ISNHCP: The Best Choice for Aspiring Hoof Care Professionals—My Personal Reflections

I’m traveling back in time to late 2018, when I first discovered the ISNHCP while searching for the best hoof care training program in the UK. I had shortlisted three different training organisations, but something about the ISNHCP summary deeply resonated with me. As I dug deeper, I realized it was founded by Jaime Jackson—the same man behind the Paddock Paradise concept I’d encountered back in 2015 while training in the Netherlands with Piet Nibbelink. My hopes soared. I thought, “Oh my gosh! I hope it’s not too late to train under Jaime directly.” I searched the internet for clinics or a way to receive some direct mentoring, but there was no public information.

Before even enrolling in the Natural Trim Training Program, I found myself devouring Jaime’s books and wrestling with a mounting pile of questions. There was so much conflicting and confusing information online. In early 2019, I moved my horses to a new place and began building my first Paddock Paradise. I also joined a good number of Facebook groups to “educate” myself further. At first, these groups seemed to offer broad perspectives, but I eventually discovered a disjoint between the original writings and some of the content that the barefoot community would often represent.

2020 marked a pivotal year for me: I officially enrolled in the ISNHCP training program. Along the way, I met wonderful people who shared my values. I’ll never forget those long hours in a garden hammock or curled up on the sofa, piecing together everything I was learning. It wasn’t just about hoof care. It was about understanding the horse holistically—its environment, habitat, lifestyle, and movement. I came to appreciate that “the hoof is a living organ that responds to its environment.” Everything mattered: not just movement, but the type of movement; not just riding, but how riding influenced hoof growth.

Many practices I’d once considered standard now seemed invasive or superficial—treating symptoms rather than root causes. That’s why education that points to the original source is so crucial. I learned early on that pathology in the hoof cannot be resolved with trimming mechanics alone. Jaime’s approach emphasized solving the problem at the root. That’s what natural horse care is—a comprehensive model that nurtures healthy hooves through species-appropriate lifestyle, reasonably natural diet, mimicking adaptive habitat, and force-free horse handling.

By 2022, I knew The Natural Horse: Lessons from the Wild was the most important book I had ever read on horses—right up there with K.F. Hempfling’s Dancing With Horses—but that’s a story for another time.

Still, I kept asking myself: where was the so-called U.S. Great Basin wild horse model? It was mentioned in every book and assignment, yet always felt scattered. Surely, I thought, Jaime would have given it a home. Eventually, I realized the wild horse model had been hiding in plain sight, right inside The Natural Horse. That book is the blueprint—the model behind the model. Paddock Paradise may have taken centre stage, but the foundation was there all along. Perhaps that’s why I hadn’t heard of the ISNHCP sooner. Most people connected with Jaime through the lens of boarding rather than hoof care.

In early 2021, I participated in a UK-based student and practitioner initiative that briefly connected me with Jaime. The collaboration didn’t last, but my continuous efforts to sustain some kind of momentum were strong. I was still drawn to the heart of the message, still determined to understand natural hoof care at its core. I kept thinking, “This is the best organization I’ve ever encountered in the horse world. Jaime has given us something incredibly valuable. Why does no one seem to care?”

That same spring, I finally connected with Jaime directly. Our first email exchange began as a report to the group, but it led to something much deeper. Despite lockdowns and global uncertainty, we shared many thoughtful conversations. One thing he said stuck with me: that often people came to him only wanting to learn the mechanics of trimming, without the desire to pursue the academic learning that governs the trim mechanics. But it is the abstract that governs every action. I could relate to both sides—I had been there myself prior to joining the ISNHCP. It’s easy to chase quick answers or fill in gaps with third-hand interpretations. But that’s not how expertise is born.

Over time, I observed how often foundational knowledge is lost or watered down. I’ve seen people with excellent hoof skills quietly doing their work on the fringes of the NHC world. And I’ve seen others jump ahead, misrepresenting the original work. This isn’t unique to NHC—it’s everywhere. As Robert Greene writes in The 48 Laws of Power, “Never outshine the master.” It’s not about ego; it’s about readiness. Departing too soon can lead to harm—even if it’s unintentional. I also know how important it is to create space for others to learn authentically—without chasing social approval or shallow validation. That requires integrity, curiosity, and a willingness to sit in the discomfort of not knowing. Because truth doesn’t owe us comfort.

Above all, I’ve learned that kindness doesn’t always equal sincerity, and disagreement doesn’t equal enmity. That the easiest place to hide a lie is between two truths. That regurgitating someone else’s ideas doesn’t guarantee understanding. That it’s better to pursue truth than a personality. That Jaime’s work has reached beyond where most are willing—or able—to go.

As David Goggins said, “If you want to be exceptional at something, you will be misunderstood by everybody.” That helped me understand the opposition to Jaime’s work. Some claim that short, collapsed heels are inhumane. That we must elevate the hoof angles. Yet these claims lack evidence to disprove the wild horse model—what horses themselves, living in their adaptive environment, prove to be optimal and natural.

On the other side of the barefoot aisle, I’ve watched original ideas become rebranded and diluted, their core messages lost. There is never a guarantee that you will receive the same content and quality of information if you seek second-hand information.

I have learned to pay acute attention to what people are saying and always attempt to verify it elsewhere. This requires time and diligence, but it pays off in the long run to avoid poor advice. Why does truth matter? Because without it, life becomes hollow. Without values grounded in something real, we can’t thrive or find a solution to our ills. I believe that truth always finds those who are seeking it sincerely.

Following the truth often means that you have to stand alone and learn to be comfortable with not being understood. As Lao Tzu said, it’s impossible to teach people who think that they already know. Developing a strong inner relationship with the truth then becomes our beacon. This is how Jaime managed to build everything from scratch—gathering data, documenting, observing, and sharing with the world.

Pioneering a new path means becoming friends with uncertainty. It means letting go of what we think we know to make space for something new. Because much of the learning is in the process of unlearning, this is why this world will be changed by those who have the stamina to pave new ways and build on what we already know.

There’s still so much I don’t know—unknown unknowns, as they say. But I’ve come to value the journey more than the destination.

To anyone beginning their journey into natural hoof care with ISNHCP or exploring a more holistic approach to horsekeeping: be patient. Learning takes time. Real transformation isn’t transactional—it’s relational.

Build your NHC foundation brick by brick, layer by layer. Find good mentors, but be a good student first. Seek out the source of the information. Contribute where you can, but without an agenda. And trust that the unexpected will unfold exactly when it’s meant to. Life is abundant, and it rewards in kind.

The struggle is always worth the prize; the meaning always justifies the struggle of our pursuit. ISNHCP has its own unique way of disseminating the information. In doing so, you will find your own direct connection to the source. With this comes experience and results that are difficult to replicate. This is why, to this day, we rarely see exemplary hooves produced in domestication. And with exemplary hooves comes health—because the hooves are only a reflection of a horse’s health. Perhaps this metaphor will encapsulate the message: genes load the gun, but it is the habitat and lifestyle that pull the trigger. We know that it is possible to replicate naturally shaped hooves in domestication. However, the devil always hides in the details.