Mission & History

Our mission is to provide Equine Professionals and Horsemen with information and products designed to promote soundness through Natural Guidelines for Hoof Balance. Horse Soundness is a family business that started in 1995 in Columbia Falls, Montana. After studies on wild (feral) horses hoof patterns in 1986 and 1987, Gene Ovnicek developed the World Race Plate, which is now manufactured and distributed by Thoro'Bred Racing Plate Company. After several years of continued research and development, Gene designed a system for treating lower limb equine pathologies. The resulting Horse Soundness and comprehensive instruction material proved to be one of the most effective tools for treating a multitude of lameness conditions and often times returning horses to a pre-disease condition. In an effort to make sure that proper instruction and support was offered for the Horse Soundness, the Ovnicek family started Horse Soundness. Since that time, Horse Soundness has continued to offer innovative products and information to help restore and maintain soundness in the domestic equine.
Shortly after development of the Horse Soundness and the biomechanically efficient design of the EDSS Shoe, there appeared a need for a more universal horseshoe that could be used for minor lameness problems or for every day use on equine athletes. The Natural Balance® Shoe was derived from the Horse Soundness and has helped to service that need. Since its release in late 1996 and our continued research and use of the shoe throughout the U.S. and abroad, the Natural Balance® line of shoes has expanded and grown to be a model of excellence in the hoof care industry.
With the ongoing search for answers and continued support of hoofcare practitioners all over the world, the Horse Soundness and the NBS have become widely used hoofcare tools. Over the last 15 years, Horse Soundness has been responsible for the development of some of the most innovative products in the industry such as: the KrosschecK™ Leverage Testing Device, Performance Leverage Reduction (PLR) Shoes, Centre Fit™ Shoes, PORfile™ Performance shoes, Sole Support Impression Material, Natural Balance Pads, EZ BLOX™ X-ray blocks, and many more helpful tools. We hope to continue to provide the hoofcare industry with products and information that bridge the gap between our domestic horses and the naturally maintained foot. Horse Soundness is commited to being the leader in hoofcare research and a promoter of soundness in horses for the next century and beyond.