Bars or no bars?

[ktj1891]

Just a thought ticking over in my head. When your trimmer comes out to do your horses feet do they remove the bars completely or do they just rasp them lower than the hoof wall. I have had 2 trimmers one who left them and just rasped and they other who completely removed them.

What is the reasoning behind these 2 methods, what do you feel is better and why?

My horse has recently gone very sore barefoot after having a very good couple of months. Previously he's never been completely comfortable riding without boots. Trimmer has been out recently as he hasn't been trimmed since Oct and only thing that stood out to him was that his bars were quite long and needed taking off. I haven't brought him in from the field for a week but I will be today and assessing how sore he is.

Any thoughts, bars or no bars?

 

[LittleBlackMule]

Bars are there for a reason. Evidence suggests they are more pronounced in hooves that are compromised in some way, and are grown as extra support for internal structures.
So cutting them back is going to do more harm than good.

 

[ester]

Leave them on, no rasping or anything.

We trialled taking them off just to see at one point, horse footy for about 10 days post trim and haven't touched them since although they do now look less 'overgrown' than previously. When you say not comfortable riding without boots does that include road?

 

[ktj1891]

Leave them on, no rasping or anything.

We trialled taking them off just to see at one point, horse footy for about 10 days post trim and haven't touched them since although they do now look less 'overgrown' than previously. When you say not comfortable riding without boots does that include road?

Hi ester I took him out to ride today and he was even worse than before. He is also warm on his feet where his bars were �� feeling so disheartened was really hoping this year he would be much better as he was doing so well. He's extremely sore behind too. Not sure if I should leave him in field or buy some hind boots and continue to work him behind or get vet or what. No idea why he went lame previously so thought I would get him trimmed has he hasn't been done for about 4 months and now he is so much worse!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

If you look at Rockley Farm you will see that Nic usually avoids trimming, even when many would say ........ get a trimmer! They are trimmers, so its not a problem to trim if they wanted to.

The bars are not something to be trimmed, whether shod or barefoot, why would they be removed, it makes no sense as they help "spread the load" for the barefoot horse.

If the horse is footy, one has to look for thrush, as this will usually be painful, preventing heel first landing.

The next thing is diet .......... related to above in many cases.

Do you think the horse is getting sugars in the diet, possibly low grade laminitis, is the diet supplemented, minerals are indicated, particularly magnesium, but others as well. Also some salt.

Diet and regular exercise are often the key, if horse is very sore, maybe try boots?