Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners will host an anatomy, trimming and hoof protection clinic May 23-25, 2026, in Erie, Colo. The clinician is Philip Himanka, APF-II.

This three-day clinic fulfills the beginner series clinic requirement for PHCP students. Days 1 and 2 cover anatomy and trimming. Day 3 covers hoof protection and shoe removal.

Some of the topics covered:

• Basic distal limb anatomy
• Exploration of anatomy through cadaver trimming and dissection
• Trimming with power tools and grinder safety
• Shoe removal for ease and comfort to both horse and trimmer
• Transitioning to barefoot
• Alternative forms of hoof protection
• Fit and use of a wide variety of boots, including EasyCare, Scoot Boots, Renegades, Soft Rides, Cavallo, Equine Fusion and more, based on performance, rehab or rider needs (glue-on protection is not included in this clinic) -How and when to use hoof casting
• Which padding options to utilize for various pathologies and rehab needs
• How to perform modifications and repairs to hoof boots
• Casting and booting on live horses

Prerequisites

Read through the PHCP Introduction to Equine Diet and Lifestyle. Study the PHCP Introduction to Equine Hoof Anatomy. Visit Anatomy of the Equine to get familiar with the distal limb anatomy before you attend the clinic. Consider purchasing online coursework and ebooks.

What to Bring

If possible, students should bring their own tools (gloves, apron, nippers, rasp, knife, hoof pick, shoe pullers, and stand), but we will have some to share. If you have a cadaver leg of your own you would like to dissect with us, please let us know and bring it along. Cadaver legs are getting harder to come by and can be quite expensive. If you have access to some, we would be grateful. Please bring your own lunch to eat on location. There are plenty of places to pick up prepared food in the area ahead of time. We will take an hour lunch break from 12-1 pm.

Accommodations

Erie is a small town and conveniently located just north of Denver, southeast of Longmont, north of Lafayette, and east of Boulder. The clinic is located just north of Erie. Depending on your preferences and budget, there are many options for hotels or AirBnBs (Longmont, Lafayette, Boulder) as well as grocery shopping and restaurants. Some students have found really nice places to stay using Airbnb. If you have questions about an accommodation, please let me know.

Travel

Denver International Airport is about a 30-40 minute drive, whether via I-70/I-25 or the toll road. Use Google Maps for directions. Apple Maps won’t quite get you there. It is often cheaper to rent a car than to use Uber or Lyft. I encourage folks to coordinate with other clinic attendees for car rentals and hotels if you’d like to save money. If you would like to explore this option, text me at (858) 882-7209, and I will help put you in touch with other attendees who are also interested in sharing. For parking at the clinic, there is enough parking in the back of the property. Closer to the clinic date, I will email maps, the weather forecast, and more information. Start time is 9 a.m. each day, and we’ll finish up at 5 p.m.

Clinician

Philip Himanka is a PHCP practitioner, mentor, and clinician, he also has an APF-II certification with the International Association of Professional Farriers.  He has been applying glue-on hoof protection for over 10 years, has 2500+ trims on his books each year and has extensive rehabilitation experience. “I try to learn every day from every horse. I love to teach and help prospective practitioners to be successful.” Philip owns and operates Not Only Barefoot LLC in Erie, Colo.

Sign up

• Contact Philip Himanka with any questions at (858) 882-7209.
• Auditing will not fulfill the beginning series anatomy clinic requirement.
• Cancellations made one month in advance of the clinic start date will receive a full refund. Between a month out and 2 weeks in advance of the clinic, cancellations will receive a 50% refund.
• If the clinic itself is cancelled for any reason and will not take place, the student will receive a full refund.
• Purchasing refundable airline tickets is recommended.