How long between farrier visits/trims?

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Patterdale

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Just wondered how long people's horses go between farrier visits? Particularly unshod ones?

My horse is not shod. He hasn't seen the farrier for around 3 months and I have no immediate plans to ring him as there's no need.

Anyone else's go a long time?
 
Unfortunately not. Mine is trimmed every 5 weeks. She has a crack that needs regular trimming so it does not get worse. When in full work her hooves also grow very quickly but do not get worn down as the same rate as most of our work is in the arena.
 
Every 6 weeks, farrier books us in each visit.I think if I wanted to make the gap any longer we would lose our "slot". No complaints he's a very good, busy farrier. One horse shod,pony is trimmed.
 
Nope - 5 weeks. One shod all round and one shod in front. My last couple of horses were unshod and I still had them done every 5-6 weeks
 
I'm with you OP. Farrier last came 8th Nov to trim filly, and remove shoes from mare. Mare will be re-shod in march when the clocks change, and at the moment, there is no need for farrier to come before then. All sets of feet look brilliant. Obviously if there is a change, then farrier will be called.
 
My two are shod every 5 weeks in the winter as are hunting, in the summer I stretch it to 6 weeks as are only in light work.

If shoeless, I would probably push it to every 6-8 weeks, but it would depend on the quality of hoof and what I was doing with the horse.
 
Farrier on shod ones every five weeks .
Trimming varies from horse to horse the farrier does not trim my horses feet a bf trimmer does and it varies enormously he's sees them when they need it anything from I month to three months .
 
My shod horse is booked in every 7 weeks but I;ve had occasions where the farrier has come and said they didn't need doing and he's come back in a couple of weeks.
Since I've got his feet in better condition with vits they grow quicker and it has been a while since he's gone over 7 weeks.
My unshod companion about 10 weeks, but he's checked when the shod one is done and done sooner if necessary.
 
Interesting variation! :)

Those who get trims every 5-6 weeks, do you find your horses really really need to be done? Or do you just like to know they've been seen?
If the farrier came now to mine there'd be nothing to trim. He hacks out once a week as I'm pregnant and not riding but is turned out on a large area of hill so perhaps keeps them trimmed that way. I've never had an unshod horse before so personally I think it's great! :D
 
Patterdale said:
Those who get trims every 5-6 weeks, do you find your horses really really need to be done? Or do you just like to know they've been seen?
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Mine def needs to be done every 5 weeks. She's a TB so 'less is more' with keeping her trimmed right. It's easier for us to have a tidy up every 5 weeks rather than one big trim every few months (and keeps her sound). Her feet grow very quickly too.
 
Leviathan said:
6-7 weeks generally any longer and I would be concerned
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Why would you be concerned out of interest? :)

ellie11987 said:
Mine def needs to be done every 5 weeks. She's a TB so 'less is more' with keeping her trimmed right. It's easier for us to have a tidy up every 5 weeks rather than one big trim every few months (and keeps her sound). Her feet grow very quickly too.
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Makes sense. Different horses different needs :)
 
My little one - anything from 7 weeks to 12 weeks between trims. My big one - around 8 weeks.
Both unshod, little one has never been shod and big one was shod when I got him 2 yrs ago but I had them taken off because he had come from a yard with no turnout and he was to be turned out with others so planned to have his fronts taken off in case of any nasty field shenanigans, and to see how he got on without, but then ended up taking all four off, and have never felt the need to replace them.

Both seem to have really good feet (touches wood) :)
 
Every 5 week fronts shod only, backs are unshod so although farrier checks them he rarely needs to do anything to the backs.
 
Patterdale said:
Interesting variation! :)

Those who get trims every 5-6 weeks, do you find your horses really really need to be done? Or do you just like to know they've been seen?
:D
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The unshod ones are done every 6 weeks , sometimes its just a light trim and a tidy up, but its peace of mind that they have been checked.
 
8 weeks. Unshod. Asked farrier if needed doing more often but apparently not. He books me automatically after each visit.
 
Crikey , I have got mainly natives and they are all busy out on the roads and stoney tracks in the forest . They are tidied up twice a year !. They keep their feet in good shape. I have one that has fronts on year round he is done every 8 weeks or so and one that is shod on the front during the summer only. He doesnt get trimmed at all over the winter and just reshod every 8 weeks.
 
Abs has front on and is shod very 7 weeks, she has slow growing horn apparently, but I've had Logan since last march and he was trimmed the week I got him, then 7 weeks after that as he had a bit of flare on one hoof.
Then since then he has been "seen" every 7 weeks when abs has been shod but not needed trimming and farrier is happy with his feet and they look good!
Have to say it used to worry me but farrier says we are doing just enough work to keep them tip top so doesn't interfere!
 
I have highland who has been barefoot all his life and has very good feet. He's trimmed every 8 weeks but farrier only tidied up the fronts last time as we've been doing a fair bit of road work (off road rides totally bogged) and his backs were fine.
 
My two are shod. I used to have them done every 6 weeks, but have eeked it out to 8 weeks the last two times. I was apologising to the farrier the last time, and he said that their feet were fine going another two weeks and that it meant that the nail holes had a chance to move down the foot a bit more and away from where the new nail holes were, which was a good thing.
 
I did a tiny tidy up on my two boys this week, but otherwise haven't touched them for months. They are both bare and not in much work at the moment - their feet just seem to grow what they need.
 
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