Barefoot horses?

jackessex

jackessex

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 April 2008
Messages
310
Visit site
im interested to know those of you that have barefoot horses do you use a specialist "barefoot trimmer" or a normal farrier,and do you all have your horses hooves rolled?would like to know your opinions please on both.
 
I have a barefoot trimmer. Do you mean 'rolled' as in 'mustang roll'? Some trimmers are very keen on this, others less so. The most important factor is that the trim suits your horse and does not make him sore but helps him stay sound. A good trimmer will take into account a lot of things when trimming a particular horse, conformation, way of moving, work load, diet, environment, how long the horse has been barefoot and more. If you do a search on barefoot here you will find a lot of information and advice.
 
I have used farriers in the past, but they often leave the trimming to their apprentices, so never felt I was getting the experience I wanted with my horses feet.
I now use a barefoot trimmer. He roles the toes and trims the feet correctly - there is a notable difference in the state of my horses feet (for the better) with a barefoot trimmer.
They should be trimmed more often, with straight forward hooves, then you can do interim rasping yourself and your trimmer will show you how.
 
farrier and always would. Lots of insurance companys will not cover you for foot problems if it is not a farrier. Also they have 7 years of training sorry but a good farrier. I am lucky my horse see farrier regualy but rearly needs anything doing as does a good job herself.
 
I do my own and I mustang roll and bevel the toe (roll it from underneath between 11 and 2 o'clock)

There are good and bad trimmers who can be either farriers or non-farriers. A good trimmer is one that has sound working barefoot horses on their books and who never repeats a trim that has made a horse less capable than it was before it was trimmed.

Few farriers know enough to advise their clients on nutrition for good feet.
Some farriers will trim sole callous that should not be trimmed on a barefoot horse, because it's what they do to balance a foot when they fit a shoe.
Too many farriers blame hard ground for footiness that is actually caused by too much grass and shoe without resolving the underlying issue.
Trimmers can be completely unqualified and untrained and still legal, so it is difficult for people to know who they can trust.
Length of training, however, is a red herring, as most of what a farrier spends his time learning is not actually needed for a barefoot trimmer, and the amount of time a farrier spends learning how to manage hard-working barefoot horses is dependent on whether his master has any on his books, the answer to which is generally "no".
 
I use a trimmer; all the farriers I have used knew nothing about barefoot horses, saying things like " I'll leave the wall long if you are doing roadwork" !!! and not addressing any flare, not rolling the toes, trimming the frogs back even if they weren't flappy.

Costs more but she spends around 40 minutes doing each pony whereas the farrier spent less than 15! Never have any splits//chips
 
I used to have a farrier trimming mine, but when he moved I couldn't find another who did a decent job. The one I found didn't take the trimming for a working horse seriously and wasn't balancing the hooves properly. That is the one I found, he was the only one prepared to visit for 3 trims including one horse that needed to rest her back legs quite regularly during trimming!

I have a very good barefoot trimmer who is also a bodyworker (working with horse and human athletes). She puts a roll from about 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock on the toes, and I maintain that between trims. My previous trimmer didn't believe in doing that, but I have noticed a lot less cracking and chipping since this change in the way their feet are cared for. I am also confident that their feet are very well balanced and have noticed an improvement in movement, with one horse in particular. The white line has tightened up and there is also a huge amount of sole being shed on one horse (which confirms the incorrect hoof balance before), improved concavity and shape of frog. So I think it's a matter of getting not a farrier or trimmer, but the right farrier or trimmer.
 
My horse is "unshod". He trims his own feet to perfection, does plenty of roadwork, doesnt have a special diet. He sees the farrier regularly who mutters under his breath as he never has to touch him (one trim in 3 years).
 
Following this with interest.

I have recently bought a 4yr old ex-racer who needed time off work so perfect to remove shoes, rest, condition him and have a fresh start.

Feed has all been changed to unmolassed beet, chaff etc.
Marquis boots and pads puchased, broken in and going well on short walk roadwork.

Farrier: Considered barefoot trimmers, but very expensive (South Wales) and needed frequently until i considered myself totally capable to make the correct trim inbetween visits. I have 4 horses in total, one large CBxTB who's hooves need a lot of tlc - dry, chip, split etc and needs trims every 6wks Plus 2 arabs who ususally have 3 trims a year. none are shod or rode as nr 20yrs old so only require trims.

So....I have a brand new farrier (after the last let me down 3 times in a row!), told him my plans and he said "tut-tut TB's are not good for barefoot!" yep, read that loads myself thanks! HOWEVER, he did do a fairly good first trim and rolled toes, there is a slight flare to the sides and the front wall dishes in. i booked him for 4 weeks after the first trim to see how we work from here, i hope with guidance and prompting he will learn barefoot ://
 
I use my old farrier who used to shoe Frankie, I would have preferred a barefoot trimmer but there were none recommended to me who would cover my area.

I ask him and he agrees to do the bare minimum - tidies up edges and puts a roll on. Only one time when I had been travelling and not putting the miles in did he actually need to trim as such.

He is not allowed to trim frogs or soles and I know he hates not being allowed to 'tidy' the frog.

Because he knew Frankie when he was shod and lame he has alot of respect for what's been achieved and is the first to admit he is learning approaches to barefoot from my horse which he takes to his other clients.

The downside is when I run into problems he defaults to shrugging his shoulders and muttering about tb feet rather than looking at whether I am managing him correctly.
Plus at £15 he wouldn't come out just to do mine so I have to fit in around the shod horses. he is due this weekend and I'm away however apart from ragged edges Frankie's been self trimming so I'll skip this visit as I don't let anyone near my horses feet without me being there.
 
We use the farrier who used to shoe them, he does a good job and although he doesn't have experience in working barefoot horses, he spends alot of time talking about how they have been since their last trim and learning from them. If there was a trimmer near to us I might be tempted to have them out every so often as a check up that all is well, but no plans to replace our farrier currently!

There are good and bad of every name so I wouldn't be swayed one way or another until I had seen their work and spoken to them about their philosophy.
 
I currently use farrier who does an ok trim although my boy has issues with footiness (which we are trying to adress with diet) and I am thinking a better trim may help him. I have a first appointment with a barefoot trimmer at the beginning of August so we'll see...
 
CBFan said:
I currently use farrier who does an ok trim although my boy has issues with footiness (which we are trying to adress with diet) and I am thinking a better trim may help him. I have a first appointment with a barefoot trimmer at the beginning of August so we'll see...
Click to expand...

I don't suppose you are also on uknhcp forums? Someone on there has a CB and has been having probs with footiness which I have been following with interest as our CB mare isn't improving as well as our tough ISH! Because of this we are considering a trip to Rockly to get an expert to take a look at her to ensure we are on the right track.
Good luck with yours!
 
My horse was shod through her whole life since breaking at 4/5 and last year I made the decision to take her shoes off completely aged 15 at the advice of the farrier. Well we haven't looked back her feet look fantasic. I have kept my farrier who has done an excellent job, she looks at them every six weeks while she's shoeing another horse at the yard but has only had to trim them 3 times in the last year.
I would always use a remidial farrier and not a barefoot trimmer....farriers have had years of training, barefoot trimmers could have done a 2 day course.
 
ThePony said:
I don't suppose you are also on uknhcp forums? Someone on there has a CB and has been having probs with footiness which I have been following with interest as our CB mare isn't improving as well as our tough ISH! Because of this we are considering a trip to Rockly to get an expert to take a look at her to ensure we are on the right track.
Good luck with yours!
Click to expand...

Hi, No I'm not but I'll take a look. Thats very interesting! Do keep me posted on your progress.

My boy (Pure CB) is only 3.5 so never been shod. he is very flat footed and has always been a bit footy over stony ground (particularly in summer). He's on a V low sugar diet (always has been) and I have had him on seaweed for over a year which improved the quality of his horn and have just introduced magnesium about a month ago and today my brewers yeast has arrived so we'll see how he goes on that!...
 
Ah, someone else then! Our girl seems v much more sensitive to pretty much everything which I think is slowing her progress. She is 15 and was shod for 9 years straight, so to be fair she has a good bit of work to do to get her feet back. As soon as her mind is on something else then even a hint of footiness evaporates though! We have just started taking her showing (After seeing the tiny turnout of CBs at 3 counties!) which she just adores - when she knows she is being watched and is in the ring she just floats around, even on utterly rock hard ground! Once we are home and cross a small bit of tarmac she is footy again!

I think diet is key with her as when we have made small changes she has improved a little. They were on v low sugar/starch with magnesium, seaweed, brewers yeast and rosehips. However she still wasn't 100% on gravely tarmac, so we had our grazing analysed. Turns out it is high in iron and v low in copper, so they have come off the seaweed and I am waiting for the feed plan to know what else they need as I'm afraid it is beyond my understanding!! I am hoping that this holds the key to getting her sorted! She is flat footed too, I am hoping that as we get the diet sorted, her flat footedness will improve too as her comfort on rough hard surfaces does too.

Just a slow process trying to get everything right!! Bet your boy is a stunner, our girl is 1/2 bred and we keep playing with the idea of having a pure youngster!!
 
greenberry said:
I would always use a remidial farrier and not a barefoot trimmer....farriers have had years of training, barefoot trimmers could have done a 2 day course.
Click to expand...
That's rubbish about the 2 day course you know that don't you? I'm not saying there is anything wrong with your decision about who looks after your horses feet. It would be wrong however to assume that everyone who uses a barefoot trimmer is trusting their horses to someone who has only been on 2 days training.

I wonder how many dissections of dead hooves the average farrier carries out? I believe my trimmer mentioned she's done over a 100, to help her to really understand the structure of a horse's hoof. She takes part in regular continuing professional development. in addition she uses her work on hooves alongside her acknowledged expertise in equine (and human) bodywork. I don't think many farriers could claim that.

I say again, I don't mind who does what and with who when it comes to their horse's hooves. But please don't believe some of the daft information that gets spread around about trimming professionals.
 
Why do farriers "tidy up" the frog, I don't see any need for it, I now stand right over my farrier and ask every Q I can think of, he thinks I am a mad old bat, [but refrains from saying so], as he is of the "wait till toe is long" school of trimming, so I am going to try the sandpaper block once a week to keep feet short, the boy is still on his summer holidays so I wont really be barefoot until later when I can start the diet. and the work. Farrier will continue to balance as he is good at that, but I hope to convert him ...... eventually....
 
well im reading these posts with interest!!i will stay with my farrier as he is FANTASTIC,but he is slightly old school or though he is very good as he has not touched sole and only given frog a very slight trim when it needed it,my chap has now been out of shoes for about 2 months ish,at 8 yrs old he has only had shoes for about 3 yrs but developed alot of probs in this time,djd in feet and vet said he couldnt rule out navicular.what i can say tho is that since his shoes have been removed he is like a new horse,but the reason for post in first place is that through reading about barefoot on net it has totaly confused me about what is right and wrong!!
his feet are now growing at such a fast rate i cant keep up!!but they are chipping and the thing i havent had farrier do is roll the toes,so i think this will be the next thing to be done,along with boots (when i can find some to fit him)its comforting to read about barefooters using normal farriers as i wouldnt really want to stop using mine.also reading with interest the suppliments people are using,so will now look into that.
 
Barefoot and trimmed by farrier every 7 weeks. Wouldnt swap my farrier for anyone else, have a ex Lami pony with rotation of pedal bones - worked wonders on his feet.
 
jackessex said:
.......... through reading about barefoot on net it has totaly confused me about what is right and wrong!!
his feet are now growing at such a fast rate i cant keep up!!but they are chipping and the thing i havent had farrier do is roll the toes,so i think this will be the next thing to be done,along with boots (when i can find some to fit him)its comforting to read about barefooters using normal farriers as i wouldnt really want to stop using mine.also reading with interest the suppliments people are using,so will now look into that.
Click to expand...
I bought Feet First [Barker and Braithwaite] and have gone with their ideas, it is more about a philosophy, and I think you have to self educate, and adapt to your horse. In FF it stated hoof will grow faster to compensate for wear!
I have no chipping on my boy as he has good feet and grows steadily, so will use a sandpaper block to round off between trims. But I did consider buying a riders rasp which looks ideal if you are getting chipping, which might indicate that the wall is taking too much of the downward force [my idea] unless the walls are weak due to old nails holes. In the long term, I assume you anticipate no boots?
I think it is more difficult to get barefoot to work in summer when sugars are high and fibre is low [nearly all grass at some time of the year]
 
Last edited:
I use a barefoot trimmer now after experiencing a farrier who scraped out my horse's toe callous and took two clean swipes up each side of her frogs with his hoof knife.

He trimmed as if he was preparing the hoof for a shoe.

Yes, trimmers are more dearer, but this tends to be because there are less of them, so they have to bare in mind travel expenses when they visit you.
 
I did a bit of informal research and decided that the Rider's Rasp might not be a good idea. They are pricey and everyone I found who had used them didn't rate them. My gang's hooves are now too hard for sandpaper, so I'm experimenting with a Stanley Surform, as I have trouble with my wrist and find a regular rasp hard going.
I wouldn't want to be working on length/foot balance, but I'm happy maintaining the roll on the toes myself. I am influenced in that by the fact that one of mine is a bit of a dire case and needs careful balancing. (If left to "self trim" he gradually goes out of balance).
The Saddlery Shop are very helpful if anyone is considering boots.
 
MRS D123

I have just brought a ridersrasp and i cant get in with it.

It is too course, and catches on the hoof as you use it, even just to file down small chips it still didnt have the same smooth action as a normal rasp.

My pony has rock hard feet though, and you may get on fine with it, but it's £40 down the drain for me!.
 
There are a few posts on here about footie Cleveland Bays and I have heard of others before. I believe that they are prone to EPSM because of their draft breeding. You might find a better result if you switch them onto a high oil/high vitamin E diet. Restricted grass intake will probably also be required to get them totally rock crunching.
 
OH trims our two....they started with him putting on a mustang roll, but this now happens naturally, due to our terrain (rock, sand, gravel etc). They are fed straights, a mineral lick in the field, rough old forage - they have feet like stone and he sweats just filing them!
 
I have a trimmer every couple of months, he does his own feet and I help with a rasp every now and again.... :)

I'd like to do it myself one day... it's not that hard! (well, his hooves are!!! :D)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top