About Me

I’m Kristin Thornberry and I am a Hoof Care provider in Northwest Arkansas. I have always been an animal lover but horses hold a special place in my heart and helping them is my passion!

I have a bachelors degree in Animal Science and a minor in Equine Science from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo California. During my time there I started Colts in cutting and working cow horses disciplines. I also discovered I had a knack for working with problem horses. I really enjoyed unraveling their behavioral issues and teaching them coping skills which enabled them to become happy, well balanced, and educated Equine partners.

As a poor college student, it was difficult for me to afford the corrective shoeing my personal horse at the time required. My amazing AFA certified farrier, and soon to be mentor, asked me if I would like to ride along with him and learn how to shoe her myself. I was interested and began riding with him to learn about and become educated in his craft. I learned to hot shoe my own horse, and after I graduated from college I continued to apprentice full time with him. While apprenticing with him, we delved into the barefoot world and started learning about rehabbing horses through barefoot from Pete Ramey. At one point, my mentor said he was considering selling his shoeing rig and focusing predominantly on barefoot trimming. This was the beginning of my barefoot journey!

Fast forward a few years, and I found myself married with a child, and we moved halfway across the country from the coast of California to Northwest Arkansas. In my new home, I once again  began starting young horses, rehabilitating problem horses, and giving horsemanship lessons. A lot of the horses that were sent to me for training had pretty terrible feet. Some were so bad that I’m certain some of their behavioral issues were the by-products of the pain they were experiencing from their feet. I asked these horses owners for permission to work on their feet while they were with me. When the horses completed their training and went home the owners usually asked me if I would continue being their hoof care provider. 

Word quickly spread of my farrier services, and now I am so busy taking care of horses’ feet, I don’t have any time in my schedule to train or give lessons anymore! I am grateful for the experience, knowledge and my understanding of training and horse behavior. It has helped me tremendously as a hoof care provider. It allows me to take a whole horse approach to hoof care, analyzing the horses mental and emotional state, body, movement, and hooves to provide an all-encompassing service that will help enable horses to move as soundly and comfortably as possible. 

I’m not sure what job title I should give myself. I no longer shoe with steel, so technically I’m not a farrier. I do provide progressive, innovative, hoof protection services, so technically I’m not just a barefoot trimmer either. Over the years I have become a self-titled Hoof Care Provider. Whatever my title may be, I am dedicated to helping clients horses build and maintain the best hooves they can possibly have through barefoot trimming and incorporating other products like boots, glue-on shoes, casting, Formahoof, PEMF, and Surefoot Pads. 

I am currently working on becoming a certified barefoot trimmer through Ida Hammers certification program. I am a Formahoof Certified Applicator.  I am continually working on myself and adding to my personal knowledge and skill sets. I don’t think one lifetime is long enough to learn all there is to know about horses and their hooves. But I will always do my best to provide the most up to date and progressive services available, while at the same time remaining open-minded, pushing ego aside, and staying hungry for new knowledge and information. 

I enjoy and look forward to working with new and existing clients and horses!