Well, I believe we have found our farrier. Not that the guys who have done it previously were bad, but Rebecca was incredibly afraid of them. She’s not shown fear of anything or anyone other than the two men farriers. So, we found a woman (Anne) who is a holistic hoofcare provider (www.soundhorsesystems.com). When she walked up to the fence she allowed both horses to sniff her for a long time. When we went in with them, she gave them time to come check her out first.

Cassidy was the one who showed some nervousness. She kept walking away from us. I think she was also a bit cranky because she had missed her scheduled 10am nap! Anne didn’t demand Cass let her touch her. She had me halter her up and she got out some essential oils to allow her to sniff to help ease her tension and fears. Cass kept asking to smell the 3rd one she used. She liked it. The big difference with how Anne worked was that she gave Cass the time she needed. As you know, it took a bit of work to get her to let me lift her feet up without protest and huge stomping. She also worked herself around in positions that let Cass be comfortable rather than vice versa. Therese came up and helped hold the girls.

Baby Becca didn’t seem upset except we were all paying attention to Cass and not her. When it was her turn she stood there like a big girl and let Anne trim tiny bits off her hooves. She attempted to bow all the way down a couple times but never bucked or kicked. Anne kept reassuring her the whole time. It was a positive experience for her and she’ll only get better the more it is done. I forgot to get any pics when her hooves were being done. I have a lot to learn about hooves and plan on getting some books to start the process. Healthy hooves are the best way to have a healthy horse. A lot rides on those tiny things.