can a farrier trim better than a barefoot trimmer ?

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nokia

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This is a very intresting subject, and seems to be becoming a more spoken about at our yard than ever before.

I am hoping to get my horse trimmed soon by a barefoot trimmer, my farrier seems to take no time whatsoever to trim my horses feet and they look awfull.

So im going to use a barefoot trimmer , they are double the price of a normal trim but i want my horses feet to be right so im going to give it a go.

What are other peoples thoughts on here
 
In my opinion yes.
If you have a good farrier, they will do a far better job than a barefoot trimmer. Anyone can rasp a horses feet, but not just anyone can do so in such a way as to correct any problems etc. It takes a lot of training to become a farrier, and, as far as I'm aware, none at all to become a barefoot trimmer.
Of course, if your farrier is crap, and you find a very good barefoot trimmer, then that is the exception, and we all know how I feel about my farrier!
However, I don't just adore my farrier because he's bloody delicious and sexy, he's also incredibly good at what he does.
 
I have shod horses/ponies and unshod and I use my farrier because he is

a) fully qualified and has trained for a number of years and

b) Because I trust him and know he does a good job

In my opinion there are good and bad farriers/barefoot trimmers its a case of what suits you and your horses.
 
Depends on the farrier/trimmer - some are good, some are bad. I have had good and bad of both. My current farrier is ace - trims the feet really well, and shoes fronts for most of year as well.

It depends on the type of barefoot trimmer you have - some have had loads of training and have done exams etc, others just set up as trimmers with no experience at all.
 
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I'd say yes as well. I've had this discussion with my farrier and balancing the foot is part of their training, regardless of whether the horse is barefoot or wearing shoes.
 
*Fetches popcorn and settles back for an interesting night*

O and FWIW I would rather have a good farrier do it as they have years of training under their belt. And I do have my farrier do it too :p
 
Many of the barefoot trimmers are farriers who have retrained. The AANHCP even has a vet who has done the training. Italian and drop dead gorgeous by the way.
 
I'd be looking for a new farrier if you're confident that he is doing a good job.
For me, the training of farriers is far more extensive than BF trimmers so I would always use a farrier. I've had excellent advice on hoof care and any concerns about lower leg problems from mine. Even the grouchiest ones have been happy to discuss and educate because apparently I cared enough to ask.
Have heard about BF trimmers spending 3 hours on a 'consultation'. I'd rather get the job done, questions answered, pay half the price, still have time to exercise and forgo the lifestyle advice.
 
Pointless discussion Lucy - you won't change the way people feel - they will be pro farrier and anti trimmer. And the horses will have ongoing problems throughout their lives. And navicular syndrome, contraction, underrun heels, and concussion injuries will be just a fact of life for many of these animals.

Well I'll have a good trimer any day - the trimmer I know best is not only a trimmer, but was a master saddler, and has travelled worldwide learning about horse behaviour - she's good, very good indeed.

I'm not qualified, but I trim mine, and yes I can hear the righteous indignation boiling up from way up in the North here already . :)

Anyone can come and inspect thier feet, if you're in my area please do, the vet sees them regularly and likes what I do, I even have recent xrays that show the balance is spot on.

I do a few other horses too - tough ones with behaviour issues - and the owners are very happy with my work (they have very sound happy horses who don't get battered with tools any more)

It's really not that difficult and there is no "mystery" to it, just understanding what the hoof is and what it does.

P.S. I said unqualified, not untrained. There's a difference. I didn't just pick up a rasp one day.
 
Not only has a farrier trained for years, as opposed to weeks, they will shoe/trim your horse without preaching about what you should/shouldn't be feeding your horse.
 
There are good and bad in every job. So it is unwise to generalise or go on hearsay. Get references.

I have lost count of the number of hooves I have deshod that have had nails through the foot rather than in the hoof wall. Even one done by a remedial farrier attached to a vet college withe the benefit of x-rays, so no excuse. And the horse is a total dream to handle, so no excuse there either.

Unfortunately farrier training does not cover trimming particularly well, read the syllabus, exam papers and weep. I did.
 
LucyPriory said:
Many of the barefoot trimmers are farriers who have retrained. The AANHCP even has a vet who has done the training. Italian and drop dead gorgeous by the way.
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Where does the hotty vet cover?I could change my mind lol

Well probably not but I would certainly be interested to speak to a farrier who has changed tack for their perspective on it.
 
hang on ..i am talking about a fully qualified professional foot trimmer,

A farrier is not neccessarily trained to trim a foot for a barefoot lifestyle (he is trained to trim a foot to take a shoe, very different). n.b. that is not to say he cannot do it, there are clearly similarities and many farriers would make great barefoot trimmers.

Its also intresting to see so many top international dressage horses competiing these days being trimmed by barefoot trimmers
 
Being an old fuddy duddy... ( well to be honest not that old but well confuzzeled by the whole 'barefoot' thing), .

My two plods, being my cob, who in the summer is shod for me dotting about as and where i wish, and daughters little welshie who is unshod oops should I say barefoot:rolleyes: , the cob gets the shoes removed for the winter as we don't do much then.

What I am trying to say is, what the heck is the real difference between being unshod, ie take the shoes off for a while and barefoot?? My farrier, who has trained for four years to be a farrier :rolleyes: in my opinion is fully qualified to remove my nags shoes and trim appropriately when thats all I want, and to tend the unshod (barefoot) welshie all year round. Surely four years of training must amount to something??? but seemingly, for a lot of people, the only person allowed near their unshod equines has to a 'qualified barefoot trimmer'??? As I said, I am confuzzuled, but say that, totally happy with my unqualified barefoot trimmer, fully (four years) qualified farrier:)
 
Hotty Italian not surprisingly has stayed in Italy, but we might wheel him over to the UK sometime this year so you can drool then! :-) And don't tell him I told you because he is very young as well. (or am I showing my age?!)

If you want to speak to one of the many farriers who have converted then contact Nick Hill of Clover Rose Equine. http://www.cloverroseequine.co.uk/

Mind you he is very very busy and travels all over Europe spreading the 'plague' (literally because he gave me the worst bout of flu I've ever had just before christmas when I met with him and his wife post a trip to Spain)

Lovely lovely guy, very modest too.
 
nokia said:
hang on ..i am talking about a fully qualified professional foot trimmer,
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On your other thread, there is somebody recommended that trained and qualified in 15 days.
I am perplexed how 15 days can compare to 4 years for a farrier. Surely a farrier doesn't learn about the hoof for 15 days and then the metal for the next 3 years and 49 weeks :confused:.
 
quirky said:
On your other thread, there is somebody recommended that trained and qualified in 15 days.
I am perplexed how 15 days can compare to 4 years for a farrier. Surely a farrier doesn't learn about the hoof for 15 days and then the metal for the next 3 years and 49 weeks :confused:.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes::D
My point exactly.
 
LucyPriory said:
Hotty Italian not surprisingly has stayed in Italy, but we might wheel him over to the UK sometime this year so you can drool then! :-) And don't tell him I told you because he is very young as well. (or am I showing my age?!)

If you want to speak to one of the many farriers who have converted then contact Nick Hill of Clover Rose Equine. http://www.cloverroseequine.co.uk/

Mind you he is very very busy and travels all over Europe spreading the 'plague' (literally because he gave me the worst bout of flu I've ever had just before christmas when I met with him and his wife post a trip to Spain)

Lovely lovely guy, very modest too.
Click to expand...

Maybe I can relocate to Italy. Hmmm. Sun, sea and hotty Italian trimmer. Sounds good to me. I'm 26. Am I too old?

Thanks for the link :)
 
Actually, the interestign thing is that a good basic trim can be done by either a trimmer or a farrier. Different trims styles often, but if the hoof is straightforward then a straightforward trim do, and in a couple of weeks natural wear might make each indistinguishable from the other anyway.

Trimmers tend to look at more than just the hoof - they'll have spent a lot of time uderstanding diet, movement etc. and will try to understand the overall helath and chartacteristics of that horse.

So imagine for a momment that you had hooves - would you be happy with a chiropodist who just treated your hoof the same as every other hoof, didn't see how you moved, or explored whether aspects of your diet might be affecting the health of your feet, didn't try to work out why that flare was so big or you had trouble landing on your heels? Would you like it if the chiropodist didn't listen to you about not wanting to wear shoes and scooped your soles dand pared your frog, so that you were sore for a couple of weeks on stony ground? How would you feel?

I think the problem with this argument is that you're trying to compare apples and bananas.
 
i am just asking about peoples thoughts, its meant to be a light discussion topic for a saturday night.

How did you find that out about 15 days training that is scarey stuff if true
 
can a farrier trim better than a barefoot trimmer ?

It depends! lol If you want your horse to do your normal stuff then I'd definitely plump for a 'good' Trimmer. Referenced as Lucypriory suggests, there are bad Trimmers out there too. The trim however isn't the whole story or the most important aspect. You may have to make dietry changes and look at management to give your horse the best chance of growing good strong feet.

I posted two links on your other thread and I am certain not one Trimmer on them quallified after just 15 days! :D Check out the initials after the names and you'll see some are actually Farriers as well. This fact alone tells me there is a difference in the trim and training, why would a busy Farrier bother to learn something he already knows? ;)
 
That's funny, in four years I would have thought my (ex)farrier could have learned not to cripple a horse. Nails through laminae (not my horse, thankfully), long toes, contracted and underrun heels - that was just at my yard and the list goes on. I'm not saying all farriers are like that, but they are out there and shoeing horses...

It doesn't make a person with 14 days training any good, but 4 years clearly doesn't necessarily mean much either.
 
brucea said:
So imagine for a momment that you had hooves - would you be happy with a chiropodist who just treated your hoof the same as every other hoof, didn't see how you moved, or explored whether aspects of your diet might be affecting the health of your feet, didn't try to work out why that flare was so big or you had trouble landing on your heels? Would you like it if the chiropodist didn't listen to you about not wanting to wear shoes and scooped your soles dand pared your frog, so that you were sore for a couple of weeks on stony ground? How would you feel?

I think the problem with this argument is that you're trying to compare apples and bananas.
Click to expand...

So does my farrier win uber points for always watching my horses move, and recommending me a low sugar diet and very rarely taking off any sole at all then? I hope he does as he's lovely :)
 
(Trimmers tend to look at more than just the hoof - they'll have spent a lot of time uderstanding diet, movement etc. and will try to understand the overall helath and chartacteristics of that horse.)




This is exactly what my farrier does.
 
quirky said:
Not only has a farrier trained for years, as opposed to weeks, they will shoe/trim your horse without preaching about what you should/shouldn't be feeding your horse.
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I took my horse barefoot in September and researched the venture thoroughly beforehand. This research included attending a 3 day introductory course given by a qualified Equine Podiatrist. It was just to show you how a horse's foot works and develops. It continued give information about training to be a Podiatrist if you were interested. The training is very intense and indepth so much so that even the most industrious of student would be pushed to complete it within 18months. Granted, it is not the four years of training a farrier completes but trimmers are not 'invading' the foot with any foreign objects either.
 
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