Intro to hoof trimming for the horse owner (1/3)

[TwisterSidster]

you are very pritty!

[4SweetFeet]

Sorry for the delay! It sounds like you are on the right track. You just trim what's in front of you. The injured leg will certainly affect the hoof. You may want to run some photos by Heike Bean or Laura Florence. I am more of a "general practitioner" and send the more complicated cased to these guys. Just google them. Let me know how it works out.

[mandy71295]

I emailed through the website and haven't received a response so I will post here. I have a thoroughbred mare that has a old track injury, her left front pastern has turned in some. It causes uneven wear of the hoof. Is there anything I can do about this besides trimming that hoof every week.

[4SweetFeet]

Can you clip and file your nails? Yes? Well than you can do this! I promise you. It's just hoof grooming. Doing one horse every week or every other week keeps the work to a minimum. Suggest you email Equine Science Academy and find a trimmer in your area. She can do the first trim while you maintain during the month. You will be on your own in no time! Don't skimp on the Hoof Jack, hoof stand or rasp! Good tools make it so easy. Go for it Country Babe. Let me know. Dawn

[countrybabe561]

Wish I knew how to do this. Actually, wish I were brave enough to do this. I would save like $3,000 a year!

[4SweetFeet]

Easy Care Blog---Notes from the Field---

I have posted quite a few articles here. Learning to evaluate your horses feet should be very helpful.

[4SweetFeet]

thank you. I hope it gets you going. Owners can do such a better job once they learn a few techniques. I just touched up Sunny yesterday. I alternative him and Doc each week.

[Nigusi1985]

Thanks! I've been looking for interesting clear videos about trimming for a while!! You're really good at explaining things clearly! You should write "Horses for dummies" LOL. And your horse is such a charachter :)

[FeeTurbule]

what a cool woman, what a cool video! Thank you! I need such a "tripod"!

[4SweetFeet]

@FeeTurbule Thanks for stopping by. As for the tripod, that was my friend's! She did all the editing too. I am sure future video's won't be as good as May's. I have been resistant to learn a program as I like being outside with the horses!!!

[4SweetFeet]

Yesterday I trimmed and filmed a rescued broodmare, Lucky. She was in pretty bad shape...a TB. I hope to put that video up next week and then re-video in a couple months and finally at the end. Hopefully by then she will have put on a couple hundred pounds. Very fancy breeding, sigh.

[4SweetFeet]

No kidding! I didn't know that. So you don't maintain pressure?

[skoshabmosha]

When you maintain pressure on the rasp while dragging back you are 'knocking' the edge off your cutting teeth and this will cause your rasp to not last as long.

[MsBabeandMe]

Hey there,

Your video is amazingly helpful and quite inspiring for me to try it out. Do you think starting with your lessons every week on my own would be a good idea or should I get help first? I have all of the required tools- good quality too and I do have confidence in myself to try it out without any farrier help. Just thought I would ask.

[4SweetFeet]

@MsBabeandMe ...I have been thinking about you. I think the ideal first step would be to contact Equine Science Academy and see if they have a trimmer near you. With about 5 lessons you will be on your own. If they don't have anyone try AANHCP, or KC LaPierre's group or AHA...they are very good but don't have many members yet. Let me know how you do! Dawn

[jppestana1]

Really nice handling and approach to the trim and audience.

[4SweetFeet]

@jppestana1

Greetings and happy holidays. Thanks for stopping by. Spread the word!

Dawn

[4SweetFeet]

He is quite a character isn't he! My very own Pocket Pony! Thanks so much for stopping by.

[fonjadidi]

Your horse is such a cutie pie! i love how he wants attention!

[4SweetFeet]

PETE RAMEY and a host of top notch folks from the natural horse world have just published a book $175 on everything natural. Good investment for "trimming circles" or just a group of friends. ALSO Pete's DVD's are going on sale for Christmas. Under the Horse is the best.

[BlueDaisy911]

Thank you!

[4SweetFeet]

@BlueDaisy911 Thanks so much for stopping by. It feels good to know that I am still helping owner trimmers even though I am not trimming professionally any more.

[Battie057]

Wonderful, love your videos, so helpful for a beginner.

[4SweetFeet]

@Battie057 ..wonderful to hear from you. Go for it!

[4SweetFeet]

@Battie057 ... so glad these are helping you. Now with 3G and 4G I guess there's no need to make DVDs! I hope to put up a few more videos trimming horses who don't have great feet. Honestly I thinking 99% of horses are very straight forward. If you just do the trim you will get there!

[praiseJah1914]

very enjoyable to watch! I learned alot ~ Thank you

[jett888]

thank you for your video- but also- the horse move on the diaganol- so wouldn't working on the front right- then the back left be a better working pair?? Just wondering- thanks! love your cute horse and your laugh

[4SweetFeet]

@jett888 ...I haven't noticed that it makes a difference. I usually do the fronts (harder) and then the hinds.

[jett888]

@4SweetFeet I'm so the opposite- but maybe because you have the correct equipment- I find the fronts way easier to work- the backs seem to me more difficult- although, they do seem to need less attention.

[XxBoomerangPonyxX]

If your horse loved you any more it would be in your lap.. (:

[4SweetFeet]

@XxBoomerangPonyxX LOL I know. He tries it when I fall asleep in the field!

[minervasp73]

Hi Dawn! Just wanted to give you the update. I've been trimming my horses' feet since their last farrier visit. That was 5 weeks and she came today. Apparently there have been some great changes! One had very stretched/separated white line and that is completely fixed! All I've done is round the foot and bevel it every week, and take off the extra wall. With my farrier's help & advice I will continue to trim the horses. Thanks a million!

[4SweetFeet]

@minervasp73 Fantastic. How luck you are to have a farrier who is willing to work with you! Isn't it amazing how quickly those feet come together!

[reininghorses57]

so, can I (if i learn properly) trim my own horses feet? That would meen no farrier bills! My horse goes barefoot too

[4SweetFeet]

@reininghorses57 Yes, no bills. Upfront you will have the cost of the rasp and handle...get a good one...this is too hard to work with junk. If you are a woman or small, I usually recommend the short rasp for starters, then switch to the long rasp...Black Master is the one I use. I have short rasps if you want one...Heller doesn't make them anymore. Just email me at 4sweet.feet@gmail.com. I like the Hoof Jack stand too. Again, its pretty hard to work without for newbie.

[Nizingur]

Thank you so much for your videos. I'm really making good use of them. I'm just wondering one thing - I don't have the money for a hoof jack (though I dearly want one). When I trim my boy, I hold his front feet between both my legs. I stand at a fairly bowed-in angle so as not to pull his leg out at an unnatural angle, but it's what seems to work the best for me. He is a very calm horse, does not mind this at all, and I competely and entirely trust him not to act up. Could this be an OK method?

[4SweetFeet]

@Nizingur If it works for you go for it. Especially with a calm horse, you could even sit on a bucket with the foot in your lap. You don't get as much leverage but it's easy. Touch up every week so there's not much to do. Hinds usually need a little less as they get worn down. You could also add pea gravel to his life and let your horse wear his own feet down!

[minervasp73]

thanks for this easy to understand maintenance hoof grooming. We can't wait to start right after our next barefoot farrier visit :-)

[4SweetFeet]

@minervasp73

Excellent! Check out NOTES FROM THE FIELD, on the Easy Care Blog. I am writing articles for the horse owner.

[WildHorseCristy]

U can tell that's a happy, well-cared- for horse. You can tell by his body language...ears, eyes, etc...

Nice Lady!!!!!

Good to see people treating their animals like they really have a mind, and feelings.!

[4SweetFeet]

@WildHorseCristy

thanks for stopping by.

[4SweetFeet]

@LifeLoveLiz

Isn't he the best! Your note prompted me to put up our trial into cllcker video land.

[karen52783]

@McCormickfahrer

"Disballances" isn't even a word. Secondly, wall cracks result from the wall extending past the sole of the hoof and bearing the weight (which is really the sole and toe callus's job) - which rips the wall away from the lamina (seen as whiteline separation. Farriers trim long and flat, remove valuable sole, and leave wall that contacts the ground first instead of encouraging the sole to build and bear weight by rolling the wall edge. THAT is a set-up for life-long IMBALANCE.

[4SweetFeet]

@karen52783

I am pretty sure there is nothing I can say or do to address your concerns. My trim evolved from what I learned from barefoot farrier Pete Ramey and a vet who has specialized in the natural foot, Dr. Bob Bowker at Corona Vista Equine Center. I encourage you to read their work.

[pitrofono]

what kind of horse is that beautiful creature?

[4SweetFeet]

@pitrofono

Sunny is a rescued off the track thoroughbred. He is my best bud!

[Nihebr]

I think she is doing some sort of Lamina trim, to prevent the outer hoof wall to push the lamina to separate. As I have heard, this is a way to treat hoofs with laminella separation, and hoofs that has "spread out". This horse though seems to have healthy lamina. Where there is healthy lamina, the outer hoof wall should be rounded only a little, an even outer wall should be spared about 2mm, but rounded off where it is too thick so the hoof rolls over better. (sorry, bad english. me swedish :D)

[4SweetFeet]

@Nihebr

I demonstrated what Pete Ramey calls the maintenance trim. You are absolutely right. When the horse has full wall to coffin bone connection, I switch to the maintenance trim where I just bevel the outer wall to just over sole. (Having said that, I actually continue to bring back the toe to the laminae from 10-2 on Sunny. From birth, the thoroughbreds feet are screwed and I just think the toe is too long. I have confirmed this on radiograph. I opted to keep it simple for the beginner.

[4SweetFeet]

@Nihebr

Correction...I meant to say I demonstrated the Rehabilitation Trim. I thought that most people watching the videos would be beginners and in my experience I would assume their horses would not have full wall to coffin bone connection. If you have wet ground and spring grass like I have in DE you will fluctuate between the two trims based on the review of the hooves. I made a decision that that was too complicated for this video series but I do teach the two trims. Both do a nice job.

[McCormickfahrer]

Please STOP spreading nonsense like that!!!!!!!! You´re so called LESSON ONE is completely crap! If you use a rasp or angle this way and treat a hoofwall this way YOU WILL PROVOKE DISBALLANCES AND RESULTING WALL- CRACKS!!! And use the hoof- stand correctly! The tube with the rubberball on is not for beating the horse with (!) but for putting the hoof on it, when working from the top! And please LEAVE HOOF TRIMMING TO THE PRO´S!!!! FARRIERS ARE QUALIFIED, WELL TRAINED PEOPLE !!!!

[yorec30]

@McCormickfahrer

Oh yeah - pros.... I've paid many a diploma carrying farrier that I won't let touch my horses feet a second time. I consider thier fee the cost of my own education in what NOT to do.

I trim my own now too.

[coffecrazi]

@yorec30

AMEN! I cannot even remember how many farriers I had come to trim my horses. I finally got disgusted enough that I went and bought everything except a hoof jack (which I can't afford right now) and got enough courage to trim them myself. It has been over a year now and I will never go back to a traditional farrier again. The diploma most of those farriers obtain isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

[4SweetFeet]

@coffecrazi

I hope you get some ideas from my videos on how to trim the hooves without a hoof jack. Another option I forgot to show was kneeling on the knee furthest away from the horse and putting his hoof on your inside knee. You can also sit if you have a calm horse....give him a hay bag. It is harder to get leverage on the rasp but if you keep the hooves in shape, you won't have a lot of work to do anyway.

[4SweetFeet]

@coffecrazi  Good for you! I am now a GUEST BLOGGER for Easy Care, check out "

Notes from the Field"

[4SweetFeet]

@yorec30

Good for you! On 98% of our horses, the owner can learn to rehab the horse out of shoes and do the trim. Our parameters are a bit different. I think weekly or every other week touch ups keep the horse in great shape. Of course I have mostly soft going in Delaware: not tons of natural wear. Internationally know body worker in Equine Touch has said that these horses trimmed by their owners have fewer problems and less severe ons. It's an expansion of grooming in my view.