 1year/QH/ligament problems
Trim for others?: not yet
Date: 3/24/02

Dr. Strasser has become such an inspiration, and Hero in my life because of her knowledge she has shared. We were able to save our QH and save the life of a little colt in just a week's time. With proper living conditions and trimming, he is standing straighter, and able to gallop (for the very first time EVER). We believe it was because of the farrier he has the problems he has today. (The farrier threw him to the ground repeatedly, and knocked his hips out, causing ALL sorts of problems..) and, if it weren't for Dr. Strasser, the baby would have been shot because of his "uncorrectable problems." I now refuse to ride any shod horse, and cringe at the sight of old nail holes.

Name: Barbara Fey
Location: New Hanover, IL USA
Contact Info: Rt66Kix@aol.com
Age, Breed, Problems: 10 y/o QH, former racehorse and barrel racer; thin soles, thin walls, contracted heels
Trim for others?: not yet!
Date: 3/24/02

Tulsa had horrible feet. They kept getting weaker and thinner. His heels were all "squished" together, and his feet were very small for his body size. He's 16 hands, 1200 pounds, and wore a size 1 shoe. He was very tentative about his footing on different surfaces. I've had his shoes off since January 6, and his feet have gotten much harder! There is no white line separation in his quarters, and his heels are starting to spread out. He's much more sure-footed on trail rides, and is also much more free in his movement under saddle. When turned out he is so much more playful and energetic. The Strasser Method makes so much sense to me. If people don't have success with it, it's because they have only done PART of the method, not the entire thing. All the principles must be followed in order to get the best results. All the principles are a such a "sane" approach to horse care, and anything less is just substandard.

Name: Roxanne Hill
Location: Lee's Summit, Missouri ( Kansas City,Missouri)
Contact Info: 816-524-4741 zuzu@swbell.net
Age, Breed, Problems: 6 year old, Quarter Horse, contracted feet and heels
Trim for others?: No, but will help them get started.
Date: 3/25/02

My mare was 4 years old when I had a friend at a clinic point out that my mare's feet were contracted. She had been barefoot up till that clinic and I had shoes put on her. This friend noticed a hoof print outside in the mud were the ends of the shoe was almost meeting. She was telling me about it and I know that was my horse's foot. She wanted to see and then told me about Dr. Strasser's book. I ordered it as soon as I got home. I went to a team penning and my horse was dropping her hips really bad. I took her to the Vet the next day and he said she had sore heels and to get the shoes off. He said if I did not I would have a 4 year old with navicular. He offered to trim her and thin out the walls to allow the heels to spread. I told him I had a book coming and wanted to try it first. So that is how I got started doing Dr. Strasser's trim. So far it had been how she was trimmed that got her this way. It really made me upset that none of the farriers could recognize that there was a problem with her feet. I knew if I did not learn how to do this myself, I would have a navicular horse. I have been trimming my mare for 2 years now and it has been a slow process, but have made changes. Her foot has rounded out and not oblong any longer. We have gained 1/4 inch in width. Heels have expanded, but still have more to go. This mare is very comfortable now and is in less pain. This horse was very quiet before the trim and now has much more energy. I believe she was such pain before. I know it is just going to keep getting better, but takes time for the coffin bone to remodel.

Name: Teresa Ruth
Location: Boise, Idaho
Contact Info: truth@bcidaho.com
Age, Breed, Problems: Arabian gelding 9 years old shod 6 years, long toes, stretched white line, contracted, tender on anything but grass and sand when barefoot, starting to toe out badly
Trim for others?: Maybe
Date: 3/25/02

I learned via internet sources that while Cody was barefoot he was actually deteriorating - my (then) farrier said his white line was stretched and that wouldn't go away, but that it wouldn't hurt anything. When I said he was tender on rocks, he offered to shoe him. I began trimming him myself Oct. 2001 after a Mike LaGrone clinic; then a group of like-minded barefooters invited Kurt Schlagel, CHCS student, to Boise in December. He started digging out Cody's overgrown bars and backing up his toes to take care of the flares. He also did some vertical balancing of the hooves. After just three trims, Cody is now tracking a lot straighter, he is taking his leads fluently and can trot on gravel. His white line is tight, the hoof quality is excellent, and we're both very happy! I am able to maintain the hoof trim and feel confident that with occasional scrutiny by Kurt we will be on our own and in better shape than he has ever been in his 9 years!

Name: Teresa Ruth
Location: Boise, Idaho
Contact Info: truth@bcidaho.com
Age, Breed, Problems: Paint 10 yrs diagnosed navicular
Trim for others?: Maybe
Date: 3/25/02

I just bought this horse March 25, 2002 with the diagnosis of navicular. I have his x-rays from a year ago which show almost imperceptible changes to the right navicular area. When the diagnosis was made, the owner took his shoes off and put him in pasture and began trimming him herself (no knowledge of Jackson/Strasser etc). He went sound almost immediately and has not been lame since. We have a long way to go because now this horse has toes that are too short, heels that are long and run under and overgrown bars. However, I am confident that what I have learned I can dig out the bars, de-contract the heels and keep him going sound. After the first trim the day I brought him home (yesterday!) where I lowered the bars and the frog, which had also overgrown, he was noticeably less tender on rocks. He carried my daughter on a little ride along the Boise River and never took an ouchy step. This is a success story in the making, but when it is complete I will have bought a horse destined to be marginalized because of his diagnosis, restored him to complete usefulness and will own a horse with training and breeding I could not have afforded to purchase otherwise.

Name: Joanne King
Location: Nfld, Canada
Contact Info: taicho@roadrunner.nf.net
Age, Breed, Problems: 19,QH,diagnosed with arthritis plus really bad fencing accident
Trim for others?: Yes
Date: 3/25/02

LONG!! I live in a place with few horses and fewer trained farriers. Over the years I found it necessary to learn how to shoe myself. I took over my own shoeing when I started seeing a twisted hoof capsule on both my horses due to an imbalance. When my farrier moved away I took over one of his clients who wouldn't take no for an answer. There is one farrier left in this area that most people use. Skipper, not my horse, lived in a stall for more than 10 years with little or no turnout...his only exercise was when the owner rode. He had many, many lamenesses and he looked a lot older than he actually was. He was sold a few years ago and moved to a barn further down the road where he was turned out most of the time. He had to learn how to be a horse :-/ The one farrier that was left here began shoeing him at this point. He was becoming very stiff and the alpha mare began picking on him. At one point she kicked his shoulder and chipped a bone. He got even worse. He was diagnosed with arthritis and put on very expensive medication...$120 each month. Then he got cornered by the mare and tried to jump the fence and failed....this fence has the most powerful fence charger that you can get...designed to keep in the bull that used to walk through lesser chargers. He was constantly zapped for who knows how long...when he finally got out he was almost dead. His hind legs were completely shredded. If it were my horse I probably would have had him put down at this point. The owner chose not to and he began the long road to recovery. The farrier managed to get his shoes off and then he was just trimmed. The owner was told she would probably never ride him again. He was separated from the other horses and had to be forced to move. Eventually he started healing and moving around on his own a bit. His front feet were chipping so the owner had the farrier put the front shoes back on him. I discovered Dr. Strasser's methods quite by accident....I was looking online for help in shoeing a behaviorally challenged horse. Someone suggested barefoot and led me to the barefoot egroups. I saw right away that it made sense! I studied it intensely for a year and then decided to try it on my own horses. I've had no hands-on help...just the internet. But I also had experience with a rasp and hoof knife and had studied hooves a lot before starting to shoe my own. When my friend saw that it was successful she decided to try it on her 3 horses that I was still shoeing. Eighteen months after Skipper's accident...wounds still not completely healed....the owner decided to leave his shoes off for the winter and got the farrier to trim him. A week later she called me to look at his feet because he was walking on his toes. He had high heels, overgrown bars, frogs about 1/2 inch below the level of the hoof wall, severe contraction, a twisted hoof capsule, and was completely unbalanced. I trimmed him and sent pics to Lisa Huhn in New Brunswick for more advice...she was a big help :) After 3 trims he was galloping around the field chasing another horse, he's kicking at his stall door in the morning to get out...he had to be turned around and led out previously, he's off his expensive medication, he has weight on, he looks younger, his wound is finally healing and his owner is riding him again. The contraction hasn't even really been dealt with yet as 24 hour turnout is unavailable right now. Hoping for even more improvement when he is able to be turned out 24/7 next month :) This trimming method is wonderful!!!

Name: Debi Stocker
Location: Salisbury, NC
Contact Info: debistocker@hotmail.com, 704-630-6617
Age, Breed, Problems: mulitple
Trim for others?: No, but I'll happily refer to my wonderful farrier :) .
Date: 3/25/02

Our story starts about one year ago. We had a Morgan who had weak, shelly feet. He just could not keep shoes on. For lack of any other options, the farrier pulled his shoes off, and we hoped that his feet would toughen up. He went from barely able to walk on the gravel drive, to trotting on it soundly. No chips. The next horse is an aged gentleman with navicular. All the conventional methods had been tried (wedge shoes, etc...) This horse had been retired because he could hardly walk. Once again, we saw tremendous improvement. He is now trotting and cantering around his pasture, playing with his buddies. The third horse had such contracted heels, that the bulbs pushed together and looked like an arrowhead. This horse was so bad that our farrier asked to meet with the vet to confer. They tried a few different shoeing methods, nothing worked. So, the farrier pulled the shoes to see what would happen. Again, the horse improved dramatically. At this point, I got on the internet and really started researching. I ordered and read "A Lifetime of Soundness" and then gave it to our farrier. Turns out, he was instinctively doing pretty much the same trim (no, they didn't teach it in horse shoeing school). He has been doing lots of his own research. At the end of this month, I am going with my farrier, and one other person to our first Strasser Clinic. We can't wait! Oh, and yesterday we took 6 of our barefoot horses on a hunter pace. Over the rocks, thru the woods, into the rivers. All the horses seemed happy and comfortable, and at the end all of their feet looked pretty much the same as when we started. A few were tender on gravel, but it would be nothing to just slip on a pair of hoof boots if we needed to ride on gravel a lot.

Name: Claudia Garner
Location: Horrell Hill Dressage Center near Columbia, SC
Contact Info: hhdressage@sc.rr.com
Age, Breed, Problems: 5 year old Trakehner mare, no initial apparent problems
Trim for others?: Only if they come to our farm
Date: 3/26/02

"Truly Scrumptious" is an impeccably bred Trakehner filly, born in 1997. Her full brothers and sisters (7 of them are very successful. She was inspected in 2000 by the American Trakehner Association. In what I thought then to be right, we put front shoes on her. She was extremely difficult to shoe, especially when it came to nailing. Her inspection result were all 7's with two exceptions: She got a 6 for her legs because of a slight "conformation problem" in the right front and an 8 for her trot. We waited to start her under saddle till she was 4 years old. The summer of her 4th year she was started lightly without any accidents. Meanwhile, she was barefoot and trimmed regularly, but always with problems. In the fall she started bucking. Turned out she needed to be trimmed differently (too much bar material); then the bucking stopped. In February of this year Martha Olivo came to teach a clinic and I learned about the importance of trimming to the dirtline and seeing the whole hoof correctly. For the first time this young mare stands still while trimming. Her trot is now a 9 at least. Without Martha's training with Dr. Strasser and her own ability to teach a natural trim, we would not have ever gotten such stunning results. I now trim all my horses myself and they are doing excellent. They have more reach and impulsion. They are lighter on their feet and more willing to work.

Name: Marilyn Verdeyen
Location: Kingman, IN (west central Indiana)
Contact Info: 765-397-3789 verdeyen@localline.com
Age, Breed, Problems: Founder /13 yr /TWH cross
Trim for others?: No, but could help them trim
Date: 3/26/02

My mare had a history of undetermined bouts of lameness and frequent abscesses that continuous front shoes and pads helped for two years. The entire summer of 2000 she was lame or off, the farrier didn't know what to do anymore and one vet couldn't find anything wrong, either. X-rays finally showed severe rotation, and that vet recommended egg bar shoes with wedges. Just a few days prior to that being done, I discovered Dr. Strasser's trimming method and it made much more sense. Shoes were pulled and heels lowered. It was really difficult in the beginning because she was so sore and I was basically learning as I went on what I now recognize as very damaged feet. Most of my information has been learned from the internet, but an early clinic with Martha Olivo helped tremendously. Then hosting a clinic with her, June 2001, so she could see and trim this horse, helped even more but we still had a long way to go. The summer of 2001 was much different. I watched this mare gradually start moving normally. She had always being short-strided, but she began to overstride! More recently she only has trouble on frozen ruts, otherwise she can run and buck and looks wonderful, she trots freely on pavement and walks across gravel previously avoided. Martha was able to trim her again March 2002 and correct a few things in my trimming, but we're almost there. A big thank you to Dr. Strasser and everyone making this information available.

Name: Marilyn Verdeyen
Location: Kingman, IN (west central Indiana)
Contact Info: 765-397-3789 verdeyen@localline.com
Age, Breed, Problems: TWH cross/14yrs/probable founder, stretched white lines, some contraction, tender on rocks
Trim for others?: No but could help them trim
Date: 3/26/02

This gelding never had lameness problems except for an occasional abscess. Shoes only during the best riding weather for a few months per year about ten years ago, otherwise barefoot. Since discovering Dr. Strasser's trim and trying to learn on my own, what's good for one is good for all and I needed the practice. Even my previous farrier confirmed how much better this horse's feet were becoming. I had always thought shoes were necessary to ride our gravel roads. He's gone from avoiding rocks to freely choosing to trot on all but the sharpest of stones while ridden, so far. Now I also have to learn to ride better because he's a handful! I've had help from Martha Olivo with this horse too, she's trimmed him June 2001 and March 2002. I also trim my 33yr old grade mare that always had great feet. She also wore shoes in the past for riding on gravel because of stumbling, and again, because I thought it necessary. Her feet now look even better and I believe this trim will make her senior years even better and longer.

Name: Patty Hansen
Location: Duluth, Minnesota, USA
Contact Info: email: acerpatty@yahoo.com
Age, Breed, Problems: 9 yr old Appendix Gelding; Navicular Syndrome
Trim for others?: Not qualified
Date: 3/26/02

I have owned my horse three years. He was on and off lame the entire time. The last year, lameness was worse and continual; worse with work. He was diagnosed with navicular syndrome in 1998 and put on isoxuprine with shoes and pads. In spring 2001 I took him to be evaluated again to the University of Minn. Vet Hospital. He received a complete lameness workup, ie, x-rays, ultra sound, nerve blocking. They found no changes in the navicular bone and simply diagnosed him with soft tissue soreness in the right foot. I was told to ask my farrier to tweak around with his shoeing. My horse only got progressively more lame and I was advised to just give up and ship him. I persevered and discovered the Strasser method. He was trimmed with the Strasser trim in December 2001 and not just three short months later he is sound and I am riding him again. Thank you so much, Dr. Strasser!! Patty Hansen

Name: Debi Broadway
Location: Hazel Green, AL
Contact Info: trnghroses@aol.com
Age, Breed, Problems: 6 yr. old QH gelding: severe contraction, high heels, flat footed
Trim for others?: Not at this time
Date: 3/26/02

I have a QH I purchased 3 1/2 yrs. ago that came to me with feet in very bad shape. My farrier at the time, managed to make his feet look awesome during the 1 yr. he shod him. The horse seemed to move sound until one day the bottom fell out! He had a quarter crack at the coronet band, and was lame. I was referred to another vet who had his own shoer, 2 hr. trailer ride, different type of shoes put on and a patch over the crack. 2nd time I had to haul down there, he shod him, re-patched him and 3 days later...I HAD A VERY LAME HORSE!!! Switched shoers again, (recommendation of another vet), he shod him for 7 months and still lame. In desperation I called upon Charles, he believes in barefoot and has gone through a Strasser clinic and clinics with Martha. He came and said to pull his shoes off! I was very apprehensive, since his feet and hoof wall were so damaged already I didn't know how this would help. He pulled off the shoes, and in 3 weeks I began riding him again. He came up sore last week, and I wrote about it on here and called upon Charles again. This time I had attended one clinic with Martha, so over the phone he told me to look at his frog and see if it was grown down below the hoof wall and if so trim it up a little. Well, it was and I did, and there was a bruise under there, too. I am happy to say, my horse since yesterday has been a fireball again and seems to be doing GREAT! He is still flat-footed, but, I know it takes a while to undo the damage caused over years of improper shoeing. I honestly feel I can ride him right now with the way he's acting, and believe me, I haven't really gotten to ride him in over a year! I am seeing success right here in my back yard, and I own 3 other horses that have not ever had shoes o, and as long as they live with me, they won't! I am so happy to have been enlightened when it comes to the health of my animals, and after attending a clinic, to be able to help them myself in small ways instead of having to "wait for the farrier to arrive."

Name: Monica Meer
Location: Waukesha, WI
Contact Info: mmmeer@aol.com 262-968-9499
Age, Breed, Problems: 12 Yr. Saddlebred, foundered
Trim for others?: yes
Date: 3/27/02

In May of 1991 our 12 year old saddlebred foundered. We had only had her for a year. I was told she was barefoot all her life with no previous problems. I immediately called my farrier and my vet. The vet x-rayed her front feet. The left was rotated to 12 degrees and the right was at about 8 degrees. His instructions were to back up toes, give her bute morning and night, and dry lot her. My farrier was shocked that he didn't recommend shoes. Seeing that at that time I thought the farrier probably knew best; I asked the vet about shoes. He said reverse shoes would be OK. I had them put on. She seemed better for about a day or two. About two days later a friend came into my shop with a very good friend of hers. We started talking about the founder. She immediately told me to get the shoes off. She told me that her horse was put down due to founder and since that time she had been researching Gretchen's site. She gave me the site address and I began my mission. I immediately called my farrier and told him to come pull shoes and drop her heels. He thought I was crazy (after all, the shoes were only on for 5 days). He would only lower her heels 3 degrees at a time. He told me he could not take any more off for at least two weeks. That night she was pacing the fence line. I knew she was feeling better. I asked my farrier to come out sooner, that she was looking better already. He said he would not compromise the horse by taking more off. Well, needless to say she relapsed since he refused to come out sooner. In the meantime I was listening to everyone under the sun tell me what to do, when in my heart I knew Strasser's trim was what she needed. I called an old farrier in to help me out. He called my vet again and the vet told him to put on pads and shoes again. He told me that he had helped other horses before and that the trim would not do it. This was the stupidest thing I've ever done, but I let them put on the shoes and pads. The bad thing was that she literally had no hoof because of the way the farrier was trimming her. Her wall was shorter than the sole. After he put on the natural balance shoes. It only took a few days for her soles to be so terribly bruised that she could no longer stand. It seemed that it was crushing her sole. I had an emergency pulling of the shoes. She was really in bad shape now. I was continuing to bute her just so she could stand. I couldn't stand it any more. I purchased a set of knives, a rasp, a Dremel, and headed out to try for my myself. I was doing such a little bit, it really wasn't helping much. I was preparing myself and my daughter for the possibility that I would have to put her down. My last hope was to have Nancy come help me. I got in contact with Nancy Filbert, here in Wisconsin. I'll never forget the day she came. I was in tears when I greeted her, and I hugged her so hard she probably thought I was crazy. Nancy gave Star her first trim on August 18th. She walked off sound immediately after the trim. We left her in boots for the night and began her rehab routine the next morning. Star continued to improve for a few more days. Then it hit her. The circulation came back and she was sore again. We continued to soak and walk daily. I attended a weekend long Martha clinic up at Nancy's the following week, and had Martha out for more trimming the following week. Then I was on my own. After about another week, we began to ride her for our walks. Nancy came out several times for checkups and instruction. Star kept improving. By December, approximately 4 months after starting this trim, Star was sound again. I mean sound at a walk, trot, and run. She stumbles occasionally on the stones, but hey, I haven't even worked on toughening her up yet. She has been on soft ground for almost the whole time. By January, approximately 5 months since starting this trim, Star has grown a whole new hoof. There are no signs of any founder. Her hooves look perfect. They are better looking than my other two horses, who I also trim. I am very committed to this trim. It has saved my horse. I would like to personally thank Dr. Strasser for her research, Gretchen for your wonderful web site, Nancy for your trimming advice, help and friendship, and Martha for her clinics.

Name: Suzette Dybiec
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Contact Info: 614-481-5498 suzette@humanfactor.com
Age, Breed, Problems: 13 yo, QH, Toe Crack, High Heels, Overgrown Sole and Bars
Trim for others?: No, but could get them experienced help
Date: 3/29/02

I first read Dr. Strasser's book "Lifetime of Soundness" and Jaime Jackson's "Horse Owners Guide to Natural Hoof Care" in June 1999 (through internet research). My horse came with shoes (purchased January 1999) and I suspected they could be related to her head bob, toe crack, and lack of energy when riding. Arranged a phone consult with Jaime (June 2000) and pulled the shoes. At the time I boarded at a facility where full turnout was not an option and she was forced to stall 16 hours per day. For the first couple weeks, she could barely walk at times after stalling. I did not comprehend at the time how critical full turnout is when pulling shoes and I'm fortunate she never foundered. She continued to have the head bob, toe crack, and lack of energy and I submitted pictures of her feet to Gretchen late March 2001. She referred me to someone who could help me. She had high heels, and overgrown sole and bars. She was also clubby in the RF where the toe crack was. I committed to having her trimmed (by a CHCS student) every three weeks (and I learned how to basically "emory board" in between), moved her to full turnout, daily soaking, and riding as much as possible. Immediately after the first trim (April 1, 2001) she no longer had the bead bob and the toe crack has nearly gone away over the past year. She takes longer strides and has more energy. I trot her along the road in stones and she travels sound. We walk on the road to toughen her feet and she travels sound. She has developed a beautiful canter and travels with her ears forward and happy, where she used to pin her ears and act miserable. I am proud to truly have the best interest of my horse in mind and to have learned so much more about the hoof and trimming. And, due to the exhaustive efforts of Gretchen Fathauer and others, I have also found an information sharing group who are passionate about equine nutrition, saddle fitting, veterinary issues, and just about anything else that affects the well-being of horses. I will be attending Dr. Strasser's clinic in a few weeks and look forward to personally thanking her for her endless efforts in these last 20 years.

Name: Joanne Zabawa
Location: Omaha, Nebraska  USA
Contact Info: TJZRanch@aol.com
Age, Breed, Problems: 13 yr Quarter horse gelding - ouchy on rocks
Trim for others?: no
Date: 07 Apr 2002

After 3 years of barefoot riding - without a problem - we moved to a new location and started riding on gravel roads. My Quarter horse, Black, got ouchy on the rocks and I had him shod. I never believed shoes were good for a horse, but did not want to see him in pain. My farrier told me the only way Black could be ridden on the gravel roads was in shoes.

After attending a clinic with Martha Olivo - she trimmed Black in a natural style and connected me with Dr Strasser's books. I have continued to read and learn - following many barefoot advocates - about the Strasser style of trimming. I have followed the guidelines to natural horse keeping - out 24/7 - daily exposure to water - work on hard surfaces and varied terrain etc. After 1 year Black is not only walking on gravel without a problem, but he willingly trots, canters and gallops on the gravel roads when we ride -- he is very happy and healthy! I now maintain all 5 of my horses barefoot in with the Strasser guidelines for trimming and horse keeping. Thanks Dr. Strasser!

Name: Josh Wetzler
Contact Info: staceyandjojo@hotmail.com/ 336-492-7978
Age, Breed, Problems: multiple
Trim for others?: Yes.   I am a professional farrier.
Date: 23 Apr 2002

Please see Debi Stocker's above post for success stories.

Professional Farrier. I am well versed in the natural barefoot trim and living conditions. I have attended a Strasser Clinic, and will continue to further my education. I take extra time to explain to my clients exactly how and what I am doing. I welcome questions. I have a number of clients happy to give a recommendation.

Name: Kim and John
Location: North Liberty , Indiana
Contact Info: kijopainthorse@datacruz.com/574-287-6506
Age, Breed, Problems: approx. 11, Paint , founder due to allergic reaction to medication
Trim for others?: ??
Date: 14 May 2002

Hi, I just wanted to share a similar story that seems to be sort of common. I am not sure how this compares to the following methods, but it seems similar to what we have done. I have a paint mare that was in foal with her first baby several years ago. She was around four at the time, maybe five. She came home from the trainers/breeders and was shortly thereafter diagnosed with strangles. We doubted the vets opinion, as we thought it was a sliver from a wood board that the mare liked to hang her head over. So the vet wanted to treat her with antibiotics no matter what the cause was. We went with the vet's view (they know more than us, right!) She was on the medication for two days and one morning I went to turn the mares out and she did not touch her food. I moved her outside and she continued to talk to me. Finally I figured out that she could not bend her neck to eat due to the shots she was getting. The vet came out and said she was having a reaction to the medication and checked her feet. Said she was ok and changed the medication. Two more days went by, and by this time the mare could not walk. I was in tears.... The vet was back out. Checked her feet again and guess what she was foundering. I cried and cried. She was maybe three months in foal. The vet did a blood test on her, and sure enough, she was at toxic levels for the antibiotic--she never did have strangles. The vet then pulled her shoes off (which was a joke, I normally do not shoe unless they are getting used a lot, and she was. (We tend to believe that a horse is better in the natural state.) Our farrier puts shoes on to stay on and it took the vet over an hour to take two shoes off.) The vet set us up for the upcoming vet calls, telling us what to expect. The puss pockets and fever in the foot. The mare could not walk. We had been told to put shoes on her, to sell her, that she would never be good again. After the vet had charged us a ton of money and not really seeing any improvement, we decided to take her to our old-time farrier. It was so gross, he dug her foot out until he got to the infection in both feet, dumped some formaldehyde on her feet to stop the infection, trimmed the toes off of her front feet (our farrier already kept her lower than most on the heels) and sent her on her way. To our amazement she walked off the trailer, the best that she had walked in weeks. We then started a weekly trimming session on the mare. Or whenever we noticed that she was getting a little ouchy in her walk. My husband went out and bought a rasp and a pair of clippers, and kept the mare's toes chopped off so that she would roll over easier. This was the best money ever spent on her. The farrier would then do his main trim job about once a month. Her nails seemed to grow much quicker than anyone else's, and still do . The farrier continued to have to clean the sole of her foot out as it would grow really quickly. He had a couple of good clean-outs to get all the infection out. After a good year of doing trimming in this method the mare was getting back to "normal" if you call it . We continued to do more trimming on her for the next year or so. Now seven years later the mare gets around well. I have never had her feet x-rayed, but she does well. After all she went through she just hangs around and gives us some nice paint babies. We do ride her occasionally, but not long or hard. We don't want to have anything happen to her, as she does produce a nice quality baby (and spot, too!)  I guess my suggestion is to stay as natural with the animals as possible. Nature is better. Shoes are ok if you have a need for them, but most of the time it is unnecessary. Let the horses have room to move and stretch. I have seen too many horse people try to do what they think is best ....ex. stalling, shoeing, too many supplements--and end up hurting the animal.

Name: Tom Sheridan
Location: Elgin,IL
Contact Info: http://bigtimberranch.homestead.com/welcome.html
Age, Breed, Problems: 19 yr old TN Walker, had first bout at age 5, and many other painful bouts since
Trim for others?: ?
Date: 23 Jun 2002

Stepper was really having a painful bout with laminitis a few years ago. I had been monitoring him closely for years (due to previous attacks), but somehow he got a bad case. Anyway, somehow I found Gretchen or she found me. She came out several times and taught me a lot and I've had great success, and so has Stepper. I rode him last weekend and we were flying all over those trails, he really felt good. He's 19, had several serious bouts with laminitis starting at age 5, but the trim works. I still monitor his pasture and feed intake. He is muzzled on pasture most of the day, but gets 2 to 3 hours of free time without the muzzle every day. At night he is kept off the pasture and fed grass hay. He gets carrots and apples and a handful of pellets and blackoil sunflower seeds twice a day. In the morning I make sure he gets a flake of hay in his stomach before muzzling him. I highly recommend Best Friend Equine Muzzle, but I add a couple of small holes to allow for better grazing. Otherwise, he got frustrated and just quit trying to graze and stood in the leanto all day--not good, you want movement and exercise. The extra holes provide him just enough to keep him interested and trying. I am really thankful to Gretchen for all her efforts in helping fight laminitis, a horse's worst enemy. Tom Sheridan

Gretchen Fathauer's comments--

When I first saw Tom and Stepper, Stepper was very sore, contracted and rotated.  He was oozing abscesses everywhere; you could smell him 15' away.  When I got home, I had to disinfect my tools, my clothes--everything.  Even the bottoms of my shoes picked up the scent just walking on ground he had stepped on.  He improved soon after the first trim.  I went back one more time.  Tom had me look at the other horses.  One, a colt, was much worse than the others.  I asked why.  Tom said the farrier was still doing the colt, but that he (Tom) was doing the others.  I said, fire this guy, you are doing better!  Tom really picked up on what I was showing him very fast.  The next time I called, wondering why I had not heard from him in a while, his wife said he was out on trail on Stepper, and that Stepper was fully back in action again.  Tom picked up on what I was showing him about the trim and really followed through; he was rewarded with a quick recovery.  The muzzle he mentions is something I told him about.  For more muzzle info, Click HERE

June 18, 2003 update on the naturalhorsetrim list:

I have been using the Strasser method for some time now. Gretchen came out to my place and showed me what to do. I have a 20 year old walking horse that had his first bout with laminitis 16 years ago and several serious bouts after that. Through the years I have found the key is not only the trim, but my constant management of what he eats. I live in Illinois, so winter is easy, but the spring and summer is a problem. He is on a dry lot from 7 pm till noon the next day. While in, he is given all the grass hay he wants, at noon he goes out with the others with a grazing muzzle that has been modified to allow him to get something to eat. At 5 pm the mask comes off for 2 hours and he gets to graze normally. He gets magnesium blocks in his pen to supplement his diet and he does get treats apples, carrots and sunflower seeds for his coat.

I rode him yesterday and he was ready to go and in the best shape of his life. We even walked a 1/2 mile down a stream full of rocks and who knows what, with no problem. He used to have trouble going downhill and I would traverse back and forth to help him get down--now he flies down the hills. I use the natural trim on my others and have never had any problems, only sound horses.

Tom
http://bigtimberranch.homestead.com/index.html
 

Name: Maureen Gall
Location: Nellysford, Virginia (close to Charlottesville, VA)
Contact Info: waratah@aol.com (434 361 1406)
Age, Breed, Problems: 21 y/o App. foundered '97, flat footed, ouchy on gravel, on/off lameness.  17 y/o QH, no hoof or lameness problems at all.
Trim for others?: not qualified - but can refer to others in this area
Date: 29 Jun 2002

Six months ago, after finding the Strasser site and other barefoot sites, I located a nearby farrier who was doing the Strasser trim. Pulled my horses' shoes and have 6 months of gradual improvement in the App. Though the QH had never had a problem, I opted this trim for her as well and she is doing fine, also.

My dilemma is that I have relocated both horses to a farm/barn in Barnesville, Maryland (near Germantown and Sugar Loaf Mountain, SW MD). Health problems of my own influenced the decision to put these mares into semi-retirement with a NARHA certified therapeutic riding program. The barn is owned by an old friend and while comfortable with the care they will receive, both she and I have some concerns about the barn's current "traditional farrier" being willing/able to do this trim. With 6 months invested, I feel I owe it to my girls to keep them on it.

IF ANYONE OUT THERE READING THIS IS AWARE OF ANYONE WHO MAY BE PERFORMING THIS TRIM IN THE BARNESVILLE, MD. AREA, I WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Thank you. Maureen Gall

Name: Sonja Appelt
Location: Villach/Austria
Contact Info: 0043 676 350 49 15
Age, Breed, Problems: 4 y QH gelding, navicular\
Trim for others?: no, but will provide information
Date: 19 Aug 2002

When I saw & bought him last year, I didn't know much about horses. After the examination by the vet, he came up slightly lame (his shoes were taken off for that). Vet said it is navicular, I bought him cheaper. Heels were under-run, hoof walls thin & unstable, feet cold while still shod. With the help of a Strasser trimmer and frequent trimming myself, the heels are upright now. The hoof is currently too short, though, so he's very ouchy on gravel--will start to ride with hoof boots this week. I feel guilty for not giving him enough movement which would speed up his recovery, for sure. I learned trimming on a 3 day seminar. The Strasser trim works, and I've learned much in this short time!

Name: M Oswald
Location: Far  North Queensland OZ
Contact Info: Meadybites@hotmail.com
Age, Breed, Problems: QH X
Trim for others?:
Date: 04 Sep 2002

Although I have never had a horse suffer from laminitis I am still a big believer in the bare-hoofed horse. I have a 22 year old QH x mare who has never been shod nor has she ever been lame. I have just started her daughter and I have no plans shoe her even though we work on a large variety of soil types. I think is some cases the no--shoe method can prevent as many problems as it can fix.

Name: Joanne Husted
Location: Shingle Springs, CA
Contact Info: 530-306-3109
Age, Breed, Problems: 15 yr old paint mare
Trim for others?: probably
Date: 15 Oct 2002

Dancer, my paint, was my first horse purchase. I didn’t have a vet check, and didn’t think I needed one since I trusted the Ranch owner. Dancer did fine on the trail and I watched others ride her while she did sliding stops, spins, etc., with no troubles. She would trip every once in a while, but I see that a lot with horses, and wasn’t concerned. I asked the ranch owner about her hooves with the rings on them, and why was her toe filed back--her reply was, "that is just how she is made." 2 months later I had her re-shod. A few days later Dancer didn’t want to do anything, and shortly after that she threw her right front shoe and went lame. I took her to the vet, who knew right away that she was a founder case. X-rays showed severe rotation, with remodeling of coffin bone tip (long-term foundered horse), very near sole penetration. The vet told me that I should seriously consider putting her down. I agreed with her, and took Dancer home, thinking I would have it done very soon. The next day I found this web site, made a couple calls, had someone come out to give Dancer her first Strasser trim. It was amazing all the bruised sole that she took off. I went to a Martha Olivo clinic so I could learn to do it myself. I do the trimming myself now. It has been terrible watching Dancer go through all the painful abscesses, and in the beginning she would do a lot of laying down, and I would have to use the whip to get her on her feet. After each abscess she would have a period of relief and actually walk without me encouraging her. One morning in early September she was trotting and bucking with the other horses-- granted, they were little bucks, but she definitely felt better. April of 2002 was her first trim--I took her in for more x-rays on 10/11/02 (6 months later). The vet (a different vet than I originally used) was surprised that she could walk after he viewed the initial x-rays. He also agreed that his advice to me initially would be to put Dancer down, based on the initial x-rays. He couldn’t believe that she could walk on the asphalt without a limp. The current x-rays show a lot of improvement, and that her coffin bone is in the right position now, as well as the re-growth at the tip of the coffin bone seems to be normalizing a bit. She has a long way to go, but this is a huge improvement. She is limping again today and must have another abscess on the way, so this is just a small success story so far.

Name: John Ripley
Location: England Kent . UK
Contact Info: jj-commercials@zoom.co.uk
Age, Breed, Problems: 4yrs  standardbred slightly lame in front
Trim for others?: yes
Date: 30 Dec 2002

DEAR Sir/Madam--my name is John Ripley from England. I have a 4 yr. old standard bred trotter. He is slightly sore in front. I have been told it is due to not being correctly balanced in front. Could you advise me on how to shoe him so that his pedal bone and his navicular is level to the ground? I have seen several diagrams on this subject--toe too high or heel too high, but no one tells you how to acheive the correct level.

Yours, J. Ripley

Gretchen Fathauer's reply:  The acid test is a set of x-rays, of course--both one taken from the side, and another from the front.  Without x-rays, trim for the hairline, when viewed from the side, to be sloping down towards the back at a 30 degree angle to the ground.  Chances are you will have to back up the breakover as well.  The hairline, when viewed from the front, should be parallel to the ground.  If the hairlines adhere to these standards, you should be in the ballpark of having the bottom of the coffin bone ground-parallel.  Also, my site does not advocate shoeing, so you're on your own on that one!
 

Name: Paula Stich
Location: Tallahassee Fl
Contact Info:
Age, Breed, Problems: 11 y.o. Thoroughbred thin-walled, shelly, under-run heels--you name it...
Trim for others?: I'll help other people do it themselves
Date: 28 Jan 2003

Cosmo is a 15.3, incredibly athletic Thoroughbred gelding that has done eventing, dressage and now endurance. I always kept shoes on him, as his feet were flat, and his hoof walls were thin. I didn't know about the barefoot trim until his feet just broke down completely and I found this site and began to read and learn. I bought the Strasser book, LOS, and thought I have nothing to lose. Well, we are almost 2 years into barefoot with a "hopeless case," and low and behold, we finished one 50 mile endurance ride and 2 weeks later 2 50's back-to-back, all barefoot, and not even boots. Granted, it IS Florida and it was fairly sandy and limerock roads, but he did great--top-tenned one of the the 2 days he did. I have learned a lot, mainly don't ignore that little voice in your head. At the risk of offending others, listen to your horse and he/she will tell you...Thank you for this site and all the knowledge I have gained.

Name: Cheryl Henderson
Location: Jacksonville, Oregon
Contact Info: hndrsn@cdsnet.net
Age, Breed, Problems: 6yrs, qtr, navicular right fore
Trim for others?: still in the learning process
Date: 08 Mar 2003

Friend gave me her navicular horse, who had been treated by vets, corrective shoers, had blocks and the usual program given for conditions like this. On Feb 5, 2003 I got him after his egg bar & pad and other shoes were removed...hoof wall was torn carelessly when removing the shoes.

Anyway, he was so out of balance and all contracted. The right navicular hoof was round with a bulge in the front of the wall. Right fore heels were not overly long. The left front hoof was grossly out of balance with both heels being excessively long, and the outside 3/4" longer than the inside. The right hind had a bulge pushing out the front of the hoof wall and was round in shape. The left hind was so steep and round with a deep groove in the side wall by the coronet area. Both hind heels were not too long.

This is what his movement was like: He walked with a thud to the right fore, and a swing paddle limp on the left. His head and neck bounced deep with each movement. Going into a turn was awkward and sore. He was braced going down the paved driveway...and really had discomfort on the steeper part of the paved driveway. I began to trim with what I learned from Martha Olivo and her assistants Carol and Karen last November '02. I balanced the sides, opened the heels and lowered gradually every two days the first week. I stroked and massaged his legs and tendons each day. I also had him stand in the stream for 15 minutes each day.

On the eighth day he had already gained measurable frog and bulb size. His hair line looked good, but his heels were still a bit high and his sole was too flat. He still moved about the same in rhythm, but easier. Then I took him to the Ashland trimfest and Karen, who is one of my mentors, gave him a professional trim. More concavity, as I did not realize the pink I was seeing was old bruises. I would stop and think I was getting to close to sensitive material. This professional trim really boosted Sterling physically and emotionally.

On the 25th day his soles, frog and bulb looked fantastic. His round rear feet now have an oval shape. He has deep depression grooves on two of his feet. Older bruises are still surfacing. The new horn is full and gives the image of what his angle and growth will be in the months ahead. These are the 1st month results--I take him for walks around the forest and on the paved 1/2 mile driveway. He did a perfect haunch turn, out-walked me, trotted when I let him go free to the lawn, and cow-kicked at another horse at a feeding site. Except for his showing a difficult stance, some limp and one stumble in the beginning of going down the steeper part of the driveway. You would not think he had any issues by his movement. I bought him some Old Macs and plan to get him on some longer walks. To encourage daily movement he is in with my other 9 horses on 15 acres of forest with a stream, rocks, granite, mud, packed dirt. I hide their feed in flakes throughout the area, making them all have to walk around to locate where it might be. All of this gain in such a short time! Makes me realize the benefits of a barefoot trim and movement are an amazing remedy. I am so happy for him.

Name: Lori Savage
Location: Floresville (South of San Antonio), Texas
Contact Info: 830-216-7793 or email las_whinny@yahoo.com
Age, Breed, Problems: 18 year old foundered (penetrated both fronts) Arabian stallion
Trim for others?: No, but willing to take rehab cases here and CSHS available (comes every 3 weeks) for trimming.
Date: 17 Mar 2003

Winsome Star foundered in July/August of 2000, after being "shot up" at a show by 2 strangers. Vet speculated on any number of tranquilizers, and I myself suspect corticosteriods because of the rapid and severe laminitis that resulted. "Winnie" rotated 15 degrees in both fronts, and was also a "sinker," where the coffin bone actually sinks downward in the hoof capsule. All advice at that point was to put him down, in spite of the fact that he came trotting off the trailer at the vet hospital to be x-rayed. We called in a leading specialist at that point, and worked with him for about 1-1/2 years, using fairly conventional methods, though he did try to lower heels, etc., when he thought the horse was beginning to recover. The specialist pretty much gave up when Winnie did not respond, and we called in Rachael Coggins, then a CSHS student (after Gretchen recommended her to me) to help. Before Rachael could even make it out to see Winnie, he had sole penetration. All vets but one said to put him down. The one actually saw him, and said "hey, he's still walking and trying, can't hurt to try." Rachael began trimming Winnie and teaching me in December of 2001, and Winnie had progressed greatly since then. He is still recovering, but is now chasing the 3 year old gelding around the pasture, neck wrestling and rearing to box with him, and walking/trotting to pace the fence line when we move his mare (almost ready to foal) up for the night. He is resting his hind feet more (like a normal horse relaxing), and can even buck (uh, oh). I've ridden him a few times, and will do more, I hope, this summer as the days get longer. The lack of riding is not due to any problems of Winnie's, but a lack of time on my part. He is again going through some bad abscessing on his right front (originally clubby anyway from an old trailering accident), but does not seem bothered by it. The addition of LaminaSaver to his feed seems to also be helping, though from what I've seen on their site, they indirectly support the Strasser method, or something similar, to make this product actually work.

Winnie--shod February 2001, and then sole penetration Dec. 2001

January, April 2002

Anyway, Winnie would not even be here today if it weren't for the Strasser method, and Gretchen's site!!! Thank you!!!!!!

Name: Trieneke de Jager
Location: Nederland
Contact Info: tj66@home.nl
Age, Breed, Problems: 10 jaar  3 jaar kreupel
Trim for others?: nee
Date: 25 Jul 2003

Renate Huttman was de eerste die tegen mij kon zeggen, waarom mijn paard kreupel was. Dat konden de dierenartsen mij niet vertellen. En hij was afgekeurd voor de sport met andere woorden hij mocht naar de slager. Renate heeft hem getrimd en met succes. Na een jaar trimmen heeft mijn paard weer meegedaan aan een endurance wedstrijd een rit van 58 kilometer en met succes met een gemiddelde van 13.75 kilometer per uur.

Trieneke de Jager Groningen Nederland
 

Name: Sue Bates
Location: west TN
Contact Info: bsbates@netease.net
Age, Breed, Problems: 19 yr. old Arabian mare
Trim for others?: maybe after more practice
Date: 08 Aug 2003

Discovered that our 19 yr. old Arabian broodmare (w/3 mo. old colt at her side) is actually foundered rather than arthritic, as our Amish farrier had indicated. Just a bad call on his part; he's usually VERY good and we trust him implicitly. We only acquired her about 2 1/2 yrs. ago and it appears that this is not her first case of founder. About 8 wks. back I'd had him put shoes on her front, thinking that it might help her 'arthritis' or tenderfoot or whatever. It worked for about 3 wks. and then she began getting worse again. The last 10-14 days she's really been spiraling downward. Finally, a vet call confirmed founder and I discovered the Natural Horse Trim site after doing an online search for a cure. By this time, she was bad enough that she spent much time lying down, with weight loss and obviously in much pain. Hubby & I managed to get the shoes off of her last weekend while she was laying down, and I then began working on trying to regain the ground-parallel coffin bone in her front feet. Bless her, she was MOST co-operative!! I've continued working on her almost daily, just a little at a time since I can only 'do' her when she's down and I'm far from expert. We have already seen improvement!! Her weight is coming back, her eyes look better, the back is more concave instead of arched upward, she spends more time standing and she's moving around a bit more. Unfortunately, while doing her back feet tonight, I discovered a small penetration of the coffin bone in her right rear foot. It's no larger than the tip of my little finger and I'm hopeful that the trimming that I did on her heels tonight will help to give her more relief and begin to affect a cure for the problem. Her toes have never been overly long, so I'm assuming that most of the problem has been the result of whatever initially caused the founder and the high heels. I have already told several people about the site and am so thrilled to see the old gal improving in such a short time! Both my hubby and I were dreading what we were sure was her impending demise; fearing that one morning we would find her dead when we went out to feed. The last couple of mornings she has been back to her former self of calling for breakfast and standing there waiting for it to be served! Same at nighttime! Bless her heart! Today was her most mobile and upright in days and days. I think there may be light at the end of the tunnel..... :-) Thank you for your website, Gretchen!!!

Name: Trieneke de Jager
Location: The Netherlands (Groningen)
Contact Info: tj66@home.nl
Age, Breed, Problems: 11 years warmblood (17h) foundered for 3 years
Trim for others?: no
Date: 29 Sep 2003

My horse Harry was foundered for 3 years, and the vet never found a solution for the problem. So the vet wanted to put him down. I couldn't accept it. So I found a Strasser trimmer from Germany. After 1 trim Harry moved a lot better. After several trims my trimmer taught me how to trim Harry by myself. After a year of trimming, Harry came back into the endurance sport. I want to thank Renate Huttman for trimming Harry. And Dr. Strasser, because her method saves horses.

Name: Barbara Blount-Powell
Location: Gainesville, fl.
Contact Info: barbara@reasonabledoubt.org
Age, Breed, Problems: 20, TrakX, navicular/ringbone
Trim for others?: no
Date: 02 Oct 2003

This is a success story, but a bittersweet ending. I have been working on my horse for over two years after attending my first (of two) clinics with Dr. Strasser here in Florida. When Dr. Strasser saw my horse Segen, "Strudel," at the first clinic in Ocala, she predicted 2-3 years of rehab for his severe ringbone and navicular. Since the beginning of this year I have been lucky enough to have the hands-on work of Anne Daimler, a certified trimmer; she came once a month to improve the work and keep the progress going. She brought more aggressive technique, and a consistent approach that I had not developed. Over his rehab time Strudel had steadily improved his stance and form ("goat on a pinnacle" to perfectly square, upright pasterns to a lovely normal curve), but he continued to show a hitch at the trot. One day in July I suddenly noticed he was trotting nearly perfectly. By August he WAS perfect and Anne was saying - "Why isn't he back in work!" Such joy. Unfortunately, he also began to inexplicably lose weight towards the end of summer and show a general lack of condition. After a peculiar colic and some suspicious blood work, an ultrasound and other tests at the vet school on Sept. 10 confirmed the worse. He had a large neoplastic tumor in his abdomen. My best friend, counselor and therapist of 15 years was gently released as the prognosis was terminal with much potential suffering. I grieve for his loss, but I am so thankful for all I learned from his journey. Dr. Strasser was right on in all she described and predicted. I was able to look back over his history of shoeing, lameness, conventional treatment/shoeing, and finally, corrective natural trimming and lifestyle changes and see an unbroken cause and effect relationship matching perfectly with her theories. I hope to prevent future problems with my young horses and hopefully pass on to others what I have learned. Here's to you Strudel, my friend! Out of your suffering, may others benefit.

Name: Jacqui Johnson
Location: Tenerife, Canary Islands
Contact Info: jacqui.johnson@travelshoptenerife.com
Age, Breed, Problems: 13 /navicular
Trim for others?: no, but happy to refer to my farrier
Date: 21 Oct 2003

My 13 year old gelding started having problems in March 2002.The vet wrongly diagnosed tendon problems, and after 1 year of unnecessary treatment and bouts of lameness with months of stall rest, said that there was no solution and that I should think about retiring him. My horse means too much to me to give up without a fight, so I moved him to a stable where he could be loose 24 hours, and called in another vet to check him out. In 15 minutes the vet diagnosed navicular syndrome, which I suspect was his problem from the beginning. Terribly upset with this news I decided to try and find somewhere for an an early retirement, but at the same time began searching on the web for information on navicular to increase my then very superficial knowledge. The sun came out, I found information on the Strasser trim and not only that, this marvelous lady actually answered my email. In July 2003 my horse's shoes were pulled and he was given his first trim, 4 days later he was walking almost soundly and now 3 months later I am trotting and cantering him. I have had the most invaluable help from my stable owner/farrier who has trimmed every 10 days and given my horse his new lease on life. I would never have believed it possible, and just hope that more professionals will bow their heads and just give it a try - it really works. I will never be able to say thank you enough to Doctor Strasser who has researched this method and Mr. Gomez who has helped me put into practice.

Name: Sandy Judy
Location: Gibsonville, NC
Contact Info: 336 698-0784
Age, Breed, Problems: 6 year old Oldenburg w/contraction, shod w/heel pads, over-at-the knee
Trim for others?: yes maybe depends
Date: 24 Oct 2003

In fox hunt school, a woman came from the local pony club with her daughter and horses to be the fox and hounds. We chased them. I was impressed with her gelding until I looked down and saw him standing buck kneed, and asked her if I could look at her horse's feet. She said yes, and was very open to discussing his problems and telling me about him. He is a 6 year old Oldenburg, and she has had him most of his life. I talked to her about barefoot, showed her my nice Holsteiner, whose feet have almost fully de-contracted after I went to a Nancy Filbert workshop earlier in the year. Lynn was very interested, and immediately asked me if I could come trim her horse. I have never trimmed anyone else's horse before, but I said maybe I could at least educate her and get her started. I told her to get a farrier to come out and pull the shoes and call me. I didn't really think I would hear from her so soon, but this was on Sat. when I met her, and she called on Monday to say she had the shoes off and would I come out on Tues.? Lynn was very interested in everything I knew to tell her about the Strasser method. I brought a dissection and a half trimmed foot so she could visualize the problem. I talked to her for at least an hour before I touched her horse's feet. Then we went about documenting his problems, which we wrote down in a little folder I had prepared for her of material that would help educate her after I was gone. She had already ordered Strasser's books, video and the beginner's trim kit offered on The Horse's Hoof and soaking boots. So when we looked at the horse's feet, they were contracted beyond the vertical on one side of each front. He had curved upwards hairlines that were not even close to 30 degrees. He was actually less buck kneed since the shoe removal. Lynn even said that she remembered that his feet used to be bigger! Most people don't remember. We took pictures of before and after the first trim. I cleaned out around the dirt line and found mountains of pooled bar. I took his heels down, did opening cuts and quarter scoops. I did everything I knew to do and it took me all afternoon. I came back a week later, and she had her trimming supplies, so I showed her how to do some of the trimming, and told her to ride him on pavement and soak him daily, and to call me with any question