can anyone recommend a barefoot farrier near wolverhampton/stoke

soulfull

soulfull

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I got my farrier to take off Micah's shoes yesterday. Reason being he had never had shoes on before he came to the UK only 10 wks ago and insists on going out despite the ice. So if he has never had them why does he need them???

However I would like to try a proper barefoot farrier
 
Any farrier can do a barefoot trim. Trimming horses without shoes is as much a part of being a farrier as shoeing.

There are better farriers than others at both trimming and shoeing but imo as long as you choose a 'good' farrier then they can also be described as a proper barefoot farrier, regardless of whether they also do shoeing!

Look at the fariers registation council list for your area and phone a few to discuss what you want. Or speak to our current farrier?
 
Remember he was probably only working on a surface abroad, so if you plan to do lots of hacking/road work may struggle without shoes... obviously depends on his foot quality
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Agree with teddyt, I would just stick with normal farrier as they should be more than qualified to keep bare feet healthy.
 
I'll agree with teddyt. My last two farriers were both excellent with shod horses and very happy to keep my unshod horses feet in order. Over the past few years I've had an unshod eventer, an unshod driving pony, three general RC horses shod only in front, as well as the conventional shod all the way round RC horse and eventer. *touches wood* I have been extremely happy with the way their feet have been kept and have had no lameness issues.
 
Can I ask why you feel the need to differentiate between farrier and barefoot farrier? farriers are qualified to look after your horses feet regardless of whether it's shod or not.
 
Not sure if I've read your post correctly... are you saying that your horse only had shoes on for 10 weeks and you've taken them off?

I think my farrier goes over to Stoke way. Any good farrier can do a barefoot trim. TBH given the choice between a barefoot trimmer who has done a 3 day course and a farrier who has done years worth of training and has years of experience, I know which I'd choose to trim my horse's feet
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Not sure if I've read your post correctly... are you saying that your horse only had shoes on for 10 weeks and you've taken them off?


Yes I discussed it with my farrier and he said his hoof quality if fab and as I am only working on a surface and (if weather improves) field hacking he probably doesn't need them.

I guess there is nothing wrong with farrier I have its just I had heard people talking on here about what I thought were specialist farriers and thought I may look into it
 
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TBH given the choice between a barefoot trimmer who has done a 3 day course and a farrier who has done years worth of training and has years of experience, I know which I'd choose to trim my horse's feet
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If only it were that easy - 3 days and off out to make money! Sadly it isn't, it takes a hell of a lot longer than 3 days to train to become a 'barefoot trimmer', yes a farrier trains for longer but then he has to learn to manipulate metal into shoes. 'Barefoot trimmers' spend a long time studying nutrition, environment and anatomy - we're taught to take a whole horse view. I have no problem with the anti-barefoot people I just wish they'd get their facts straight before attacking us!
 
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If only it were that easy - 3 days and off out to make money! Sadly it isn't, it takes a hell of a lot longer than 3 days to train to become a 'barefoot trimmer', yes a farrier trains for longer but then he has to learn to manipulate metal into shoes. 'Barefoot trimmers' spend a long time studying nutrition, environment and anatomy - we're taught to take a whole horse view. I have no problem with the anti-barefoot people I just wish they'd get their facts straight before attacking us!

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Unfortunately that is only the conscientious ones! You dont actually have to do any training before you can call yourself a barefoot trimmer. Same as dentists- i could wake up tomorrow and call myself an equine dentist and start charging people for my services. Thats the problem, there are too many people that put making money above horse welfare and that gives trimmers as a whole a bad name. The dentists are doing something about it and now at least have some registration in place.

Few people in the equine industry try to be the best they can be and put the horse first and so much damage can be done even by 'just' trimming. But as long as it remains legal for anyone to trim there will always be those that do it with limited or no knowledge.

It is up to the owner to seperate the wheat from the chaff so to speak. Personally for me that means using a farrier that has trained for at least 5 years and has the experience of hundreds of horses a month. He/she is also registered and regulated by a governing body should i have a problem.
 
The manipulation of metal is a one year course that we have to do before we even begin our aprenticeships. From then on any metal work is about getting the right shapes and sizes and fits for the foot. As well as the anatomy/trim/balance/functions/movement/ect that we study. I am not going to go into a list of the things we study i dont have time i am in the middle of my work day.

I wish people would get their facts straight before attcking us. We have to study for five years, four year apprenticeship and college and one year manipulating metal.

Also just to add currently anyone can pick up the tools and call himself a trimmer. Please dont read this as an attack as i do appreciate that some do a fair amount of training. but as a group you have no governing body that you have to belong to one that regulates and monitors you. I know you can by election but thats not the same thing.

It is the fanatics, the straussers, the ones that slag off vets and farriers and the ones that do little to no training and the ones that advocate doing it yourself that give trimmers a bad name.
 
Some definitions that might help the OP
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Farrier = Person legally allowed to trim and shoe your horse. Trained to trim, and to trim and shoe. Must have trained and passed a certain standard which is universal across the UK, and be registered with the Farriers Registration Council.

Barefoot Trimmer = Person legally allowed to trim your horse if it is not going to have a shoe put on. At present there is no set of regulations for barefoot trimmers, hence why some people are against them, as in theory anybody with NO or very little qualifications can say they are a Barefoot Trimmer. There are several different schools of thought on how to best trim a horse "barefoot," which is making it difficult to establish said regulations, although governing bodies are working to overcome this.

Some Farriers have undertaken additional training with the Barefoot schools, and may reasonably be called Barefoot Farriers.

If you are going to get a Barefoot Trimmer, rather than a Farrier, it would be advisable to do your homework on how much training they have had, which school of thought they follow and research that too.

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Look on the UKNHCP web site Soulful for trimmers (including UKNHCP certified farriers) near you - you should be able to find one.

Well done you on taking the right decision for his feet! Why did he have shoes put on anyway?
 
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TBH given the choice between a barefoot trimmer who has done a 3 day course and a farrier who has done years worth of training and has years of experience, I know which I'd choose to trim my horse's feet

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I daresay this is true of some trimmers, but I've spent a bit of time and cash training, and all the trimmerws I know have been trained over at least 18 months - 2 years, with mentorships and exams both theory and practical - so be sure to chose one of them rather than a "3 day wonder"

The real diffference is that a UKNHCP trimmer will look at all aspects of the horse's lifestyle, overall health, balance and movement, diet and temperament before taking a rasp out of the toolbox. And them, when they do pick up a rasp, they'll do a good job.
 
I am not trying to be argumentative SMID, genuine question here as i dont know- Is the UKNHCP training full time over those 18-24months? What exactly are the mentorships? How exactly does a trimmer train and where? Who sets/marks the exams and does the training?
 
Why don't you look up the UKNHCP web site - it is all on there. No secrets.

It's not full time, no. But it is very comprehensive. Lots of supervised hands-on too.

Remember equating trimmer = farrier is not really valid, they do very different jobs, and a trimmer does not need the forging, ironwork, surgical shoemaking etc that a farrier does because they simply don't use them - and these skills are a major part of the farrier's training.

Trimmers do need to know about nutrition, environment, biomechanics, behaviour, physiology, hoof anatomy, practical trimming skills and so on.

Also most trimmers are actually good horsemen/horsewomen in their own rights and often experienced competitors and hunters. Fewer farriers are horse keepers/riders/competitors.

Many of the course modules are taught by experienced farriers by the way.
 
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If only it were that easy - 3 days and off out to make money! Sadly it isn't, it takes a hell of a lot longer than 3 days to train to become a 'barefoot trimmer', yes a farrier trains for longer but then he has to learn to manipulate metal into shoes. 'Barefoot trimmers' spend a long time studying nutrition, environment and anatomy - we're taught to take a whole horse view. I have no problem with the anti-barefoot people I just wish they'd get their facts straight before attacking us!

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There are so many people now calling themselves "barefoot trimmers" who don't have any training or qualifications and who are ruining horse's feet that how do you expect people to feel? Whilst I have seen bad farriers over the years, I have never seen one do as much damage as the barefoot trimmers I've seen. I was at a yard a few years ago where 3 of the liveries had the same trimmer. In the 3 years I was there, not one of the horses was EVER sound. One had his shoes taken off to "cure" navicular, was trimmed monthly by said trimmer and even by the time I left the yard, was still unable to even walk to the field (across tarmac) without hopping. It got so bad that the YO refused to turn the horse out because she felt it was more cruel to make him limp over the road than to leave in. That particular horse had shoes put back on not long after and is still now sound
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I used to see the trimmer come to the yard, spend hours with each person, drawing the feet, talking about nutrition (which primarily consisted of "buy these supplements from me"), rasping apparently endless amounts of foot off, and then charging £100 a time
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As I say, in 3 years, none of these horses was ever able to do more than go in the school (which they all limped to) or hack around the grassy parts of the farm, despite all of the so-called condioning work the owners were doing. The young mare also had shoes put back on and came sound straight away.

So when this is the sort of experience people have of trimmers, what do you think it does for their PR? Everyone I have spoken to blames vets and farriers for all of the horse world's ills too. If the techniques are aas good as you say then let the product speak for itself, don't slate everyone else to sell it. My farrier won't say a word about other farriers or pass comment on trimmers; he is simply a great farrier, does a great job and that does the talking.

For the record, I am not anti-barefoot. My Welsh was barefoot for a while (though I prefer the term unshod) and I kept his back shoes off for a long time. He was always trimmed by a farrier and always sound. I have no issue with barefoot per se, just with the unscrupulous trimmers I have come into contact with you give the entire profession a bad name.
 

The real diffference is that a UKNHCP trimmer will look at all aspects of the horse's lifestyle, overall health, balance and movement, diet and temperament before taking a rasp out of the toolbox. And them, when they do pick up a rasp, they'll do a good job.

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This is what I was looking for Thanks

Originally he had front shoes on before I got him. When I had my farier to him the first time 6wks ago I felt his heels on the back were just a little low so wanted a bit more support. He was actually very hammer shy on the back so obviously never had back shoes on. I did work on this over the last 6wks and didn't think it would be a problem this time.

Really it was the weather that made me think of taking them off, and that got me thinking that if he has never had shoes on maybe he doesn't need them ?? Obviously will have to see how he goes once we start hacking out. But have read so much about it being better for them I thought why not. He has good hoof quality so worth a try
 
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So when this is the sort of experience people have of trimmers, what do you think it does for their PR? Everyone I have spoken to blames vets and farriers for all of the horse world's ills too. If the techniques are aas good as you say then let the product speak for itself, don't slate everyone else to sell it. My farrier won't say a word about other farriers or pass comment on trimmers; he is simply a great farrier, does a great job and that does the talking.
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Where did I 'slate everyone else to sell it'? All I did was point out that the more conscientious of us do more than 3 days training. I don't pass comment on other trimmers or farriers, I have no issue with farriers or people wanting to shoe their horses - I just don't want to shoe mine.

I have had bad experiences of dentists, vets, instructors, back people... the list goes on but I take it upon myself to research any 'expert' that I allow into contact with my horse, and I don't judge a whole profession from a bad experience with just one person.

I agree that there are some very unscrupulous characters out there, we are very close to gaining National Occupational Standards for 'Equine Barefoot Care' which is a big step in the right direction and should help to remove a few bad eggs from the system.

The Farrier - Please don't think I was attacking you, I know I brushed over your training quickly but I was more focused on trying to explain that we spend more than 3 days training. The way I see it we're on the same side - we both want sound healthy horses! IMO the sooner all 'Hoof care Professionals' stop fighting amongst themselves and start working together the better!
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It is the fanatics, the straussers, the ones that slag off vets and farriers and the ones that do little to no training and the ones that advocate doing it yourself that give trimmers a bad name.

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Dr Strasser is a fully qualified vet. And she's probably done more harm to barefoot trimming and horses than any other person on the planet.
 
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