Around here we trim broodmares like all the rest of the horses.

 

It shouldn't be the norm. They need proper trims just like anyone else. I think some of them end up with too many animals that it becomes impossible to get them all done. I got a gelding from a breeder like that. The horse I got was 7yrs old and had only had his feet done once or twice, and he was lucky to have really good feet. Other's had huge cracks and chips. These were warmbloods too.

Though there are some ranchers who's practice includes turning their broodmares and young horses out on thousands of acres. Because of the terrain and footing, these horses self trim and don't require a farrier visit.

 

This^^^

I always trimmed our broodmares also but admit , not as regularly as our riding horses. I also had only 10 broodmares at any given time
The production sale where I bought that weanling AQHA filly my son is now riding, advertised that his horses ran on lots of various terrain, which was huge in size. He touted to have selected his horses for great feet, with those feet self trimming.
I know once enviroment changed for those horses, that self trimming would need to be augmented, BUT, I can say that Blondie has some of the best feet I ever en countered. Until recently, my son rode her barefoot, down gravel roads, out in the foothills with many rocky places, and she never missed a beat
When he brought her home, I thought I would need to trim her feet, as it had been some time. There was hardly anything to remove, as he has ridden her enough that she had self trimmed, and having great feet, those hooves had not chipped
He only had her shod about a week ago, as his significant other, was shoing her horse, in preparation for lots of mountain riding, and my son decided it was not fair to risk Blondie perhaps coming up sore, going long distance over hard rock, barefoot
The farrier remarked as to what excellent feet she had, and I had not trimmed her in at least three months

 

Normally I trim my broodies when everyone else gets trimmed. This year however, you'd think I fell into the "neglect the broodies" category because we've had strangles here since March and with a quarantine in place, the farrier can't come. I'm hoping to have him back in July, but that's going to depend on when everyone cultures clear.

 

At smaller breeding facilities I've worked at the mares received hoof care but not as regular as the saddle horses.

Ranches I've worked on the mares weren't even halter broke let alone be able to handle feet. They run loose in the rocks and their feet take care of themselves. Babies raised in the same terrain makes for horses that can handle themselves in the rocks and brush.

 

I might not go out of my way to do anything excessive, like my performance horses - Who get the whole nines every 8 weeks, full shoes, and my farrier is a great guy who builds them each exactly what they need instead of just slapping any ol shoe on.

But if they aren't tender, I pull their shoes and turn them out. I glance out there before a farrier visit and decide if they need done or not. Often time they only get done a few times a year instead of every 8 weeks, if that. Had one mare who went 6 months between trims. Feet looked great. If she's not working and shows no discomfort, I don't see why I would bring her in.

 

The needs may not be the same, but they should still be met.

Seeing feet falling apart and in "disrepair" is unprofessional (and poor horsemanship) but if the feet look "ok" at worse then I wouldn't worry too much. Environment has a lot to do with it, definitely, as far as self trimming. I told my mother we need to rent a tractor to drag some nice rocks into the sheep area for them to play on. Getting tired of all the overgrown feet!

 

I think it would depend upon location. Out west where horses may be turned out on 100s or 1000s of acres maybe trimming them isn't as common. There they have more than enough room to move and naturally trim their own hooves. However, in the east where we have much less land per farm, I would say it would be very poor horse keeping to not see to the broodmare's and young stock's feet as well.

 

I think any Kentucky farm manager worth their salt would faint if their mares weren't trimmed every six weeks. Even our "feral" herd (aka the IF mares without foals at their side this year), who live out together on a ton of acreage, get trimmed with everyone else. We pick the burrs out of their manes at the same time

 

A lot I've encountered (aside from in NZ because every horse is taken care of to the nines) including vets do not trim or even pick out their hooves. Claiming it's a waste of their money.

Sure...

 

My mother was at one of those horse vacation ranchs (not a dude ranch one of the ones geared to horse people) she was told NOT to pick the horses feet. They were lifted every ride to check for rocks or any other problems, but not picked otherwise. The reasoning was the mud pack provided protection in the rough terrain and if the hoof is constantly full of mud things like thrush aren't an issue.

I thought it was very interesting... not enough to stop picking my horses lol but the concept was sound. (My horses also don't exactly need protection on the rough terrain either lol)

 

All of mine always got trimmed on the same schedule as the horses we rode. Foals, however did not get put on the regular schedule until they were weanlings unless they had a problem that needed addressed.

 

The stud/breeding yards in the UK are mostly on soft pasture land so no way would the horses wear their feet down naturally. The places where you're more likely to see untrimmed poor feet are the low end ones where the mares and youngstock never get handled or the ones that have more horses than they have people to handle them all regularly.

 

This is why I would never own broodmares or stallions.

.....Until I can comfortably support a proper breeding program.

It doesn't matter if you it's your star lesson horse or the broodmare who's been producing your lines for the last 10 years, they are all living beings that deserve the same treatment. Not to mention, those poor broodmares supporting all that extra bodily stress and weight... They deserve as much comfort as they can get.

You've got horse owners, and you've got horsemen. There is a difference. I think I can see for myself which type you've been running into.

 

^Often it's the ones that work the hardest that get ignored