Patty Stiller attended farrier school in 1982, in the Santa Cruz area of coastal California. She began shoeing horses in that area, remaining there for five years. In 1987 she relocated to Pleasanton, California, living and working at a Thoroughbred race track while continuing her farrier business on all types of pleasure and performance horses. She left the race track in 1995, moving on to specialize in therapeutic farrier work, and advancing her education in the farrier field by attending as many educational events as she could.
These events have included farrier seminars sponsored by local farrier associations and supply stores, the Bluegrass Laminitis Symposium , the American College of Veterinary Surgeons convention, The American Association of Equine Practitioners annual convention , the American Farriers Convention, The International Hoof-care summit, "Soundfest", sponsored by Mission Farrier School, numerous hands-on Natural Balance seminars by farrier clinician Gene Ovnicek, and hoofcare Seminars at Colorado State University. Patty continues to attend these events as often as possible to keep up to date on the rapidly changing developments in the science of modern hoofcare.
Patty has worked in cooperation with numerous veterinarians over the years, treating difficult lameness issues of all types such as laminitis and navicular syndrome.
In 1996 Patty was introduced to the work of farrier-clinician Gene Ovnicek. Gene had developed the Natural Balance shoeing protocol, which has evolved and grown over the years through world wide research on feral and domestic horse hooves . Natural Balance is now a commonly accepted method of shoeing horses in countries around the world. The oldest farrier association in the world, the Worshipful Company farriers in England, has recently accepted Natural Balance into their farrier instruction program, after careful and critical evaluation of the scientific merit.
After first being introduced to Natural Balance, a somewhat skeptical Patty quickly discovered that Natural Balance protocols consistantly met the health and functional needs of performance horse hooves, keeping them sound and working more comfortably in their man made world. As well, she discovered that therapeutic shoeing treatments built around Natural Balance principles were working better than most of the other treatments she had been taught and had previously tried. She began using the principle as the foundation for all her shoeing work, and never looked back. Patty began working extensively around the San Francisco Bay area with several local veterinarians who also subscribed to the benefits of natural balance, successfully treating hoof disease and lameness.
During 2000-2001 Patty was one of the regular staff farriers at the U.C. Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital. She had the opportunity see and shoe difficult cases that she may never have seen outside the University. By that time, Patty was also periodically travelling around the United States with Gene Ovnicek, assisting him in teaching his three day hands on seminars.
She has also been a guest speaker at several equine events including Soundfest, (an advanced lameness seminar sponsored by Mission farrier School), a Bay area AERC endurance riding annual conference, and several local horse clubs . Patty has also been a featured clinician at barefoot hoof trimming seminars .
In 2002 Patty relocated Colorado where she now resides. She was the Farrier Science instructor at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs from 2005 through summer of 2008.
In 2006 the Equine Lameness Prevention Organization (ELPO) began sponsoring certification testing for Natural Balance farriers and barefoot hoof trimmers. Patty was privledged to be able to be in the first group of 12 farriers from around the world to be certified . In June 2007 she passed and earned her ELPO level 4 "Certified Lameness Specialist" certificate.
Patty formed Hoofcare Specialties LLC in order to be better able to offer more services to horse owners. Hoofcare specialties offers therapeutic and performance farrier services by referral , and during the summer and fall is offering two-day hands on clinics for horse owners to learn to do common sense hoof trimming on their own sound horses. (see clinic info page)
We welcome E-mail comments and questions. You can contact us at pstiller@bresnan.net