View Testimonials & Reviews for Okanagan School of Natural Hoof Care

Amazing Course!

A big thank you to Kristi for a fabulous 6 day trimming course! The experience went beyond my expectations! The online course was very thorough and laid the knowledge foundation needed to begin trimming horses almost immediately. The amount of hands-on trimming time was amazing and Kristi's approach to teaching made learning fun! Highly recommend this course to anyone looking to start trimming; I've left confident that I can grow healthy hooves on my own horses!

5 stars! Highly recommend!

I just finished the August 6 day trimming course and I loved it! Kristi is such an amazing instructor who is so passionate about horses and hoof care and is so educated on the topic. Her and her family were so welcoming into their home, and the meals were delicious! I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to trim their own horses, get started with their own services, or just wants to know more about trimming (which was me 😁)

6 Day Trimming Course

I went to Kristi’s trimming course to “test the waters” to see if a job in trimming/farrier was what I really want to do as a career. I am a high school student and I wanted to see if paying for farrier school would be waste or would be something I could actually succeed in. After the 6 day course I feel confident enough to trim my own horses. At the course I had to deal with all sorts of temperaments. There were horses that were half asleep and some that were young and didn’t have much patience. For me it was a big eye opener for how other horses would behave on a daily basis if I were to trim professionally. I am still determined to go to farrier school and very happy with the experience I had at OKSNHC. (Also the food is crazy good I definitely gained weight!)

Online Course and 6 Day Trimming Course

I just completed Kristi's 6 day trimming course. The online theory portion was very thorough, and it is very helpful to have access to it after the hands-on trimming part of the course for review. We trimmed lots of horses with different temperaments and hoof condition and I feel ready to start caring for my own horses feet, but definitely have a whole new appreciation of the physical nature of trimming especially given that I work in an office Monday to Friday and I'm in my 50s!! I very much appreciate that Kristi is available after the course for any questions or help as things arise. The opportunity to attend future courses and help out is a wonderful opportunity to keep building on the foundation of knowledge and skill...as one never stops learning! A word of caution...the food is so fantastic, even with all the hard physical work...you might put on a few pounds during the week!!! I did!

Online Course

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Taking this class will help to free you from your farrier. I was so frustrated with the poor quality of my horse’s hooves. Little did I know at the time prior to taking Kristi’s course that my horse was really lame. After one week you will have enough knowledge to understand the hoof mechanics and the practice time to do it yourself. You will save by not paying a farrier every 8 to 12 weeks and preventing lameness. I spent so much money on poor quality trims and Veternary bills to find out what was wrong with my horse. Of course it was a trek to fly from San Francisco to Kelowna, but now looking back I have made new friends in the course and I have taken control of my horse’s soundness. Overall my horse feels so much better when I ride him and I can fix a crack instantly when I see it. I have chosen to give him a micro trim once a week. Now I am faster than before and I do not have to make measurements. I know where I need to be with his feet and they are in the process of being restored. Make sure you sign up and benefit from Kristi’s course and purchase the BEST tools for the job which make a difference. Kristi has a heart of gold and loves her horses! She is there to help you and I would love too support her by encouraging you to take her invaluable course. You will be absolutely amazed at the results. Just be easy on yourself and allow the information to permeate your brain over time. Lots of luck to you all. The trimming journey is worth it!

Kristi and her family are wonderful hosts, very kind and accommodating. The meals she provides are excellent and she takes special consideration for people with dietary concerns. The knowledge base that Kristi teaches is very sensible, hands on and quite extensive. She has put a great deal of thought, research, and follow through with this course. Thanks to the easy going atmosphere of the course there is little to no stress about learning at a certain pace. Students seem to progress at a steady even pace through the course even if they have never trimmed before. Through the hands on portion of the course she helps students gain confidence with their trimming skills. Different sized horses are provided for trimming practice and all trimming is overseen by Kristi before any is started and during the process. Safety of the animals and students is a top priority for the duration of the course. Some tools are also provided with the course for students to take home to continue trimming if they wish. There are also some tools available for purchase on site. I can't recommend this course enough to anyone wanting to learn to trim. Great consideration has been given to students wanting to attend from out of town. The price of the course and what you take home from it will last a student a life time.

I just finished OKSNHC level one trimming course and couldn’t be happier with the information received, techniques learned, and overall experience. Every horse owner should take this course- there are so many things I’ve missed over the years from simple lack of knowledge, and am so excited to to start correcting some pathology on my own horses! Absolutely recommend for anyone who owns or loves horses: Kristi is a patient but diligent teacher, who makes her trade accessible and clear for beginner trimmers.

I just did the 6 day course during the coldest week of the winter, lol! However, it was still excellent and I highly recommend it. Kristi is a wealth of knowledge and I not only became confident in trimming, but also learned the important roles that diet, environment and movement play in a healthy hoof. The whole 6 days were very interesting and we trimmed a variety of horses from full size to pony to mini's! And I should also mention that Kristi's hot, cooked meals were second to none and exactly what was needed in -15 weather! Thanks Kristi!

I just finished the 6-day hoof care course and thoroughly enjoyed it! Kristi is a very talented instructor and is very inclusive, supportive and knowledgable. Going into the course I had only a very basic knowledge of hooves, and now I feel confident in my ability to trim my own horses after this 6 days. It is also nice to know that Kristi is there as a resource for any questions I may stumble across when trimming on my own. Trimming cadavers prior to moving onto real horses was a great confidence boost, and we were exposed to a variety of horses with different hooves, patience levels and personalities throughout the week which gave a good taste of what it will be like to trim outside the course. The farm was beautiful, Kristi and her family were very welcoming, and all the animals were great! I can't wait to go back and learn more in a future course, and would recommend the 6 day course to anyone interested in learning more about hoof care, whether for professional or personal use.

I had the privilege of taking Kristi's course AND bring my own horses to the course. Aside from the in depth education on how a horses foot actually works and why it is to be trimmed a certain way; Kristi also leads by example in the day to day activities of her farm. Her own horses who live on a track around her property mimic a domesticated version of wild horse life principles, are all barefoot and sound. I had the pleasure to learn to trim my very own horses and am not only feeling competent to do so going forward, but also left this course very inspired to put more thought on how to change my horses way of living to keep them sound and healthy for many years to come.

Awesome, intense 6 days of learning hoof care and trimming. Kristi is very knowledgeable, thorough and precise. Kristi (and family) are also great hosts,… the food was superb. Most important though was “what” I learned. Kristi has studied with several hoof trimming schools/experts and taught us/me that other than the basic principles of mapping and hoof balance there are no “absolutes”,… that the hoof and horse are the ultimate guides,… that we must learn to read what the hoof/horse is telling us. Kristi provided an excellent foundation, and an appreciation that what we learned was a beginning,.... I look forward to learning more! Thank-you Kristi for an awesome learning experience, for your dedication to the welfare of horses (the many horses that you take in, rehabilitate and rehome) and for your generosity as a teacher and host.