Question for people who do their own hoof trimming

3OldPonies

3OldPonies

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What made you decide to do it; and how did you learn and get started?

Ok that's two questions, sorry. Am thinking of learning myself so interested to hear how to do it?
 
I largely trimmed myself at one point as pony was very traumatised by farrier or EP visits.

We went through quite a few who couldn't or wouldn't help work through it (it drove me mad when it was declared as poor preparation or training - I worked SO hard to get to the point I could rasp and tap away but it would take time to transfer that to a third party) until we found a lovely EP who would supervise whilst I trimmed and then would help de-sensitise to them doing the foot handling. They stepped back as pregnant and completely understandably didn't want to handle a pony with improved leg issues but leg issues all the same but they knew of a behaviourist that was also a trained EP two hours away so used them and trimmed in between.

The work of that barefoot trimmer helped enough for a very good more local EP who had space on their books to take over.

I still tidy up inbetween but I'm glad I dont have to do the bulk of the actual trimming.

I'm mainly EP taught but read a few books and I think would have taken a course if it had got to the point where I had to trim him.
 
Thank you. It's the tidying up I'm thinking of more than actual trimming at present as I have two and one has feet that grow quicker than the other and it's not always practical to get the farrier for one and not the other. So would just like to be able to keep the fast growing one tidy while waiting for the other to need doing.
 
I have a companion pony who had recovered from laminitis. His toes had a habit of shooting forward which in turn caused his weight to be pushed back onto his heels. Every 6 weeks the farrier came and made a beautiful job of correcting this and standing his feet back up nicely. Every time 10 days later I saw his toes starting to shoot forward again and his weight start to crush his heels. I couldn't afford the time or money for long term fortnightly farrier visits so I decided to start addressing his toes between trims myself.

Before I started meddling I spent a very long time online reading, viewing videos/photos/articles by lots of different well respected hoof trimmers. I got my eye in for the different trimming schools/ethos and made my own mind up as some trimmers are a bit 'way out' in their methods and also 'my way or the high way' I avoided anyone too extreme and followed people who had long track records in successful trimming of working horses. Whilst there were minor variations in their styles some common themes were evident so I had a reasonable idea of hoof anatomy, what I was looking to achieve and how I might influence the hoof to achieve that.

I then started to trim companion pony's toes lightly on a weekly basis always checking he was moving and standing better after I'd finished. After 6 weeks his hooves looked great and didn't need the farrier and there was only a little needing done to my riding horse so I thought rather than bother the farrier I might just as well tidy my riding horse up and get the farrier in a week or two.... 6 months later oops farrier still hadn't been needed!

That was roughly 10 years ago now and various horses have come and gone since. I will always call the farrier (or vet) if there's anything I'm not sure about and ask them to critique my trim while they're there. So I've had the farrier out 3 times once to companion pony to cut out a tiny bit of white line disease that required trimming out higher than I was comfortable with (I do nothing more than a very gentle roll above sole level so I can be confident I'm nowhere near soft structures). While he was there I asked him to check my trim and he said the hooves were great and he could hardly believe the pony had ever had laminitis. It was reassuring to be validated. The second time the farrier came was to deal with an abscess my riding horse had, again he was happy with the trim and I asked about her heels which I felt were a little low but he said I was already doing everything that he would to try to improve them.

I had the farrier come out a couple of months ago just for a check as I was increasing my ridden horses workload and wanted to be certain her feet were as good as they could be. Again a general thumbs up, agreed I was addressing one issue correctly, gave advice on a slight trim modification to address another minor issue I was aware of but not making headway with, told me I was worrying needlessly about something else(!) and picked up on a very minor issue with one foot I hadn't spotted and showed me how to fix it but said all of what he mentioned was being exceptionally picky and that in general I was keeping her hooves very well. So I feel confident carrying on myself (despite the horror several friends express when they hear I trim myself!) and will probably have the farrier back out in 3-6 months for another check now horse is in higher work, really just to make sure everything is optimal.

Gosh this has turned into War & Peace! Sorry 😂 To summarise educate yourself thoroughly beforehand, be your own harshest critic, keep a photographic record of the feet as it can be difficult to spot gradual change, always check your horse is moving better after than before, have oversight by others, prepare to become mildly obsessed and OCD about it!

I did make mistakes particularly in the early days. They always arose from being too cautious and not taking enough off. I'd rather make all those mistakes again than ever accidentally take too much off and sore the horse.

The benefits for me are that I am now very familiar with my horses feet and so can spot any changes in wear patterns so I'm more familiar with how they're moving. The benefits for the horses are that frequent light trimming keeps their feet in better shape continuously rather than a 6 weekly cycle of growth and trim. It's not a job I take lightly but it's very rewarding and enlightening.
 
In that case, I'd chat to your EP or farrier and they should be able to show you how to tidy up. Nice Barker (Baker?) - of Rockley Farm - where super helpful.

I found using their rasps really hard as I have small hands and limited coordination 🤣 so bought a Radius rasp which made all the difference to me.
 
I feel that I am competent to keep a barefoot pony trimmed, using just a rasp and a hoof knife, providing they are doing enough ridden work to self-trim the majority off and have balanced hooves. A regular weekly tidy up is really the best way to go I think. I learnt from my trimmer who told me what to do and gradually spread her visits to only 3 times a year to check up.
However, I now have a pony who isn't balanced and naturally wears his hooves in a very odd way, and I am back to a regular 4-week trimming cycle with a professional trimmer to see if we can help. I don't think that I would ever feel competent to manage this pony myself.
 
watched my EP, read up online, started off doing the companion pony and it all just progressed.

must be 15 years approx since i went solo
 
I had started to study equine behaviour (mostly with Ben Hart, but also Karen Pryor, Paul McGreevy and so on) and came across people in the 'barefoot community through that. My pony always hated being shod (specifically, when the nails went in). This later turned out to be EMS related inflammation, but I digress... I investigated first of all Strasser (and had the sense to run a mile), then the likes of Pete Ramey, Jaime Jackson and KC La Pierre came on the scene and I did three of KC's Equine Podiatry courses and one of Pete Ramey's. I nearly certified as an EP, but decided against it. Trimmed my own successfully for years between October - March-ish, initially shoeing, then booting in the summer months. My back gave out for other reasons about 2009/10, so I did use a farrier on and off for years when my back was bad. Recently had used a farrier for my cob who was sluggish but couldn't find boots for him to see if it was feet, so was shod in front. Farrier was letting his heels get higher and higher, so changed in the Autumn of 2024 to a remarkably barefoot friendly farrier. He did a couple of the bigger trims to get the heels down in stages, then I started doing tidy ups due to nail hole breakage and that's all he's needed all this year. I let him trim my Exmoor last week, just to remind him I still loved him and wanted him to be my farrier, ha ha! He was more than happy to leave my cob to me, though. I've been trimming for 20 years, now, so longer than most of the farriers in the area!
 
I moved far enough away that it was quite a long trip for trimmer (though her coming was a key point in being ok to move) he wore unevenly and they were growing a lot as increased mileage so I started trimming at the 3 week point, trimmer happy with what I was doing so decided she didn’t need to come after that.
I was very au fait with what his feet needed to look like not sure I’d dive into anyone else’s but I’d really like to roll the toes on my share 😅
 
I had taken shoes off for a while as a horse had white line disease and I wanted to treat it. The farrier showed me how to tidy the feet up. That hrose did really well and ended up transitioning to barefoot. At first, I took him to the farrier to trim but he encouraged me to simply do it myself.

I have now taken a few horses barefoot. I just do them now.

I find it best to initially take photos every month. It is easier to see if things are in balance on properly taken photos.

I started with a radius rasp, then a normal one. More recently, I asked my boyfriend to do some rasping as my horses' feet are hard as nails and he brought an angle grinder into the equation. It is quicker, easier and the horses seem to prefer it. It is used with flap discs, so discs made of flaps of sandpaper, so not too harsh and it is genuinely easier then rasping.
 
Wow, thanks everyone for your stories. I think I shall now have a chat with my farrier, do a lot of research, take some photos and turn maybe I might be confident enough to do a little bit of tidying - after that based on some of your experiences who knows!
 
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Red-1 said:
I started with a radius rasp, then a normal one. More recently, I asked my boyfriend to do some rasping as my horses' feet are hard as nails and he brought an angle grinder into the equation. It is quicker, easier and the horses seem to prefer it. It is used with flap discs, so discs made of flaps of sandpaper, so not too harsh and it is genuinely easier then rasping.
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Good BF :D:D:D couldn't cope without my grinder in this weather. Amazed how much cheaper it is compared to rasps.
 
I was planning on bringing my pony home from livery soon-ish. Livery had just started using a new farrier and as my pony didn't wear shoes, he asked why I didn't trim myself. I said I was planning on learning for when I got a companion horse, but didn't think it was a good idea to do my ridden pony. Farrier told me it was nonsense, my pony didn't have particularly problematic feet, he'd show me how to do it. So he showed me how to trim my pony's feet and pointed out what needed an eye keeping on and recommended doing front one week and back the next so the feet were on a two cycle of being trimmed (definitely necessary at first - my back and thighs were killing me!). More regular trimming really helped my pony's feet: she has a tendency to go up on high heels at the front and grow skies at the back, so regularly and gradually removing heel from the front and toes from the back helped even her hooves out.
Up until this week, I only used the rasp and a knife, but graduated to pincers borrowed off the riding school because I turned my back for about 30secs and the horses' feet went crazy and there's no way I'd cope with doing them with just a rasp with them being as hard as they are at the minute.
I currently have three horses and I'm planning on four for the next few years, I definitely could afford that many if I had to pay the farrier 50€ for each every 6 weeks. I still call the farrier out about once a year to check nothing's gone too pear shaped.
 
I started off with a radius rasp too! It is useful but it doesn't take you long to realise that once you have mastered a rasp, you can do it 10 times quicker with a rasp and the replacement blades for the radius rasp are very expensive.
 
Agree, the rasp felt quite clumsy at first but I stuck with it and now it feels much easier. I only do tidy ups between trims and my new horse grows hoof like crazy, so it's a skill I'm glad I learnt! Most EPs want you to do this - as the faff and expense of getting them out every 2-3 weeks just isn't feasible.
 
Definitely a basic question and probably a very stupid question to show off my ignorance, but when you (general you) say you 'trim' feet - is it all with a rasp, or do you use nippers as well? And do you touch the sole or leave it well alone?

I've had a radius rasp for well over a decade but only used it about once! I'm keen to start tidying the ponies' feet though in between visits, now they're good and strong.
 
JenJ said:
Definitely a basic question and probably a very stupid question to show off my ignorance, but when you (general you) say you 'trim' feet - is it all with a rasp, or do you use nippers as well? And do you touch the sole or leave it well alone?

I've had a radius rasp for well over a decade but only used it about once! I'm keen to start tidying the ponies' feet though in between visits, now they're good and strong.
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I don't use nippers, but then I find there is no need. When a farrier trims, they are taking off 6 weeks of growth, usually from under a shoe so no wear.

I trim every week or so now, but it was a tiny bit every other day at first with a horse who is transitioning as they change so quickly. They would also be doing road work so trimming their own to some degree.

I would be disappointed in myself if I'd left it so long that nippers were needed.

Same with the sole. I will remove loose chunks at the time when the shed some sole, or if a bit of the bar material folds or gets too wild as to cause a potential pressure point. I do use a knife to make sure the cleft of frog stays clear of thrush, as in open any cracks up to the air. The sole is left other than that.

I do take a good bevel off the side of the foot as this seems to prevent cracks/chips and also stops stones wedging in the white line. The white line seems to tighten up when it is not being levered apart by long walls.
 
There are some trimming related websites collated here

Reacher

Thread 'Barefoot info websites'

Here are some barefoot websites that I have come across, which I hope will be useful for people who are new to barefoot and may not have access to advice / support.
Usual sort of disclaimer - I’m not giving any guarantee as to the quality of the info given on these sites. The user uses any information at their own risk and should verify themselves as to the qualifications / experience of the authors.

There will be loads of key websites omitted - please add more links – it will make it much more useful!

UK
http://www.epauk.org/ Equine Podiatry Association UK...
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I started by doing a weekend course with a trimmer, who I then booked to come on 6 weekly visits while I trimmed (rasped) in between visits, trying to keep the feet looking how she left them.

The periods between trimmer visits gradually increased, then there were a couple of spells when she couldn’t come for a couple of trimming cycles (family reasons) but I was ok trimming in her absence and then covid happened and she couldn’t come and I was ok trimming in her absence.

After a few years she was unable to travel to me (I’m a good 2 hours away) and I was confident enough to carry on trimming myself.

I still try and arrange her coming for a quick trim / check over my ridden horse when I take him to a venue near her.

I don’t use nippers, I try and rasp weekly, it’s surprising how quickly the ridden horse grows hoof. I have to watch my ridden horse as he is a little toed out and has tendency to build up heel asymmetrically.
 
JenJ said:
Definitely a basic question and probably a very stupid question to show off my ignorance, but when you (general you) say you 'trim' feet - is it all with a rasp, or do you use nippers as well? And do you touch the sole or leave it well alone?

I've had a radius rasp for well over a decade but only used it about once! I'm keen to start tidying the ponies' feet though in between visits, now they're good and strong.
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Not a stupid question. I use a rasp, nippers, a knife and nowadays a grinder to cope with the work as I get older and especially in this weather. I don't generally take any sole but that would depend on if it was needed for example I may take exfoliating sole, or I may not. :)
Nippers simply save work and are easier for the horse than endless rasping
3OldPonies said:
What made you decide to do it; and how did you learn and get started?

Ok that's two questions, sorry. Am thinking of learning myself so interested to hear how to do it?
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I think the best way to learn is on a course where you get to trim cadaver feet. That way you learn to use the tools. It is a lot easier to trim a cadaver foot with it held between your knees whilst you are sitting down and working out what to do. You can also trim it to destruction.
After that to get instruction from your trimmer/farrier. There is a very big difference in various feet. If you are only trimming your own 1 or maybe 2 horses you need to know about their feet, their potential problems and how to deal with them not about every other style of foot.
 
difficulty in getting a reliable farrier . knew of others who did their own trimmimg. decided it wasnt rocket science. got instruction from a friend and read up extensively. saved me a lot of money over the years and the horses feet are in excellent shape by being filed a little as and when instead of on a 8 week cycle.
 
It's quite interesting that a lot of you are saying your horse's feet have improved or are improving with regular rasping rather than being on a cycle of growth then being nipped back. I guess that weekly/bi-weekly rasping simulates the natural wearing process the feet would go through?

Tbh, the more I read the more I'm thinking tidy ups between visits and some instruction may be the way to go. Both boys are already barefoot and have been for years so no worries about transitioning them.
 
3OldPonies said:
It's quite interesting that a lot of you are saying your horse's feet have improved or are improving with regular rasping rather than being on a cycle of growth then being nipped back. I guess that weekly/bi-weekly rasping simulates the natural wearing process the feet would go through?

Tbh, the more I read the more I'm thinking tidy ups between visits and some instruction may be the way to go. Both boys are already barefoot and have been for years so no worries about transitioning them.
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I found it addictive. They change literally day to day when working.

That said, I was also happy when BF said he'd give it a go! Rigsby especially has feet that blunt a rasp in no time. He also gets through the sandpaper flap sheets on the angle grinder a lot faster than the other horse.

The best thing I did was take regular photos. You can chart the changes and really see any looming imbalances. H tends to get longer on the inside of all of his feet, so I balance that out a touch. It isn't a huge difference and, without photos, I'd probably miss it. If I don't balance it out, he does it himself as the longer insides eventually crack and chip off until they are level again. I prefer to do it myself so they look more beautiful!
 
JenJ said:
Definitely a basic question and probably a very stupid question to show off my ignorance, but when you (general you) say you 'trim' feet - is it all with a rasp, or do you use nippers as well? And do you touch the sole or leave it well alone?

I've had a radius rasp for well over a decade but only used it about once! I'm keen to start tidying the ponies' feet though in between visits, now they're good and strong.
Click to expand...
Like I said, up until this week, I only used the rasp and knife. I graduated to nippers (sorry, I previously called them pincers) because I hadn't kept on top of their feet and couldn't face the idea of rasping off all that excess hoof. For context, my horses are both currently out of work and I have a curious foal to contend with whenever I do stuff with them.
 
When I was doing my own ponies feet, nippers were never needed as it never got that long! Just keeping on top of the shape and the roll, tidying up loose bits of sole or frog, and a knife on the bars if needed. Little and often.
 
I had been advised to use front boots on my current pony to allow the hoof to grow long enough to correct the balance. On the last visit the trimmer used nippers for the first time and took a lot off and my pony was very lame the next day with high pulses! A week of being kept in and he is back to normal. It could have been a coincidence, but he isn't susceptible to laminitis and in good shape and the timing was very suspicious!
 
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