About Me...

My name is Nicole Ciarrocca. I live in Fairfax Station, Virginia on a beautiful 5 acre farm. I live there with my wonderful husband, two step-daughters, two horses, a dog, four cats, and Flash the Fish. I enjoy splitting my time between my job with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department where I am a professional firefighter and paramedic, spending time with my family, playing with all of my animals, and of course, trimming hooves.

I began trimming in 2005. We were preparing our place for horses when I stumbled on a book titled “Making Natural Hoof Care Work For You” by Pete Ramey. I read that book and knew my horses would always be barefoot. That book led to many others by Jaime Jackson, Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, and countless others. I attended my first clinic with an AANHCP professional and knew I could help a lot of other horses and horse owners who may be confused when it came to hoof care.

Since then, I have helped foundered, laminitic, overgrown, and outright neglected hooves be restored to full function. With that, you should know what to expect from me and in turn, what I expect from you….

I AM A NATURAL, BAREFOOT TRIMMER. I do not put shoes on or prepare the hoof for shoes. I will trim your horse’s hooves based on the wild horse model. Initially, there may be factors to consider based on the condition of your horse’s feet, but the ultimate goal will be to create tough, rock-crushing feet.

This will take time! My main priority is the comfort of your horse during this process. This will require not only open communication between you and me, but an open mind as well. You will need to tell me if something is working or not. There is too much behind the hoof wall that we cannot see. We need to rely on the horse to tell us if something is working or is not working.

You have heard the expression, “No hoof, no horse.” Well, the opposite of that is true also, “No horse, no hoof”! Nutrition plays a HUGE role in hoof function, development and comfort. Your horse’s living environment can also help or hurt your horse. These are things we will discuss along the way for the good of your horse.

My primary focus is the feet, but I consider the whole horse when I look at the feet. I look forward to helping you help your horse to healthy, happy feet. And with that will come a healthier and happier horse.

Never say never, and always ask why!