Christina Cline 
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ESA Field Instructor 
Washington State, British Columbia 
 
 
 
I was bucked off a horse a couple months before I was born.  Much to the chagrin of my parents, my first word was not “Mom” or “Dad”, but “Pony”.  As soon as I could walk, I was climbing on my mother’s saddle.  When I was four years old and my family was vacationing in eastern Washington, I’d sneak out of the house before the crack of dawn, climb the fence into the neighbor’s pasture, stack buckets one on top of another, and shimmy onto the backs of grazing horses.  I didn’t think anything of it, but my parents did when they found me a few hours later.  And, of course, I had horse posters covering every inch of wall space in my bedroom.   
 
Unfortunately, I grew up in the city, and could not fully indulge my obsession with equines until after I graduated from university.  First I exercised other people’s pasture potatoes for them, not believing that I could afford my own horse.  Then one day I saw her, a chestnut Arab mare, and an internal voice said, “This is your horse.”  I didn’t have much money, but I had my horse.  My obsession with horses grew into a full-blown addiction. 
 
I never understood a lot of conventional horse care though.  It didn’t feel right to me to worm my horses every two months with a paste that had a warning label that stated “not to be administered to animals used for human consumption”.  I didn’t get why my doctor told me that my tetanus vaccine was good for a decade, but the vet told me the one for my horse was only good for one year.  I couldn’t comprehend why so many people insisted on feeding commercial, processed grain products, when horses wouldn’t naturally eat those foods.   
 
And I really didn’t understand why every farrier told me that I needed to shoe my mare, when in fact we were hitting the trails for hours on end, barefoot, and with no tenderness.  In fact, she would beat everyone back to the barn at the end of a six hour trail ride.   
 
Around this time, an acquaintance of mine suggested that I trim my own horse.  The thought intimidated me, but with her encouragement, I did it.  So the journey began.  I trimmed my own horse.  And then I trimmed a couple friends’ horses.  I really enjoyed the work, and felt strongly that promoting natural hoof care was the avenue I wanted to pursue, so I enrolled in a certification program.  I’ve been trimming horses professionally since 2003.   
 
I feel that a lot of typical domestic equine care does not bring out the full vitality of the horse.  I like to look at the natural horse, in all its different environments, as inspiration on how to encourage the vibrance, health and soundness of our domesticated equine partners.  Keeping forage available at all times, allowing them to play and socialize with other horses, not bombarding their bodies with unnecessary chemicals, and letting their hooves function as nature intended are just a few ways I feel we can allow our horses to be horses.  And if we really want to partner with our horses, enriching their lives will in turn enrich ours. 
 
It’s easy to become myopically focused on the hoof, but the hoof is attached to the horse, and one can’t be separated from another. I do my best to keep the entire picture in mind, and see how one relates to the other.  As a result of this desire, I also took an equine massage course, study other bodywork modalities, and drove myself nuts going over saddle fitting.  My 15 year background in nutrition and herbalism has enhanced my hoof work tremendously, because the hoof comes from the inside out.  No two horses are alike though, and no two horses can be treated the same.  It can be a challenge figuring out what works for each horse, but it’s a rewarding one.   
 
I now live in Abbotsford, BC, and work in the Lower Mainland.  I also trim in Bellingham, WA.  In addition to trimming, I love to teach owners how to trim their own herds and pass on bodywork tips.  I also like to share what I know about nutrition, herbs, and complementary therapies. 
 
My horses have changed my life and made me a better person.  I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.  I feel it an honour to hopefully give back to these wonderful creatures who have given so much to so many of us.