Maintaining the Maintenance Hoof Trim

with Guy McLean

Before going any further in this article, I am fully aware that barefoot trimming, horseshoeing, and farrier work, in general, is as touchy a subject as politics, everyone having their different opinion and everyone’s own opinion being the only one that seems to matter to them. So, not in any way, shape, or form am I writing this article with the intention to show you the best way to trim or shoe your horses (as I am not a professional farrier by trade but a horseman who takes care of his own barefoot trimming across three liberty teams who perform all over Australia, Canada and America and with well over a thousand barefoot trims under his belt) I feel that the information in this coming article may be of worth to some of you here. 

I have often joked with other industry professionals that the only way clients will be one hundred per cent happy with their trainer or their farrier is if they become their own for both, and in saying this, I am very happy with my trainer and farrier (Guy McLean) and even if I wasn’t, you will never hear me spreading rumours about him. Once again, I am not urging you to drop your farrier and take it on yourself, but to just have a little more knowledge and skill for the times that they may be called upon.

So, back to the task at hand…

I’m writing this article in the hopes that you all have a well-credentialed farrier that takes care of your horses on a scheduled trimming cycle (which is normally 4-6 weeks), and if that is the case, once your farrier has trimmed up your horse and has it where he or she is happy till next time, you will now have a template to work from. Once again, I am not here telling you how to trim one from scratch, but I do solemnly believe that every horse owner should have enough knowledge and skill to apply a bandage, follow medication protocols given by a vet and to be able to trim their horse’s feet if in a pinch, for as we all know, ‘no hoof no horse’ and by following the lead of a professional before the hoof changes shape again, you are much more able to get a better idea of the desired result we are hoping to achieve.

With all that being said, I am going to demonstrate with my good Australian Stock Horse gelding ‘Dreaming of Big Bucks’ (Bucky), who performs and works barefoot on all kinds of surfaces (on the side of a mountain chasing wild horses in the Corryong hills, to performing in the pristine parklands of Adelaide, to carrying the flag for the ASHS in the Goomeri Pumpkin Festivals street parade, all within the space of a month) a practise that I urge you to take up, at least until you feel comfortable in doing so if need be. In this instance, I am suggesting that you wait no longer than a week to do your first session, as there will be minimal work to do and, therefore, more chance for success in mimicking your farrier’s outline. On a side note, many farriers I have spoken to often say that they could make much better progress with clients’ horses if they were there more often, and so these little touch-ups will certainly help for when they return to do the bulk of the work, and I am suggesting that you perform this little touch-up trim, just once a week for the first two weeks of the six-week cycle, where you will still have a good template to work from and your farrier will still have some work to do when he returns. This article is not about removing your farrier, but about you learning a little more about what it takes to do the job and about giving your horse some more practise at standing in farrier positions and, ultimately, empowering you to feel that you could keep your horse’s feet in check if the farrier’s trimming cycle is altered for any reason. 

My reason for keeping all of my performance horses barefoot is one, because I run them in a liberty team where three horses are required to step carefully over the one laying down (where metal shoes would be a hazard), and two, I am able to see at all times what is happening to the hoof, where a shoe can mask a lot of things that may be doing more damage than good and may go unseen between farrier visits, and the fact that even the best shoeing job requires putting at least six new holes in the hoof wall and any time we can avoid putting holes or cracks in the wall is (I believe) in the best interest of the horse, unless of course, your circumstance demands shoes and then by all means, do what’s best for the horse in question. (If it appears that I am trying very hard to be politically correct here, it is because I am, for as I mentioned before, this subject is just as contentious as politics).

The following six images (which I urge you to learn to hold for at least a minute at a time) show the most practised farrier positions, and although I myself and most farriers use a hoof stand (which are very handy but quite expensive), these positions will allow you to do what is needed to the hoof (from all angles), and although it is not imperative that you teach them to stand free like Bucky is, if you can, it is just another string in their bow for a well rounded equine partner.

All you will need for this trim is something to clean out the hoof (a hoof knife is best) and a farrier rasp (if you ask kindly, your farrier may give you one of his old ones). As mentioned, I trimmed Bucky a week ago, and as picture 2A (below) shows, he has a well-formed hoof, and I am given a good guideline to work from. Although I know from experience the shape I am trying to achieve, I suggest that you take several photos of the newly trimmed hoof (straight from your farrier) from several different angles so that you are able to return the hoof to a similar shape. I myself like to leave as much sole or callous on the bottom of the hoof as I can (for protection) and yet I will remove anything that can get caught or snagged or that can hold moisture, but as you will be working just one week on from your farrier, you shouldn’t need to touch the frog or bars and you can just focus on the rasp for the trim. You will notice in these pics that I am keeping my rasp flat, from front to back and side to side, and this ensures that I create a flat, even surface. It will take a little longer than making random unbalanced passes but it is much safer and very unlikely that you can cause damage when using the rasp this way in slow sweeping strokes. If you are worried about taking too much, just use the fine side, you’ll be there for quite a while before you get into trouble. 

Once I draw the foot out in front (3a pic), I just want to create a bevel on the toe to alleviate the chances of chipping, and as you can see from the natural shine of the hoof in this photo, it is quite healthy, and I do my best to leave that alone as filing will take the gloss away and dry out the hoof. (3b pic) the fact that there is no gap under the rasp is a good sign of symmetry in a trim. (3c pic) the farrier’s glance is one we often take from the farrier’s view to check the balance of the hoof. (3d pic) the finished article after trimming underneath and in front. A trim like this on all four hooves will keep Bucky in good stead in all of his future endeavours as an avid explorer of multiple arena surfaces. The final pic (3e) in this series shows the same line from the fetlock all the way through to the ground, which is a good indication of any functionally correct trim.

I hope this has helped a little, and until we meet here again.

Guy McLean is proudly sponsored by Marsh Carney Saddlery, Priefert (USA), Susan River Homestead, Paddock Blade and CEN and is proudly the official Australian Stock Horse ambassador.