Re barefoot trimming - again!

[sidesaddlelady1]

Some time ago there was a discussion on barefoot trimming, in the course of which the subject of the legality of trimming your own horse's feet arose.

Co-incidentally this arose today while the farrier was here. It definitely IS illegal in Britain for any person other than a registered farrier to carry out any farriery procedures including trimming (but excluding emergency procedures), regardless of whether it is done for profit or by the animal's owner or not.

[Gill]

No, not quite the case. It is illegal to prepare a foot for shoeing but not to trim hooves in general.

[MelanieD]

It's only illegal for a non-farrier to trim if you intend to attach a shoe to it straight away afterwards (illegal to shoe or prepare a foot for a shoe). If you have no intention of applying a shoe to the trimmed foot then it is totally legal for anyone to trim, including being payed to do it.

[Bebe]

Your farrier needs to go back and read the Farriery Act. It is not illegal for anyone to trim a hoof as long as there is no intention to attach a shoe to it, and there's no laws against charging for this service either.

This isn't the first time I've heard of farriers saying this. It's yet another piece of misinformation they put out and to be honest I'm tired of hearing them say it. If they're worried about the consequences of barefoot trimming they are in a position to do something about it. All they need to do is provide the service that owners want, it's not really so much to ask.

I trim my own horse and, if I do say so myself, do a damn good job of it. Better than any of the farriers I've used. However, I would happily pay for it to be done for me as my back can't cope with the physical demand that trimming puts on it. Unfortunately I have yet to find a farrier who will trim my mare properly and who will also come out every week or two to keep on top of things, so I do it myself (with a qualified trimmer overseeing my work on a regular basis).

Edited to add that vets are the only people legally allowed to carry out some of the invasive procedures associated with farriery, such as resections - yet farriers do this all the time, thereby breaking the law.

[LindaAd]

Your farrier needs to go back and read the Farriery Act. It is not illegal for anyone to trim a hoof as long as there is no intention to attach a shoe to it, and there's no laws against charging for this service either.

<snip>

Edited to add that vets are the only people legally allowed to carry out some of the invasive procedures associated with farriery, such as resections - yet farriers do this all the time, thereby breaking the law.

I think you'll find that farriers are allowed to do this under the direction of a vet.

Look here:
http://www.farrier-reg.gov.uk/farriers_and_vets.htm

[Bebe]

Under the direction of a vet being the key point. It's not unusual for farriers to carry out procedures without a vet being present, and often without consultation with the vet or even notifying them.

[Bay Mare]

This isn't the first time I've heard of farriers saying this. It's yet another piece of misinformation they put out and to be honest I'm tired of hearing them say it. If they're worried about the consequences of barefoot trimming they are in a position to do something about it. All they need to do is provide the service that owners want, it's not really so much to ask.

Exactly! Why don't they look into it rather than dismiss it out of hand just because they don't get to nail a shoe onto the foot at the end of it? If they're so worried about loss of business why don't they train in barefoot themselves? That way they open up their market even further.

Not all farriers are bad or even against barefoot but, unfortunately, a heck of a lot are. They do themselves no favours in misinforming people like this as it just makes us more wary of them than we were to start with!

[virtuallyhorses]

I've read with interest some of the various discussions about farriers and trimming in the UK. Here (NZ) farriers are just as happy to trim a horse as to shoe it, there are a fair number of horses with front shoes only and it is not terribly unusual for horses to be barefoot. There are also an increasing number of farriers who are familiarising themselves with the various types of barefoot trimming so that they can discuss suitability of trims with owners (there are of course a number who cling to old methods or poo poo some of this stuff)

It seems, from this board, that this isn't the case in the UK. Just wondering how common it is for horses to be barefoot in the UK? - whether simply with a 'grass trim' or via the various 'barefoot' methods. Also is whether there are farriers who simply refuse to do 'trim only' or de-shoe horses?

One of the very best farriers in our area has recently moved here from the UK and he is not only an excellent farrier but he is happy to trim any barefoot horse, has a good working knowledge of the various propronents for different methods and seems to keep up to date with new developments in the shoeing world. Is he not a typical example of the British farrier?

[Bebe]

Virtuallyhorses,

I can only speak for my own experience but it's unusual for farriers to be willing to visit a single horse owner to give a pasture trim. They're usually happy to tag you onto another appt at your yard but they're not keen to make a call just for the one unshod horse. This can be difficult if you're on a small yard or are on your own.

In my neck of the woods it's relatively uncommon to see horses shod in front only, you might find some over the winter months but generally they are shod on all 4 hooves. Unshod horses tend to be youngsters, ponies who don't do a huge amount of roadwork and retirees. In these cases the farrier gives a pasture trim.

It's still fairly rare to find a horse in full work who is unshod. My yard is the exception to the rule, there are now 4 horses who are barefoot trimmed and in work, soon to be 5. The ponies tend to be unshod for the most part and I can think of 3 others who were unshod and in work at some point (2 are now retired).

One of the very best farriers in our area has recently moved here from the UK and he is not only an excellent farrier but he is happy to trim any barefoot horse, has a good working knowledge of the various propronents for different methods and seems to keep up to date with new developments in the shoeing world. Is he not a typical example of the British farrier?

This isn't typical for my area, please send this farrier to South Yorkshire :D

[MelanieD]

It's difficult enough to get a good farrier out to shoe here let alone get one out to just do a trim. Some will fit you in if they are at the yard anyway but last time I needed a new farrier I had to phone a few before finding one.

The farrier that comes to my yard is okay to do trims and does realise that horses can work without shoes without their feet dropping off but is spectacularly unreliable.

Most people I know will put fronts on anything that is doing much work whether they need them or not, most are shod all around if working. My yard is a bit different, two owners with barefoot horses and YO doesn't shoe unless she has to but more about saving money than any ideas about barefoot.

[Gill]

My farrier now has about half his clients horses going barefoot and is aiming to increase this as much as he can, by taking on new barefooters and gradually ditching the shoeing. He is more and more convinced that this is the best way.
He will certainly come out to do one trim if needed but we try to have a few going together, at about monthly intervals.