What do you think of barefoot trimmers?

[Holly Hocks]

I've exactly the same story apart from the dressage bit

Yes but from your FB photos, if I had hacking as good as yours I wouldn't be bothered doing any dressage either, I'd just be out hacking all the time

 

[Tiddlypom]

My farrier does a beautiful job, shod or simply trimmed. It's what he trained for seven years to be able to do.

Mine too. He is equally happy to shoe or to trim, doing whichever is better for that particular horse at that time.

 

[Kikke]

I love ours! He wouldn't want to be called a barefoot trimmer but a Equine Podiatry.

My mare used to have ro be sedated to be trimmed by the farrier and when they came out to the yard there would be a discussing about who would do her as nobody wanted to come near her.

Tim has done so well with her. she happily stands there as her works away, not fuss what so ever. He has been seeing her for about two year and her feet are great!
I would recommend him to anybody!

funnily it was the farrier that always said her feet didn't need doing, perhaps because she was a handfull.

 

[blitznbobs]

In answer to the original question - not a lot

 

[Spottyappy]

Indemnity insurance is freely available for trimmers. If they haven't got it it's because they haven't bought it, not because they can't get it.

Insurance companies recognise insured hoofcare professionals as far as I am aware. Can you substantiate this claim you've made, it's pretty serious If no-one is insured if they use a trimmer.

Yes, my insurance small print actually states any work on the hoof must be carried out by a registered farrier. I would take that to mean that if you can't supply the name of one when making a claim, the company have every right to refuse your claim.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

My farrier does a beautiful job, shod or simply trimmed. It's what he trained for seven years to be able to do.

same with mine.

he has even told me never to ask him to.put shoes on my lami after he had to rehab him bare with boots because he kept pulling shoes and ruined a hoof. Six months later his hooves where looking great and its been over 18months and he is now working at times with out his booties.

my two retired and semi retired mares have not had one trim since having their shoes pulled 19 months ago, he just checks them when.he comes out to shoe and trim the others and leaves them as they do a.good job their selves.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Yes, my insurance small print actually states any work on the hoof must be carried out by a registered farrier. I would take that to mean that if you can't supply the name of one when making a claim, the company have every right to refuse your claim.

same with mine, and i did question that just out of interest and i had the reply that if i used a trimmer and then had hoof lameness i wouldn't be insured as they don't recognize them as qualified hoof care expert.

 

[cptrayes]

Yes, my insurance small print actually states any work on the hoof must be carried out by a registered farrier. I would take that to mean that if you can't supply the name of one when making a claim, the company have every right to refuse your claim.

Worrying, and even slightly possibly an unfair restraint of trade, since trimming is a legal activity. Who is the insurer?

 

[cptrayes]

My farrier does a beautiful job ....... trimmed. It's what he trained for seven years to be able to do.

Unfortunately Amymay, this isn't true. The farriery syllabus says nothing about learning how to trim unshod working horses. If your farrier can do it well, it's because he was lucky enough to train with a master who knew, or because he put himself out to learn some other way. It's a matter the FRC should put right immediately, this gaping great hole in the syllabus.

 

[Tinypony]

Insurance is not an issue for me. I make sure the trimmer is insured, but self-insure my horses.

 

[criso]

I think the insurance thing would only come up if a vet raised it as an issue and specified that bad trimming was the underlying cause. My experience of vets is they try to do everything to help your claim through.

I have been incredibly unlucky with farriers out of 6 that I've used 3 lamed my horse in shoes and 2 lamed it barefoot. The one who didn't lame my horse, he was on box rest at the time with foot problems so I don't know if he was better or worse after the shoeing as he wasn't moving.

My trimmer is a gem and my horses move better after her visits so while the insurance thing is annoying it's better to have a sound uninsured horse than a lame one that's covered.

 

[amandap]

Certainly not with the trimmer I used who kept the hooves short. Her feet looked much longer in her shoes than she did bare. No brushing or over reacting either.

Bare hooves do tend to be shorter no matter how they are trimmed as the walls get wear which they don't in shoes.

 

[Tiddlypom]

SEIB asked for a full print out of all visits by my (registered and insured) ex farrier, as part of my insurance claim. It had to come from him, on his headed paper, and detail what was done on each visit.

Being insured is one thing, being recognised as suitably qualified is another. I have no idea if SEIB would have refused my claim if I had used a trimmer rather than a farrier. As it was, the claim was paid.

ETA Poor foot balance was mentioned in the vets report.

 

[criso]

SEIB asked for a full print out of all visits by my (registered and insured) ex farrier, as part of my insurance claim. It had to come from him, on his headed paper, and detail what was done on each visit.

When I had remedial farriery, my then farrier struggled to produce anything beyond a scribble on a scrap of paper I could send to the insurance company so I could claim for it. He couldn't have met those criteria.

 

[Hippona]

I'm sure there are good ones and bad ones; same as in any business. I'd wager that your horse was better behaved for her, because she was a she, rather than because she was a hoof trimmer instead of a farrier though.

I'd personally never use a barefoot trimmer but then I don't need to, I have a fantastic farrier who is wonderful with all of our youngstock and the rest of the horses here. None of the horses on my farm are shod by the way and none are lame after they've been trimmed. I'd be raising some eyebrows if they were tbh!

Yep. My farrier is fantastic with all my horses...shod, unshod, young, old, nervous.

But that's what he spent many years training to do. I don't need anyone else.

ETA 2 of my horses have never been shod...at all....never been lame.....the other went "barefoot" at his suggestion and she's been fine too.

 

[Tiddlypom]

When I had remedial farriery, my then farrier struggled to produce anything beyond a scribble on a scrap of paper I could send to the insurance company so I could claim for it. He couldn't have met those criteria.

It turned out that my ex farrier's paperwork was better than his farriery!

 

[criso]

It turned out that my ex farrier's paperwork was better than his farriery!

My ones talent was shoeing a horse while smoking a fag, drinking a cup of tea and talking on his phone at the same time.

I think it's very difficult to find a really good person in either camp.

 

[DD265]

I use an equine podiatrist and am very happy with his work. I would consider having a horse shod if I couldn't adequately care for a barefoot horse as I do think it's more work on the whole and definitely not the easy route short term. I would rather have a well shod horse than a poor barefoot horse I think. However my current horse will never have shoes again as he's decidedly unsound with them on and my personal preference these days is for barefoot.

Agree that there are good and bad trimmers and farriers alike.

 

[amandap]

It turned out that my ex farrier's paperwork was better than his farriery!

I wondered when you mentioned the vet comments on hoof balance but didn't like to say!

 

[Tiddlypom]

I wondered when you mentioned the vet comments on hoof balance but didn't like to say!

The same time that I was going through this, it was reported twice in one edition of H and H that a very high profile competitor was having to miss a particular major show, because his horse has suffered nail bind.

The only connection I have with this elite competitor is that, at that time, we used the same farrier.... And now, neither of us use him!

 

[Goldenstar]

I have two different farriers when my horses are shod
I use a trimmer when they are working unshod
The trimmer is experianced with horses working barefoot the farriers are not
It works well for me

 

[dogatemysalad]

Just wondering how many people use trimmers because I've only ever met 2 people that used one instead of a farrier ? I've only become aware of them in the last few years because of the internet and on the forums, a casual reader would get the impression that they are widely used.

I use a farrier because I'm familiar with their training and expertise. Although, in theory, I could use a trimmer if it was for a simple trim on a healthy horse, though for a horse with more complicated issues, it'd be a farrier.

Owners shouldn't blame farriers or trimmers for laming their horses, they should blame themselves for accepting sub standard work.

 

[DancingJester]

Yeah that's another thing, my farrier said I should put mine down because if he keeps going lame bare foot and he's completely impossible to shoe. But he's improved so much in the last year I've never been so happy I haven't taken someones advice. Recently he's been foot sore and a bit lame but it seems to have improved since the trim so we'll see!

 

[Nudibranch]

I had a bf trimmer who was doing a good job, especially on the old cushings girl. He trimmed really well and kept her sound when the vets couldn't. He also kept the feet short with a decent breakover. However he could not manage my youngster and fell out with him really badly. I have no idea why but this horse just hated him and would never stand still. Cue bf trimmer losing it with him.

So I now use a farrier who is great with the youngster, never a problem, although I do think he leaves hooves a little long. I have to chivvy him about the mare, who had a check ligament injury so needs her toes kept short.

 

[bertin12]

I have used a farrier in the past, and have had a barefoot trimmer for the last year or 2. They both charged me the same (£25) and I haven't noticed much of a change in my horses feet, but this could be that he has very good, strong hooves because he has always been barefoot.
However I really like my barefoot trimmer as not only does she just trim his feet, but she's always checking for pulses, looking at his weight as well as watching him walk & trot before and after she has trimmed his hooves. She also will tell me if she notices anything, from a small crack or a small stone to anything else.
I feel I get more for the same price with my bf trimmer, and she has done a lot of different courses & case studies so knows what she is doing.

 

[Orangehorse]

I have two different farriers when my horses are shod
I use a trimmer when they are working unshod
The trimmer is experianced with horses working barefoot the farriers are not
It works well for me

Yes, I am the same. I really like my farrier, and I was pleased with the job he did. He was the one who suggestesd taking the shoes off to give horses's feet a rest. I found a new trimmer (the 3rd I have used) as I wanted to know more about boots. She only takes a tiny bit of hoof off with the rasp, but I can see the difference particulary with the hind feet. She does a careful job and trims 2 and is less than the farrier!

I wasn't too impressed by my first trimmer, liked the second one as it all seemed a lot more scientific. He was rather rude about farriers really, being an engineering graduate (as academics often about people with less education!). He had got into trimming as he started with his own horses as he was having trouble.
He has moved now.

The latest trimmer is of the same "school" as the male, but with lots of experience. Trimmers are usually very good at assessing the horse's action and have done all the dissections that the farriers do. The generally know about how important diet is too. How many farriers ask to see the horse move before and after being shod?

I once watched someone put a "trimmer available" notice on a village notice board. It turns out that he had been banned from being a farrier and so was advertising himself as a trimmer!

It all comes down to happy your horse is and how happy you are with the job that they are doing.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

Orangehorse, my farrier asks to see my horses move before and after trimming. He also listens to my comments about how they've been going and tells me exactly what he's doing each time. He is never rude about trimmers either. He's nice about everyone.

 

[pines of rome]

Well I have to say that the two trimmers I have used have given me far more support and advice than any farrier has! My horse has also been far more at ease with both of them, one being male and the other female, both horse owners themselves, which I think makes a big plus in understanding how the owner feels!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Owners shouldn't blame farriers or trimmers for laming their horses, they should blame themselves for accepting sub standard work.

This is unfair. How is the average horse owner to know whether the work is sub standard or not, if the imbalance is subtle? A trained and qualified professional, who regularly undergoes CPD, should be on top of his/her game. I like to employ a trusted professional, be it farrier, saddler or vet and then trust them to do a good job. I do not want to be hovering over them trying to nit pick their work, I expect them, as the experts, to get it right.

My ex farrier is a highly qualified training farrier, who I had used for 30 years. He had some high profile clients, and you may well have glimpsed him on the telly as the duty farrier at a nationally televised race meeting.

He was coming every 4 weeks to trim mine. It simply didn't occur to me that his work was substandard. It was neat and tidy but the foot balance was cr@p. His work used to be good. I don't know why his standards have slipped (though he must now be close to retirement age).

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

My farrier does a beautiful job, shod or simply trimmed. It's what he trained for seven years to be able to do.

This for me too.
Also, insurance companies will not work with unqualified (non-recognised quals in the UK) people.