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It became clear to me early after leaving wild horse country for the last time (1986), that farriers seemed unwilling or incapable of "going natural". The "wild horse trim" (the term "natural trim" was not coined for another decade) I advocated was, by and large, ignored or ridiculed as an irrelevant "fantasy" or outright hoax. Not until the advent of the PC and Internet during the 1990's, was I able to bypass the farrier (and equally resistant veterinary) community, and take my message directly to horse owners. Many, thousands, in fact, were by then ready and rose to the calling, demanding the "natural trim" for their horses. When their farriers dug in their heels to resist, they took it upon themselves to learn to do the work themselves. I then wrote the "HOG" to help . . . from which the now burgeoning "natural care movement" found its grass roots. I am astonished today at the numbers of "born again farriers" who have jumped on the band wagon to fill the professional vacuum. And more so by the countless "natural trim" associations, peripatetic "trim gurus", books and magazines sprouting up all around the world clamoring the cause! It was the last thing I ever thought would happen when I first stepped out of wild horse country 25 years ago, only to be greeted by clients and others who cried and protested, "I don't want any kind of wild hoof on my horse"! So, the good news is that the HOG is still with us, still relevant, and still on the front lines. |
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