UKNHCP and Equine Podiatrist?

ktj1891

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2010
Messages
1,584
Visit site
Sorry sorry for all the threads I am trying to work out what to do with my boys feet.

Stick with my farrier and advise how I want his feet trimmed, or change to a barefoot trimmer?

I have spoken to two different barefoot trimmers one is UKNHCP and the other is an Equine podiatrist. What is the difference and who would be better to use?

One charges £30 for a trim and the other charges £40.

Hmm decisions?
 
Sorry sorry for all the threads I am trying to work out what to do with my boys feet.

Stick with my farrier and advise how I want his feet trimmed, or change to a barefoot trimmer?

I have spoken to two different barefoot trimmers one is UKNHCP and the other is an Equine podiatrist. What is the difference and who would be better to use?

One charges £30 for a trim and the other charges £40.

Hmm decisions?


£30 or £40 for a trim!!!

Wow BF trimmers really are robbing gits!
 
a barefoot trimmer probably will charge more as may do a barefoot farrier. You are paying not only for the 10 minute trim you would get from most farriers you are paying for their expertise in advising you on diet, management, booting and in general how to get your horse working barefoot. Therefore they will be spending a lot more time with you. So I don't really think that someone who charges £30 for their time can be called a Robbing git". If they are good they will repay their cost many times over.

It doesn't matter how the trimmer qualified or even if it is a farrier or trimmer what matters is experience. Can that person produce sound working barefoot horses. There are some farriers on the UKNHCP site and I think you could assume if any were near you they would be a good choice. If you decide on a trimmer then ask for references and follow them up. Go and look at horses they have worked on and see what has happened. Most barefoot owners would be delighted to show off their feet.

Which area are you in? Ask around and find some local barefoot horses and see who trims them. How well are they doing? If you cannot find any locally then go onto the phoenix group and ask for recomendations based on your area.

Based on your pics I don't think trying to tell your farrier how to trim your horse is a good idea. It would work better with an experienced person explaining to you how the horse could be trimmed.
 
In my experience I have found that if you have a horse with good feet that was sound in shoes and you decide to go barefoot, you may well do ok with a farrier!
But if and in my horse,s case you have a lame horse in shoes, then taking them off is not going to be easy and I have found most farriers just tell you it will not work and wait for you to shoe again!
I have used a trimmer and an EP for my horse and both have been excellent,spending up to an hour with me, not just trimming but giving detailed explanations about my horse,s feet and how to manage them and this to me is well worth another £20 more!!!!!:)
 
My farrier charges £20 to trim two feet.


So about the same as a trimmer, fair enough. What does your farrier do if you ring him in the evening to have a chat about how a changed batch of forage has disturbed your horse's gut :) ???

I wonder if the person calling trimmers robbing gits knows how tiny an amount of what their farrier charges to shoe is I spent on the set of shoes??
 
Last edited:
I am based in Swindon Wiltshire, so if anyone has an reccomendations I would be greatful. I was speaking to UKNHCP Deborah Powell and Equine Podiatrist Vikki Fear. I can also PM my farriers name if anyone is in my area and can provide and suggestions.

I have tried to register with Phoenix Forum but they sent me a age form to be signed by my parents I am 22 and told them that, but haven't heard back from them and that was last week?
 
Yes I spoke to Vikki last night and she seemed very knowledgable, what forum is that? I have also emailed Debbie who seems as equally knowledgable. Anyone else in my area that can help?
 
I think I have chosen the EP I am going to use, she has been chatting to me most nights and has sent me photos of two horses feet that she trims. One a TB like my guy and the difference is very encouraging.
 
Ahh, then you disagree with both farriers and trimmers earning a decent living then :) ??


Not entirely sure I would say I disagree with them. But BF trimmers (Ok, Some, not all) do seem to charge an extortionate ammount for a simple trim whereas farriers round our area charge £15-£20 compared to £40+

Just clever marketing by giving themselves titles such as Equine Podiatrists and taking advantage of the 'natural' way being the latest buzz in the horse world.
 
I use Deborah OP and can definitely recommend her if that helps? Frank came out of shoes lame March 2012 and was in full work and sound 6 months later and since. Feel free to PM me. We used to be nearer her in somerset and are now near porton down.

Chriritch- my farrier said that he did not have enough knowledge to barefoot rehab my horse so I needed to go elsewhere. There are 1/2 farriers within about 1h 30 min that do barefoot trimming who are quite busy hence going for a trimmer who has been trained and was recommended to me by Rockley.

It isn't just a simple trim when you are dealing with a lame horse, we have taken slow motion videos of his movement throughout the process (to start with whole process would take an hour) and worked together on diet/care improvements (she has also been very helpful over a bank holiday weekend!) £40 every 6 weeks is still half the price of shoeing him and his feet are worth too much to me to just let anyone trim him/have to stand over them to make sure that the sole and frog are left alone etc. -There is also no added mileage on that when she is now a good one and a half or two hours away.
 
Not entirely sure I would say I disagree with them. But BF trimmers (Ok, Some, not all) do seem to charge an extortionate ammount for a simple trim whereas farriers round our area charge £15-£20 compared to £40+
I do tend to agree to a point. When hooves are healthy the trim is is minimal and the advice and problem solving expertise much less needed, so I think a fall onto some sort of maintenance price is something that isn't ( and perhaps could be) done to my knowledge.
I also think farriers devalue trimming, in all senses, by charging so little for trims which are subsidized by shoeing work.
How much would farriers charge if they only trimmed?
 
My friends Farrier has two prices for trimming, £20 for a pasture trim and £40 for a barefoot trim for horses that actually work barefoot!
Over here if you mention barefoot it's 40 or 50 euro but just a trim is 20 or 30 round here but they are exactly the same. :D

The daft thing is, a supposed working trim is good for all horses as its based on what that horse needs. :( Perhaps I'm wrong and horses need different trims depending on their work rather than trimming according to how the hoof is responding and just trimming true excess? Chicken and egg (matter of perspective) view I suppose. lol
 
Just signed off a referral today that has been barefoot for 7 months, he is now sound and is going to be managed by a trimmer in the owner’s area.
The horse was in h/bars for 15 months at £175 a time which still produced a lame horse… what a robbing git!!
 
Just signed off a referral today that has been barefoot for 7 months, he is now sound and is going to be managed by a trimmer in the owner’s area.
The horse was in h/bars for 15 months at £175 a time which still produced a lame horse… what a robbing git!!
Now steady on, this is a farrier trained for X long, hard years. :D
What went wrong with you then? ;) Of course I really mean, what went right with you? :)

ps. Was the farrier following vet prescription?
 
OP, Mark Johnson would come to you in Weedon. I don't think he lists Northants on his UKNHCP listing but he comes to me near Northampton. He's one who is also a qualified farrier but has now chosen to specialise in barefoot, and takes a special interest in horse biomechanics etc. A trim's £35.
 
Top