James Welz, Barefoot Hoofcare

James Welz, Barefoot Hoofcare James Welz, Equine Barefoot Hoofcare trimming services for Happy Hooves! Serving the Phoenix AZ area. His entire focus is on creating the healthy hoof.

Based in the Phoenix area (Queen Creek), James Welz currently has clients throughout the state of Arizona, and offers his wealth of experience and education to barefoot horse owners. Many client horses have been trimmed by James for up to 15 years. The horses he trims include trail horses, pleasure horses, barrel racers, cutting horses, dressage horses, hunter/jumpers and endurance horses. His spe

cial interest is performance horses, though he enjoys helping all horses achieve better hoof health. James has been a hoofcare professional (barefoot trimmer) since 2000. He was one of the first in this country to receive a higher education in barefoot trimming, and one of the first to begin a full-time career as a barefoot-only professional. James was, in his "former life," a technical wizard and computer systems administrator until his wife's mare foundered in 1999, and changed the course of their lives forever. In a desperate attempt to save this horse, they immersed themselves in the new barefoot movement, which had only just begun. James immediately began hands-on training with the only educated barefoot hoofcare specialist in North America at that time, Sabine Kells of British Columbia, Canada. In May 2000, he attended the controversial German Veterinarian Dr. Hiltrud Strasserโ€™s first U.S. clinic tour, and promptly enrolled in her one-year course, the first holistic barefoot educational program ever offered in this country. After studies in both Canada and Germany, James graduated in May 2001 in Tuebingen, Germany, with a certificate from the European School of Hoof Orthopedics (ESHOP). James had been trimming about 100 horses professionally while attending school, but upon graduation in 2001, began trimming full time, soon more than doubling the number of horses. He has maintained a consistent client base of about 200 horses per month since then. During this time, he concentrated on learning from the horses, and developing a system that could merge theory with practical reality. His studies included wild horse hooves, Jaime Jackson's research, and Dr. Robert Bowker's research. His most important studies were conducted upon his own horses: seeing the cause and effect of every trim decision, month after month, year after year, upon the same horses. Without that experience, he never could have developed the system as it exists today. Many of his theories about the hoof are unique: building upon information from prior sources, but combined in a way that can only come from a truly mechanical mind (see HoofHelpOnline.com for more info). James is a 2001 graduate of the European School of Hoof Orthopedics (ESHOP) in Tuebingen, Germany.

07/07/2025

We just relaunched The Horse's Hoof ALL NEW website:
https://www.thehorseshoof.com

We are also celebrating the 25th anniversary of both The Horse's Hoof website & our company - we launched The Horse's Hoof first website in July 2000, and released our first magazine issue in September 2000!

This new website was created to grow! This is just the beginning! I will keep working on it, expanding and developing the content. We explain in detail who we are, where we come from & what we've done in the past, plus provide tons of barefoot resources, recommended products, a full archive library with links to immediately read back issues of Barefoot News, the full contents listing of The Horse's Hoof Magazine and instructions to read it for free, and a collection of barefoot horse and hoof care articles that will grow massively over time! Enjoy!

Happy Hooves! - Yvonne Welz

07/07/2025

I have some pretty big news! We just relaunched The Horse's Hoof ALL NEW website:
https://www.thehorseshoof.com

We are also celebrating the 25th anniversary of both The Horse's Hoof website & our company - we launched The Horse's Hoof first website in July 2000, and released our first magazine issue in September 2000!

This new website was created to grow! This is just the beginning! I will keep working on it, expanding and developing the content. We explain in detail who we are, where we come from & what we've done in the past, plus provide tons of barefoot resources, recommended products, a full archive library with links to immediately read back issues of Barefoot News, the full contents listing of The Horse's Hoof Magazine and instructions to read it for free, and a collection of barefoot horse and hoof care articles that will grow massively over time! Enjoy!

Happy Hooves! - Yvonne Welz

06/25/2025

Wild Mustang Hooves and Fake News -
Sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway
When I first posted the lead photo to our June issue of Barefoot News, featuring Erin Phillips' article and shared photos of the now deceased mustang, Echo, I didn't realize how many people would comment and say, "those are not mustang feet" and "you are lying". Even such elaborations as, "those were trimmed with a grinder" and "wild horse hooves do NOT look like that" ๐Ÿคฃ

That's really wild! Because the photos came direct from The Cloud Foundation. In the comments, I'll share the screenshot of the dead mustang, Echo, and the link to the news video you can watch, which shows his body, and the very obvious feet, which are exactly as they appear here in the provided photos. No one ran out there and trimmed his feet. Seriously. Get real.

It's nice to see untouched hooves, and marvel at their design. Yes, mustang hooves do vary, as do all equines' hooves all over the world. These photos really are the hooves of one deceased Pryor Mountain Mustang. And over the years, I've seen countless examples that are very similar. Which just proves what I suspected - MORE people need to become familiar with the untouched hooves of horses living in ideal natural living conditions.

Hoof Help Online ๐Ÿดis where you have direct access to James & Yvonne, exclusive content, a barefoot trimming course, community access, 80 issues of The Horse's Hoof Magazine, 1000's of photos, 100's of articles, 70+ videos, FREE App and more! Info at: https://members.hoofhelponline.com/

The Horse's Hoof Barefoot News is a FREE monthly barefoot horse care e-newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway

Happy Hooves! - Yvonne Welz

06/25/2025

The Horse's Hoof Barefoot News June 2025 is released!
Sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway
What's in this issue? ๐ŸŒž Hooves of a Wild One: Remembering Echo ๐ŸŒž "A Timeline of the Barefoot Movement" Translated into Espaรฑol! ๐ŸŒž Barefoot for Show Horses ๐ŸŒž 2024 Study on Barefoot Methodology ๐ŸŒž June Cavallo Boot Giveaway ๐ŸŒž New Website Rebuild "The Horse's Hoof" - Coming SOON! ๐ŸŒž And more!

06/06/2025

When we launched The Horse's Hoof website in the summer of 2000 (25 years ago!!), I was still working as the Art Director for the top digital pre-press company in Phoenix. I had already built some websites (a brand new field!), which at that time were a bit complicated to build, using special software, and you had to know a little bit of code.

I used the complicated program Abobe Dreamweaver to build The Horse's Hoof website. I never spent nearly enough time on it, and the THH site always remained extremely humble. To this day, the site is still constructed in the old Dreamweaver in "Frames", which runs only on an outdated, retired computer, which may die at any moment! That is why the whole site is now a dinosaur! It is so old, it won't show up in search results, and gets little traffic. It looks like an ancient relic from the past. ๐Ÿ˜‚

Hallelujah! I'm now hard at work on the new site. Yes, I am starting from absolute ground zero on this. The material for this is never-ending, and no problem at all to come up with articles galore. The construction will take a considerable amount of time, but I can launch with the basic framework and expand it slowly over time. The hard part for me has been deciding the big picture of the entire site map - strategically planning the site and making sure I don't make any major mistakes as I decide the categories and pages.

Here attached is just a glimpse of the beginning! As this will be a fairly simple site to start with, I'm optimistic that I'll be launching it in a relatively short amount of time. Wish me luck! ๐Ÿ˜

Check out Hoof Help Online ๐Ÿด where you have direct access to James & Yvonne, exclusive content, a barefoot trimming course, community access, 80 issues of The Horse's Hoof Magazine, 1000's of photos, 100's of articles, 70+ videos, FREE App and more! Info at: https://members.hoofhelponline.com/

The Horse's Hoof offers a FREE monthly barefoot horse care e-newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway

Happy Hooves! - Yvonne Welz

05/20/2025

The Horse's Hoof Barefoot News May 2025 is released!
Sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway
What's in this issue? ๐ŸŒผ Wise Trimming Tips from Cynthia Cooper ๐ŸŒผ Holistic Farrier Nick Hill Shows How to Trim a Hoof! ๐ŸŒผ Vaccines, Dewormers, and other Drugs have Risks ๐ŸŒผ Recognizing the Relevance of Iron to Hoof Quality ๐ŸŒผ A Hoof Boot just for Donkeys! ๐ŸŒผ Happy Birthday Timely and Belle! ๐ŸŒผ And more!

05/03/2025

That Spring Thing
Spring is in full swing! So now is a good time to ask, "Why do horses have so many hoof problems in the Spring?"

Yes, there really is a "Spring Thing" that happens with equines!

Horses seem to have measurable changes in their hormone levels in both the Spring and Fall, which might have to do with changing seasons, winter/summer coat growth, or possibly (as we have theorized), a preparation for their natural migration patterns (which might include excessive hoof growth).

There are a few other factors that come into place in the Spring. There is a change of terrain for horses in areas that were covered in snow just prior, and are now suddenly sprouting grass. There is a change of environment for many horses, when spring rains, mud, and even floods take place. Dietary changes occur when horses begin eating newly growing green grass.

Add to this the fact that in the Spring, many horses are dewormed, vaccinated, tranquilized for teeth floating, and trailered out to events or started up under saddle after the winter break.

And we're asking why there are problems?!!! Of course, you will see the repercussions of all this show up in the hooves. If you've done too much to the horse, the hooves will tell you. Listen to them, they are handy little warning devices. Figure out ways to manage your horse's stress level as best as possible during the Spring, especially. Expect that horses with rehabbing hooves could possibly have a rough period during the Spring (and/or Fall), but have patience, and it will come and go.

Happy Hooves! - Yvonne Welz

Sign up directly for The Horse's Hoof Barefoot News right here:
https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway-e

Hoof Help Online, More info at https://members.hoofhelponline.com/

04/22/2025

The Horse's Hoof Barefoot News April 2025 is released!
Sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway
What's in this issue? ๐ŸŒน Blaine St Peter: Sharing Barefoot Wisdom ๐ŸŒน Trimming at Mustang Mission ๐ŸŒน Joe & Kathleen Camp's The Soul of a Horse Website ๐ŸŒน Interview with Holistic Vet Dr. Karen Becker ๐ŸŒน Emma Massingale: Friendship & Freedom ๐ŸŒน Join the Cavallo Associate Sellers' Program ๐ŸŒน The Horse's Hoof Website Story ๐ŸŒน And more!

A great podcast episode: Long Toe Woes: Perspectives on Navicular with Dr. Robert BowkerIn episode 18 of The Humble Hoof...
04/19/2025

A great podcast episode:
Long Toe Woes: Perspectives on Navicular with Dr. Robert Bowker

In episode 18 of The Humble Hoof, Dr. Robert Bowker talks about his research into the caudal hoof through decades of microscopic study and dissection. He delves into his ideas on trimming to improve the caudal hoof, and how long toes affect the internal anatomy.

Dr. Bowker has many published studies available publicly online, and is continually studying more hooves around the world.

In episode 18 of The Humble Hoof, Dr. Robert Bowker talks about his research into the caudal hoof through decades of microscopic study and dissection. He del...

04/17/2025

Trimming an OTTB Mare with Thin Soles

Watch the full video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f2hAf4rJKw&t=345s

From James Welz:
Watch me trim all four hooves of an Off-The-Track Thoroughbred (OTTB) mare with thin soles and fragile walls in this detailed hoof care session. Using my proven barefoot trimming method, my method can address common hoof issues like thin soles, navicular syndrome, laminitis, founder, seedy toe, and under-run heels. This approach promotes natural hoof health and can benefit horses with a wide range of ailments. Perfect for horse owners, farriers, or anyone interested in equine wellness and rehabilitation!

I use power tools, specifically a Dewalt cordless angle grinder with a 24 Grit Zirconia Resin Fiber Sanding disk and a Ryobi Cordless Cut-Out Tool spinning a SF-5 NF Aluminum Cut Carbide Rotary Burr, but you can mimic this trim just as easily with a rasp and hoof knives.

Visit www.HoofHelpOnline.com for more hoof care tips and resources. Subscribe there and to this Youtube channel for upcoming videos on natural horse trimming and OTTB care. Have a question about your horseโ€™s hooves? Join HoofHelpOnline.com and my wonderful wife and I will do what we can to help.

Proverbs 12:10 "Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel."

Subscribe to Hoof Help Online's new Youtube channel!
https://www.youtube.com/

Hoof Help Online also available on Rumble:
https://rumble.com/c/c-7458946

The Horse's Hoof offers a FREE monthly barefoot horse care e-newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway

04/16/2025

These are the SIMPLE basic guidelines that we feel are necessary to ensure your success in obtaining healthier hooves on your horses, while utilizing the principles of high quality barefoot trimming. You donโ€™t have to change everything, but you really need to consider:

๐Ÿ’ฅ Trim Frequency: Trim about every 4 weeks, with consistency.
๐Ÿ’ฅ Horse Care: Provide as much time living out (in a herd) as possible, and ample exercise.
๐Ÿ’ฅ Hoof Care: Pick out and observe the hooves daily.
๐Ÿ’ฅ Hoof Boots: Use hoof boots only when truly necessary, but donโ€™t be afraid to use them.
๐Ÿ’ฅ Nutrition: Feed a simple, sensible, natural diet.

The trim really matters: In the end, significant hoof improvement will depend mostly on the quality of your trimming. Better living conditions and exercise can make up for poor and insufficient trimming, but GOOD TRIMMING can help horses have healthier hooves no matter how or where they live. Your horse really can have mustang quality hooves without living like a wild mustang!

Check out Hoof Help Online ๐Ÿด Exclusive content you won't find anywhere else, plus a barefoot trimming course, community access, 80 issues of The Horse's Hoof Magazine, 1000's of photos, 100's of articles, 70+ videos, FREE App and more! Learn more at: https://members.hoofhelponline.com/

The Horse's Hoof offers a FREE monthly barefoot horse care e-newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/thehorseshoof/50-giveaway

Happy Hooves! - Yvonne Welz

Please follow Mustang Mission! Erin learned to trim her mustangs by following our online barefoot trimming course that i...
04/11/2025

Please follow Mustang Mission! Erin learned to trim her mustangs by following our online barefoot trimming course that is part of Hoof Help Online: https://members.hoofhelponline.com

Itโ€™s hoof trimming week around here! ๐Ÿด I took on the task of trimming our horses' hooves myself after learning that many traditional farriers donโ€™t trim correctly. Iโ€™m incredibly thankful to our amazing board member, Yvonne Welz, for generously sharing her knowledge through The Horse's Hoof. Corrective trimming isn't easy, but her online learning platform has been a game-changer. I truly couldnโ€™t have come this far without it!

Address

San Tan Valley, AZ
85144

Website

https://hoofhelponline.com/

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