So, what is a barefoot horse?
Most people’s experience of barefoot horses is an old or retired horse who had his shoes removed when they stopped being ridden, and the farrier trims the feet every 3 or 4 months. The feet are therefore often in poor condition, flared, chipped and cracked – these ARE NOT healthy functioning barefoot feet. Many farriers will just do a pasture trim on a barefoot horse, basically what they do before they put a shoe on. A proper barefoot trim is much more involved and so creates a better hoof! Proper Barefoot Trimming There is a growing number of qualified barefoot trimmers in the UK. There are some associations that have lists of trimmers, but also many other good trimmers that haven’t got formal qualifications but have read, studied and learnt how to do a good functioning trim. There are also owners like myself who have learnt to trim their own horses and now take on trimming a few others. The best advise is to research, find a local trimmer and ask to see references or chat to owners w
