My dil is a certified barefoot trimmer. She has been doing my horses for about 6 years. I've been pleased.
However, lately both horses have begun to wear the toe of the hind hoof, and I can hear them drag their hind feet on walks. In Dec, one had a stifle issue, then lately the other developed locking stifle. I asked her about this and she doesn't really give me a good answer except to say they are lazy and she gives the impression it's my fault because I have not taught them to use their hind ends correctly. I do not know if I agree with this, because they are not lazy horses.
My dil has a pinched sciatic nerve and does not think she will be able trim any more, so I tried a new farrier on Sunday.
He is a cowboy farrier, trimming horses for the jobs they do. It is a different philosophy than my dil's barefoot approach. He said my horses are dragging their toes because the toes need to be longer, encouraging them to raise their feet higher for the break over. They have gotten lazy because the toe is short.
He thinks changing the shape of the hoof will help my locked stifle horse to use her legs better. He says harness horses need to be trimmed a certain way.
He took a lot of time to point things out on the hoof to me, study the way they walked and stood. He measured.
Since basically most of us have to trust the farrier/trimmer, I am going to give his method a chance.
And btw, he uses power tools to trim. The horses there that wouldn't tolerate the power tools he did conventionally, but both of mine got the power tools. That is new to me; not sure what to think.
However, lately both horses have begun to wear the toe of the hind hoof, and I can hear them drag their hind feet on walks. In Dec, one had a stifle issue, then lately the other developed locking stifle. I asked her about this and she doesn't really give me a good answer except to say they are lazy and she gives the impression it's my fault because I have not taught them to use their hind ends correctly. I do not know if I agree with this, because they are not lazy horses.
My dil has a pinched sciatic nerve and does not think she will be able trim any more, so I tried a new farrier on Sunday.
He is a cowboy farrier, trimming horses for the jobs they do. It is a different philosophy than my dil's barefoot approach. He said my horses are dragging their toes because the toes need to be longer, encouraging them to raise their feet higher for the break over. They have gotten lazy because the toe is short.
He thinks changing the shape of the hoof will help my locked stifle horse to use her legs better. He says harness horses need to be trimmed a certain way.
He took a lot of time to point things out on the hoof to me, study the way they walked and stood. He measured.
Since basically most of us have to trust the farrier/trimmer, I am going to give his method a chance.
And btw, he uses power tools to trim. The horses there that wouldn't tolerate the power tools he did conventionally, but both of mine got the power tools. That is new to me; not sure what to think.