What Do You Need to Know about Barefoot Trimming?

Hi all.
I am an equine science student in Australia and find all this chat very interesting, as I have now had my horse barefoot for two years and he is doing wonderfully. I am so glad to read Donna's comment about restored blood flow and lameness after a proper trim. I like to think of it as the same as the pain a person with flat feet feels when they first place arch support in their shoes. I myself had pain for weeks, but that does not mean it was the fault of the inserts.
So many horses have significant musculoskeletal and performance issues from poor long term farrier and compromised blood flow to the hooves due to lessened ability of the hoof to expand and contract under concussive forces. And yes, when a horse is not used to having ground in constant contact with their soul and frog (which is what is supposed to happen) this new feeling in different for them.
The main thing with barefoot trimming is that it is a lifestyle, and patience and a good trimmer are most important. I know the horse world is not good at giving horses time, 2 year old racing is a perfect example, but one cannot expect to take off shoes, pop the horse in its stable on soft footing for one night and then go out riding on rocks the next day. The hoof is an adaptive tissue and whatever terrain you want to ride on needs to be implemented into the horse's day to day life bit by bit so the hoof can adapt to it! If you allow this to happen you will discover a whole new world of happy, sound horses.
Happy trimming all!

By Angela, 12 Apr 2010

Great article - I couldn't agree more - do what is right for you and your horse. I am a trained barefoot trimmer and still recognise the limitations of my horses feet and the exertions that work may put on them. I have five horses some shod and some unshod depending on their partifular feet. It depends on what I do with them and the horses feet as to how I treat them. I have a stationbred in full competition mode that hasn't had a shoe near her for almost twelve months, and a retired TB who in a huge paddock and runs all day who is shod because he is really sore and his feet don't grow if it wasn't for shoes he would have no hooves!. Horses may be tender for a day or two if you "go barefoot" but if lameness persists for more than a week - use common sense - change farriers or change the method. A farrier/trimmer who changes your horses feet soooo much that they are in pain (not tender for a few days) obviously does not know what they are doing. A horse with really "incorrect feet" cannot be fixed in a "proper trim" it takes months and your horses feet to adapt to barefoot trimming and if your trimmer knows what they are doing they will explain this. Sometimes you see blood as you do when you shoe - but this can be an indication of nothing more than pressure points - like we get blisters and indication that something is not quite right. You would not accept a farrier who causes excessive blood or lameness in your horse - and I would urge not to acept this from a barefoot trimmer! No explanation can account for this except that they don't know what they are doing and don't understand corrective measure take time - it dosen't happen overnight but it does happen!.

By Susie , 25 Mar 2010

Just look at the differences and use your (savvy) brain.. I had horses trimmed by the farrier for many many years, because I had NO IDEA how to do it myself and I knew that if I got the angles wrong etc it would be detrimental to my horse, until having the opportunity to learn to trim for balance & soundness (I compiled info from the net and used my intuition along with advice from learned friends). All our own horses and the horses that come to us for help are barefoot trimmed - its wonderful to hear the sighs of relief when you "liberate" shod feet from their iron bonds and to be able to give relief from existing conditions simply by trimming for soundness is one of the greatest things one can do for their equine.. I will never go back to shoes - I love my "iron-free" horses (and they love being iron-free) LESS IS BEST.. 8)

By Nicki Cherrington, 17 Mar 2010

must say i feel sorry for a lot of farriers out there they have looked after our horses feet for many years and some are not that great but most are pretty good my farrier trims the same as andrew bowe the barefoot blacksmith and he has always done it this way as for bare or shoes i feel it depends on the time you have bare means triming every 2 weeks

By tanya, 08 Feb 2010

Regards "no trim should leave a horse lame", well... most horses are so poorly trimmed barefoot now a days, so much hoof and heel and bar is left on, that the horse has poor blood circulation as much so as if it were shod!
When the hoof gets a corrective barefoot trim (one that restores proper blood circulation), guess what happens? NERVE FUNCTION IS RESTORED AGAIN!
Shod or poorly trimmed barefoot horses have very little feeling in the hoof, then when nerve function resumes (because the ATP production resume normal levels with restored blood flow) the horse can now feel the pre-existing damage in the soft tissues (damaged coria), but could not feel this before due to the shoe or bad trimming reducing blood flow which, in turn, reduces nerve function.
So to anyone thinking that a horse was made lame because of a correct trim, think again, what are the real reasons for this. Don't blame the trim because the horse had numb and damaged feet to start with and then a proper trimmer comes along and restores feeling, nerve function, blood supply and this initiates healing of damaged tissues!

By donna buck, 05 Feb 2010