I initially wanted to go to horseshoeing school, but couldn’t afford it. All jokes aside thrush can cause real lameness issues. Used incorrectly, it’s not. That diet, exercise, movement, environment and a balanced trim were all key to success. New standards for barefoot trimmers, drawn up by farriers, vets and trimmers, will be out for public consultation next month Barefoot riders to tackle 260-mile ride Sign Up Now! I tried a keeping him barefoot for 3 years but he couldn’t handle the rocky terrain, he went back into shoes and was sound. The first factor is welfare, people tell me all the time that their horse couldn't possibly go barefoot as when he/she looses a shoe they are hopping lame. Loved your article thank you as i was a little confused between the difference – I’m based in the UK and use a farrier for trimming all my horses and in my opinion he does what is right for the horse, my girl (been bare foot for 13 years) who is retired now has very long feet and some my say i don’t look after them but she has them trimmed every 6 – 8 weeks depending on the time of year and my farrier knows to take her feet right back to look how people think they should look would just make her extremely sore, she has no rounding off done as its to uncomfortable to hold her legs up for to long now so i praise my farrier for doing what is right for her. Money was a concern for most horse owners so 2 months was a good compromise. I know that’s not a neat little answer that lumps all farriers in one box and all trimmers in another box. The focus is always what is going to work for you and your horse.. Barefoot trimming. I totally agree that to trim (or shoe) a horse, we need to consider more than just the feet we are working on. I’ve only ever had one person call me to tell me how great her farrier was (and she seemed somewhat put out by my advice to make sure she always has the kettle on for his arrival, and to buy him a bottle of whisky for Christmas). The use of the word patient will pertain to the equine to which the trim is being provided. Below is a list of reasons why a horse may be sore out of shoes. The question caught me slightly off guard and I did not have a great response and chalked it up to my long time love for horses. NOTE: I’m not going to being to get into the various problems and controversies surrounding wild horses, but I do want to emphasize two things: For wild “natural” horses, things are not necessarily always rosy. It’s easy for me to say that every farrier barefoot trim I’ve seen has been too short (because it has – in my opinion) – but it’s essential to remember that anyone with a farrier trim that isn’t too short, is very unlikely to contact me. You will quickly recognize that there is deformity in almost every structure, some distortions caused by over growth, some by changes to another structure, some by pathogen infection. If you’re in the UK these resources may help, http://www.epauk.org/membership/our-members/map/. But he still shod horses. Barefoot Hoofcare is focused on providing you with a high quality service involving not only hoof trimming but also nutritional advice and exercise regimes. Question him about that and see what his suggestions are. For the wild horse, hoof care is simple, where it gets complicated is when we restrict movement or try to protect the hoof rather than condition it for concussion. This is yet another article to keep you thinking and on your toes ( catching puns!). Sometimes it’s like the hooves heaven’t read the text book on how they’re supposed to look , I am a natural horsemanship trainer, a barefoot horse owner, and an American Saddlebred owner and enthusiast. Thankfully, we were to meet another barefoot trimmer who was able to put us back on course. I am a horsewoman of 30+ years mostly working,breeding and racing in the TB industry. I was so brokenhearted thinking that euthanasia for “Eddie” was his best option. Before the shoes are removed i will insist on a diet and over all management overhaul right down to what bedding you should use. No amount of trimming is going to give that horse the 14″ foot it needs. Information is just data. Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next > horsman PetForums Newbie. I trusted and never questioned my farrier/s. The way their feet were being trimmed and shod for showing was ridiculous. (NASCAR fan). But I’m just not about the money. It is a good thing! I stood there in awe, I cried and hugged my trimmer. Hoof Care . If you know of any that are missing, please ask them to contact me with their details and I’ll gladly include them. Oh PS and Mo Hoyal again. They are both scientific approached coming from two completely separate ideals and separate directions. It’s whether the hoof capsule is in balance with the internal hoof structures. I rarely need to put stuff on the wall if I’ve got the diet right so I don’t have much to offer in the topical recommendation department. There is always another option. Things to consider in deciding to go barefoot. Well it’s not just about the hoof being in balance with the ground. Would have like to see some info about barefoot horses and the bio-mechanics of a horse’s movement and hoof structure to back up your opinions. We’ve given this site a thorough overhaul to bring it right up to date, and hope you find it interesting! We augment this with a natural hoof oil on the soles, frogs and white lines. I NEVER looked back and honestly I WILL NEVER put another show on any horse I ever own again. There are occasions when you may need to trim the frog or sole, and occasions where you won’t need to. There’s even barefoot specialists who don’t trim at all! Good to hear you’re treating him well!! Not just in terms of right side equals left side, but if you have a very strong wall, but weak bars or weak frog, then it’s not in balance. The arborist knows this, but he also must understand the soil, precipitation, wind direction, invasive plants, insects, and wildlife and how each of these will affect the tree. it is difficult and takes training. As a holistically minded, scientifically trained farrier… I’ll go with that no one ‘quick fix’ but should always ask ‘why’ when theres a problem. A shoe is a tool. I spent seven years as a tech in an equine motion analysis lab where I was also responsible for making sure that the horses involved in the study were consistently trimmed to the same standards. The hoof cannot move as it is designed to do when metal shoes are applied. He has vast experience trimming horses all over the country. I so often find myself in defense of the saddle horse fancy, particularly when unknowing folks lump us all into the “Big Lick” Tennessee Walking Horse horrors. Had to drop it to an F when you decided you were neurologist, gastroenterologist, lymphologist, and musculoskeletal physician. I suppose it’s possible that a farrier is so used to not rolling that they don’t do it when trimming a shoeless horse, but I’m not sure whether that’s a sign of adhering to farriery sciences or just laziness. This is crazy! Killing fungus also opens pathways in the white line and hoof wall for anaerobic bacterial to flourish, which is much more evasive than fungus. They have species appropriate living conditions which most people are not aware of, what many people provide horses with as far as their living conditions actually goes against what is appropriate for their species, thus the health of the hooves and the strength of their soundness goes out the window. We are very pleased to announce that we have a barefoot trimmer taking on new horses at the clinic and surrounding area. I’ve always been of the traditional mindset and in 2009 I sadly had to put my Anglo down who foundered quite rapidly due to a foot abscess that went systemic. I think you hit the proverbial “nail on the head” The difference is absolutely mindset. The hoof wall has thickened, the heels are wider the frog is not as long and narrow. Mind you “Eddie” is going to be 25 this year and is doing alright, no drugs, has boots with pads when needed, herbs for any inflammation and 24/7 turnout with the proper vitamin/minerals to support the hoof. Thread starter Native Lover; Start date Feb 23, 2019; Forums. Keep your horse(s) barefoot as much as you possibly can and give them plenty of time to develop sturdy feet and apply shoes (fixed-metal hoof protection) judiciously and sparingly. Well put together article. Just because a hoof has deformities does not mean that the horse cannot be judge hoof sound for its job. Barefoot South has a very a strict code of ethics which puts your horse's welfare at the centre of any care recommendations. We love it. Legal Stuff | Contact Yes they’re trained in trimming hooves, but most of the work they do is with shod horses (unless they’ve decided to specialise in barefoot horses). Sence I have had my horse Tater I have kept him without shoes. I also shoe, but I having experimented with various types of flexible shoes found one that works very well for rehabilitation or helping a horse to be sound while they are getting better circulation and growing in their new hooves. You should be receiving an order confirmation from Paypal shortly. Feet being thinned out at the toe being encouraged to flare in a specific direction to accentuate ‘breed standards’. Very helpful to hear your thoughts on this, as a new horse owner who wants to stay barefoot always. This will help to enlighten everyone as to the how, why and what if. I love this blog and wish I’d read it years ago when I first got horses and went barefoot. You can see its a front hoof with two clips either side as the front of the hoof is missing, you can see by the lighter part of the wall around the hole that the outer hoof wall has been over rasped and the wall thinned to much to hold a shoe on. That it was about 2 months was a similar situation with showing in... And farriers who do horrible trims national embarrassment against it waiting for the confirmation made up of branches want. 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