A fellow Strasser alumni posted that she had recently attended the Hoofcare Summit in Cincinatti where Gene Ovnicek gave a program on trimming under-run hooves that was decidedly like a Strasser trim! The presenters at this function are usually vets and farriers given to other vets and farriers. He used "opening cuts" which were invented by Strasser and advised trimming the heels and bars down "bordering on surgery" (his words) He also mentioned checking with thumb pressure to make sure you weren't too thin.
Then there was another post where a trimmer had a client that called a vet on her "navicular" horse. After she told the vet she was pursuing a barefoot route to curing her horse and wanted to know what parameters the trim should include. Guess what the vet said?  Lower heels, trim bars way down and use opening cuts...!!!??? So now we have vets and farriers that are advocating something that we Strasser-trained trimmers have been doing all along! Apparently Pete Ramey is also advocating opening cuts in his video. He "discovered" that this technique helped to open up contracted heels. Well DUH!!! Strassser again!
 
 
Well I was convinced I was going. Even though I had mixed feelings about it, I was excitedly looking forward to spending the summer working at Jackson Lake. But when I called to find out if I had the job, they said all the positions had been filled. I think my age had something to do with the decision. I'm sure they hired some young cowboy which would better fit the part of a wrangler than some 55 yr old over weight woman. Still its rather depressing. I know I could have done a good job and would have enjoyed it but maybe its just as well. Several people, my trim clients, my family including my mom didn't want me to go anyway. And I didn't want to leave my horses and my dog. But with Jayson's marriage in July, I would have had to get off for that weekend. So
 
 
I will just say that there are a few people on Facebook that I enjoyed reading their updates. One was my mother's church's former pastor who lives in Jordan or somewhere over in Bible land. But there are a lot of people who don't seem to have enough to do. All these little games and stuff. Who has time for all that??!! So If there are people out there who want to communicate with me they can call or email me directly. And if they really want to know what I think about something, if they can't find it in this blog or on my website, they can ask me!
So one more thing I have to say. The vast majority of vets and farriers and other barefoot trimmers too, do not know as much about feet as a person who has been through the Strasser Hoofcare Professional's course. There are a few good trimmers out there that did not go thru Dr. Strasser's course but have a really good idea how to trim correctly. There are a larger number of people out there professing to do a natural barefoot trim that still have things wrong. I mean wrong according to balance and function. And function as it relates to anatomy, not function as it relates to riding down the road. Both are important but you can certainly ride down the road on a shod "sound" horse that has been de-nerved and has pathologically deformed feet. Soundness does not necessarily mean healthy! True healthy feet are sound and can feel. There's so many people, professional trainers, vets, farriers, etc. that don't know the difference.
 
 

It just seems like every time I turn around I am getting subtle hints that going to Wyoming is what I will do. Like the other day when I glanced at the newpaper Billy was reading while we were headed down the road and i saw, "Go West" as the headline and "in the summer time" was playing on the radio. I worry about who will pick the ticks out of my horses' tails and who will monitor Corde when it gets really hot? Who's going to trim their feet? Worm them? And then Jayson's wedding... am i being selfish by wanting to go to Wyoming? I have to buy a saddle or find one that someone will loan me. I did get some new tires on the Great White and I've looked at my route. 77 to 64 to St. Louis then 80 to Jackson. It will probably take me 2 or 3 days of driving. I can sleep in the car if I take one of my foam mattresses which i would take so I can have good nites sleep. The hours are 6am to 4:30 but a breakfast and lunch break are in there and it will be horse time. I will really miss Lyric and what I want to happen is that I will come back more in love with my hubby. And lighter by a few pounds would be nice too. Should I take my trimming stuff and generate some income trimming out there? Probably not. But I would want to take some trips around the area. What if Yellowstone blows? Well I would be a

 
 
I really have a lot to consider but I might take a summer job taking guests on trail rides through the Tetons near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It's a chance to get away and do something I've always wanted to do. I can't take my horse or my dog which I wish I could do and I have to bring my own western saddle and sleep in a dorm room with another worker. It's very little pay but I'll be able to send some home and make a little to enjoy being out there. I haven't been hired yet but the guy called and said they wanted me and gave me a few days to think about it. I've thought about it and I want to go!