Clinic Comments

Dear Pete and Ivy,

I attended the clinic in Monroe, NC a couple weeks ago and came away with an unbelievable amount of information and a much deeper understanding of the barefoot horse. I’m very new to horse ownership and have been concerned about doing the right thing for my 3-year old palomino and the clinic, and your book, have convinced me that natural hooves will be the healthiest for him. This past Sunday, I had Todd Jaynes remove Bali’s front shoes (I had the backs removed when I bought him in September), and do a trim and fit him for Epic boots. I think he’s happier already! I realized I have a lot to learn about hoof care, diet, trimming, etc. but with continued reading…and attending more of your clinics!...I’ll be well on my way to having a horse with beautiful and natural feet.

Thank you both for the generosity of your time and knowledge,
Sincerely,

Stephanie and Bali

Hi Pete and Ivy

Just to thank you for a really wonderful clinic in NZ. I have never been to a more in depth and informative clinic on ANY subject ever.
You are a really great lecturer Pete and your in depth knowledge of and passion for your subject is inspirational. Please just never stop!.
I took this pic today to show you my own horses on their journey to really healthy digital cushions and lateral cartilages. No sign of pain here!
Thank you both again. Best wished and Kind Regards

Just wanted to write and say thank you so much for traveling all the way to Tasmania and including us on your clinic calendar. Everyone is raving about the information.

It is great too, to see such a huge transformation in my farrier friend, Jeremy. He is revolutionizing the thoroughbred racing industry here, sharing everything he learnt with his clients, pulling shoes off horses and setting himself up as a boot fitter. Its unreal. He is also about to apply with the AANHCP and hopefully will get over there this year.

My horse Zamir, is back on track and moving out beautifully. Treatments from an equine sports therapist and a better fitting saddle have made all the difference. Not to mention Pete's maintenance trim on his gravel crunching hooves. The famous Tom Quilty Gold Cup endurance race looms ahead - about 50 more sleeps!! and I feel much more confident to tackle it with him.

Opportunities like that come along once in a lifetime and the effects of it can last that long too.

I really hope you can include Tassie next year on your worldwide itinerary. The information, guidance, inspiration and hope that you give all your budding students is exceptional.

Dear Ivy And Pete

Thank you for an amazing clinic. I had a BLAST ( and I got a lot smarter). The way You present the things You know and don't know, is just an inspiration. You sound very humble to You're trade, and i know you are. What is does to people that are listening to You, is that gives respect. That is very very important. The fact that You talk about things You have tried and You know that it is working, on the horses You have tried it on, and You tell that to people, does, that they can only hear what you have to say, not telling You that you are not correct. They can use and try it if they wont to, but never tell you or anybody that you were saying thing that were not true, because you already told them that you have tied it on the horses you take care of, and you did not say" stop doing what you're are doing, and start doing what I tell you to do."
Thanks again. I really hope that I can come over a spend some time with you in the field sometime soon when i find the money.
Again, thank you both.
God bless you

Claus. Farrier-Denmark

Pete, I just wanted to tell you that Candy, the Arab with BAD fungus at the Greeneville clinic, is already walking heel first!!!! She is returning back to her old self. Thank you Pete and Ivy for teaching me so much and being there for us owners who need it so much.

Well, the clinic is over, and I'm still sort of reeling from everything I learned. Perhaps this sounds like over-gushing, but I can't remember when I have enjoyed a "horsey" clinic more. Maybe it's because I've been struggling with this concept for three years now, and Pete spent two days telling us how "simple" barefoot trimming is. He then proceeded to show us on eight horses (4 per day), each with quite different issues. One he pulled the shoes off; the rest had all been barefoot for different periods. What an eye-opener!

We had a terrific group of participants. Some were longtime horse owners, one was a new horse person, and one was a traditional farrier. We were particularly fortunate to have Ralph (Stanton), the farrier, and Dr. Neal Valk, the Stonehill Equine Clinic vet, as they lent a professional perspective. I found Pete to be an outstanding teacher. I thought his lecture sessions were well-organized and well-thought-out. But it was when he got under the horses that he really shone. He helped us develop an "eye" as we looked at and evaluated hoof after hoof, and watched as he subtly changed weight lines with a well-placed rasp or two. It was incredible!

If you were unable to attend, but know someone who did, make a beeline to them and pick their brain! I think you'll find them more than willing to tell you what they learned about the Wonderful World of Barefoot.

Melanie NATRC Competitor- North Carolina

You must have been a very good teacher, my little mare (Shetland pony) started to get very fat this summer, behaved strange, chose to stay in the shed instead of eating etc. I think she got a touch of laminitis, but you could not see it in her hooves. I trimmed her al summer once a week, kept her toe short and attacked flares more then ever. Finally I had to send her to a friend for a diet, that's when it got bad, she could hardly walk so I was sure she must have laminitis. Strangely her feet has gotten better then ever, in shape and concavity throughout the whole period. I give myself the credit and that goes back to you, after the last course here in Norway I started to realize that I could trust myself, my knowledge and after that everything has gone very well. After a month of dieting, trimming once a week and she is in very good shape. Next summer it's a grazing-muzzle for her, 12 hours a day so she can keep up her lifestyle 24/7 and be healthy.

Thanks again Pete and Ivy :-))

Best wishes to you all

Katarina Horse owner-Norway

My name is Pat. I met you and Pete at the clinic in Olympia, WA.
around the end of July. I felt so fortunate to have been able to attend that clinic! I was the one with the black draft cross, Forrest! I'm still floating on air because of the compliments you gave me about his feet. And I know you've heard this many times now, but I have to say it too. Pete's methods saved my horses' feet! All 5 my horses have such beautiful feet now, I can hardly believe it myself. When they are feeling good and start tearing around the pasture, it's so fun to watch them fly over the rocky patches like they aren't even there. Instead of slowing down to tip-toe over the rocks like they've always done prior to being trimmed the natural way.

There was a time when I dreaded my horses coming due for a trims and shoes, not only because of the cost, but also because of the time involved. Now I can have a hard time waiting for them to come due because the results I'm getting are so exciting. And the money I've saved has been spent on some nice tools! I cannot thank you enough."

The clinic was just fantastic, answered questions I didn't even know I had about hoof structure and function. The opportunity to examine those mustang feet in person was just priceless. Maybe next time you will show us some mustang video too :) though Pete's lecture and the pictures of those mustangs made me feel like I was right there on the range!

I want to thank you for a wonderful and informative clinic. You have no idea how much I learned or what it meant for me to be able to help my horse (and others) in a more competent and knowledgeable manner.

Jacob, btw, is doing very well. I appreciate all that you have done for him!!! So does he. He has suddenly developed a 1/8th inch depth to the collateral groove at the apex of frog. Dang! It happened all at once. Chalk is happening at the heels at well and it's all changing. It think it's saying.. I'm ready to heal. :-)

As far as the barefoot rock challenge? Some day I will take you up on it. I am a barefoot maniac as well. Only condition? Ivy cannot be chasing you with a paint gun. <grin>

First I want to say a HUGE thank you to Pete and Ivy. The tireless efforts from both of them to provide the knowledge is something for which I am personally grateful. I think I can safely speak for others that want to express this gratitude.

Pete and Ivy's effort is a standard for which I will measure any future clinics I attend.

You know you are getting good value for money when a week long course is squeezed into a weekend, and Pete says he will not let anyone leave with questions unanswered.

Two 12 hour days gave us mind blowing amounts of information on the hoof, how it works, why it works and how to fix what doesn’t work. Although the lecture sessions overloaded our brains, the visuals of seeing Pete trim a dozen horses gave us a clear picture of a good natural trim and how it can help so many horses with deformed feet (most domestic horses).

It was frightening to face the reality that all our horses are actually heading down the founder and navicular road unless we change the way we feed and care for them, particularly the feet.

Undoubtedly, traditional horsemanship has clouded our view of how we look after something nature designed to work so well so we have complicated something that should be so simple.

All horses really need is basic food like free choice hay, clean water and a mineral lick, movement from herd life and riding, and frequent (1-4 weekly) trims when the riding doesn’t wear enough hoof down.

Unfortunately, the human need in many of us to nurture, means we will slowly ‘Kill our horses with kindness’. Instead, lets become kind enough to find out how horses are truly designed to live and try to replicate that as closely as possible.

If Pete ever comes to a place near you definitely make the most of the opportunity to learn from the huge amount of experience he has to share

Thanks soooo much for the great clinic. I learned sooo much, and for as much as I learned about feet, I learned as much about honor and dignity, about... humanity and humility. Please stay the way you are, Pete... Ivy, pound him if his ego gets out of control, okay? Pete, your down to earth attitude, awesome sense of fun and joy, your humility, your candid honesty and... ability to not take praise, questions and confrontation personally... your appreciation of Ivy's many contributions... you're gonna make it because you care, because you ask as many questions as you answer... because when there's a stage, you pull everyone else up on it with you...

Who you are now is great because of how you are who you are... my single wish for you is that you can never stop wanting to learn more; stay hungry, Pete. Don't let the world crush your inner child. Don't become an expert... stay an adventurer....

I went right out and trimmed Gavilan yesterday, and while his feet looked the much same as they did before the clinic, I was faster, more confident and... much, much more educated... I learned a lot. Thanks for sharing, from the bottom of my heart!

I just wanted to let you guys know that I am back from the Pete Ramey clinic in Arizona this weekend. What an amaaaaaaazing trip!

The drive there on Friday was absolutely harrowing, and the 7+ hour trip took my husband and I over 11 hours. It took us over 3 hours to go the first 100 miles due to the rain and traffic, and then it was dark and driving through the Arizona desert with 18 wheelers kicking up mist and the rain making everything a wet noisy blur until the wipers could whisk away the water with the next swipe! Then we managed to miss a turn in the watery darkness and found ourselves on a dark deserted desert road into an Indian reservation and up a seemingly endless grade in the pouring rain, after 1am in the morning. Agghhh... talk about trying not to panic or risk divorce! LOL We got into our hotel at 2am. >sigh<

But ... it was truly, truly all worth it! WOW. I learned so much, and I would have stayed and shivered and listened to Pete talk another 10 days straight if I could have... I LOVED IT!!!!
Pete's humble attitude coupled with obvious knowledge was a joy to see and hear throughout the clinic.

I particularly enjoyed the slides from the program The Glass Horse complimented by Pete's drawings on a white board, his preserved cadavers, his entire bone column that actually moved (especially helpful in showing the effects of heel first landing on the tendon - and navicular bone), and of course his photos of horses he trimmed. I trimmed my mare with white line disease tonight, and I can't wait to see how she does, because I really think the bevel is going to make an amazing difference in her comfort (even though she appears sound now, I think she could be better) and hoof health. I also plan to try the Lysol soaks/spray that Pete recommended, because this mare definitely has fungi and bacteria taking advantage of her situation.

Ok heading out to visit my poor water logged So. Cal horses now..!

Hey Pete and Ivy,
Just want to say a big THANK YOU for the clinic. I loved every minute of it and learned a ton. Still digesting it all - glad I took notes!

It was great to see you guys again and I hope to someday spend some mentoring time with you, one on one. Thanks again, you two make a great team.
Boogie On,
Cindy Farrier

I just wanted to thank you again for the energy and dedication that you put into our clinic. My mind was reeling at the end. Pete I'm going to have to get my muscles on to keep pace with you. I admire both of you for having the ability to never take pot shots at anyone. Always leading with positive statements. Your knowledge and professionalism are awesome. It will be an honor and privilege to study with you.

Hello Pete. Thanks so much for inviting me to attend your Phoenix clinic. I was only planning on attending the first day because of time constraints. The first day was so interesting however that I rearranged my schedule so I could spend another day listening to you speak.

In addition, your model of what happens with horses that are landing toe first was very profound. I will never look at these horses in the same way again. This situation I now see is very serious and should be addressed immediately.

Perhaps you have not fully come to realize just how much validity people see in you. Understand that I live way out west, far from the hotbed of natural hoof care and have learned to trim horses almost totally on my own without much personal help from anybody and when I read your book it totally validated my own trimming philosophy. From my perspective, Pete really knows his shit! I consider you to be a preeminent authority for natural hoof care as do so many other horse owners taking the barefoot path. You Pete are building the tower. What Pete Ramey says is taken as "the law". Yes, the law may change from time to time but the knowledge you bring forth is taken very seriously for sure.

You are such a humble person Pete, like none other that I have met in your situation. I wish I had half the humility you possess. You say that your just a student of the horse and I believe you but it is your desire for knowledge and your humility that has made you the central sponge, the place we looked to for all that knowledge and truth, My hat is off to you!

I have just had the pleasure of hosting a workshop for Pete Ramey in Australia and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in barefoot care. Pete is an intelligent and enthusiastic presenter and takes the time to explain clearly why he trims as he does. I think he has a great deal to offer horse owners, farriers, veterinarians and barefoot trimmers alike and I am very glad that I had the chance to be exposed to his ideas.