EP trim vs ordinary trim?

[teabiscuit]

If your horse is barefoot and working, how does the trim given by a bare foot trimmer differ from a trim given by a qualified farrier?

Issues such as foot balance, rounding the edges, toe length, wall length, breakover point come to mind.

Thanks

[MelanieD]

EPs trim to live sole plane, remove flare and mustang roll (roll the edges), never invade active sole and usually trim the sides of the frogs to 45 degree angle and trim bars to sole level. That's the basic version, can't be a*sed typing pages of detail :) Wall length, toe length and breakover all determined as part of balancing to LSP.

Farrier trims vary a lot. Some do use LSP, many use a T-square method or sight across the back of the heels and in a horse that doesn't have perfect conformation the various methods of balancing do give different results. IMO LSP is by far the better method for balancing. Have even encountered some run rasp around without bothering to balance and charge £10 for it types of farrier :rolleyes:. Some deal with flare brilliantly, some don't seem to bother, some round the edges, some trim flat. Some trim the sole or frog too much, remove useful callous or false sole compensating for weak structure elsewhere and leave the horse sore.

The main difference between a good farrier and an EP apart from trim is if a horse isn't already coping barefoot a farrier is quite likely to suggest that it needs shoes, and EP would be more familiar with using boots, pads etc to get the horse comfortable and improve the feet to the point where they can cope.

[teabiscuit]

Thanks Melanie.

More questions:

What is LSP?

I thought the bars supported the foot structure, like a buttress, why trim them to sole level, doesn't that weaken them?

What is the T square method?

thanks again
xxx

[Gill]

My farrier is a barefoot advocate, and sells boots too. He is helping to set up trimming training with other barefoot trimmers so the line between the two is really very blurry in my experience.

[BeachRiding]

I just have my farrier do an ordinary trim on Willie, and it worked very well.

[Stella2]

My farrier trims flora and so far, so good :)

[MelanieD]

LSP = live sole plane.

Bars are very important part of heel structure and should contribute to the heel buttress. Usually the heels won't be too far above the sole anyway and the bit of bar right at the heel contributes to the heel, it's the rest of the bar that's trimmed to sole level. Bars usually break off to sole level if left to get too long anyway.

T-square is a method of balancing that involves lining up the hoof with the leg by looking stright down the cannon bone part of the leg and putting the balance of the foot flat with that, like an upside down T with the leg vertical and the balance of the heels horizontal. (cr*p explanation sorry, can't think of a better way to put it). Works just fine on perfect conformation, doesn't work very well on a leg that isn't straight as it's balancing to only one part of the leg. LSP allows the foot to be balanced to what the horse needs for it's leg conformation.

[Yann]

As I understand it if the internal structures of a foot aren't very strong pressure on the bars can cause internal bruising, and taking the bars down level (not removing them completely a la Strasser) can make a horse significantly more comfortable over rough ground.

[teabiscuit]

thankyou for your replies :)

[Bay Mare]

Saffy Lou is barefoot and working. She's happy over every surface including stony paths, the only thing that she doesn't do much of is roadwork but mainly because there aren't many accessible roads near us!

With regards to the trim I use and EP who does an HPT (as described by Melanie). Certainly the difference between a farrier (£10 quick rasp around) and an EP trim has made the world of difference to her. Her foot is balanced now which it wasn't before (which led to a huge crack up the front of her near fore), it doesn't flare like it did, we keep on top of the thrush and she doesn't tend to break huge chunks off like she once did.

PERSONALLY I'd go for an EP trim for barefoot every single time but then we're not exactly known for having quality farriers in our area :(

[CMR]

I'm very unfortunate as there are only three barefoot trimmers in my state, and the closest is at least three hours away :( Which is exactly why I am going to start courses to become an EP with KC La Pierre in March :D

My horses have a variety of surfaces to walk on in their pasture, so they keep their feet down pretty well.
My farrier was horrible :( He charged $35 dollars(around 15 pounds), and all he did was trim off a tiny bit, and then roll the toe. :mad: I could have done that, he didn't balance at all. :mad:
Worst of all, no less than a week later, they were chipping again, an obvious sign they weren't trimmed enough! I've been through most of the farriers in my area, and sadly, they are all like this(they're great at shoes though :rolleyes: ) I'd kill to have an EP here. :(

[Bay Mare]

Which is exactly why I am going to start courses to become an EP with KC La Pierre in March :D


Yay! Good luck :) They're tough courses but all the EPs that I know are brilliant :) I want to do the courses some day when I have the funds and the time.

[No_Angel]

My farrier trims my horses, he lives barefoot and said hes been to watch a barefoot trimmer in action (cant remember who he said) but i think he does his own thing :D
seems to work tho

[nicolaj]

My horse is unshod/barefoot, and is trimmed by our farrier, who is actually very good.

In fact I have known him tell owners that their horses could go without shoes if they wanted them to.

I suppose I'm lucky as my horse has never been shod and so his feet have been allowed to grow normally and have remained good and strong. Only had a few cracks just before his last trim in the really hot and dry weather. Slapped on some Keratex hoof moist and this stopped the cracks and had no more appear.

I've no experience of EP trimmers so can't compare, but for me and my horse our farrier trim is fine with no adverse effects.:D