Hoof Wall Crack....What Causes This?

[ChocoMare]

Cowboymom: You’re man is far better than I. I couldn’t do it. Hats off to him!!!

I trim part time to help horses & their owners who are fed up with being lame, body sore, out of balance, etc. I charge barely enough to cover my expenses, so no, I don’t do it for the money. I’m thankful for a full time, ‘real’ Monday thru Friday job to do that.

Consequently, I tell those who desire to call on my services that they will be on a four-week trim cycle. We will evaluate Diet, Environment, Exercise and existing Trim. If they balk at the frequency, I politely offer them the number of the farrier/trimmer who got me started (so No, I don’t paint with a broad brush. DJ is an amazing farrier/Barefoot trimmer. I owe so much to her).

But the bottom line is: Trimmers like myself are getting the work because so many farriers out there are letting us. Instead of learning Barefoot trim techniques, what makes it different, how it can benefit their clients and add to their skill set of services to offer, they buck up in their ego, tell their client to Eff off (yup, happened to one of mine when she started with me), take their tools and go home.

I would LOVE to work with a farrier who wants to learn, as I would LOVE to learn from him/her. We have such good information to share, all to the benefit of the horse. Yet not one farrier who’s horses are now being trimmed by me (even if he/she is still shoeing others in the same barn) has humbled him/herself to say “That horse’s feet look better. What are you doing differently?”

Oh for that day to come!

[Ambitious_Kate]

Just as a perspective, every farrier i have come across in my part of NE has many many barefoot horses for clients, and can talk very intelligently about barefoot trimming. Their barefoot horses look very nice. Even though I do not let my horse(s) go barefoot for many reasons, I have always had a new farrier offer to talk to me about it if I was interested. never puhsed. Shod my horse(s) the way I wanted them shod. And none ever bad-mouthed another farrier or trimmer. Ever. If they are taking over another farrier’s work, they always (all of the ones I’ve dealt with) say something like “I like the way his feet look.” or “He has great feet”. Then, if they want to do something different, they will say “because of this or that, I would like to encourage more heel” or “he sure could go in a larger shoe sure, we can do that,” or whatever. Then we agree on the course of action, and proceed. I’ve just not come across the ‘ego’ thing described on these boards. Just my experience.

[ChocoMare]

You are blessed, AK. Hang on to them!!!