Who trims their own horses feet?

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Racing_Gal

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Do you?

Do you have to be qualified?

My friend in the states trims her own horses feet (not shoeing, just trimming) and i was wondering if I could learn to do the same, but this been the UK I guess there is some sort of certificate or licence you need, am I right or could my farrier train me up?!
 
I do shape unshod feet, get rid of flares & cracks, but still have the farrier for everything if only to have a look every 5/6 weeks.
 
I thought you had to be qualified, but i could have read that wrong. I would never touch a horses feet, i'll leave that to the trained, i'd mess it up big time :D
 
I would never trim my horses feet. Foot balance is so important. Farriers train for many years and see loads of horses every week doing it. Theres just no way a horse owner can have that much experience and the damage that can be done by unbalanced feet is horrifying, if not in the short term then definately long term. Thats why i would never have a 'barefoot trimmer' either, they dont train for long enough or see enough horses imo.
 
As far as I know you can trim a horse you own without any sort of qualifacation. I also tidy up my lads feet in between farrier visits, with a rasp, but he is trimed every 6-7 weeks.
 
I believe it is legal to trim their feet providing you are not doing it in preparation for fitting a shoe. That's why all these trimmers are popping up, they can go and do a weekend course on trimming and set themselves up in business.
I seriously can't think why anyone would touch their horses feet, one of mine was unshod and it cost me £15 every 7 weeks to have them trimmed by my farrier. Imagine weighing 500kg and your feet being sore because someone had trimmed them badly.
Nope sorry, I wouldn't dream of doing it myself, it's not worth the risk to the happiness and well-being of my horses.
 
I have been trained by my UKNHC practitioner andi too get rid of flares, cracks and re-balance my horse's feet between trims (don;t just make them look pretty!). One of my horses has pigeon toes so it is vital that i try and keep him as square as possible between trims. It's not for everyone - i'd imagine a lot of people could do lots of harm to their horses, but i've been trained specifically for my horses' feet, read lots of books etc...would never attempt to do anyone elses horse's feet....but to be honest...who knows your horses feet best....normally you! Give it a go...!!
 
my farrier knows my horses feet best and also how to angle the rasp etc, I don't know snitch about trimming feet so no I don't think I will give it a go thanks.
Just out of interest, how long did your training take and how long did your UKNH practitioner train for?
 
QR - what is legal, and what is a good idea, are two very different things!! I have known people who trim their own horses feet, and don't do a bad job, but for the sake of a mere £20, who on earth would want to risk the repercussions of it being any less than great?!

My farrier is awesome, and well worth the money (and cake) that I pay him, and his training, for a trim, even if he mocks me for calling on him to do it more often than what could be said to be essential! :D
 
i would never. Feet are faaar too important to be messing about with! Much like cutting ones toenails too far back, its agony for days!!
No, my farrier has trained for years to do this job, i wouldnt dream of trying to do his job for him inbetween times! x
 
I do not and would not trim my own horses feet. I would not expect my farrier to be able to do my job (don't think he would want to tbh!) so why would I think I could do his?
Re the trimmers, IMO it is akin to asking Health Support Workers to start putting up IV lines, not what you would want.
 
It is indeed legal to trim a horses hoof without qualifications providing you are not doing it in preparation to take a shoe.
nuts.
 
I've been and got some training (always never enough, there is so much to learn) and trim my own horses feet, with support.

It is really not that hard, and once they are set up they are largely self maintaining. I have not really "trimmed" one of them since September last year other than to tidy up rough edges.

We do a high mileage, and they keep thier feet balanced perfectly (I know they do , I have x-rays and vet exam to back it up! :) The vet is happy and supportive, and considers I do a very good job of them)

There's a lot of mystery and fear created around all of this - it's really not too hard if you are of a mind to learn.
 
If your horse develops a small split - mine has from the ground being horrendously dry & from stony ground, a shod horse who loses a shoe and gets a rough split, a young horse whose feet are flaring, and you can't get the farrier for a few weeks, then being able to rasp off the rough edges or tidy up the split is a useful skill to have.

My current youngster is only really comfortable with me handling his feet, which a far from ideal situation, until the farrier is able to handle him easily I will continue tidying up his feet myself. A job I hate, especially as I usually manage to rasp my knuckles as well.

Back in the day, yards had their own farriery tools, enabling a good yard manager to remove loose shoes and tidy up split feet - is this no longer the case.
 
I used to trim Cairo's frogs - after been taught by my farrier how to do this. I will still take off any untidy loose bits on Farra and Chancer. Though they very rarely get any splits, should they, I will carefully rasp these tidy, but not actually trim or take anything off the foot.

The YO tidies his old ponies feet, but still has the farrier come out and do them every ten - twelve weeks or so. His feet grow very slowly and the farrier keeps them balanced, so again it is just a tidy with a rasp.

If I had old retired ponies or those not working, I would be interested in learning how to do a pasture trim, again paying a farrier to teach me, and I would still have the farrier out say twice a year to make sure nothing is going wrong, but as mine are in work, I would always want the farrier to make sure they are well balanced to keep sound with the extra strain of working.
 
I am happy to rasp and tidy up but wouldn't want to do any more than that. My farrier is a professional and I respect that.

In the same way that I wouldn't restyle my own hair but am quite happy to trim my own fringe!
 
I trim my own horses feet; it really isn't rocket science although I wouldn't advise anyone have a go without guidance from a farrier/experienced trimmer and without having done a lot of research to understand what you are trying to achieve.

It's true that farriers train for years, but not just to trim, but to make and fit shoes.
And judging by the poor workmanship I regularly see, and even posted on this forum, makes me wonder if some aren't properly trained or just shoeing as many as they can in a day to earn maximum money, or maybe just don't bother to do a good job. But that's another subject!
 
Im shocked at the replies that think trimming isnt very hard. I totally disagree- to do it properly takes more than a couple of hours tuition from someone. As the watcher says- liken it to cutting hair. The actual cutting a child could do but to do it properly needs a trained professional. However we dont walk on our hair and the only pain we would get from a bad job is people laughing. A bad haircut also doesnt lead to arthritis or a strained tendon.

For all those that do trim their own feet i have many questions- do you know the anatomy of the foot and limb and the conformational relationships? Can you name all the bones and the tendons and know where they insert and what their job is? Have you ever dissected a leg to see what exactly is inside? Do you know the relationships between hoof conformation and joint angulations? Do you know where the hoof wall is thickest? Do you know the growth pattern of the sole? Do you know the effect of foot balance on movement?

If you cant answer yes to all of these and more then you shouldnt touch your horses feet imo. I have dissected more legs than i care to remember but my DIY farriery is limited to taking a shoe off. As others have said, for the sake of £20 every 6 weeks its not worth meddling with the welfare of the horse.
 
For all those that do trim their own feet i have many questions- do you know the anatomy of the foot and limb and the conformational relationships? Can you name all the bones and the tendons and know where they insert and what their job is? Have you ever dissected a leg to see what exactly is inside? Do you know the relationships between hoof conformation and joint angulations? Do you know where the hoof wall is thickest? Do you know the growth pattern of the sole? Do you know the effect of foot balance on movement?
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Yes, to all except the disection piece. I have not done that course yet.

As soon as you pick up a rasp, knife and stand, you take on the responsibility for getting it right. If I wasn't confident in what I'm doing, then I wouldn't be doing it - period.

But it isn't a great craft of mystery, it is actually mostly straightforward where there is no pathology or hoof deformity, and I see no reason why most folks with bare horses can't keep the roll tidy and deal with any raggies or chips.
 
Also yes bar dissection

And I pay an awful lot more attention to foot balance than any farrier I have ever given £20 for a trim, who will completely gut out the foot by removing half the frog and sole callous, and trim the foot as if he were going to put on a shoe...... he will not watch the horse move unless asked to but certainly not for the benefit of the trim.

I have sound horses who are occasionally seen by a farrier who gives me thumbs up and tells me to keep doing what I'm doing.
 
I know someone who thinks she knows what she's doing, but she trims/rasps the feet every week. Does seem a bit excessive to me. Is it ?
 
Rule is to trim when a trim is needed - otherwise leave alone.

At one point I was reducing a laminitic wedge on one pony and trimmed every 2 days - removing only a mm at a time - this allowed me to make progressive tiny changes each time and keep the pony comfortable thereby avoiding the "one big change" a conventional approach would have taken.

But that's an exceptional circumstance - normally 6-8 weeks usual. One of mine has not been trimmed for 6 months - hasn't needed it - maintains himself. That is the ideal.
 
Im feeling that i want more proof that trimmers know as much as farriers:p, so i have a little quiz for those trimmers who are up for a challenge :) I'll add one clue at a time and a virtual champions rosette and a chocolate cake to the person who guesses the problem first. I will also be willing to accept some of you do know what you are doing :)

What would you do if-clue 1) the axial plane of the foot appears rotated medially compared with the axial plane of the pastern?
 
Don't mess with your horses feet, or like me, you could be waiting months for the hoof to re grow so that her farrier can get her balanced again. I didn't mess but I did use another farrier while mine was on holiday. Which prooves that even the well trained can get it wrong!!!!
 
teddyt said:
For all those that do trim their own feet i have many questions- do you know the anatomy of the foot and limb and the conformational relationships? Can you name all the bones and the tendons and know where they insert and what their job is? Have you ever dissected a leg to see what exactly is inside? Do you know the relationships between hoof conformation and joint angulations? Do you know where the hoof wall is thickest? Do you know the growth pattern of the sole? Do you know the effect of foot balance on movement?
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Yes to all those - including many many dissections... took lots of photos too if you fancy a look... not for the squeamish though.

No one should attempt to trim without having good training first - whether that is a trimmer or farrier. I was trained by Jaime Jackson - a farrier of 20 years experience who was the first person to stick their head above the parapet and suggest horses didn't need shoes. He kicked the whole modern movement off and there probably isn't anyone on the planet who knows as much, or has seen as many horses feet as he has. He takes training very seriously - it's his reputation on the line if his trainees aren't up to standard and the reputation of the whole organisation (AANHCP). The organisation itself has a code of conduct and a complaints system - anyone who isn't up to standard or does not stick to the code (first tenant is do no harm) will be removed from the organisation. It's the longest standing barefoot organisation in the world and the go to place when advice is needed (such as evidence in the Strasser related case a few years ago) and our trimming guidelines are the ones LANTRA wanted to work with when coming up with the National Occupational Standards. We undertake a series of field mentorships after the initial training course and CPD is very very important. We have a great support system amongst the members so that if any of us come across anything we aren't sure about in the field there is always someone to ask advice/second opinions.

I would never say a farrier couldn't do a good barefoot trim but I would want to know (a) how many performance barefoot horses they trim a week (as a hard working barefoot looks very different to both a hard working shod hoof and an unshod hoof that potters about the field and maybe does a couple of hours work a week and the needs of the trim and the horse are very different) (b) are they up to date on the latest thinking about diet (low sugar/starch diets are vital to every barefoot horse not just those prone to laminitis) (c) Do they advise on transitioning from shod to barefoot, what work to do with the horse in that transitioning period, the importance of exercise/movement to develop a strong foot, or do they just say give it a try and if he's still footy next time I come we'll bang the shoes back on? (d) do they know about Paddock Paradise systems and can they advise on setting one up? (e) Do they ride/own/compete barefoot horses? Unless you do I don't see how you can accurately advise anyone else on their care/trim and management (f) Do they use hoof boots? Can they advise on all the latest makes and designs? Do they know how to fit hoof boots? Do they know all the tips and tricks that can make the difference between hoof boots fitting properly and staying on? (g) Do they insist on digging for abcesses and resecting hoof walls? (if it's yes to one or both then I would stay well clear with my barefoot horses) (h) Do they say you can do barefoot as long as you don't do much roadwork or work the horse too much on hard surfaces?

There are great farriers out there. When my horses were shod my farrier was brilliant - there's no one better in my area and I'd recommend him to anyone who wanted shoes on their horse but when I asked him if my horse could go barefoot his reply was 'probably but he would never be able to work at the level you're working him at now'. He's an advanced endurance horse and eventually I ignored the farriers advice, tried barefoot and haven't looked back since. He works above the level he was working at back then and even better no longer gets filled legs, overreaches or brushes.
 
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mrdarcy said:
I would never say a farrier couldn't do a good barefoot trim ....... (e) Do they ride/own/compete barefoot horses? Unless you do I don't see how you can accurately advise anyone else on their care/trim and management
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Would you say then that unless a farrier rides/owns/competes a shod horse they cant accurately advise anyone else on their care/trim and management?


A genuine question- if hoof boots are so important for some barefoot horses, why? If not having shoes is really that good for the horse then why does it need to wear boots?
 
teddyt said:
Would you say then that unless a farrier rides/owns/competes a shod horse they cant accurately advise anyone else on their care/trim and management?


A genuine question- if hoof boots are so important for some barefoot horses, why? If not having shoes is really that good for the horse then why does it need to wear boots?
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The best farriers I've ever come across have been the ones who ride and compete their own horses - it was always my first question when considering a new farrier. The worst ones are the ones who might have ridden their sister's pony a bit when they were a kid but their only current contact with horses is when banging nails into other people's horses' feet. The ones who like working metal more than they like working horses.

Boots are necessary for (a) transitioning for most horses because their feet have been so weakened by years of being shod/eating the wrong diet/living in the wrong environment (b) For horses that cannot (for whatever reason) be kept/worked in the ideal environment with the optimal diet - our climate is not where the horse evolved, we cannot work a horse as hard over as rough hard surfaces as he would in the wild, it is hard to restrict grazing to the ideal extent in this country or feed what he would eat naturally. Some horses never need boots, some need them occasionally, some more often. Boots are a compromise, yes, but a whole lot better than nailing metal shoes onto a foot - the hoof can still expand and contract naturally in boots, which it can't in shoes and at the end of a ride I can pull the boots off, put them back on the shelf whilst my horse is au naturale again.
 
Well of the 10+ farriers that i know of in this area, none of them ride. Yes, if they did it would be great but i would not not use one because he/she didnt ride. I'd never get a farrier full stop if i did!

So boots are basically used in the same way as shoes? Dont you think they could be designed a bit better though? They never seem to fit properly (in my limited experience), with much scope for rubbing. Ive also seen where they alter the horses movement. Another genuine question- why are shoes so bad for the feet (assuming they are correctly fitted to a balanced foot) and what is the evidence for this?
 
I've dissected feet.
I've studied anatomy.
I've even written material for LANTRA (as if they were any indication of expertise, lol).
And I know better than to set myself up as an expert in an unregulated field which could compromise horse welfare.
'Barefoot trimmers' if they were genuinely interested in horses would undertake the full farrier training, rather than trying to make easy money from owners who try to do the best for their horses.
(Incidentally, I own two unshod, and one shod horse who is still sound age 21yrs).
S :D
 
teddyt said:
Well of the 10+ farriers that i know of in this area, none of them ride. Yes, if they did it would be great but i would not not use one because he/she didnt ride. I'd never get a farrier full stop if i did!
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Yes, it does seem a bizarre requirement, that some people would choose a farrier only if they rode.
Of the farriers round me, the one who probably rides the most is the last one I would choose to shoe my horse.

As for trimming my horses feet, as The Watcher said, I wouldn't cut my own hair and I certainly wouldn't attempt to mess with my horses feet.
 
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