How long between farrier/trimmer visits

mystiquemalaika

mystiquemalaika

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Jan 7, 2013
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I find this varies a lot from horse to horse.

Neala is trimmed every 5 weeks she grows pretty quick and any longer we end up chipping.

Torin was trimmed with her this week and is booked for the same 5 week slot as her but I don't know yet if this will be right for him or not. He was long in the toe but otherwise farrier was happy with his feet overall.

The hunter at work goes 5 weeks, Jack, Ross and Tilly every 6-7 and Toffee can go 8 he doesn't grow a lot and shoes stay tight.
 
Annie has wonderful feet and has never had shoes on in her life (she's 7). We do a lot of roadwork and she's pretty much self-trimming - she has a farrier trim about 5 times a year.
Mouse used to be shod in front and he saw the farrier every 8 weeks for a trim but usually had the same shoes back on as he didn't really work enough on the roads for him to wear them out. He's had them off now and been trimmed twice since August (he is growing out a huge hole from an old abscess and the farrier recommended not having them too short for the moment), but before he was shod the first time he had trims every 10 weeks.
 
Raf goes 5 weeks max in summer normally because his shoes have worn out by then. Even when he isn't doing as much work I don't like to let him go more than 6 weeks because one of his fore feet grows at a bit of a funny angle needs keeping in check. Jack has feet like rock. He isn't ridden much and they don't grow unusually quickly. He has the farrier every 6 wks because he has navicular and his toes have to be kept short.
 
The girls get trimmed every 7 or 8 weeks. Both have super feet! I am very lucky and don't miss having a horse with shoes (J was a nightmare!)
 
I can only get my trimmer when he does his rounds as he is booked solid from one year's end to the next. So Ziggy and Mattie are done every 6 weeks, which is sometimes a bit quick, sometimes a bit late!
 
Jack has fronts only and farrier comes every 8 weeks, give or take a week. Albi has neved worn shoes and gets trimmed at the same time. Considering his size, Jack has actually worn the same shoes (heated and re-shaped, of course) for over a year. He just doesn't wear them down. Joe-pony needed a new full set all round every 6-7 weeks.
 
My farrier comes perhaps 12 weekly but it varies, I trim in between about every 4 weeks and call norm if they start getting away from me or I want a balance check :)
 
I keep an eye on her and she self trims. So as and when I think to ring.
:) Probably works out four or five times a year.
 
I have my EP/barefoot trimmer every 3 weeks - not ideal for me, but it works for Pete.
 
8 weeks.

There are people on the yard who don't have their barefoot horses trimmed for like 5-6 months (and then they wonder why their hoof condition is so poor and blames the farrier?!?!)
 
Our welsh a goes about 8-10 weeks between trims, my dales and the fell go about 6-8, my little project pony has white hooves and is trimmed every 6 weeks and wears hoof boots, my cobs feet look awful after 4-5 weeks so he needs his doing regularly( it's a good job I love him lol) his feet are like iron but grow outwards so look awful if not regularly trimmed. x
 
I have known a few shod horses who need doing every 3 weeks,big heavy types and hunters. One cost well over the £100 mark every 3 weeks for special shoes and at 3 weeks they would sometimes come off in 2 pieces!
The hunters generally it's because of wear on the shoes.
 
Trewsers said:
Heck! He must have fast growing feet?
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Not really, thankfully!

He's just not had very nice experiences before at the hands of a previous farrier (think, feet tied up and battered with a rasp) - it's taken 4 years and a fair few farriers/trimmers to help him begin to gain his trust again. I think I gained a fair few grey hairs too as at one point trying to find someone to come back was difficult!

By keeping it to 3 weeks, it just remains a routine thing and if Pete's having a bad day that time, there's no pressure on either Pete or my trimmer 'to have to trim because his feet need it'. He's mostly getting much better - but there are still times my trimmer can only do a tiny bit of trimming (or non at all) & we just work on his confidence.

It's a total pain in the backside, logistically (as my trimmer is 2 counties away), timewise (as no appointment is ever shorter than an hour and I still have to practise with feet handling and rasps inbetween visits) and finacially it costs a small fortune - but it keeps my trimmer safe and Pete's confidence improving, so for now, needs must :)
 
Pete's Mum said:
Not really, thankfully!

He's just not had very nice experiences before at the hands of a previous farrier (think, feet tied up and battered with a rasp) - it's taken 4 years and a fair few farriers/trimmers to help him begin to gain his trust again. I think I gained a fair few grey hairs too as at one point trying to find someone to come back was difficult!

By keeping it to 3 weeks, it just remains a routine thing and if Pete's having a bad day that time, there's no pressure on either Pete or my trimmer 'to have to trim because his feet need it'. He's mostly getting much better - but there are still times my trimmer can only do a tiny bit of trimming (or non at all) & we just work on his confidence.

It's a total pain in the backside, logistically (as my trimmer is 2 counties away), timewise (as no appointment is ever shorter than an hour and I still have to practise with feet handling and rasps inbetween visits) and finacially it costs a small fortune - but it keeps my trimmer safe and Pete's confidence improving, so for now, needs must :)
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Aw bless him poor pony! That's awful. How dare they have treated him like that. It's good that his confidence is getting better for having them done.
 
Ben sees the farrier every 8 weeks. Sometimes he goes longer, especially in winter as his feet are very slow growing. He is shod on the front only.
 
only trimmed - Acorn, Charlie are every 4 weeks, Tess can go 12 weeks in winter but generally shes done every 8, Nuts was every 8 but since her problems last year she gets checked every 4 and trimmed/balanced up if needed.
 
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