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Trimming my own

3K views 19 replies 6 participants last post by  corinowalk 
#1 ·
My farrier has not been out in 2 months since he was in a car accident. He had several broken vertebra in his neck and it needs 6 months before he can trim again. I have called every farrier for 100 miles radius, and either they don't trim drafts, or they are full up of clients due to my farrier's clients needing trimming. (crap!!)

I figured out last night that last year, I paid over 2,000$ for farrier services for my horses and my rescue horses.

I have helped my farrier and my horses are gentle for trimming. How hard is it to maintain a trim? My thinking is that if I can get them trimmed professionally a couple times a year, and then every 6-8 weeks kind of follow along their line and trim/rasp down. Am I asking for disaster?
 
#2 ·
There's a little knowledge to be known with trimming hooves. But it's pretty simple.

I think it's a good idea for anyone that wants to learn to trim to go ahead and gain the knowledge required.

And if you work with a farrier that can give you knowledge and show you what's going on and what to do for maintenence you'll definately benefit from it.

With honkin draft feet you'll benefit and your arms will thank you if you keep up a maintenence trim when it's needed. Sometimes it's easier to just keep an eye on the growth and bring out the rasp when needed. Even if it's only been two weeks since the last time the hooves were trimmed or maintained.

If you haven't trimmed before then be prepared to use muscles you haven't used very often. "Unless of course you lift weights and target those muscles.:wink:" So I'd say start with the two fronts before going to the rears. That way if you get tired after trimming two hooves your horse won't be lopsided. At least that's what I do. I found it easier to do the fronts first then see if I have the energy to continue and do the rears. If not I'll come back later that day and do the rears or I'll go back a day or so later and get the rears.

But that's what's nice about just watching the growth. Every couple weeks if it's needed I'll just bring out the rasp and bring the hooves to where they should be. It's soo much easier than waiting the 6-8 weeks, cus then there's tons of stuff to rasp off. "Especially a draft, phew. LOL"

But my opinion is it's a good idea when you know how and what to do.:D

There's lots of good barefoot sites with instructions on hoof function and material that can be bought to increase your knowledge to give you the confidence. And working in person with someone experienced is also very good.

If you have a knackery where you can pick up some hooves to practice with that'll help tremendously.

BTW I get a kick out of your quote every time I see it.:-p
 
#3 ·
Thank you!

I bought a nippers, rasp, and knife. Well I had a hoof knife before, but it was looking pretty thin. Also got a hone to sharpen the knife as I snapped mine last fall.

I trim my goats, sheep and llamas already.

My horses are gentle and easy, that makes it easier. I did order a DVD from that Ramey fellow so hopefully that gets here soon.

My farrier is going to come out and walk me through step by step, he can't help but he can guide. He said he'd be happy to do that, so I don't F them up too bad LOL. My brother will be here on Saturday so we are going to tackle it then.

I work all day on the farm, lifting heavy things- I should be able to do this LOL. I have a hoof stand too, my big boy just puts his foot in it and falls asleep. If I can I will take before/after pics and you can all critique!
 
#4 ·
If you ordered the, "Under the Horse", dvd set you are going to be very pleased. There is so much good information in that set.

It's a little coincidental, but I've been watching/listening to the dvd's for the last few days. And right before I opened this post I popped in the 9th dvd which has a draft horse that gets a trimming.

We have llamas too.:-p All we have out here now days is the females for breeding. But we used to put together pack strings and hike into lakes in the summer. That was so fun. And the camp they could pack in was amazing.
 
#5 ·
I love my horses hooves! He was a rescue horse so I am very surprised at how good her feet are. She only gets them done once a year and she has solid enough feet that I don't need to shoe her. It's nice to know that I only have to pay about 35 dollars a year for her feet. My farrier is also very surprised and amazed and wishes more horses had feet like her unlike some of those crappy QH feet(no offence to anyone. Most QHs are just bred to have tiny feet).

My horse is an Andy BTW and I also have a QH mare who I love!
 
#6 ·
Totalfreedom, yes that is the set I ordered. I hope it gets here soon!!

I just have a stud and a few female llamas. I spin so I use the wool. They are such fun! =)

SugarPlumLove, if you think most QH have tiny feet- you should see my mare. She is HUGE feet!! But she is working ranch horse bred, not halter or WP.
 
#7 ·
LOL I was gonna say! Nico has feet like dinner plates! When he had his first trimming in the year and a half the farrier was a little shocked at how little he had to do.

Draft, I think you should do just fine. You will have the advice of a trusted farrier, a patient set of horses and an open mind. I would love to be able to do my own horses feet but our farrier wont show us a thing and Nico can be a pain! Good luck with yours! I hope to see before-after pics!
 
#9 ·
LOL I was gonna say! Nico has feet like dinner plates! When he had his first trimming in the year and a half the farrier was a little shocked at how little he had to do.

Draft, I think you should do just fine. You will have the advice of a trusted farrier, a patient set of horses and an open mind. I would love to be able to do my own horses feet but our farrier wont show us a thing and Nico can be a pain! Good luck with yours! I hope to see before-after pics!
I'm surprised that your trimmer won't teach you how to trim. My trimmer was really good about answering my questions and telling me what she what she was doing & why.
 
#8 ·
I'm kind of in the same boat. My regular trimmer broke her hip a few months ago & will be out of commission for a while. My sister does her horses feet & I've helped my trimmer before, but I'm still a little nervous about doing it on my own.
I've watched the Pete Remey DVD's & there is a lot of stuff on line about barefoot too.
Definitely use the hoof stand. I haven't got one yet, & even though my horses are real good, it kills my back.
 
#10 ·
If I wasn't locked into him because of barn rules, I would be looking for another farrier. He can be really rude and I don't think he takes enough off. Nicos feet always look a bit long to me. Any time I've ever mentioned it, I've been scolded so I don't even bother. He is very alpha male and when I asked if he could show me how to properly file down a bit of Nicos feet, he said 'now why would you want to get your pretty little hands dirty' Not to mention, in our neck of the woods he is very expensive. 45 for a simple trim and 160 for a full set.
 
#12 ·
If this was someone I hired to perform a service for me, I would take my pretty little hands and punch him in the mouth.
 
#13 ·
Oh the thought has crossed my mind! Mind you, I am no delicate flower. It does not help that he is the BO's nephew and we HAVE to use him. No outside farriers or vets. As it is at that barn, I hate both the vet and the farrier. I am planning on moving pretty soon and will be sure to give him a piece of my mind when I go. I tolerate his nonsense to keep the peace. When that is no longer an issue, hes gonna get it with both barrels! Oh one more bad trait (sorry to thread-jack) but we are a small private horse rescue and he hates rescue horses. He says that we are all suckers and that we waste our money on horses that will never be worth a thing. When we went over our 'limit' at the barn when a local horse farm was abandoned, he refused to trim those horses because he 'wasn't going to pay for our mistakes'. Oh! And he hit a friends horse with a rasp. Hard. Guess who had to be sedated to have his feet done until a few months ago.
 
#15 ·
Thats insane.

I am very proud that all my horses are rescue horses. And they are all worth something. They are worth saving! I am sorry but I would yank my horses from that barn faster than you can blink an eye.
 
#16 ·
Oh im working on it. Trouble is, im on a budget and my horse needs pasture boarded (hes a stall weaver) and finding a barn in my area that will let him be out is difficult. Most people in my area think that horses should be stalled 20+hours a day. They think its cruel to keep a horse in the weather.
 
#17 ·
Then I am horribly abusive because my horses are outdoors, 24/7.

They have access to a loafing shed and I would say 90% of the time they are out standing in blizzards. They bunch up, butts to the wind, and get coated head to rump with snow. They'd rather be out in rain and snow than indoors in a box!
 
#19 ·
I've gotten horses here that have terrible habits- weaving, cribbing, and doing weird ritual motions. One horse would constantly turn around and bite herself. She'd walk in circles in a stall biting herself and would bloody up her sides. She was given to me as a lost cause. I turned her out in pasture and after she felt freedom, she never did it again.

I really do think that stalling horses is detrimental to their mental health. I understand some people have no other option, but its not an option I would take. I would LOVE to have a really nice barn with several stalls that I can use for quarantining new horses or for shutting up sick ones though.
 
#20 ·
Our barn is a really good situation, the stalls back out onto the pasture and are open on both sides. You can open the back stall door and they walk out onto pasture or the front door and they are in the aisle. If only I could convince them to let me bring in my own farrier/vet, life would be great!

We have head-cases of every shape and size at our farm. Its a running joke to bring a 'bomb proof' horse there because they wont be 'bomb proof' when they leave. There are scary things lurking everywhere. Tractors and mini donkeys and a pot belly pig running loose. Fowl of every shape and size, peacocks landing on horses backs, guinea hens pecking at their grain when they try to eat. It is a horses worst nightmare! Suprisingly though, when we go other places, our horses dont bat an eye. They've seen it all!

Stalls are great for what you mentioned but there is nothing better for a horse than freedom. They need to interact with other horses and run free or they lose a piece of themselves. If I wanted a horse without reaction and with no freedom, I would have bought a quad. It sure would have saved on some vet bills!
 
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