Call all farriers or those that trim their own horses...

[roxy's_mom]

Hello all! First off I want to say that I've been trimming my own minis feet for the last 4 years. I've had horses since I was 16. I was watched and asked questions whenever my farrier was around. I also have watched others trim as well and ask questions too and take in all the info I can.

Here's my questions:

1) My one mini mare is 4 yrs old. She tracks pretty straight in hind end but her hind feet are not level when I go to trim them. What I mean is, the outside of the left hind is about an 1/8 -1/4" longer than the inside of the hoof and the inside of the right hind is about an 1/8 - 1/4 " longer than the outside of the hoof. Is that coming from her legs not being completely straight? What is the best way to keep her hooves level? I trim/rasp them level every time but it doesn't seem to help.

2) I also have a laminatic mare. I trim her feet as well. The question I have is, when she walks her front feet do not hit the ground square. When her foot hits the ground it rocks from the heel to the toe, that is if the toe even completely touches the ground. She never did this before she had the laminitis, it could be possibly coming from a pain reflex. I trim her feet level as well but what is the best way to trim her to get her feet to hit the ground square?

Thanks for any help or advice!

Becky M.

 

[TaylorMarie]

I have been a farrier for three years now and trim alot of minis!!!

with lamenitis the lamina that attach the hoof wall to the coffin bone becomes inflamed causing discomfort when the horse breaks over on his toes. you will usually notice kind of a flicking movement when the horse moves. this is from the horse trying not to use his toes but instead his heels to relieve some of the pain. to help i will usually square the front toes right back to the white line which prevents the horse from having to step on their toes.

with your other horse that is completely normal for the hoof to become unbalanced in between trimmings. It is not that on heel grows more than the other, it is that one side wears more than the other. the horse probably is a little cowhocked (may not be noticeable) the only thing you can do is keep trimming the one side of the hoof more than the other. you could trim more often like every month or even rasp a little each week. sounds like you are doing all that can be done for this guy.

I hope this helps

Taylor

 

[roxy's_mom]

Thanks Taylor! It all makes sense. I guess I'm doing pretty good then. It makes it alot easier when you can do your own minis and save money too. Always consult with a farrier too, to make sure you're doing things right!

Becky M.

 

[TaylorMarie]

i love to help out (exspecially with minis)

i became a farrier because i couldn't find a farrier that would trim minis properly. silly me!! now i am becoming a mini specialist. It is hard to find a farrier that cares wnough to know that minis are a breed and their feet do need special attention! now that is my full time job. if you (or anyone else) have any other questions feel free to ask i would be happy to help!!!!

Taylor Hildebrand (certified farrier)

 

[sassy1]

the outside of the left hind is about an 1/8 -1/4" longer than the inside of the hoof and the inside of the right hind is about an 1/8 - 1/4 " longer than the outside of the hoof.

If the hooves are longer on the same side as opposed to longer on the outsides (or insides) of each hoof, it is often a case of not actually trimming the hoof correctly. I used to trim our bigger ponies for a while and notice that if I wasn't careful, it was very easy to end up with hooves that were starting to lose their angle of the wall (and it was usually only on the same side of each hoof).

You need to be ambidextrous, and use your rasp evenly all around the hooves with equal pressure, and possibly buy a gauge to check the angles of the hooves. I ended up getting a good farrier in every 3rd - 4th trim to keep everything in balance. Good luck with it.

 

[Sue_C.]

when she walks her front feet do not hit the ground square. When her foot hits the ground it rocks from the heel to the toe, that is if the toe even completely touches the ground. She never did this before she had the laminitis, it could be possibly coming from a pain reflex. I trim her feet level as well but what is the best way to trim her to get her feet to hit the ground square?

A horse's feet should hit the ground heel to toe, on level ground. Breakover

If the hooves are longer on the same side as opposed to longer on the outsides (or insides) of each hoof, it is often a case of not actually trimming the hoof correctly......it was very easy to end up with hooves that were starting to lose their angle of the wall (and it was usually only on the same side of each hoof). You need to be ambidextrous, and use your rasp evenly all around the hooves with equal pressure, and possibly buy a gauge to check the angles of the hooves. I ended up getting a good farrier in every 3rd - 4th trim to keep everything in balance. Good luck with it.

DITTO.

I do the same thing...I have the farrier come out a couple of times a year to make sure I am getting it right...especially with my driving horses and foals...I will have them professionally done more often.