Barefoot Trimming Lady Came Today

sjp1

sjp1

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Sep 14, 2009
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And Tobes loved her!!! Her little baby daughter came as well as she was on her way to Cornwall to do a trimming clinic and Tobes loved the baby as well.

Was quite amazed how good he was really!

I also liked her, she said his heels were a little high, but she wasn't going to whack them down in the first trim, so she took a bit off, took lots of pics of before and after, rolled his toe, and he went back down the drive happily. She walked behind us to make sure he wasn't sorer than before, and he wasn't. She says he has good feet and she doesn't think we will have a problem - obviously I am going to have to watch grass like a hawk, but am thinking when we move back to the farm, I might put in a track system. Can do it slowly, and think I can persuade OH it won't make too much of a mess.

So thumbs up from us both!
 
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Very pleased to hear that you and Toby are both happy with the trimmer. I like that she didn't want to take too much off and was concerned about not making him sore. Very unlike my experience with an EP!
 
Bodshi said:
Very pleased to hear that you and Toby are both happy with the trimmer. I like that she didn't want to take too much off and was concerned about not making him sore. Very unlike my experience with an EP!
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That was my concern and why I went with barefoot trimmer rather than EP or my farrier who I love a lot!!!

I have done massive research on it all, love my farrier, but know that he does like to take off the sole and off the bars which is quite right when shoeing. I made him hardly take anything off when Tobes shoes came off, but I like and respect him as a farrier and didn't want to get into a row about it for trimming, as who knows, Tobes may need to go back to shoes, and there is NO-ONE I would rather have as a farrier than him. So am going to text him and tell him Tobes is self trimming toe wise which is actually absolutely right. She took nothing off his toes because he rubs his toes out with his peculiar action of rolling his toe forward and this was farriers concern that toes would be too long. Am hoping that no shoes will mean he has no heel pain and will cause him to learn to right his action and use his heel first rather than toe.

I understand that barefoot trimmers work with the hoof in front of them, and whilst she said his heel needed to come down, she suggested not all at once. I heartily agreed with this, and said the last thing I wanted was a proper hoof shape and a lame horse! I am guessing a lot of people want to see the perfect hoof, and maybe the rub lies here.
 
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I think you are so right sjp, I always think, does it really matter what the hoof looks like as long as it functions correctly and doesn't cause pain?
Incidentally which insurance company do you use if any? Only asking as I have had to change from trimmer to farrier or I'm not covered for anything foot or leg related.
 
My farrier is another who says comfort over cosmetic. The hoof will be what shape it wants and needs to be as you transition. The hoof will change of its accord and you will find your hoofboot size will change.
I wasn't keen on the trimmer I had who cut the sole, frog, bars, rolled the toe and pretty much left nothing to be used to walk on. Then said it was natural! Eh maybe in the wild it does look that way but my pony is in captivity, with a rider on board being asked to do things and eat things a wild horse isn't.
 
Kite_Rider said:
I think you are so right sjp, I always think, does it really matter what the hoof looks like as long as it functions correctly and doesn't cause pain?
Incidentally which insurance company do you use if any? Only asking as I have had to change from trimmer to farrier or I'm not covered for anything foot or leg related.
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We are with KBIS.

So even for a horse that has a tendon issue that is barefoot in the field, that most owners would just leave to grow whatever hoof or not as the case maybe - they won't cover?

Quite frightening if that is the case. She took very little off anything, nothing of sole, bit off bars, but barely anything, and nothing off the toes as he has the awful toe first action which I suspect caused the massive tripping issues we have had, so he wears his toes out - even in a boggy field!
 
I had our new farrier (qual'd but much more into barefoot) a few weeks back, he barely took anything off Jess and the TB, just a little tweek and balance here and there and they were both immediatly improved, walking better, longer stride and so on, and Jess's feet looked like brilliant examples of barefoot trimming (IMO) I was actually so impressed I messaged him a few days later to thank him and tell him he can keep doing what ever it was he did :) He's asked me to tweek them every few days until the next trim so its all on me now to hopefully not make matters worse :eek: did your trimmer make any suggestions for things you can do to help the process along?
 
sjp1 said:
We are with KBIS.

So even for a horse that has a tendon issue that is barefoot in the field, that most owners would just leave to grow whatever hoof or not as the case maybe - they won't cover?

Quite frightening if that is the case. She took very little off anything, nothing of sole, bit off bars, but barely anything, and nothing off the toes as he has the awful toe first action which I suspect caused the massive tripping issues we have had, so he wears his toes out - even in a boggy field!
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I don't know about KBIS but I know petplan won't cover me unless I use a registered farrier for hoof care. Barefoot or not. :(
 
We're claiming on our KBIS policy for Jack's navicular treatment and they won't even pay for remedial farriery (by his usual qualified farrier) because they said it was an 'alternative treatment'. We wouldn't have thought about claiming for it anyway, but I was a bit surprised.
 
Trimmer made no suggestions at all. To be fair, I do have Tobes on the typical 'barefoot diet' anyway - a small amount of speedibeet and minerals and hay because he is a 'quirky horse' and anything with high levels (not even high really, anything over about 8% sugar and starch) sends him loopy, and we have been on this for several months. His grazing at yard has A LOT of clover in it, shall be spraying out clover at farm when he moves back and putting in a track system - he wll clearly also have access to grass because it doesn't affect him that badly, but clover is not fab and very fattening. She did say to beware of grass , but that she thought he had good feet and should be OK barefoot.

If we manage OK barefoot when he is back in ridden work will look for an insurer who will OK that, or will have his feet excluded. Am not that keen on insurance companies really, and only have him fully comp in case he has some awful kick or a dreadful colic case and obviously public liability. In my opinion, insurance companies generally wriggle out of whatever claim and I am not keen on being dictated to as to who I can and cannot have look after my horse
 
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