Welcome to the Institute for the Study of Natural Horse Care Practices, which was created to house the natural hoof care training program previously conducted by the Association for the Advancement of Natural Horse Care Practices (AANHCP).
The training program continues to be run by original AANHCP co-founder, Executive Director of Operations, Jaime Jackson, along with AANHCP Director of Operations, Jill Willis. The AANHCP will continue to be the certifying body of those students completing the natural hoof care training program through the ISNHCP.
Please see the 'NHC Training' link at left for further information and to find the link to the application to apply to the natural hoof care training program.
Cause No Harm. Respect the Healing Powers of Nature.
I S N H C P
Institute for the Study of Natural Horse Care Practices
The vital mission of the ISNHCP is the same as the AANHCP: to advance the humane care and management of domestic equines worldwide through the applications of proven practices and principles based on the research and findings by Jaime Jackson of the wild, free-roaming equines of the U.S. Great Basin.
ISNHCP
P.O. Box 1432
Lompoc, CA 93438
info@isnhcp.net
Our History: The ISNHCP has its earliest roots in the late 1970s when AANHCP co-founder, Jaime Jackson, then a farrier, along with personal friend and fellow shoer, Les Emery (author, Horseshoeing Theory and Hoof Care), envisioned a similar organization, also based on the wild horse, which they called the “American Academy of Equestrian Arts”¹. A proposal was drawn up and taken to many equestrian experts throughout the U.S. and abroad for opinions and support. The latter never materialized, but both men, ahead of their times, realized then the need for a systemized approach to natural horsemanship, horse keeping, and hoof care.
A trend towards general acceptance of “natural is best” for the horse came about after Jackson’s groundbreaking work, The Natural Horse — Lessons From the Wild was first published in 1992. By then, he had already been teaching a new generation of natural hoof care practitioners -- many of them horse owners who could not get their farriers to give their horses a “natural trim.” Today, it is generally recognized by NHC advocates that lameness issues are typically a result of or complicated by shoeing and unnatural boarding conditions. This has provided the main impetus for the skyrocketing interest in barefoot horses.
Under Jaime Jackson’s leadership and with planning and technical assistance from the Northwest Arkansas Resource Conservation and Development Council, the “American Association of Natural Hoof Care Practitioners” (AANHCP) was formally organized in 2002. It was originally organized with the primary objective of providing systemized hoof care training based on the wild horse foot. In 2004, the AANHCP received its IRS designation as a not-for-profit organization, tax exempt under Section 501(c)3 of the IRS Code, and was initially incorporated in the State of Arkansas. However, by 2007, it was widely recognized that the principles of the AANHCP were more about the entire horse than just the “hoof.” In fact, it was and is about every facet of the horse's life. It was also evident from the beginning that both membership and support for the AANHCP was increasingly international. The decision was then made to change the name of the organization to “Association for the Advancement of Natural Horse Care Practices”, retaining the same acronym, “AANHCP”. The association was re-incorporated in the State of California in 2008 under the new name.
In 2009, the Board of Directors were advised to separate the formal training and education program from the AANHCP and thus, the Institute for the Study of Natural Horse Care Practices was born. In addition to the curriculum of the natural hoof care training program getting a complete 'overhaul' in order to create a teaching model that can eventually be taught by others, we restructured the way the training is conducted. Instead of having large classrooms with little interaction between student and teacher, the training camps are designed to be taught to a small group that allows for consistent one-on-one communication. Students are given daily quizzes on the reading, viewing and lecture materials and all test questions are discussed thoroughly to eliminate the possibility of confusion or misunderstandings.
All training camps are now being taught by Jaime Jackson until further notice.
Cause No Harm. Respect the Healing Powers of Nature.
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The pictures above show Jaime conducting a natural trim on one of his clients, a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding named "Tango." Jaime removed Tango's shoes in Spring 2008 and has trimmed him every four weeks since that time. Although Tango is boarded in a typical Southern California facility with no pasture or turn-out service, his owners are committed to keeping him moving! They turn Tango and their three other horses out to play and exercise freely for several hours daily in addition to riding. And it shows in his healthy hooves!
In Photo #1 are the typical shedding layers of 'solar plates' commonly seen in dry regions such as California. Jaime carefully removes the released plates in Photo #2. The solar plates and excess medial hoof wall & heel have been removed in #3. Jaime lowers the lateral heel in #4 and shows a balanced hoof in #5. The Mustang Roll is applied in #6 and the finished front hooves are shown in #7 & #8. (photos by Jill Willis)
Houston...We don't have a problem!
Above, Jaime Jackson and AANHCP CP Eddie Drabek (El Campo, TX) are pictured with members of the Houston Police Department's Mounted Patrol Unit - the second largest in the U.S. - where all 38 horses in the unit are now barefoot! Pictured from left on May 18, 2010, Officer Scott Berry (AANHCP CP-TX), Jaime, Eddie Drabek, Sr. Officer Greg Sokoloski, Officer Danny Pryor (AANHCP CP-TX) and Lt. Randall Wallace, who is in charge of the entire unit and ultimately responsible for allowing Officer Sokoloski to implement the removal of shoes and incorporate other natural horse care practices beginning in 2004 after years of lameness issues and high vet bills had plagued the department.
By 2008, all horses had transitioned to barefoot with about half wearing boots while working and ALL horses are now sound!
Above, Jaime Jackson with then-student Tony Haslam following Tony's "Step 9" or final field exam with Jaime on May 19, 2010. Tony, one of our newest CPs, is a retired member of the Houston Police Department's SWAT Unit, and a part-time art instructor. He and his wife, Kelli, an attorney, foster a number of rescue horses at their home outside of San Antonio, Texas.
