How hard is it really...to trim hooves?

[outerbanks77]

It’s not just toe though. Some horses need their heels rasped to keep them from getting too tall, or running under. Others flare at the sides and wear their toes. I almost never tough my warmblood’s toes other than a light rasp from the top to prevent chipping.

OP, the nice thing about DIY, is that you will spend much more time handling and looking at your horse’s feet than any farrier. And you can pick up your tools and make small adjustments any time you see something “off.” However, that can also dull your eye to imbalances that you see every day. Taking good photos at ground level of all aspects can help a lot, especially when you’re just starting. Often a mouse-eye view of the hoof in a photo can be more revealing than looking at it in person to determine what is needed. If you have an iPhone, HoofMapp is an app that can help. Good info here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y6tqd4OtWM&t=3305s

[endlessclimb]

I’m talking about in the meantime. Something that can be done today, without hours of research.

[OverandOnward]

@outerbanks77

Also, good tools are almost more important as a beginner. I love Vallorb Spirit rasps. They are more expensive, but stay sharp and don’t require as much strength to bite into the hooves. Also GE nippers and a Hoof Jack are a must. My knives are middle of the road; that is something I could probably stand to upgrade.

@CanteringCarrot

Do not skimp on tools. Buy quality (a real rasp, but a radius rasp), and make sure they’re sharp.

This is a very important point, because instruments that dull easily require a lot more physical effort to use. I only have so much to give, I can’t force progress, so the rasp needs to rasp.

If you are really struggling to make progress with a rasp, the problem may be the rasp more than it is you.

There are also different kinds of rasps just as there are human nail files for coarse, fine, etc. That makes a big difference as well as to the amount of effort required to use them.

[OverandOnward]

@endlessclimb

Regardless of your eye, you can grab a rasp and take some of the extra toe length off if you’re going to continue to try and call the farrier.

Absolutely, until the farrier comes. Or if there is a rough spot around the edge of the hoof, particular something that can catch on stuff in the pasture. You can smooth that out a bit and make it safer for the hoof.

That’s a good place to start learning to rasp. It’s not a major job, just some filing as you’d do with an over-long fingernail. You can help maintain the hoof shape until the farrier comes and avoid these out-of-shape problems that take months to correct.

Just my opinion but every horse person should as least have a rasp on hand for things like this. It’s like having some basic immediate wound care supplies, imo. You are still calling out the professional to truly solve the problem, but keeping things under control until the pro gets there. Especially if it will be days before the appointment.

[OverandOnward]

And as far as angles and balance and so forth – of course you want your horse to have a healthy foot and be comfortable and balanced on that foot. But if the horse is only in light work or retired, their feet are not getting as much use and pressure as they would on a horse in more concentrated training. It’s not as exacting a task.

I will use a farrier for horses in ‘real work’ and trim my own if they are retired or barefoot in light work. (A few years ago I had spine surgery and got my life back, and that is making this possible. )

[Incantation]

I have been trimming my guys on and off for many years.
My suggestions
Education:
Printable guide for hoof mapping. Makes things a lot easier when you know what you are looking at.
http://www.edss.co/files/EDSS-HCGuide-web.pdf
I have Pete Ramey’s Under the Horse DVDs and found them very useful, although he is a bit chatty.
https://www.hoofrehabstore.com/book-and-dvds/?sort=pricedesc

For tools to make your life easier:
Hoof jack so you don’t have to contort yourself
Radius rasp
Regular rasp
Hoof knife
Nippers if the hooves are very long to save on having to rasp so much
The beginning of the year I bought a HoofBoss. I do not use the chainsaw blade, as it is way too aggressive for my guys, but the other accessories save me from having to kill back trying to rasp down pony’s rock hard hooves. I would think it would be very useful for a draft too, although you would probably want to start out using a rasp until you get comfortable trimming. I can do 8 hooves in a session and still not have a sore back, as opposed to 2 with a rasp.

Horse Hoof Trimming | How To Trim Horse Hooves | Boss Tools

Good Luck!

[cilla1]

You can definitely do it. We have 3 barefoot horses, I trim the 31 yo one once a month, a couple of times a year the trimmer gives him a professional trim and checks on my job.
The other two are professionally trimmed every 60 days and in between I just use my rasp to keep them in good shape.
If you have back issues you can work one foot per day and use a hoof stand instead of holding the hoof

[Kyrabee]

I am one of those that is spatially challenged. Stereochemistry was horrible during organic chemistry. Add to that, the horse toes out. I think I could level up a horse that was straight but she isn’t.
I do some touch ups in between trims and have no trouble tackling some minor flare but leave the real work to my trimmer.

Board has gone up $130 this year (mostly due to hay prices) and I may have to give it a try. I was entertaining actually shoeing her for the summer but inflation killed that. Still BF w/boots.

Susan

[Cowboy_Girl]

Trimming one draft horse, especially one that “really, really need trims,” is the equivalent of trimming and shoeing 4 regular horses - minimum. Its freaking, God awful, hard labor.
A regular horse, Quarter Horse to TB wears a size 1. Their foot is as big as a large mug or small cereal bowl. The hoof wall is may be 1/4 inch thick, easily nipped off, rasped and the sole made tidy. The shoe is light enough steel it can easily be cold shaped.
A typical Clyde draft, wears a size 7. Its foot is the size of a dinner plate. The hoof wall is 1 inch thick, requiring much larger (and much more expensive nippers - it destroys regular nippers which are running $200 a re-build now,) and its like rasping a coffee table, and cleaning up the sole is like hand hewing a log (times 4.) One shoe weighs 2 lbs and can’t be cold shaped. Often it doesn’t fit all the way in the forge and has to be heated and shaped a half at a time. The nails are longer and bigger and harder to hammer and clinch.
And don’t even talk about the slippery, hairy feet and all the feathers.
And bad manners and back aches.
There’s a reason your farrier (and others,) aren’t calling.

[outerbanks77]

@endlessclimb

I’m talking about in the meantime. Something that can be done today, without hours of research.

I get that, but it’s often not the toes that need the touchup maintenance. Drafts often tend to flare laterally, rather than getting long toes. Maybe you didn’t mean it literally, but rasping around the toe as a touchup measure might just exacerbate the lateral flaring, so it’s imperative to take the whole hoof and wear pattern into account to have a clear idea of what problem the trim is addressing, whether a full trim or just a triage measure.

[endlessclimb]

Doing nothing is exacerbating the lateral flaring, too. Horses are a month overdue, taking some foot off (again, conservatively), isn’t going to make anything that isn’t already going on worse.

[B_and_B]

Thank you all for all the replies! So much to read through! Someone up thread commented on the farrier ‘mystique’ and getting past that, so true…
Some quick notes. I’ve been thinking about this for over a year, but this most recent difficulty is making me really consider it. I’ve been comfortable for years with a quick touch up rasp and can pull the loose shoe. None of these require shoes and I don’t want to even go there. If they ever need shoes, the farrier it is.
On behavior: pony is an angel. Young boy would get an A on behavior for his fronts, a B- on his backs, will stand very well as long as he can see the pony. Big boy has trouble keeping them up long enough and would prefer to lean, but will stand properly. He is actually the one I am most concerned about.
On backs and drafts…what actually got me thinking about this was my previous farrier (the one who hurt his back NOT on my horses!), who commented that big boy will probably need to be done in stocks as he, the horse, gets older. He is Amish trained, and was done in stocks previously. He knows how to lean therefore and with a hind leg that will have, probably already does have, injury induced arthritis, his desire to lean is only going to get worse. New farrier also agreed.
And that leads to stocks…I’m not opposed to stocks if correctly built as part of permanent structure. I think portable stocks are asking for trouble and beyond stupid. The plan for the pole barn (next year’s project) was to incorporate stocks in them. I don’t think I can trim my boys without using them; DH could.
New farrier does drafts, is a draft horse person, his family has a 6 of Percherons and also has a few Clydes, And is comfortable with either in hand or in stocks for drafts. I was ecstatic to get him because of that. So being ghosted isn’t due to drafts per se. It is due to, whatever.
I’m frustrated, my old farrier said if I ever needed help to give him a call, but that is not fair to him. On the other hand, figuring out what I am doing with overgrown hooves is definitely not what I wanted to do!

[wsmoak]

@OverandOnward

I can’t imagine working on a hoof for 20 minutes.

Me neither! I said he won’t keep his hoof on the stand, and that after 20 minutes I am done with this game. If I could actually work on the hoof I would be happy. But most of the time is repositioning the hoof stand, getting back into position, getting a couple of passes with the rasp, then starting over. This is why I pay someone else to do it. It’s the definition of back-breaking work, and my back isn’t in the greatest shape to begin with.

[trubandloki]

I am going to be the other side of this coin.
Even just rasping a hoof takes some serious coordination and skill that some people (me, I am talking about me) just can not figure out how to accomplish without doing things like removing the skin from several fingers, etc.

I say try it, using some of the great guidance provided here. But if you truly struggle do not feel like you failed. It is simply not as easy as some people make it look and some people say it is.

[OverandOnward]

@B_and_B

injury induced arthritis, his desire to lean is only going to get worse

Give him frequent rests for at least a couple of minutes at a time. It’s going to take several times as long to do him, but it’s going to reduce trouble and him getting an attitude about having his feet done. I can relate, in the wrong position arthritis pain can be excruciating. Rest can make it much easier.

My last horse stood very well for understanding farriers who understood that he wasn’t offering to kick them, he was asking for a couple of minutes of rest.

The farrier’s time is money and in a case like that I can pay more for the rest time.

[endlessclimb]

haha, yes. A new (or really, even a dull) rasp will eat you alive if it slips.

Put your leather work-type gloves on so you can afford to make a mistake without getting shredded yourself. If you’re iffy about your skills, don’t use the coarse side. The rasp will walk, it will jump, it will chatter, you’ll get it stuck and drop it on the floor with a clang. Oh well!

You don’t get better at things you don’t do. Keep at it, and skills will improve.

[endlessclimb]

@endlessclimb

You don’t get better at things you don’t do.

This is what I tell myself when I’m trying to stick my mare’s spin/duck/bolt because she’s scared of the barn owners deck on her house, and anything else she deems out of the ordinary. Gotta do it to get better! grumble grumble grumble

[candyappy]

I did my young mules feet for a year before I found a farrier he actually tolerated. New farrier said I did a good job.

There is so much good instruction out there that I think you can do this. At least until you find a good one.

[FjordBCRF]

@NancyM

The work will feel very HARD at first, but don’t let that scare you off. It gets easier.

This is so true hahaha. I was able to learn from a friend that took some courses and has been doing his endurance horses feet (both trimming and shoeing) for a while now. Having someone there to show you HOW was so helpful to me and also check my work. When I started 3 years ago, it would prob take me 40 mins to do all 4 and now I can do it in 15-20 if I keep it every two weeks.

My horse is a saint for me, and it’s still is a lot of effort with the rasp and with the knives but it is exponentially easier as you refine your technique. When I first started, I was terrified I was going to hurt my horse or do something really wrong, and if anything was too conservative to start which my friend really helped me with. Its totally worth if it you can learn to do it yourself!

[ChocoMare]

Your situation is how I got into my side business, Four Square Hoof Care. I’ve been trimming my own for 17 years and for others for the last 10 years.

Since you’re already comfortable with a rasp, get thee a Hoof Jack first. Then a 4" Makita Angle Grinder. Take off the guard, unscrew the flat nut, turn the hard disk over and place a 36 Grit Disposable Grinding Pad on, tighten it down. PRACTICE on logs first, a lot, so you get the feel for taking a hair’s breadth of bark, without gouging. Practice using both hands too. You can do it!!!

Trimming the drafties is far easier on them and you, not to mention faster. I never hold a hoof between my legs cuz this 56 year old back cannot take it. I stay close to the body, holding the hoof in one hand and the grinder with the other. This way their leg stays under them, not at an awkward angle and, if they need their foot back, you can tell before they take it. Plus, for the senior citizen, you can hold that hoof much lower to the ground (especially hind hooves) and still trim.

I’m to the point now where I hardly ever put the hoof up on the stand. Most times I can do it all from underneath, but will use the stand when needed, like when they’ve really grown and I need extra leverage.

Trimming every 2 to 4 weeks helps as well, especially when you’re just starting out and need to gain confidence.

I’ve coached 2 COTHers via long distance when they started their journey. Both were in your exact same position and were over it. Both have seen significant improvements in their horses, especially the OTTB’s

DITTO on getting Pete Ramey’s stuff. He admits some things have changed since that DVD, but it’s a fab starting point. Study hooves till your eyeballs go wonky. Read all the offerings by Paige Poss, Gene Ovinicek and James Welz.