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PHCP Mentor Spotlight – Katie Garrett

PHCP practitioner and mentor, Katie Garrett, lives in Leavenworth, WA, a beautiful little town nestled in the North Cascades. She trims horses in eastern WA, which is a hot, desert environment with cold snowy winters, and western WA which is the opposite environment, coastal and very wet.

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in hoof care

I grew up in Washington with horses, riding Dressage and showing 4H and Pony Club. I took a break from horses in my 20s to pursue being a river guide and ski bum. I was living in Colorado and had come back to Washington to visit friends and family in 2014, and a good friend had bought a ranch in Cashmere, WA. We went for a ride and she said she wanted to start teaching barefoot hoof care and she wanted me to move back and learn the trade and teach classes with her. I was approaching 30 and looking for something more than bartending in a ski town. I had a 26-day river trip in the Grand Canyon scheduled so I decided when I got back I would move back to Washington and pursue a career in hoof care. 10 years later and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else!

What is your favorite thing about being part of PHCP

My favorite part about being in PHCP is the community. I’ve met some amazing people. I love teaching and have really enjoyed mentoring. It is so fun to watch people advance in their skills.

What are your interests besides all things hooves

Outside of hoof care I ride and show working equitation with my mustang mare Jazz. We also love to trail ride and have done some endurance. I love white water rafting and kayaking. I have over 1,000 river miles and have guided all over the country including two Class 5 river seasons. I have rafted the Grand Canyon (each, month long trips) three times. I’ve hiked several 14,000 ft mountains in Colorado with my husky, Lula. I’ve done horse packing trips as well. I love being in the outdoors and sleeping under the stars.

Tell us something people may not know about you

Something people may not know about me is that I lived in Peru for 3 months when I was 20 years old. I spent several years working at Stevens Pass Ski Resort, and they had an exchange program with South American college students to come work for the winters. I became good friends with several Peruvians and went down there by myself, stayed with them and their families, and ended up in Cusco living in hostels and working at a bar. I hiked to Machu Pichu on a 5-day Jungle Trek. It was an amazing adventure that I’ll never forget.