PHCP Practitioner Spotlight – Micaela McNulty

I grew up in Northern California and was horse crazy right from the beginning. I started riding when I was about 6 years old but didn’t realize that my true path in life would be hoof care until several years after college, when I began feeling out of place and unfulfilled in my work sitting at a desk all day. I’ve always been happiest being outdoors and with animals, so I started to dream about working with horses. I hadn’t ridden regularly since before college, so I started riding again, volunteering at a local therapeutic riding center, and connecting with lots of wonderful horse people and professionals. One day I shadowed a barefoot trimmer in my area and fell in love with trimming from the moment I picked up the rasp. I loved the blend of art and science involved and caring for the horses, and I knew this was what I wanted to do. My apprenticeship mentor encouraged me to learn from different people and told me about Pete Ramey and PHCP. I joined PHCP and started the training program in 2020 and haven’t looked back.

My favorite thing about being part of PHCP is all of the amazing people I’ve gotten to know through the organization! I love that being part of PHCP connects me to a network of awesome people who are just as crazy about hoof care and helping horses as I am.

When I’m not trimming hooves you will usually find me doing something else outdoors: hiking, trail running, camping, swimming in lakes (or ponds, or rivers), kayaking, bird watching, trail riding, snowshoeing in winter, and tending the vegetable garden. I also love photography, baking, making and canning jams and other preserves, spending time with family, reading (mostly fiction), and traveling.

When I was 16 I spent half a year living in Argentina, going to school and staying with a host family. I had never been to Argentina before—I picked it out of a list of Spanish-speaking countries that the study abroad program went to because it sounded fascinating. I loved it there and came back completely fluent in Spanish, though I’m sad to say that I have become less and less fluent in the years since.