How often are your horses feet trimmed?

My ponies are trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks depending on what they've done and time of year, their feet grow quicker in summer.

For what my opinion is worth (probably not a lot) I think ycbm is genuinely trying to help you. I don't think anyone is suggesting just suddenly taking away all his rugs and food and letting him go cold turkey on all home comforts but if he was mine I would gradually reduce the feed and increase the hay to ad-lib day and night just to check he could cope without the feed more for my own peace of mind than anything so that I'd be happy knowing that he could cope happily through winter with no hard feed or medication while I still had control of the situation and could then have time to adjust my plans if it turned out that he did struggle at all.
 
Birker2020 said:
It just gets a little repetitive and boring after a while BB as you know yourself.
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It does , ? doesn’t bother me though as I am secure enough in myself to allow and respect other people opinions , not chastise them for not agreeing. And I am not talking about on this thread before I get quoted ?
 
Barton Bounty said:
It does , ? doesn’t bother me though as I am secure enough in myself to allow and respect other people opinions , not chastise them for not agreeing. And I am not talking about on this thread before I get quoted ?
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So much so that you made a second account so you could agree with yourself ?? ??
 
DizzyDoughnut said:
My ponies are trimmed every 6 to 8 weeks depending on what they've done and time of year, their feet grow quicker in summer.

For what my opinion is worth (probably not a lot) I think ycbm is genuinely trying to help you. I don't think anyone is suggesting just suddenly taking away all his rugs and food and letting him go cold turkey on all home comforts but if he was mine I would gradually reduce the feed and increase the hay to ad-lib day and night just to check he could cope without the feed more for my own peace of mind than anything so that I'd be happy knowing that he could cope happily through winter with no hard feed or medication while I still had control of the situation and could then have time to adjust my plans if it turned out that he did struggle at all.
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If he goes the blood bank he will be warm enough in an indoor barn with 100 other horses with access to ad lib hay which is where they are and what they eat from Oct to April. Just like everyone elses horses who go for the April intake and whom haven't roughed theirs off 6 months b4 then too.

You can argue that YCBM is not trying to cause upset but she knows how difficult I'm finding it as I have expressed many times on this forum. The heartache has been overwhelming at times. My MH has taken a massive hit because of what has happened and I'm on anti depressants as I've really strugged to cope, this is only one of many things I've had to navigate over the last few years and what's happened with Lari is the straw that broke the camels back.

I didn't ask for anyone's opinions about the BB now just in the same way I didn't before on the other post where the same old same old chipped in with unwanted comments and now, like then I really see no need for it.

Its a hard enough thing for me to contemplate anyway and totally heartbreaking as I have explained on many, many posts. Much easier on me would be to have Lari pts but its because I'm not being selfish that I'm giving such a kind and lovely horse a chance.
 
stangs said:
To be fair to Birker, it's the rest of us whose horses benefit from others deciding to send theirs to blood banks.
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Well not strictly true but thanks anyway. What is helped is tissue culture and other things that are grown like viruses and stuff in order to find preventative medicine. Thats in very laymans terms and probably not that accurate but the blood products, plasma, serum etc are used in labs.

But we can agree that horse/bovine/rabbit/sheep and guinea pig blood which is produced is used for the greater good. And so its a very worthwhile and important job that my boy will be contributing too.

Thanks for those who contributed to the barefoot thread. I've learnt a lot.
 
Birker2020 said:
Well not strictly true but thanks anyway. What is helped is tissue culture and other things that are grown like viruses and stuff in order to find preventative medicine. Thats in very laymans terms and probably not that accurate but the blood products, plasma, serum etc are used in labs.

But we can agree that horse/bovine/rabbit/sheep and guinea pig blood which is produced is used for the greater good. And so its a very worthwhile and important job that my boy will be contributing too.

Thanks for those who contributed to the barefoot thread. I've learnt a lot.
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Please ignore all the naysayers about the Blood Bank Birker. I've been several times at the beginning of spring when they are all turned out and when new horses are taken in and there isn't a single hat rack there. They look to me like hunters turned out for the summer. My advice is stop wearing your heart on your sleeve and telling a load of strangers what your plans are for Lari - although I believe you are absolutely doing the right thing for both of you - but it's nobody else's business!
 
Birker2020 said:
If he goes the blood bank he will be warm enough in an indoor barn with 100 other horses with access to ad lib hay which is where they are and what they eat from Oct to April. Just like everyone elses horses who go for the April intake and whom haven't roughed theirs off 6 months b4 then too.

You can argue that YCBM is not trying to cause upset but she knows how difficult I'm finding it as I have expressed many times on this forum. The heartache has been overwhelming at times. My MH has taken a massive hit because of what has happened and I'm on anti depressants as I've really strugged to cope, this is only one of many things I've had to navigate over the last few years and what's happened with Lari is the straw that broke the camels back.

I didn't ask for anyone's opinions about the BB now just in the same way I didn't before on the other post where the same old same old chipped in with unwanted comments and now, like then I really see no need for it.

Its a hard enough thing for me to contemplate anyway and totally heartbreaking as I have explained on many, many posts. Much easier on me would be to have Lari pts but its because I'm not being selfish that I'm giving such a kind and lovely horse a chance.
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I hadn't seen anyone on this thread say anything bad about sending him to the blood bank and as stangs says I'm sure others are grateful that people do send their horses there. I know absolutely nothing about the blood bank so honestly don't have an opinion either way.

I wasn't saying I'd rough him now for his benefit, for Lari I'm sure it makes no difference when that happens, either now or in the spring. I'd be doing it purely for my own peace of mind so I'd know that he could definitely cope on just hay for the winter while I still had full control of situation and could still change my plans if for some reason he did struggle.

I know, as I'm sure most people with horse do how hard it is when things don't work out like you'd hoped. I've not ridden my own pony for about 15 years thanks to my original pony retiring very young and his replacement also not working out, I couldn't afford to keep any more so for the last 15 years have been paying to keep my very lovely but unrideable ponies. I now have a youngster so next year I might finally be able to actually sit on a pony I own.
I know it was my choice to keep them and some people wouldn't have done and would have pts instead and that's fine. Everyone has to make their own choices and what ever anyone chooses to do with their own horse is entirely up to them as long as the horse doesn't suffer I really don't care what anyone else does.
 
Ellibelli said:
Please ignore all the naysayers about the Blood Bank Birker. I've been several times at the beginning of spring when they are all turned out and when new horses are taken in and there isn't a single hat rack there. They look to me like hunters turned out for the summer. My advice is stop wearing your heart on your sleeve and telling a load of strangers what your plans are for Lari - although I believe you are absolutely doing the right thing for both of you - but it's nobody else's business!
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Exactly my thoughts ?
 
Ellibelli said:
Please ignore all the naysayers about the Blood Bank Birker. I've been several times at the beginning of spring when they are all turned out and when new horses are taken in and there isn't a single hat rack there. They look to me like hunters turned out for the summer. My advice is stop wearing your heart on your sleeve and telling a load of strangers what your plans are for Lari - although I believe you are absolutely doing the right thing for both of you - but it's nobody else's business!
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Thank you.
 
on average i would say i do mine once a fortnight, at the mo they are throwing out a lot of horn, underneath its lots of frog, sole, that comes off itself, but its the flare that gets the most trimming,.

but we do have a lot decent grass at the mo
 
tristar said:
on average i would say i do mine once a fortnight, at the mo they are throwing out a lot of horn, underneath its lots of frog, sole, that comes off itself, but its the flare that gets the most trimming,.

but we do have a lot decent grass at the mo
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Interesting. Lari had a bit of a flare when I first bought him but the farrier has managed to largely eradicate it so hoping it won't be too problematic.
 
Mine go 8 weeks between trims and seem to do pretty well.

Re the blood bank/ will Lari cope etc. I think I am the only poster here other than Birker who has met Lari in real life. I actually worked with him for a year when he was a 4/5 year old and remember him before he was backed. When I first met Lari he had been living out in a herd and had a thick woolly coat. I am also certain he hadn't been getting any hard feed, so I don't see any reason he wouldn't be able to do the same now, aged 10/11.
 
My old retired lad has his feet looked at 2/3 times a year. He never grew much hoof when shod and in work. If I'm worried about any cracks etc he will be seen more often but usually just shaped 2/3 times a year.
 
HashRouge said:
Mine go 8 weeks between trims and seem to do pretty well.

Re the blood bank/ will Lari cope etc. I think I am the only poster here other than Birker who has met Lari in real life. I actually worked with him for a year when he was a 4/5 year old and remember him before he was backed. When I first met Lari he had been living out in a herd and had a thick woolly coat. I am also certain he hadn't been getting any hard feed, so I don't see any reason he wouldn't be able to do the same now, aged 10/11.
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Thank you. I wish I'd known him as a youngster.
 
All of mine get a thorough weekly check over and rasp/trim of any ragged bits of frog - I do them myself. Big lad Zach gets seen by the farrier very 5 weeks as they are a bit of a WIP still and I struggle with his hooves as they are just so massive! Means the farrier can check my others too. I think 8 weeks sounds reasonable but keep an eye and increase the frequency if needed.
 
Btomkins said:
All of mine get a thorough weekly check over and rasp/trim of any ragged bits of frog - I do them myself. Big lad Zach gets seen by the farrier very 5 weeks as they are a bit of a WIP still and I struggle with his hooves as they are just so massive! Means the farrier can check my others too. I think 8 weeks sounds reasonable but keep an eye and increase the frequency if needed.
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Thanks. Its all relatively new to me and I'm probably worrying needlessly.
 
It really does depend on the animal. In winter my lot barely grow any hoof so only need a rasping by me every so often to tidy anything up. Some of mine do 6 weeks, some 12 in the summer. It really does depend on the animal and food quality.

I know not strictly on subject...

I'm not a fan of barefoot trimmers. I held a friends horses for one and Inwas horrified! She cut some sole away, rasped the sole and then moved on to the next foot. Didn't go round the edge or anything. One horse had a big crack in his hoof which was sharp enough to cut the inside of his other front leg. The trimmer did not do a single thing about it. Just left it and did what she did on all the other feet - knifed the sole and rasped it. She wanted to do them every 4 weeks. 5 at a push but if you want to 6 you paid £45 a trim rather than £40. Scam artist.
 
Elf On A Shelf said:
I'm not a fan of barefoot trimmers. I held a friends horses for one and Inwas horrified! She cut some sole away, rasped the sole and then moved on to the next foot. Didn't go round the edge or anything. One horse had a big crack in his hoof which was sharp enough to cut the inside of his other front leg. The trimmer did not do a single thing about it. Just left it and did what she did on all the other feet - knifed the sole and rasped it. She wanted to do them every 4 weeks. 5 at a push but if you want to 6 you paid £45 a trim rather than £40. Scam artist.
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That's a bad trimmer, that isn't normal.
.
 
i do mine every 10-14 days but they are at home and i do them myself so its easy! i try to keep on top of them with frequent tiny trims as my back cannot cope with doing a long/hard trim.

one of mine would prob go to 8 weeks as his feet dont flare they just go up and up (without chipping) and he seems to have naturally very easy care feet.

the other would end up with very long toes and is prone to thrush (despite the best care and feed) so 8 weeks would leave him lame on anything except grass i expect.

i would gently agree whilst its still reasonably mild to start trying to get in to the BB way of care, and see how he copes without being micromanaged (i mean that in a kind way, i micro manage mine too)
 
Elf On A Shelf said:
It really does depend on the animal. In winter my lot barely grow any hoof so only need a rasping by me every so often to tidy anything up. Some of mine do 6 weeks, some 12 in the summer. It really does depend on the animal and food quality.

I know not strictly on subject...

I'm not a fan of barefoot trimmers. I held a friends horses for one and Inwas horrified! She cut some sole away, rasped the sole and then moved on to the next foot. Didn't go round the edge or anything. One horse had a big crack in his hoof which was sharp enough to cut the inside of his other front leg. The trimmer did not do a single thing about it. Just left it and did what she did on all the other feet - knifed the sole and rasped it. She wanted to do them every 4 weeks. 5 at a push but if you want to 6 you paid £45 a trim rather than £40. Scam artist.
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About 25 years ago I went with my friend and her horse to a specialist trimmer who was working the day from a horspital. I may have even taken her in my trailer, I don't really remember the details. But what I never forgot was her horses horn lying on the concrete with lots of red markings on, and her poor horse walking off back to the trailer after the trim and every step looked agony. The horse spent the next two weeks barely moving from its position in the stable and laying down most of that time and was put on bute.

I think because it was a 'one off clinic' the guy had taken too much off in one sitting. It really gave me the creeps seeing all this reddened horn on the floor. Like the image.
 

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HashRouge said:
Mine go 8 weeks between trims and seem to do pretty well.

Re the blood bank/ will Lari cope etc. I think I am the only poster here other than Birker who has met Lari in real life. I actually worked with him for a year when he was a 4/5 year old and remember him before he was backed. When I first met Lari he had been living out in a herd and had a thick woolly coat. I am also certain he hadn't been getting any hard feed, so I don't see any reason he wouldn't be able to do the same now, aged 10/11.
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So if Lari could cope then and should be able to again especially if he goes in April when it will be warmer and he can start growing his coat next Sept etc do you need to do anything now at all. Does he need his shoes off? if it freezes in the next couple of months you could have problems. Why not just send him with his normal shoes and let the BB take the shoes off. I'm sure they deal with lots of shod horses when they arrive. If you haven't trimmed before it is a big responsibility and worry.

Similarly why do you need to adjust hay feed or vit E or in fact anything else. Can you not just keep him as you would normally and enjoy him for the winter.
 
Birker2020 said:
About 25 years ago I went with my friend and her horse to a specialist trimmer who was working the day from a horspital. I may have even taken her in my trailer, I don't really remember the details. But what I never forgot was her horses horn lying on the concrete with lots of red markings on, and her poor horse walking off back to the trailer after the trim and every step looked agony. The horse spent the next two weeks barely moving from its position in the stable and laying down most of that time and was put on bute.

I think because it was a 'one off clinic' the guy had taken too much off in one sitting. It really gave me the creeps seeing all this reddened horn on the floor. Like the image.
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That long ago, that was almost certain to have been a Strasser Trimmer, because there really weren't any others available. Strasser trimming was brutal, and after at least one prosecution they disappeared and were replaced by trimmers who knew that drawing blood was never acceptable.
.
 
paddy555 said:
So if Lari could cope then and should be able to again especially if he goes in April when it will be warmer and he can start growing his coat next Sept etc do you need to do anything now at all. Does he need his shoes off? if it freezes in the next couple of months you could have problems. Why not just send him with his normal shoes and let the BB take the shoes off. I'm sure they deal with lots of shod horses when they arrive. If you haven't trimmed before it is a big responsibility and worry.

Similarly why do you need to adjust hay feed or vit E or in fact anything else. Can you not just keep him as you would normally and enjoy him for the winter.
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paddy555 said:
So if Lari could cope then and should be able to again especially if he goes in April when it will be warmer and he can start growing his coat next Sept etc do you need to do anything now at all. Does he need his shoes off? if it freezes in the next couple of months you could have problems. Why not just send him with his normal shoes and let the BB take the shoes off. I'm sure they deal with lots of shod horses when they arrive. If you haven't trimmed before it is a big responsibility and worry.

Similarly why do you need to adjust hay feed or vit E or in fact anything else. Can you not just keep him as you would normally and enjoy him for the winter.
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I don't need to and won't be doing so, I'm leaving rugs/feed/hay as it is for now although not giving him too much in the way of rugs - he is quite a warm horse anyway. The vit E is nearly finished anyway so I won't replace it.

The shoes are coming off as my farrier agreed that it would be beneficial to give him additional time in case he struggles although he did say he would play it by ear on the next visit and if the ground was very hard leave it until the next time. I'd defintely like him to be barefoot for a good few months before he goes to the blood bank so I know that any teething problems are out of the way and that his feet have been trimmed in accordance with any issues he might have prior to going by my farrier who is familar with him.
 
ycbm said:
That long ago, that was almost certain to have been a Strasser Trimmer, because there really weren't any others available. Strasser trimming was brutal, and after at least one prosecution they disappeared and were replaced by trimmers who knew that drawing blood was never acceptable.
.
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I can't see it would have been a Strasser or any other BF trimmer as I would be very surprised that a horse hospital would have allowed them to work on the premises if they were not a qualified farrier.
Only 1 vet supported the Strasser trimmers, no other vets or farriers and definitely not hospitals.

Once we got that vet educated which was Sept 2002 they had no support.

I would guess this man was in fact a qualified farrier who called himself a specialist trimmer and trimmed as a farrier would or even as he thought Strasser would have done.
 
paddy555 said:
I can't see it would have been a Strasser or any other BF trimmer as I would be very surprised that a horse hospital would have allowed them to work on the premises if they were not a qualified farrier.
Only 1 vet supported the Strasser trimmers, no other vets or farriers and definitely not hospitals.

Once we got that vet educated which was Sept 2002 they had no support.

I would guess this man was in fact a qualified farrier who called himself a specialist trimmer and trimmed as a farrier would or even as he thought Strasser would have done.
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Like I say it was a long, long time ago. I just remember the poor horse after. I expect when you are conducting a clinic that involves having to travel your horses a distance you'd have to take off more foot in one go rather than a slight change more reguarly.
 
Birker2020 said:
Like I say it was a long, long time ago. I just remember the poor horse after. I expect when you are conducting a clinic that involves having to travel your horses a distance you'd have to take off more foot in one go rather than a slight change more reguarly.
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you've got me really curious now as to who that was. :)
 
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