Natural Hoof Care Products

Mustad Hoofcare Group enters license agreement for RidersRasp™

Mustad/Heller to manufacture, market and distribute unique new grooming tool designed for use by the horse owner worldwide

MINNEAPOLIS – (May 20, 2010) – Mustad Hoofcare Group is pleased to announce a new worldwide licensing agreement for RidersRasp™, the line of ergonomically designed, easy to use, one-handed grooming tools for horse owners to use to round off the hoof between farrier visits.

Under terms of the agreement, Heller International will manufacture the RidersRasp™ models, and Mustad will market and distribute the RidersRasp™ worldwide as part of the Hoof Essentials™ series. All RidersRasp™ products will be manufactured under the strict quality assurance program of Heller International, the most trusted name in farrier rasps.

“With the licensing of the RidersRasp line of products, we’ll now add capability to serve more needs of horse owners worldwide,” said Hans Mustad, a seventh generation family owner of Mustad, the parent company of Heller International.

The only grooming tool of its kind, RidersRasp allows horse owners to safely and effectively round their horses’ hooves to retain and prolong balance between professional trims.

Since its introduction in January 2009 by its inventor, A.F.A. Journeyman Farrier W.J. Tomlinson, RidersRasp™ has received widespread and immediate acceptance from horse owners. It was named one of the top 10 new products for 2009 by Horse Journal.

“Mustad and Heller is the right combination for taking this exciting new product to the next level,” said Tomlinson. “As a farrier, I’ve trusted Heller farrier rasps for more than 20 years, so I’m delighted to join forces with the top manufacturing prowess of Heller, as well as the worldwide marketing and distribution capabilities of the Mustad organization.”

Tomlinson will continue to be involved with the RidersRasp™ product, including horse owner education and marketing efforts about the importance of maintaining hooves between farrier visits.

A rounding regimen with RidersRasp™ allows horse owners to round away flare, chips and sharp edges to lengthen the time their horse is in balance between trims. For a shod horse that loses a shoe, RidersRasp™ enables owners to lightly round the edge of the foot to minimize further damage and stabilize the hoof until the farrier arrives to replace it. RidersRasp™ makes it possible to keep barefoot broodmares, retirees and horses in their off-season more comfortable. It is also a great tool for training young horses.

Heller has begun transitioning the manufacturing of the products and Mustad’s worldwide distribution network will begin marketing and distributing them as soon as the product and inventory transition is completed.

“My inspiration for the RidersRasp™ was straightforward. In every barn you’ll ever walk into there’s an old, rusty rasp that the farrier has left there for the owner to round up the hoof if needed,” Tomlinson explained. “So I thought: If the owner could hold a rasp in one hand and stand next to the horse, it would make rounding the hoof so much safer and easier, and that’s what we’ve done with RidersRasp™.

“This is a terrific grooming tool for all horse owners, whether they are Western or English, young or old,” said Tomlinson.

“Our vision is a RidersRasp™ in every grooming box.”

For further information or detail please visit the website http://www.ridersrasp.com , get updates on Facebook and Twitter, or in North America contact: Delta Mustad Hoofcare Center at 866-668-7642.