About Nicole Jory

Horses have been a part of my life from day one. I grew up with a healthy fear of riding those big powerful animals, but loved spending time with them, grooming, feeding and caring for them. At age 8 I discovered ponies, whose size wasn't quite so intimidating, and my love for riding grew from there. I have ridden many breeds and types, english and western, dressage, cross country, jumping, trails... I'm up for anything! I spent my teenage years working at barns and spending as much time as I could with my horses, reading about them, and learning about my passions within horses such as conformation and color genetics. I have always had a predisposition for natural horse care, it has just been what made sense but natural hoof care was not a well known subject.

I was one of the lucky ones, all of my horses have always been barefoot, but until a few years back, I didn't know a balanced foot from any other, and assumed that shoes were for horses that were tender footed. I had no idea how important hoof form and function was, and how the entire lifestyle of the horse and that form and function were entwined.

In 2000, I had the concept of hoof balance and how it affects the entire horse introduced to me and it really intrigued me. I did some research and set on the path of having my horses with more balanced feet, but the more and more horribly unbalanced and pathological feet I saw, I started to question the work of the professionals. It really hit home when, in 2004 my Andalusian/Arab mare, Reannon, my true inspiration to the path of natural hoof and horse care, was having trouble on rocky ground, chipping at the toes, and had a very sore back and hamstring area. I started to ask around my network of knowledgeable horse people and was told of the various problems with her feet from a friend, Gwenyth Santagate (See links). I decided, with the support of Gwen and others, that I was going to tackle her hooves myself.

Within a few month there was already vast improvement, and her back and hamstrings were free of tension and soreness. No longer were her hooves chipping, and her form and function were getting better with each trim. I was really enjoying what I was learning about the hoof, and the amazing impact the health of the hoof has on the horse's body and visa versa. I also happened to be in process of trying to find a career. I wasn't sure that I had the physical ability to do hoof trimming full time... it is hard work! But I was asked by a friend to trim her horse, and although it was challenging, both physically and mentally, I loved every second of it.

From there I started trimming for a few other friends and acquaintances and started to look into various certification and training programs. I did a Natural Hoof Care online course with Gwenyth Santagate in the summer/fall of 2005, and in January 2006 I entered the AANHCP certification program. I have completed 6 of the 10 steps involved in the program ( details of these steps can be found below), however during my certification training, many changes were going on within the AANHCP, and unfortunately the changes were not things I could agree with. I decided to forgo the rest of the training and certification in hopes of finding a training program that I can have full confidence in and that will allow me to best serve the horses I trim.

I am currently taking on clients on Vancouver Island, at the moment I travel from Victoria to Parksville, and also trim on Saltspring, Gabriola and Pender Islands. I would travel farther up island if there was enough demand for me to do so on a regular basis. If you are interested in natural hoof care and/or having me trim your horse(s), please feel free to contact me, I welcome all questions and look forward to speaking with you!

Nicole Jory