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A champion beyond explanation
Dr Katz is a 15hh, off the track, “slightly loopy” thorough bred. We’ve had him for 5 years now, and with the bulkiness of his Zabeel bloodlines, he was the perfect type for his new profession – Show jumping. He was very speedy and would have been unbeatable in jump offs, he never got there. He kept dragging a leg and knocking rails. We tried all sorts of things to make him lift his legs, but he wasn’t responding. 2003, bare footing was just starting up and “Bowie” was looking for a horse to try it on. Seeing Kat wasn’t jumping extremely well, we gave it a shot. Within 3 months, the rails were staying up and jump offs were being won. Cape weed, mud, any condition, Kat was winning. 2004, and still going strong. He made it into a D grade EFA jump off. Max height. Kat had never jumped that high before. They were big jumps for a little horse. He went out and jumped like a champion. He won. The other horses were slipping and couldn’t handle the conditions.
Since then, he’s won six bars, done pony club horse trials and state mounted games, and to think that two years ago, he wasn’t jumping because he had shoes on. He’s a better horse now, and we’re very grateful. Now all our horses are barefoot. Not only are they jumping unbelievably well, but it’s so much cheaper than paying for shoeing every month.
I highly recommend it!
Thanks Bowie!
Joanne Stevens, 12 yo (2003)
By Your Command
By Your Command (Demo) is a 10 year old Thoroughbred gelding owned by Brittany Flinn. When she first purchased him she was warned that he was unsound and “nuts”. He had one splayed front foot and the other was a club foot.
He had been owned by several “top” showjumping families and although he showed great ability, he consistently pulled up lame and had “brain issues”. He was shod in every way known to man to try to keep him “sound”. But at the end of the day he was deemed to be “unsound” which was why Brittany got him for a song!! His next “home” was the doggers.
Brittany has rehabilitated him to become a happy, healthy and sound showjumper using consistent barefoot trimming. He is now completely sound (and sane) for the first time in his life.
Brittany used hoof boots for approximately 6 months into his rehabilitation when competing and now he is completely sound and competes throughout the state winning over and over again barefoot. Brittany ‘loves to learn every day by coming across new hooves’ and says she is ‘excited to see the barefoot movement grow more and more’.