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| Hi, I am Dave Fitton. Welcome to my world of natural hoof care and equine stewardship for our equine buddies. I was raised on the Louis Gill and Sons Cattle Ranch located in the rolling oak studded hills at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. Horses have always been a part of my life. It was my first horse, Peco, that taught me how to walk by hanging on to his lead rope and to ride while still in diapers. On the ranch I was very blessed to have been mentored by some excellent horsemen. Our ranch Farrier, Bob Noble, began teaching me the importance of proper hoof care and natural hoof balance when I was only ten years old. He was a man ahead of his time. As with most of you it was a horse, my favorite horse Booger Red that led me on my barefoot odyssey. At the age of eighteen Red was diagnosed with navicular syndrome. He had been well cared for his entire life with traditional regular shoeing. Three Farriers and two Veterinarians later I began searching the Internet for answers. I was determined to allow my horse to heal not just manage his pain. I had the great fortune to attend two workshops with Martha Olivio and met James Welz both of whom had just returned from Germany after completing their studies with Dr. Hiltrud Strasser. The knowledge they shared with me convinced me I was on the right path to heal my horse. A little over a year later I too was certified by Dr. Hiltrud Strasser after completing a year long technical and practical international course. I have continued to network and study with Martha Olivo and I am a certified Hoof Groom Mentor. Recently I had a wonderful opportunity to study with Pete Ramey and Dr. Robert Bowker. As a professional I believe it is my responsibility to continue to study, network and learn for the sake of our equine clients. What was just a few years ago considered off-beat and grasping at straws when trying to heal a lame horse is now becoming mainstream as more Veterinarians, Farriers, horse owners and performance trainers educate themselves. As stewards of the horse it is our responsibility to provide the most natural living conditions possible. It is very important to feed forage specific highly bioavailable nutritional supplements to improve our horses hoof growth and overall well-being. Equine Chiropractic, massage therapy, and regular dental checkups are also very important. Many times I have found a horses lameness issue to be a chiropractic problem that has led to lameness or lameness that has led to a chiropractic problem as the horse tries to compensate for his hoof pain. Think about how you feel and walk when your back or neck is out of adjustment… Another important area of stewardship is proper saddle fit. Please don’t ever buy a saddle just buy brand name. Have the saddletree fit to your horse by a professional for your specific needs. I think you will be surprised at the quality custom saddles you can buy for a reasonable price if you do your homework. It should be your horse’s saddle as well as your saddle. You just ride on it, he has to wear it. What has become known as natural hoof care is an important part of a total stewardship program to improve the overall physical and mental health of our equine buddies. It is our responsibility to maintain natural living conditions with regular proper care when keeping these magnificent animals in a captive situation for our convenience and pleasure. For those of you that were wondering about Booger Red, he is now twenty- six years old, completely sound, barefoot and still competes in weekend ropings-and can still win! |
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| Founder Laminitis Navicular Lameness Barefoot Trim Natural Trim Coffin Bone Balanced Hoof Hoof Care Specialist Hoof Boots Hoofjack Natural Hoof Care Barefoot Trimming |
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