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PHCP Student Spotlight – Caitlin Kortlang
Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in hoof care
I grew up riding and showing Hunters and Jumpers, but honestly never thought much about hoof care. After stepping away from horses for many years, my daughter’s interest drew me back in, and we now own four horses (three Warmbloods and a Connemara). Two of the horses live at home with us and mostly trail ride, and two are my 17-year-old daughter’s competition horses that she shows in the Hunter and Equitation divisions.
Our most recent addition, Biscotti, was the inspiration for me diving into the world of hoof care. We purchased Biscotti, a Belgian Warmblood who was then 6 years old, from a well known Hunter Jumper trainer in Wellington, FL. Biscotti passed his pre-purchase exam with no red flags from either the primary vet or the reviewing vet, both with extensive sport horse experience. But when Biscotti arrived in California I was concerned about his feet. He was shod in open heeled shoes with wedge rim pads, and even to my uneducated eye his feet looked distorted. The farrier, vet, and trainer, however, weren’t concerned. They all said that underrun heels are common, to keep him in wedges, and not to worry about it. About a year later I came across the article “Bowker: Navicular Issues Begin Earlier Than We Think” in The Horse magazine and a massive lightbulb (it was more like a flood light!) came on in my head. I read everything I could find by Dr. Bowker, and then went on to read The Essential Hoof Book: The Complete Modern Guide to Horse Feet, Pete Ramey’s books, and more.
With this new information and outlook, my daughter and I decided that to give Biscotti the best chance at long term soundness he needed to grow healthier feet from the inside out, and the most effective way to do that was to remove the shoes and let him heal while barefoot. I couldn’t find any experienced barefoot trimmers in our area, so I decided I would need to learn and attended PHCP’s Anatomy, Trimming & Hoof Protection Clinic taught by PHCP clinician Melody O’Brien. My daughter, Annika, has since also attended Melody’s clinic and is now helping trim our horses. We have transitioned all four of our horses to barefoot.
What is your favorite thing about being a PHCP member
I love how committed PHCP is to adhering to the most up to date and scientifically sound practices, how open the group is to new information, and how supportive members are in helping others. Melody in particular has been a wonderful mentor. As someone new to trimming, it has been invaluable to be able to reach out to Melody to seek advice.
What are your recommendations for transitioning horses to barefoot
At least in the Hunter Jumper world, there is the perception that barefoot is only for the most elite horses (i.e. barefoot is difficult to manage and requires lots of extra care), or for backyard horses. My recommendation is to question this logic, learn about the benefits of barefoot, find an educated trimmer (or learn yourself!), understand and implement proper equine nutrition, and find a pair of hoof boots that fit your horse well. Hoof boots have been an essential tool in keeping our horses comfortable while transitioning to barefoot, and for use when riding on rough terrain.
Tell us about your barefoot competition horses
Annika competes with Biscotti, our Belgian Warmblood, and Willow, a Holsteiner mare and our most recent barefoot convert. Annika shows them in the Junior Hunters, Equitation, and Hunter Derbies. Biscotti is an athletic, goofy, sensitive soul who loves to trail ride and learn tricks. Willow is a petite mare with picture perfect jumping technique who loves cuddles and will always reciprocate scratches. Both are almost always the only barefoot horses in Annika’s classes, but hopefully that will change as more owners start competing their horses barefoot.
