advice on going barefoot?

wessex and wiery said:
if you wish to have your equine well managed employ a Farrier
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Which farrier should I employ W&W?

The one who ignored the measurements that I gave him, and turned up with shoes 3 sizes too small, then took such a big notch out of my horse's foot for the toe clip that it bled?

One of the two who told me the horse in my earlier posting could never work barefoot?

The one who left my horse standing with all his weight clearly going only down the inside edge of his off fore until he stood pointing all the time and was going to go lame?

The one gave my horse navicular syndrome, who I returned a year later after a loss of use claim to the people who I bought him off to keep as a pet, whose farrier had him sound almost immediately and back in work?

The one who allowed my TB's feet to spread and spread and spread until the hoof pastern axis was completely broken, who probably only stayed sound because I moved house and
got a new farrier?

The one who took my money for shoeing my horse in a livery yard when another farrier had shod him, so I was forced to pay twice for the same set of shoes as he would not return it?

The one who grabbed my mare's leg when I warned him that she had bruised it, causing her to jump, whereupon he threw his tools back into his van leaving me with a horse with shoes off and another needing a new set, and swore at me for giving him bad horses to shoe when I had never, ever in my life done such a thing?

The one who I warned that the mare I was asking him to shoe needed to be sedated for hind shoes, gave my previous farrier's name as a reference, who insisted on shoeing her without sedation and turned up and did her when I was not there (I can guess what he tried to do to get her to co-operate), and then when I rang to have a FRONT shoe replaced, refused to do it, leaving me to have to find another farrier with no notice?

The one who trimmed a frog so severely that my horse left bloody footprints all over the concrete?

The one who pricked my horse's foot and did not even apologise?

The one who lamed my friend's horse with an imbalanced shoe?

Any one of the ones who happily put shoes on three year olds when they should be advising their owners to see if the horse can work without shoes first?

Have I been unlucky? No, I don't think so, I have just owned horses for many years in many different parts of the country. My experiences are far from uncommon, unfortunately.
 
I'd never heard of a four point trim until a Farrier mentioned it. I got the impression he thought that's what Trimmers did. :confused:
 
You can add a few to that CP,

The farrier who makes comments on the size of lady clients' breasts and nipples and makes crude references - in front of them causing great discomfort

The one who leaves everyone hanging around the yard for hours without even a call to tell them they just can't make it

The one who batters horses with rasps and other tools...leaving marks physical and otherwise

The one who does exactly what he did last time despite being told the horse was very sore for 2 weeks after the last shoeing

The one who puts in 3 nails each side - one going right up the hoof drawing blood, and the other two just in and no more

Lots of bad things happening out there - so like I said before - don't blame "bloody trimmers" for the demise of farriers' business.

P.S> My last farrier was absolutely brilliant, great guy, and if I was shoeing my horse I'd want him right back!
 
Hi everyone, just to fill you in, my horse, Oscar is now booked in to go to Rockley Farm on Feb 17th. Apart from a couple of wobbles I know that I'm doing the right thing for him, I've just never been apart from him in eleven years, so it's gonna be tough...:(
Nic has been brilliant, a constant source of advice and her patience is endless. My vet is still skeptical but interested, my farrier feels the same, but both have been great and spoken to Nic at length - clearly she knows how to talk these people round! My farrier is keen to read Feet First, Nic's book, so I'm lending him my newly bought copy tomorrow and I'm hoping he and Nic will work together once Oscar comes home.
I too hope to soon be flying the Rockley flag! :D
Thanks everyone for your advice, fingers crossed you have all helped my horse back on the road to soundness
 
Good luck! If Nic can't do it at Rockley, then at least you will know no-one could. Sound move you have made. (from the Feet First cover pony :) )
 
those stories i have just read are unbelieveable , thats not real farrier behaviour and you really should not tar us all the with same brush . there are barefoot trimmers who are just as unprofessional as well as instructors , yard owners ,saddlers ,dentists vets, feed merchants etc etc , it really is up to owners to stop this practice by making justified complaints to the relevent authorities and then maybe just maybe the equine industry will be seen in a different light
chris
 
ferrador said:
those stories i have just read are unbelieveable , thats not real farrier behaviour and you really should not tar us all the with same brush . there are barefoot trimmers who are just as unprofessional as well as instructors , yard owners ,saddlers ,dentists vets, feed merchants etc etc , it really is up to owners to stop this practice by making justified complaints to the relevent authorities and then maybe just maybe the equine industry will be seen in a different light
chris
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Chris are you suggesting that I have lied? Every one of the incidents I have listed happened, and there were more but I don't want to bore people.

No-one is saying there are no good farriers, what we are saying is that there are far too many who make mistakes.
 
My boy is currently at rockly too! The changes in his feet are amazing already. He loves it there and is very happy. I am looking forward to getting him back. Good luck with your horse, Nic is great. There is a bit of a rockly farm fan club on here!! X x
 
I am another flying the Rockley flag, loud and proud :) :)

Good Luck donquixote, Nic is amazing and the horses just love it there. It is scary at first but Nic looks after them so well and it is just sooooo worth it :D

Nic gave Soli another chance which I never thought he would have.
 
just to say that Oscar arrived at Rockley Farm on Thursday 17th. Thank you to everyone who directed me there, I'm feeling very positive about it :)
Please watch out for him on Nic's blog and keep your fingers crossed for us!
He went with his girlfriend, Dilly who at the age of 19 has also got navicular issues and who has been through the remedial shoeing and box rest etc. They both did really well considering it took 8 hours to get them there and early reports say they have settled and are happy.
Thanks again!
 
Wow I can't believe how many people here have horses that have been treated at Rockley! It's fabulous that the benefits of barefoot are being recognised. Good luck everyone who is rehabilitating a horse :) my horse has been bare for 20 months and I've never looked back, best thing I have ever done! Xx
 
donquixote said:
Thank you everyone for your thoughts. I have just had my vet come back to me (at last) with his diagnosis...

He now, having checked the x rays again, believes there to be some chnges in his navicular bone (only on left front, but he is lame on both??) plus he thinks the collateral ligament damage could also be going on deeper down than the bit he can confirm with the scanner.He suggested MRI, but my insurance won't cover it and unless I win the lottery soon... I'll find a way if it becomes essential though.
I spoke both to the vet and farrier about going barefoot. My farrier is certainly not against it, in fact quite pro it, but he worries that my horses poor foot shape won't stand up to the re-hab process (his feet turn in, one of them quite dramatically when unshod) and he is worried the stress would prove too much on the side of the foot that is lower(?) His words were - you can only take away foot, which he can't afford to lose. Or something along those lines.

The vet is very happy with his foot balance as is but wants to try pads and aluminium shoes first, he's is not against trying barefoot if this fails:( He also suggested Tildren. Really not sure what to do at the moment, but I think I may go with the pads for a while at least until the ground drys up a bit - I imagine going barefoot on softer ground is good, but how on earth do you keep wraps on if he needs them? Thanks again everyone.
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Sounds like a very sensible course of action. Good luck - and let us know how you get on.

EDT: Ah, I see you've changed your mind.
 
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