I am fairly new to my studies of farriery.
I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a farrier school for two weeks last summer, which is no where near long enough but a good start none the less.

I currently do no shoeing but I do trim several horses.

in the meantime i read whatever I can about hoofcare. I have read butlers book p2 and gregorys book, which is pretty good. I have also read some of gene ovniceks book as well as some other books on lameness etc.

there are a few things I have read from barefooters that I have not seen in farrier text that seem usefull.

one thing is judging the sole thickness by measuring from the collateral groove.

another thing is lamellar wedge and how to grow better connected walls.

I also have seen them use hoof cast rather than shoes to treat founder.

do any of you pros think these are items that can be useful to farriery?
are there other things a farrier can learn from barefoot hoof researchers to become a better farrier?

thanks for your thoughts
bob

We can all learn from research, but I am not aware of any "barefooters" conducting research.

Hoof casts are a type of equine orthotic, and orthotics are not barefoot.

I have read Ramey's book, and I think one can definitely learn from this book (just as one can learn from Bulter's or Gregory's book).

As Pat suggests, many "barefooters" are really talking steel shoes vs everything else when it should be hoof protection/support vs truly bare and you can learn from nearly anyone as long as you use critical thinking and observation. Don't just accept.

I have Ramey's book and I've attended a Ramey clinic. Worth doing. I've never cared to be critical of something I haven't at least studied or observed. I've read Strasser's small book and consider it pretty poor information, but now I have a basis for that opinion.

As far as actually getting the job done? No.
As for BSing horse owners, yes definitely.

To their credit many of them have been successful in getting folks to shorten up their hoofcare schedules. For that much I take my hat off to them but I can think of nothing else.
George

hoofman2011 wrote:
welcome Bob,
All of the processes you've mentioned are from the Farrier trade. There's nothing new about barefooting other than the Religious aspect of the movement.
Most Farriers only do trimming on half or more of their horses.

Welcome Bob, you learn from others, mistakes, experience and time and it is a life time of learning no matter how long one has been doing it.

thanks for the replies

I have been reading some of the post here for the past few months and thought i would go ahead and jump in.

There is a lot to learn and many different opinions

I am hoping to further my farrier training as time allows. I plan on going to a six week course next year. I need time to get in shape

I found that when I went for two weeks last summer it kind of kicked my butt. I am a little older to be starting but I own so many horses I wanted to at least trim a few.

I also work fulltime as an electonic tech, and work part time at a stable my family operates. we board and train around twenty head. mostly arabians and 1/2 arabians.


bob

How much is "a little older, Bob". At least you have the knowledge to get under some now. I really never found a better get in shape program than being under several each week. 'Course, I'm "a little older" than everyone here except Frank Turley and Frank's a blacksmith now instead of a farrier so he doesn't go under too many.

without attempting to be diplomatic, the honest answer in my opinion is no there is not.

I've learnt that the touchy-feely types will believe almost anything that goes against the mainstream.

Anthony_Lawrence wrote:Well wher'n heck is this "mainstream?" I want to see it, touch it, feel it, dammit!

Jack Evers wrote:
I am 51

I started reading farrier books a couple of years ago and then read pete rameys book. I tried to trim one horse back then under the direction of a trimmer and quite frankly I was not comfortable with it and i did not understand the anatomy so I had the farrier fix the one I trimmed and I stopped trimming.

so now here it is a few later and I was fortunate enough to be allowed to sit in at heartland for two weeks where I did learn the anatomy.

I still am not comfortable shoeing so until I can get more training I do not shoe. I trim five horses on a six week schedule so I can keep under a horse and then the farrier does the rest of ours.

the main problem I have with barefooters is that they make it sound as if anyone can trim a horse, I do not agree with this. to me anyone can also wire their house but many should not even try it.

the thing I do like about pete ramey is after watching his video under the horse and seeing him work on a horse over a year period, it looked like he helped the horse grow a better hoof with his methods. It seems to me he is onto something with his treatment of founder and diet philosophy.

my philosophy on the horses diet comes from competative trail/endurance literature. and we have had some pretty healthy horses with virtually no founder/lamintis.

bob

There is always a small fringe group that want to be "natural" and the barefooters filled this void after Gene's "Natural" Balance was not enough. Farriers are unlikely to recover this segment of the horse owning population.
I believe that others have defected to the barefooter camp because their needs were not being served by farriers. I believe that much of this is due to poor communication re: shoeing protocols, scheduling, shoeing frequency, etc. and quality of work.
I think what we can learn is that being attentive to the needs of the customer is of paramount importance. Clients that have confidence in their farrier seldom look for options.

tbloomer wrote:
I have the same thoughts about some of my clients Tom.

...others, not at all.

hoofman2011 wrote:Pete Ramey didn't come up with anything new either. He was a rather poor shoer (hadn't learned to pull clips and all that stuff, per his statements) who found an easer way to make a living and a market to sell his "new" product. A friend went to one of his clinics recently and said that Mr. Ramey started his program with an apology to all Farriers for the bad mouthing he had been dishing out over the years, and that now he sees the need and help from correct shoeing.