Who should trim horses feet - farrier or barefoot person?

R

Ranyhyn

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 November 2008
Messages
21,273
Location
Funny farm
Visit site
I am going to potentially take my horses shoes off this year and just wondering who should trim the horse - farrier or other?

He doesn't wear shoes on the back, but my farrier never even looks at them, so wondering if it needs to be a specialist or not?

Thanks!
 
Personal preference really.
You get good and bad of both.
We use our farrier to trim ours even though they are barefoot. If he wasn't good then I would look for someone else, and would consider a barefoot trimmer but I would take into account the training and experience they had aswell as the title they had.
If you feel your farrier isn't offering you as much support as you would like then perhaps consider someone else? The barefoot trimmers seem much better for offering support as well as trimming, depends if you and your horse would like or need more help with that or if you are happy with a fairly basic (usually!) trim from your farrier.
 
Have a chat with your Farrier.

I would use a 'good' trimmer myself if you're new to barefoot and really want to succeed. In my experience the advice and support I got from Trimmers I've used has been invaluable to me. :)
 
amandap said:
Have a chat with your Farrier.

I would use a 'good' trimmer myself if you're new to barefoot and really want to succeed. In my experience the advice and support I got from Trimmers I've used has been invaluable to me. :)
Click to expand...

i ditto all of this. I have a brill trimmer for my horse and She's always on the end of the phone for advice. She's done lots of studying and has plenty of relevant qualifications which gives me piece of mind.
 
I am watching this debate with interest, as i have the most wonderful farrier, but one of my youngsters has gone out on loan, and the loanee has asked if i would mind if she used a barefoot trimmer, i know i am being old fashioned but a farrier takes 4 years to train and barefoor trimmers dont seem to take long to train, so why should i trust one with my youngsters feet
 
I have an excellent farrier, perfect for remedial work and does great trims for the working ponies ... however I also have a barefoot trimmer for two working horses. They weren't doing their best with my farrier and I decided to give the trimmer a go and was very pleased with the results, so stuck with him. Best of both worlds, but I do try to avoid having them on the yard together as it's not worth the discussion!

(should add that I chose my trimmer as he was highly recommended for specific issues and from the very first trim the changes started occurring for the better, resulting in horses in medium work that compete in several disciplines and trot over flinty downs tracks -- however, had they not taken to it, they would have been shod by my farrier)
 
We trim our own horses feet. At risk of appearing trite and not in anyway wishing to insult qualified practitioners, it ain't rocket science if you take the time to study. Unless a farrier had experience of trimming for a horse to specifically be without shoes, I would go with a well qualified/experienced trimmer.

IN MY EXPERIENCE (bear in mind I live in another country) farriers trim in order to fit shoes, not for the horse to be without them.
 
i can only speak about the farriers i've used and the trimmer i use now. the farriers made a bit of a mess with my horses feet, didn't take into account his heels which were under run and they didn't balance the foot properly, also they never explained anything to me.

my trimmer is very knowledgeable and takes the time to explain things, she's helped my horse alot and his heels are now slowly getting there.

i think it's the same with everyone who works with your horse, if you find a good one then he/she is worth holding on to.
i swear by my trimmer and won't go back to a farrier. other people swear by the farrier.
ditto the comment about him not looking at the hind feet though.
 
Kitsune said:
I am going to potentially take my horses shoes off this year and just wondering who should trim the horse - farrier or other?

He doesn't wear shoes on the back, but my farrier never even looks at them, so wondering if it needs to be a specialist or not?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I'd get who ever does the best job.
 
It depends how much help you think you're going to need to get your horse working well barefoot. What condition are the front feet in? Do you think he'll be a bit footy to begin with and will need a lot of time for his feet to adjust, or is got the healthy kind of feet where he won't even notice the shoes have gone? Does he have damaged feet that need to heal (contracted heels, underrun heals, flat feet, thin sole, thrush etc).

A decent farrier will do a perfectly good job of trimming barefeet (unless they're an idiot and par the soles, chop the frogs off and try and force and unnanatural balance :eek: ) BUT they are unlike to give you the support and advice you'll need if your horse isn't going to be straightforwards.

A trimmer will do an equally good job but they should also give you a holistic approach and advise you on diet and management to help you horses feet improve. They will also help you with choosing the correct hoof boots if your horse will need them to begin with.

There are of course rubbish trimmers (just as there are plenty of rubbish farriers) so if you do go for a trimmer make sure it's someone qualified and well thought of AND read up as much on barefeet as you possibly can so you know yourself if the trimmer (or farrier) is doing a good job.

A trimmer will be more expensive as they offer more than just the trimmer, so if that's an issue you could maybe have a trimmer out a couple of times to get you started if you need more help then go back to a farrier once the feet are on track.
 
We trim our own horses feet. At risk of appearing trite and not in anyway wishing to insult qualified practitioners, it ain't rocket science if you take the time to study. Unless a farrier had experience of trimming for a horse to specifically be without shoes, I would go with a well qualified/experienced trimmer.
Click to expand...

Ditto...I do mine too.

At least if it is done wrong you only have yourself to blame - so that is why it is never done wrong! :D
 
Without a doubt I think it should be a qualified farrier. It drives me mad when people decide because they have had a bad experience with a farrier the solution is to use at best someone who has passed a quick course and worst do it themselves. If your farrier is not doing a good job report them and try another. Not a dig at op it is just something I feel really strongly about.
 
Although you don't need any qualifications to trim a horse's feet, like most industries there are many levels of experience and training. Get an Applied Equine Podiatrist. Their training and expertise is on par with a farrier's, yet it is soley concentrated on keeping the horse sound without a shoe. Farriers are good for what they do - shoeing horses and keeping bare feet neat, but if you want your horse to be able to work and hack without shoes you need an expert in THAT field - and that doesn't mean a 'trimmer'. There's more to it than that - http://www.epauk.org/. Good luck - if you can manage without shoes, your horse's feet will be healthier. :)
 
Well my first thoughts on this would be either, surely both should be adequately trained to correctly trim a horses foot, I have no preference, so long as they are good at what they do, either.

I can’t really get my head around why people class farriers any less qualified to trim and keep the foot well balanced without shoes on as a ‘barefoot trimmer’.
 
Kitsune said:
I am going to potentially take my horses shoes off this year and just wondering who should trim the horse - farrier or other?

He doesn't wear shoes on the back, but my farrier never even looks at them, so wondering if it needs to be a specialist or not?

Thanks!
Click to expand...


FARRIER FARRIER FARRIER FARRIER FARRIER FARRIER FARRIER (you get my thoughts?)

I say this as a few years ago I allowed a non WCF trained person to trim my horses feet. They were adament they were trained, 'qualified' and a barefoot specialist blah blah. Several months later horse said horse is chronically lame, then required 12 months remedial farriery incl x rays and vets visits for each shoeing and light work only. She was 6 months away from perm. loss of use and changes in the foot that would be uncorrectable according to both my new farrier and vet (both with surgical experience and practises). Luckily the insurance paid out the total cost was over £2000 and the mare has fortunately been fine since.


I now use a very experienced farrier who regularly updates his skills and trust him completely. It is of course only my opinion but, boy do I feel strongly about this.

No foot no horse etc etc
 
katiecuckoo said:
Get an Applied Equine Podiatrist. Their training and expertise is on par with a farrier's, yet it is soley concentrated on keeping the horse sound without a shoe.
Click to expand...

What exactly is the minium level of training for an AEP ? How much is practical and how much is home based learning ? How many hours and how many trims are required before you can call yourself an AEP ?
 
I have decided it will be the farrier all the way for my mare out on loan, my farrier is one of the lecturers at the college so is very well upto date on all his stuff.
I just dont think i dare trust my youngsters feet in the care of someone who has done a few courses, if anything went wron that could be her career out the window.
Farrier for me
 
elsielouise said:
I say this as a few years ago I allowed a non WCF trained person to trim my horses feet. They were adament they were trained, 'qualified' and a barefoot specialist blah blah. Several months later horse said horse is chronically lame, then required 12 months remedial farriery incl x rays and vets visits for each shoeing and light work only. She was 6 months away from perm. loss of use and changes in the foot that would be uncorrectable according to both my new farrier and vet (both with surgical experience and practises). Luckily the insurance paid out the total cost was over £2000 and the mare has fortunately been fine since.
Click to expand...

A classic example of the damage that can be done by trimming. I dont believe people that say its not that hard- i think it is and foot balance is so important. The damage done by poor trimming may not show up immediately but it can take months/years, by then it can be too late!

Personally i think that a farriers training and the experience they get from the number of horses they see each week far outweighs the training and experience of any trimmer ive ever heard about. there are good and bad farriers, as with anything, but i would always use one over a trimmer.

And as for the suggestion that farriers can only trim feet for shoes, thats nonsense.
 
Yes there are good and bad trimmers just as there are good and bad farriers, a good trimmer will have done a damn site more than just ' few courses' and lots of good trimmers are seeing just as many horses per week as a farrier so the experience is relative.

I think the reason people question whether farriers can do a decent barefoot trim is because in my experience 'most' farriers spend about 10 minutes doing a trim and its something they only tend to do for retired horses or youngstock and not working horses, if they take away sole and trim the frog down then the horse will be uncomfortable. They don't advise on diet or environment which are important factors in keeping barefoot horses sound.

elsielouise - your story shows how it can go wrong, what you need to try and understand is that the majority of people with barefoot horses who use a trimmer have a similar tale to tell about a farrier, I retired my mare many years ago due to suspensory problems, within the space of 3 months she and the 2 horses stabled next door all went lame with the exact same problem - common denominator - the same farrier!

So when you so vehemently insist on a farrier some of us are the flip side of the coin and would never let a farrier near our horses again.


In answer to the original question personally I would always use a trimmer BUT a barefoot savvy farrier is a good choice too, i'd do lots of research into either of them before I let them near my horse though!
 
Someone who is good at what they do... so I cannot say either way!
My farrier is a good farrier, he puts shoes on the front on my boy and trims his hinds, he was originally BF all round but as all the hacking in our area is on stoney tracks and stones were being pushed up into the white line my farrier put front shoes on, since then I have a foot sure pony who is happy to walk anywhere :)
 
and stones were being pushed up into the white line
Click to expand...

If your pony's white line is sufficiently open to have stones pushed up it - then you have a different problem altogether - and a farrier should be able to explain to you what it was.

A healthy white line should be tight and no stones should get trapped in there. Shoes are not the answer to that problem.

You may have the result you desired - a pony able to walk wherever - but you have not addressed the underlying problem which was a separated white line. Just covered it up.

I'd have told you the whole story if I was trimming your pony.:)
 
miss_bird said:
I have decided it will be the farrier all the way for my mare out on loan, my farrier is one of the lecturers at the college so is very well upto date on all his stuff.
I just dont think i dare trust my youngsters feet in the care of someone who has done a few courses, if anything went wron that could be her career out the window.
Farrier for me
Click to expand...

In the defence of hoofcare practitioners everywhere:

That is a sweeping comment that is quite offensive miss_bird and not that i am saying you are wrong to use your farrier but to insinuate that all trimmers have had a "few courses" and are therefore are worse than farriers is wrong and prejudiced of you to say.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top