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What to do....

3K views 22 replies 9 participants last post by  Cruiser 
#1 ·
when there's no farriers left? After reading about hooves and general care and what they should look like (with room for differences due to comformation, work, environment etc) While I can't pronouce half the words, I've concluded my current farrier, regardless how good everyone else says he is, isn't that good.

They just are not health looking, dead sole, flares, bull nosed, huge cracks, contracted heels, over grown bars and fronts have concaved walls.

While they need a trim soon (I believe well over due but no one will come out more than once every seven weeks), they shouldn't be this bad. I've been walking her on hard packed dirt and it's worn down her toes some to half way up to her hoof wall. No pictures, they don't come out well and I have no flat place to get good ones.

Problem? There's no farriers left. This is more of a venting thread but really any ideas would be good.
 
#2 ·
If you can't get any farriers to show up any more frequently, work with the two best you can find and stagger the schedule. It's certainly not an ideal situation, but I wish you luck.

ETA: Can you find someone farther out and offer mileage?
 
#4 ·
There is only two farriers in the area that come my way. One kept putting on shoes too big so she'd let them flare really badly to get them to fit. And they were twisted! She had such badly contracted heels and I had to stretch her and message her hips and back daily because she was so sore from her legs being forced in the wrong directions.

And the second is the one I'm using. The others flat out refuse to come, extra money or not.

I only know how to do goats/sheep/cow feet, horses are so different, it worries me that people who've been doing this job going for 30 plus years are making my poor mare so sore.
 
#6 ·
I feel your pain!! I have actually ended up doing my mare's hooves myself. Luckily, it's actually not too bad if you do something to them on a weekly basis. Fronts one week, backs the next, then touch ups on all hooves the next week, then fronts, then backs again, etc. But I definitly have days when I wish I could just call someone else up and have them do it for me. My back wants someone else to do it. :lol:
 
#7 ·
I considered learning to do them myself, but there so bad I'm worried I'd make it worst. Not sure how to fix the bullnosed/and concaved feet, I guess that comes from learning. Wish I had the money to go to a school to learn, but life has gotten a little harder at the moment, money's tight.
 
#11 ·
My farrier and good friend got me started by showing me on another horse (my mare only lets me handle her feet)....then gave me some tools to get started. I was as, or more, reluctant to start as you are - trust me. But, it isn't that bad. Maybe you could contact a well respected farrier in a nearby area - and have them show you the basics on a few horses.

added: Didn't see taffy's post till now...good idea!
 
#8 ·
I feel your pain!!! Iv been through 6 farriers now. Now iam out of options 6th farrier isn't any good. My horse hasn't been sound since he left.

Iam to the point of doing them myself iv used every farrier in area now.read all you can on hoofs and trimming. I know one thing not paying 35 for a crap trim job.
 
#10 ·
Do you know of any good farriers/trimmers?
I, of course don't know your situation, but what about seeing if you could bring your horse to them for a trim, then stay and follow them around for a week. Maybe during your vacation. They might charge you a fee or they might welcome the help.
It will be expensive with motels,traveling, time off and such but it might pay off in the long run.
 
#12 ·
I never thought of asking an outside farrier to show me, actually might know a person or two, if I can put up with some crazy relatives I could stay for free. Wouldn't even have to leave the property, both relatives have over 20 horses on site, so I would have to come during a trim week(s).

Either way I'm going to have to do something Spice is suffering because of someone elses ego is to big to realize something is wrong.

Thanks for the advice, still makes me nervous at thought of trimming myself, but got to start some where. I mean I was nervous doing other livestock now I can do rehab work on some bad hoofs and legs.
 
#14 ·
I also do my horses' hooves. I started years back because of a deficiency in farriers (it seemed adequate or otherwise). I certainly do not profess to have a high skill level but if you keep your tools sharp and stay on top of things, you'll find you can keep the feet in respectable shape with little fuss.

May I ask what part of Canada you are in? I have noticed the occasional hoof trimming course on Kijiji Saskatchewan - they seem to be short (as in days not weeks) and would give you an overview of the process and some practical application.

If you do decide to go ahead, I suggest you don't try to sculpt to perfection at your first attempt. Rather trying trimming minimal amounts of the hoof off and work on your rasping technique - this is meant to be done more frequently than every seven weeks. Doing it this way you can start to get practice and develop a feel for what you are doing plus you don't risk wrecking the hoof any further than it might already be.

Good luck whichever way you decide to go.
 
#15 ·
Middle of nowhere Nova Scotia, next to a giant lobster and the land of people I can't understand when they talk. (I'm a transplant)

I figure if I did it myself it would be every few weeks so I can stay away from doing anything major, once she's more ridable her feet may wear a great deal more due to the rough surfaces (hard pack dirty, fine course gravel (smaller than pea bigger than sand)). Which would be fine with me.

Thanks for the support.
 
#16 ·
I started doing my own trimming when, after a couple of painful trims, my mare wouldn't let anyone else touch her feet. We did a lot of riding on macadem and hard ground, and I was worried, they were worn so short. (All I had to do was take a bit off the back toes.) But now, I'd say they actually looked like the ideal Natural Barefoot Trim. Mother Nature CAN help you out.:)
 
#17 · (Edited)
Hey, well it worked out a little differently than I thought it would but good news had my first lesson in rasping hoofs. I met with a farrier when I went to get hay and I mentioned my hoof problems and he offered a quick lesson so I took it. Not going into details but it was mostly how to hold the rasp and just rolling the edges a bit, how far to roll them, and learned some ideas on how to treat the ever expanding toe crack. My major problem was holding the rasp balanced and had to work hard to keep it level. Any suggestions.

Im still working on going to learn from an farrier just work has picked up and its difficult, need the money first. I am having my current farrier come and trim off the over grown hoof wall, and hope to slowly learn to maintain them and spread out the farrier visits.
 
#18 ·
Well, if you haven't already, invest in a pair of gloves and a good rasp. When you first start is when you are most apt to bloody your hands. Holding/applying the rasp is just like anything...it takes a bit of time to get comfy with and use to. Don't over think it, but at the same time - study each hoof and have a reasoned plan (what and why) for the whole hoof before you start rasping. Take pictures each time you trim so you can review your work and progress.

Pete Ramey's site has a lot of very valuable info. It is free. I got his cd's - they were helpful, too.
 
#20 · (Edited)
I need good luck for tomorrow. I am having the certain farrier come again but a few days again, I brought two people I trust, horse wise, to look at Spice. No names, all I said was Spice is sore and uncomfortable I think it stems from her feet. Both pointed out that her heels are very underrun and her toes are to long. Both thought the pain is from undue stress on her tendons and joints from the poor angles. One of the people that came uses my farrier and a retired woman who use to be super competitive in everything, the other is a retired from showing after many years show jumping due to a sever knee injury.

I talked to the farrier, I told him she hasn't been ridable in weeks possibly months (I haven't been comfortable riding her in months but only this sever from weeks). I told him I had people look at her and get opinions because I was worried about her, his question why do you think it's her feet and what do you want to do? I can't afford to put shoes on her, vet bills have sapped me there is no $120 for front or back shoes. I said it would probably be easier to talk in person but I think we in to be more aggressive on backing and shortening her heels and toes as the angles right now are not working. That I know Spice and I am pretty sure it's her feet that is the root of the problem, one thing I know is lameness, give me a horse and ten minutes I can tell if it's lame/sore and where or a darn good guess. I've been around so many lame and sore horses that is has become second nature to pick it out, plus Spice is making it obvious that it isn't not arthritis (yet) or a tendon issue (yet) but I noticed warmth in the tendon below the fetlock.

Good luck.
 
#21 ·
Be carefull not to take too much heel down that alone can cause issues. Id only do a 1/4 inch to start then a 1/4 inch a week later.

Iam trimming my horses feet my self and am in the process of getting heels back where they belong but only a 1/4 inch a week.
 
#23 ·
Well good and bad news, it took me a couple days to think it over, the farrier listened and did trim back her toes and heels, great. The angles look good and he even took off most of a huge flare that he kept saying would make her lame if he did. She hasn't walked and trotted this straight and comfortably in a long time. The huge crack is almost gone after he beveled the toe back.

Bad? He got a little too happy with the hoof knife and pared off a lot of sole. So she's sore on hard ground still, I had removed a lot of the dead sole before he came a few days earlier with just a hoof pick. Ugh, my head hurts, good news I found a number and name of another farrier, bad news she costs a lot more because she doesn't normally travel this far, and I don't know if I can afford that much every 6 weeks on top of everything.
 
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