Thought I'd share this with you all...
About this time last year I found myself desperately looking for a new
trimmer. My four horses are barefoot; three of them since Jan of 2001
and one all his life.
My trimmer (of five years) and I had a parting of the ways because I
wanted Doc's (my former navicular horse)sole and bars left alone. I
believed Doc's sole and bars had been severely overtrimmed. Doc acted
as if he was walking on eggshells and the ultimate proof for me was
that when I put him in hoofwings and trax pads his demeanor totally
changed. In his hoof wings he wanted to trot and prance. Even though I
explained my reasoning to my trimmer, he refused to do as I asked,
stating that I did know what I was talking about. What I did know was
that my horse was very sore and I knew it was his hooves.....so,
needless to say I started interviewing barefoot trimmers.
During the process of finding a new trimmer Tamera's (my cushings/IR
mare) toes were getting very long and her heels were becoming
increasingly underslung. I was very concerned, Tamera was starting to
stub her toes and trip. Yet every barefoot trimmer that saw her wanted
to lower her heels...had I agreed to let them do as they wanted Tamera
would have been walking on her bulbs.
I finally gave up on the barefoot trimmer idea and swallowed my pride
and called one of our former farriers. I had always said that if I
ever had to shoe any of my horses again this man would be the only I
would trust.
Jim has been a farrier/journeyman for over 20 years.
He took one look at Tamera and said "brace yourself it's not going to
be pretty but I promise you she will be just fine" and then he took
his nippers and literally chopped off her toes. Look at the photo
album on this site "shotgunranch Tamera"
http://pets.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ECHoof/photos/browse/36c9
It looked horrible but not a drop of blood was shed. I sent photos to
several interested parties and one person even called him a butcher.
All I know is that Tamera's relief was instantaneous. By backing up
her toes he put her center of gravity where it needed to be ...that
night she was cantering around with the others. Tamera had absolutely
no ill effects and is still doing well.
Was this drastic???....I don't know. All I know is that he was the
only who knew what to do and had the guts to do it.
He explained that unfortunately most trimmers/farriers don't
understand the mechanism behind underslung heels. It is the toe that
is pulling the heels forward. You need to release that pull and put
their feet back under them.
His approach with Doc was to keep his toes backed up "heels where they
needed to be" and his hooves balanced. He agreed that Doc had been
overtrimmed and allowed him to grow his sole and bars back. Jim always
removes dead sole but knows just where to stop. He's not afraid to
trim the bars if they need it. He has studied many approaches (Gene
Ovnicek, Pete Ramey, and has even read one of Dr. Strasser's
books,etc.) but he says no single approach can be used for all horses.
He treats every horse individually but yet many may still consider him
a butcher for what he did.
What do you all think????
Claire from Az

Claire C. Cox-Wilson wrote:

He treats every horse individually but yet many may still consider him
a butcher for what he did.
What do you all think????

I think he's dead nuts. (that means 100% accurate)

-A

--
**************************
Abby Bloxsom
www.advantedgeconsulting.com

--- In ECHoof@..., "Claire C. Cox-Wilson"
<shotgun.ranch@...> wrote:

Thought I'd share this with you all...
About this time last year I found myself desperately looking for a new
********************************************

I'd like to know how far he travels and his #. As far as your
experience with him - it's a miracle you found him.

Shirl

--- In ECHoof@..., "sj52236" <Shirley4715@...> wrote:

--- In ECHoof@..., "Claire C. Cox-Wilson"
<shotgun.ranch@> wrote:

Thought I'd share this with you all...
About this time last year I found myself desperately looking for a new
********************************************

I'd like to know how far he travels and his #. As far as your
experience with him - it's a miracle you found him.

Shirl

Shirl
That's the unfortunate thing...........he's really trying to slow
down. He pretty much stays on the westside of Phoenix...in
Waddell....Buckeye...Goodyear and such.
However, Jo Ann (remember her horse Forte??)one of our list members
talked to him tonite and they're working something out. Hopefully
she'll chime in here.
And yes I consider myself very fortunate....my horses love him....and
he's a very patient teacher.
Claire

Hi Claire,

I think many will now do what your farrier did, but often a little prettyer. Great to find the right man for the job.

I have just started another johnthevet photo album - examples.
I thought you might like to see a really bad under-slung heel.
(Tamera's heel and toe angles don't appear to be that different from each other.)

Cheers

John

--- In ECHoof@..., "John Stewart" <john_the_vet@...> wrote:

I have just started another johnthevet photo album - examples.
I thought you might like to see a really bad under-slung heel.
(Tamera's heel and toe angles don't appear to be that different from

each

other.)

I don't think I understand your point here, John. Underrun heels are
underrun heels regardless of the length/position of the toe. Judging by
the response in Tamera's coronary band, RF, in the 3-18-06 photos, I
suspect if you compared solar views from both horses (without the shoe)
the position of the heels would be very similar.

Eleanor

--- In ECHoof@..., "Claire C. Cox-Wilson"
<shotgun.ranch@...> wrote:

Thought I'd share this with you all...
About this time last year I found myself desperately looking for a new

During the process of finding a new trimmer Tamera's (my cushings/IR
mare) toes were getting very long and her heels were becoming
increasingly underslung. I was very concerned, Tamera was starting

What the farrier did was correct. Not shocking at all.

Constantly lowering heels and not addressing the toes correctly will
also encourage a hoof to under run. It is extrememly important to get
the break over correct. Glad you are out of that rut you were in. BTW,
been there, done that too. Yes, it is barefoot trimmers like that which
give it a bad rap.

Monica Meer CP
www.thenaturalhoof.com

--- In ECHoof@..., "thefeet2003" <mmmeer@...> wrote:
BTW,

been there, done that too. Yes, it is barefoot trimmers like that which
give it a bad rap.

Monica Meer CP
www.thenaturalhoof.com

Yes I agree and it is unfortunate......one of the trimmers I dealt
with was really a nice gal and really wanted to do a good job but it
was obvious she didn't have the knowledge and experience to deal with
my horses' issues.
The good thing about all this was I learned a lot and now I'm not
afraid to take a hoof knife or rasp to the obvious.
I may not be a trimmer but I can recognize a poorly trimmed hoof when
I see one.
Claire

 

Shoot, I'd go a bit further and say that any farrier who lets a horse's foot get underslung or "out ahead of itself" gives farriers in general a bad name!!  Not to mention that there are some farriers who, IF they first get the horse with a good foot, are able to keep that but yet can't seem to get one that's out in front and/or long toe low heel back where they need to be, and some who seem pretty good initially, but then you find over a long timeperiod, they seem to allow most horses, even ones who never had the tendency, to wind up with the whole foot too far out front that way.  Its always been difficult to find really good farriers who can handle almost any horse's foot or foot problems really well.  I suppose it's like virtually any other human endeavor -- there are always some who are just exceptional, some who're good, more that are adequate at best, and some that aren't very good or are just outright poor at what they're doing.  Part of human nature I suppose!

 

Robin

(list owner)

--- In ECHoof@..., "Claire C. Cox-Wilson"
wrote:
>
> Thought I'd share this with you all...
> About this time last year I found myself desperately looking for a new

> During the process of finding a new trimmer Tamera's (my cushings/IR
> mare) toes were getting very long and her heels were becoming
> increasingly underslung. I was very concerned, Tamera was starting

What the farrier did was correct. Not shocking at all.

Constantly lowering heels and not addressing the toes correctly will
also encourage a hoof to under run. It is extrememly important to get
the break over correct. Glad you are out of that rut you were in. BTW,
been there, done that too. Yes, it is barefoot trimmers like that which
give it a bad rap.

Monica Meer CP
www.thenaturalhoof.com

 

ABSOLUTELY!!!  Frankly, I think that EVERY horse owner really has a duty to learn as quickly as possible what a well trimmed and/or well shod foot looks like, right along with basic veterinary care, what symptoms warrent immediate call to the vet, and so on. 

 

Robin

(list owner)

Claire...

I hope that this list can help more horse owners in what you have learned.  Through our escapades here in NH, a few horse owners have begun to recognize what the foot should look like, how to ask good questions about a proposed trim as well as about a practitioner’s credentials. They don’t want to do the actual work, but they know how to ask good questions and give good input.  Like educated patients in human medicine, educated horse owners can only help to advance good diagnosis, nutrition and foot care. All the good stuff!!

Nancy C and Beau and Gabe in NH