Here is a barefoot horse hoof trimming tip from Kevin Keeler, owner and manufacturer of the Hoofjack………
“One aspect of the hoof care industry that I have enjoyed is the open, enthusiastic, sharing of information the hoof has taught us. My experience has been that most of us get excited about sharing a certain modality that helped the horse, made our job easier, or increased our success factor. I would like to share a technique that worked really well for the horse, the client , as well as me.
My challenge was to get a retired carriage horse trimmed that had a fused knee on the left front, and would not allow any flexion of that knee joint at all. Flexion on the sound right leg seemed to painfully load the lame left front. So I needed to figure out a way to trim both fronts by bringing the hooves forward. I had a successful trim by bringing the front hooves forward, and keeping the height of my Hoofjack low to the ground.
I used a mirror to obtain my trimming landmarks. The mirror made my job safer, as well as faster, by allowing me to see those landmarks without having to drop to my knees and put my face under the hoof when it was on the straight post of the Hoofjack.
Instead of trying to use nippers at a difficult angle and having to work close to the ground, I opted to use an angle grinder with a course 36 grit sandpaper flap disc. I tried both a straight post and a cradle to hold and stabilize the hoof. The straight post worked best, because the horse was more willing to bear weight on that, helping to offset the upward force I applied with the grinder. When using a grinder, I always use safety glasses. Because the grinder turns the barefoot trimmings to powder and will irritate the eyes, I always like to keep a fan running behind me to blow the hoof powder away from my eyes and nose. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well the horse accepted the grinder.”
For your barefoot trimming needs, EasyCare has the Hoofjack available and also carries the Save Edge rasp for a great natural hoof trimming tool selection. When you want to get the job done, make sure you have the tools that will help do it right!
Posted by Nancy Fredrick
