Trim Styles

[sebocats]

I am dedicating myself to learning as much as I can about trimming feet as many of you know, I am maintaining my own horses due to logistical issues.

In attempts to absorb everything that I can, I am finding what many of you know: that there are a ton of different styles of trimming. There are the Pete Ramey/Jaime Jackson methods, the Gene Ovnicek "Natural Balance" method, and Ric Redden's four point trim just to name a few!

Please keep in mind I am not against shoes. I will trailer a horse through the icy mountain roads to a farrier if I HAVE to, but I don't. Their feet are doing well, and I would rather not wreck my truck and trailer.

I am just curios about everyones thoughts on particularly these three methods/styles. I see what I beleive are some similarities, all are rolling or bevelling the toe to one extent or another to aid breakover. Everyone wants "hoof balance" and a heel first landing. I am just not sure that I like Ric Redden's method - it seems a little extreme, but I don't know. I have never tried it. Gene's trim seems better to me, but I don't have the experience of knowledge base to know yet. I would rather not lame up a horse in the interest of experimenting with different methods. What I have been doing has been more like the Pete Ramey/Jaime Jackson trim. I am doing well, and my horses are fine, but I am interested in my options and in the best interests of my horses.

Basically, I see that there is a tremendous amount of information out there. Whats good info, and what's not? :confused:

Thanks in advance for your input!

~Suz

Keep in mind I am not curing moon blindness, colic, elephantitis, the common cold, tooth absecesses or cancer, just trimming big draft and draft cross feet the best that I can.

[cynthia-jay]

Rick reddens introduction to the four point trim is also a ferel trim for dealing not only with hoof imbalance but pathological problems

A horse may sometimes take a few days to adjust to this trim

It is a square breakover not a square toe and sets the hoof up in a way nature intended

Jamie jackson is also a natural feraL trim
he deals with hoof shape and adresses breakover and balance

your horses hooves are constantly adapting to their enviroment as well as uneven wear and tear from being barefoot

removing the flares (if any ) and excess wall and horn and balancing the hoof up is what you want to accomplish

You can do this with traditional farriery as well

Lyle "Bergy" Bergaleene also offers a video and an introduction to not only natural hoof care but a beginners introduction to balance by determing the hairline in horses both domestic and in the wild and his observations in regards to the enviroment and it's impact on hoof growth and hairline adjustments which may be helpfull to you

Keep in mind one should be informed on all of the above since different methods will apply depending on the situatiuon

Glad to hear you are not for one trim suits all in regards to curing moon blindness ect

good luck to you

as ever

Jay

[Forgewizard]

Sebocats,

Don't get roped into any particular "style" of trimming. Do what your horse needs, not what some theory dictates. Keep your trimming simple:

Remember that what you are trimming off is what the horse would have worn off had it been traveling every day for miles and miles over abrasive terrain. Basically YOU are now wearing off the hooves all at one time!

Keep the walls strongly beveled at the ground surface, remove anything that wants to exfoliate (chalky, crumbly stuff on the sole and the raggedy shaggy stuff on the frog).

Develop your eye to see if the hoof is wearing evenly. Watch for equal lengths of wall at the heels. Keep the heels trimmed so that the buttresses create strong impact points which keep the hoof's LOC (Line of concussion) traveling up the center of the limb.

Don't let the bars become overgrown and folded over. (which won't happen if you are exfoliating the sole properly).

If the white line becomes stretched or distorted, then the hoof is NOT aligned properly and is being stressed.

I shoot for overall flatness of the ground surface of the wall- but I don't get too worried if the wall has chips or chunks missing that cause the wall to be unlevel; I certainly don't rasp down the rest of the wall to match this lowest point!

If you have a level concrete place to do your footwork on, you'll get the best results!

Draft hooves by the very nature of the heft of the beast will tend to flatten and easily flare- this will be your biggest battle- keeping the flares and walls tightened. Being as you are doing your own work, you can keep the walls bevelled tight before the flare develops!

Personally I like to snick back the tip of the frog and each frog commisseur to allow easy clean out of the hoof. I don't think that leaving a "lip" on the frog to overhang and trap dirt in the hoof is healthy. ALl it tells me is that the frog is overgrown and is not being abraded, but rather is being smashed. The frog should be active but not get squashed to the point it begins to fold over at the edges. A frog that becomes mushy and has white, soft, spongey tissue is a frog that is NOT exfoliated properly.

A healthy frog is dense, rubbery and resilient.

I also use a barbeque grill scrubber pad and a sanding sponge to clean off the rough cuticles and collected debris on the dorsal walls and across the heel bulbs. Doing this keeps just one more posssible site of hoof infection from harboring bacteria!

Don't be shy about keeping the toes bevelled back!

Hope this helps!
Regards,
Kim

[cynthia-jay]

Your horses once properly balanced should be good from one trim to the next

depending on the enviromentals and you should get 4 to 6 weeks out of a trim

If you would like comments on your work posts some photos and you'll get alot of responses

Good luck to you

as ever

Jay

[David Hayne]

Hello,

When we talk " trim styles " we first have to talk horse. Every horse I work on is unique just like humans who own them. What is the horse being asked to do, the enviroment they are asked to live in or on and the terrian in which they most roam or walk on. Just going on a cross country trail can subject your horses hooves to many ground enviroment stituations that can have a major effect on the soundness of your horse.

In my barn I have two draft horses who are barefoot but if I am going to haul logs out of the forest these horses will be needing protection and traction. I also have a hunter/jumper and when training begins his hooves will be protected....if the hoof is not growing as fast as they are wearing then something most be done.

To provide my clinets horses with the best knowledgable service I can provide I like you have studied the barefoot trim verses shoeless. In my farrier practice I try to keep an open mind and was lucky enough to have met two wonderful ladies who have studied the BareFoot trimming styles....

Sue studied from Strasser in Germany and gave me the book so I could read up on it and maybe try it on her horses......Cathie studied the Ramsey and Jackson books and also gave me the books.....why ....because they wanted to know what I thought and can this style of trimming work for their horses. Most of what I read in these books was know different then what I read in my own Farrier Science books ...a hoof is a hoof and when it comes to trimming / balancing / shoeing ...we need to be educated in the proper way to maintain the soundness of our horses.

There have also been the clinets who by hell or hot water wanted to try certain styles of trims " Natural/ wild horse" or whatever some people call it. In todays world just on the internet alone we have so much info out their that as a farrier I can honestly understand some of my clinets concerns about styles of trimming and or shoeing.

As an American Farrier Association Member I try for the benefiet of my business to keep up with all the info out there concerning trims, shoeing, products , etc. it is never ending. If you as a horse owner are trying to decide or confused of what style of trim to use your not alone...the list can be endless.

What I understand is the Strauser trim was to be applied with the big picture...horses living in an enviroment similar to the wild horse......most barefoot people I speak with are similar in this way of thought. If your lucky enough to speak with people who have an open mind about trim styles then you or your farrier can come to a logical trim style for your horse.........then work with them....your horse will tell you if your doing it right.

I belong to a local farrier organization and every member has their way of trimming or shoeing.....if I do not agree with what their style is I sure as heck will not do it...what works for them may not work for me. Like my two clinets who study like I, they know that their are many styles to choose from and if your horse is tenderfooted or if the farrier or trimmer is causing a lameness issue from the style then something is wrong.

Our farrier organization is dedicated to a " continuing education program "we are aware of the people out there trimming / shoeing horses with out proper education. We have a member who studied from Strausser, himself and has given us all a better insite in the controversy concerning to shoe or not to shoe. We bring Certified Journey Farriers and Vets to are group so we can continue to help our horses stay sound.

Katie now trims her own horses hooves and whenever I am in the area I drop in to talk hooves....I work for Sue because her back could not take the stress....what style am I using... I call it the conformational trim..

For a good read ...write the AFA and get a copy of their Certification Study Guide....and if your very serious of trimming or shoeing your own horses pick up a copy of Dr. Doug Butler's book. Just be careful of the person or groups that say one style fits all....like forgewizard says keep it simple.

hope this helps,

David