Posted by John Barney on April 25, 2004 at 11:14:18:
In Reply to: Trimming the bars posted by Brenda on April 24, 2004 at 21:29:42:
: The longer that I have horses, the more confused I get.
: I was always under the impression that you never trimmed the bars and that you merely made sure they were level with the hoof wall and did not roll over onto the sole.
: My horses are barefoot.
: My new farrier trims out the bars and scoops them out to the level of the sole. He maintains that doing that prevents the heels from spreading. I have heard that approach WHEN the heels are spreading, but not as a preventative measure every time they are trimmed and not to be used on every horse.
: I didn't think it was controversial point, however, for every person I talk to that says don't pare out the bars, I find another one that says that you should.
: Can anyone comment? My horses range from 1/2 draft, full TB, and Paint. Not sure if hoof type and size makes a difference in the decision?
I trim out the bars similar to the frog. Get rid of the weak, dead, and ragged part and leave the sound and solid. Some horses have bars that look like hoof wall and go from the heel to the point of the frog. Others you can't really tell if the have them or not. I don't think you should remove a solid part of the foot that aids in the support and weight bearing.
JB