Trimming your own horses hooves

Stassy

Stassy

Mum to Prince & Barney
Aug 29, 2007
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North East
How many people on here (not qualified farriers) trim their own horses feet? Is it just yourself that trims or do you get a 'professional' out every once in a while to make sure eveything is fine.

I have been thinking about doing a barefoot course so at least I could do maintainance trims inbetween farrier visits if need be. However I've been told I would irressponsible to want to trim my own horse's hooves and not have a professional person do it - no foot no horse etc.
 
I have done it a little. it's a lot of work and I gave up. My farrier does a great barefoot trim. :)

If you can handle the back pain then it's a great way to save money and educate yourself. You should probably ask your farrier for advice/
 
I will happily shape and remove flare off my pony who has incredibly good feet and tidy up Belle's hooves which self maintain quite well, but my potentially laminitic pony I leave to the farrier to trim.
 
We do all ours, I've just started doing mine myself - hard work, but satisfying. :)

Our farrier comes in once in a while, to check everything is OK, or he comes when we yell for help with something. ;)

He came last week and I asked him to check the first trim I'd done by myself on my Welsh D, he was very impressed, and even showed his apprentice! :eek: He reckons farriery "isn't for girls", so was quite amazed I'd trimmed my lad's feet entirely myself. I had got the balance right, there was no flare, everything was level and even - I'm quite pleased with myself. :D It's good to know I can do a half-decent job and save money!! ;)
 
I do mine when they aren't shod. If they're straightforward feet then it isn't actually that difficult, but it's definitely worth getting a professional to check your work regularly at first. You do need to have a good understanding of the structure of the foot, which is where a course will help.
 
My farrier showed me what to do and I did maintenance trims in between times, and then took over from him.
It is hard work, and even more so now that I have carpal tunnel, after doing four feet my hands are crippled, but I keep going with the hope that one day I will move and I will have surfaces that will wear there feet down for me and I can just tidy them up when needed.
 
I have been trimming my own for 2 years and one of them is lammi prone. It is very satisfying. My farrier did grass trims and it didnt suit one of my neds as it made her sore, so now we trim the natural way !
 
It's good to know I can do a half-decent job and save money!!
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Good job Kis!

There shouldn't be any pain from trimming if you position yourself correctly (read: any position that does not cause you pain :p )

Been trimming for three years now, two on my own. It's like any other physical activity; bulky and aggravating at first, but as you get to know the tools and the hoof it becomes easier and faster.

I started by studying feet on the internet barefoot trimming& ironfreehoof, then cleaning up after my farrier(s). After a horse/farrier accident I sucked it up and did it by myself. Two years ago I followed around a normal farrier for a few months and saw a lot! Lots of good, bad, and terrible horsecare and feet. Had a "professional" barefoot trimmer out this spring to check my work and she was thrilled with the job I was doing and tried to pawn her local clients off on me. (It's a four hour drive down for her). That made me feel good but it's 100+ degrees here in the summer, no way!

I still trim for other people when I'm borrowing the horse or housing it. There's a thread on here where I'm after my friend to let me help her with her mare.

I would irressponsible to want to trim my own horse's hooves and not have a professional person do it - no foot no horse etc.
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Short of using a chainsaw on the hoof the likelihood of you damaging the foot is next to none. People view them as static body parts but once you work with them you'll see they are rapid-healing, adapting, growing machines that overcome huge amounts of abuse. Most likely you'll do more damage starting out and not taking off enough (chips/cracks/flares).

Good luck!
 
I do my own, it was getting so I was paying to get them checked and very little needed doing and that was usually more because I left them so they were due for a trim anyway, so seemed pointless paying for trims when I could do it. I had planned on getting someone out to check every 6-12 months but haven't bothered yet and its been 18 months or so since I've been doing them myself.
 
Spoof said:
Short of using a chainsaw on the hoof the likelihood of you damaging the foot is next to none. People view them as static body parts but once you work with them you'll see they are rapid-healing, adapting, growing machines that overcome huge amounts of abuse. Most likely you'll do more damage starting out and not taking off enough (chips/cracks/flares).

Good luck!
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how about unimaginable strain on tendons or causing the pedal bones to rotate by bad balancing or aiming for totally the wrong shape (angle)

you may not harm the hoof capsule long term, but you could bugger its legs up!
 
how about unimaginable strain on tendons or causing the pedal bones to rotate by bad balancing or aiming for totally the wrong shape (angle)
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What on earth are you on about? A simple trim using the sole to reference heel height, heel balance and wall length, and basic flare removal will do none of those things. Strangely it will also give you a straight hoof pastern axis, wierd that.
 
It is not against the law to trim. It is against the law to trim a foot in preparation for a shoe to be put on.

And yes, a farrier made one of mine sore as he cut her sole callous off each time he came to trim than she spent weeks growing. I knew no better at the time ... :mad:
 
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