H O R S E A N D H E A LT H
TEXT: CHRISTINE PINNA, CABALLO BAREFOOT TRIMMING
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LONG AND SHORT OF IT
as your farrier or barefoot trimmer ever commented that your horse's feet were awfully long, but they simply didn't look that long to you? Or, if you're not sticking to a specific trimming schedule, are you unsure as to when you need to have your horse's feet trimmed? Or are you the person uttering the words that make every hoof care provider cringe, "We can skip this trim. I'm not riding him for a while now, anyway, so I'm not too worried about his feet." If any of the above describes your situation, read on to learn about the importance of regular trims, the signs that your horse is due for a trim and why it’s not okay to skip a trim, especially if you are not riding.
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IS YOUR HORSE DUE FOR A TRIM?
HOW THE PROCESS WORKS To understand the reason for trimming, we need to think about what is natural and normal for a horse in a healthy environment. A barefoot horse moving over various surfaces, including hard ground and stones in a large enough area, will receive a fair amount of wear on his feet. If the horse is fed correctly and his body is healthy enough to utilise his good diet correctly, he should push out sufficient growth for the movement and wear he is getting on his hooves. Genetics will also play a role, with some horses being really good at growing a lot of hoof and requiring more movement to create enough wear to combat HQ|156B
