Barefoot or Natural Trimming


Why use a barefoot or Natural Trim?

It provides the opportunity to develop strong healthy foundations beneath the horse. It leads to better soundness. The trained trimmer will trim to a correct longitudinal and lateral balance, which in turn will help the horse to move with ease, over a correct break over point.Long toes, together with under run heels put all the bones and ligaments in the leg under huge stress.

 

Unbalanced feet may

• have quarter or toe cracks

• long toes, under run heels

• have white disease or separation of the white line which may lead to laminitis.

 

A correct trim

• provides correct blood flow to the feet

• provides correct movement, with the heel of the foot hitting the ground first

• with correct weight bearing the horse will have better general body balance.

'her footsteps now look like real horseshoe shapes and she has never stood like that before, she is standing like a proper quarter horse'  - Julie
Trimming

Hoof Boots may be an advisory precaution to joint damage, watching a horse move in slow motion on soft ground without hoof boots and then with hoof boots shows the softness acquired within the joints and the supple mobility of the muscles while cushioning the ground impact up through the feet with the boots.  Cushioning the ground impact will help prolong the usable life of the horse.  Metal shoes do not provide a cushioning environment, they will increase the concussion on the ground. Anything that prolongs the usable life of a horse must be promoted, even if only used for practice sessions, and then omitted for competition, in the long run it will help the horse to wear boots whenever possible.