Getting Started

Believe it or not, I do not think that everyone should learn to trim their horse’s feet. I think it is a good idea for everyone to learn about the hooves, but actually learning to trim is hard work. Unless you are truly interested, excited or desperate, I would not feel pressured into trimming for yourself.

I will admit however, that I have been very impressed by the job that most horse owners do when trimming their own horses. Many times they actually do as good if not better than some of the professionals that had been helping them in the past. I frequently meet owners that clearly see issues with their horse’s feet, but have been told repeatedly that there are no problems. These same owners are usually quite surprised when I agree with them and compliment them on their observations. Owners know their horses and should never under estimate their powers of observation. If the feet look odd or distorted, then usually they are.

If you do not feel comfortable assuming the full responsibility of trimming then ask if you can work with your hoof care provider and start with touch up trims. Many professionals are happy to work with you. If they aren’t excited by this, then respect their opinion and don’t push it. Your trimming may make them uncomfortable.

Some hoof care providers are excited about involved horse owners, but some really do not want to be told how to do their job. I completely understand this sentiment. There is a big difference between asking questions and implying that I should do something differently. If an owner wants to ASK me to experiment with their horse and try something new, I am happy to talk about it and possibly try it. If on the other hand, the owner insists that I do it the way they want and do not allow me to express my opinion, I feel slighted. There is a big difference between working together and being bossed around.

If you feel your horse needs to be trimmed differently than your hoof care provider is doing, then you either need to change professionals or learn to trim yourself. It is not fair to ask someone to change what they believe.

If you have decided you want to trim, you will need just a few tools. I cheated in the beginning and paid a farrier to pull the shoes, so I didn’t need shoe pullers. If you are a long term horseman, you may already have shoe pullers. One word of advice, DO NOT use nippers to pull the shoes. It ruins them!

I trim and teach differently than most trimmers. My main emphasis is on the top of the foot, so a good hoof stand is a must. You can trim from the top without a stand, but it is very hard. The only other necessities are a good rasp, a handle for the rasp and gloves. Even as a professional, I rarely use my nippers. They are hard to use without over trimming, so I do not recommend novices start with them.

Essentials:

Gloves
Rasp
Rasp Handle
Hoof Stand

Highly Recommended:

Hoof Knife
Hoof Knife Sharpener

Luxury:

Chaps
Nippers
Shoe pullers
Crease Nail pullers

Even if you are not sure whether you want to trim, I recommend starting with better tools. Poor quality tools are very hard to use. Trimming is hard enough; you do not want to make it harder.

When selecting tools, choose tools of good quality. They will provide superior service in terms of use and longevity. It is a rare feed store or tack shop that carries quality tools. Your best bet is to contact a farrier supply and order good quality tools from them.

Essentials:

Gloves:

Gloves are very, very important! Please wear them. I have found the rubberized gardening gloves help grasp the tools better. In the beginning, my hands were not strong enough to work in the leather gloves. The tools would slip when I wore leather, the rubber was a blessing. Ruth has always preferred leather, but make sure they are heavy duty. Soft leather is easily destroyed by the rasps.

Trust me; you will acquire scars if you don’t use gloves. It may be your knuckles or your wrist, but you will eventually take skin off. It hurts.

As of early 2008, the price range for these gloves is $3.00 to $6.00.

Rasp:

A good rasp is another necessity. I remember being surprised that I had to replace my rasp after a few months. It had never dawned on me that they wore out. They do. Even if you have never used your rasp but it has gotten rusty, it is dull. Keep them out of a wet environment. Even humid weather will eventually rust your rasp.

There are many tricks to keep your rasp from rusting. I have heard of putting chalk (which absorbs moisture) in your tool box or wrapping the rasp in news paper. You may want to look around for other tips. I am not sure how well either of these tricks work because I use my rasps so quickly that I do not have this problem.

If you have a good relationship with your farrier, this may be a good source for rasps. Often they will be happy to give you their used rasps. Many novices find it easier to start with a dull rasp. New rasps can be hard to use until they are “broken in”. What happens is that they are so sharp that they grab the hoof wall too aggressively and chatter as you rasp down the walls.

SavEdge rasps are very easy for novices to use. They are very sharp but do not have an aggressive bite to them, so they do not “chatter” as badly as the more aggressive rasps. The reason that I don’t use them is that they dull quickly and remove less hoof with each stroke. When you are doing many horses in a day, fewer strokes is a blessing.

If you are ready to try a different rasp, I now use the Bellota Classic. For years, I have used the Heller Legend. They have changed manufacturers and the quality seems to be suffering.

*As of early 2008, the price range for these rasps is $18.00 to $22.00.

Rasp Handle:

A rasp handle is very inexpensive, but a major safety feature. Working with an uncovered rasp is a danger to you, the horse and any nearby person. The end of the rasp is very sharp and pointed. I have had many occasions where I have lost my balance and thrown my arm out to catch myself. Trust me; $3.00 for a handle is a good investment.

I use the twist on version. Most handles are not brand specific, but you may want to ask.

*As of early 2008, the price range for most twist on wooden handles is $3.00 to $3.50.

Hoof Stand:

A good hoof stand is very important. I have to say that the Hoof Jack is the best piece of equipment I own. It is safe and easy to use. It is also not cheap. If you invest in a Hoof Jack and find that you don’t want to trim or are unable to trim, then you could easily resell the stand. I am sure there is a good market for a used stands.

*As of early 2008, The Hoof Jack is $175.00 for the standard, $194.00 for the draft, and $147.00 for the mini sizes.

Highly Recommended:

Hoof Knife:

A hoof knife comes in handy. In some situations, a knife is the easiest way to work the heels and bars. I really don’t know whether to recommend a knife or not. I really don’t use them that often. I have many “knifeless” clients trimming their own horses and doing a very good job. I think this is a personal call. You could easily start trimming without one and progress to it if you feel the need.

There are left and right hand knives, but this has nothing to do with your left and right hand. It has to do with which side of the blade cuts. I use both, but some people learn to only use one knife.

I prefer thin blades. You need to specifically ask for this if you want it. I have used the F. Dick knife for years. I like the Gripmaster, but the regular handle is just as good. It is not as smooth or pretty, but functions the same. I also really like The Knife. This is my favorite knife; they hold a sharp edge for a long time. There is also the Frost knife. It is the least expensive, but is also a good knife.

The Frost knife is the least expensive. The Dick knife is significantly more and The Knife is even more expensive. I do not enjoy sharpening knives. It is a chore to me, so I prefer a knife that holds an edge. If you enjoy sharpening and are good at it, then you may want to buy the less expensive Frost knife. That is really the biggest difference between the knives.

Each brand cuts differently. Once you get used to one brand, it is often hard to change. If you do change brands remember this. There is a learning curve with the new blade.

*As of early 2008, the hoof knives are $10.00 for the Frost, $25.25 for the F. Dick with the regular handle, $35.95 for the Gripmaster handle, and $32.50 for The Knife.

Hoof Knife Sharpener:

Hoof knives are amazingly hard to use if they are dull, so a sharpener is a must. There are many styles of knife sharpeners. I have to admit, I do not have a favorite. For many people, learning to sharpen a knife is tricky. Don’t get too discouraged if you struggle in the beginning. I recommend reading the knife sharpening section on www.barefoothorse.com. Marjorie has worked hard to explain the angle of the blade and how to sharpen knives.

Luxury Items:

Chaps:

Chaps are definitely a luxury item, but I cannot imagine trimming without them. It really makes it more comfortable to handle the feet. I used to get bruises on my thighs, but the thick leather really protects my legs. It is surprising how much longer your jeans will hold up if you use chaps. I used to regularly rasp holes into my jeans.

I am not sure if this is as important for men as it is for women, but the side straps on the chaps need to attach on the thigh and not up in the hip area. If the leg straps are attached too high, every time you straighten up from a squat, the strap will ride up underneath your backside. Many of my female colleagues have the fastener lowered for this very reason.

I accidentally got the perfect chaps for me. I am only 5’3”, so I am short. I tried on chaps one day and did not buy them. The next time I went in to the shop, I picked up the ones I thought I had tried on before. Ends up, they were different. I ended up buying the long chaps (30”) which is funny since I am so short. Needless to say, they are very long on me, but this is great. It means the leg strap is lower and the bottom of the chaps ends in the middle of my shin. I love the extra length when I am kneeling in the mud or cold. I would not have bought these on purpose, but am glad I ended up with the wrong pair.

Regular length is 26”, so you may want to specify if you are ordering them on line or over the phone. I also prefer the Cordura chaps. They tend to be a little lighter weight and a little less expensive.

The particular brand that I have now is FPD model K. I have also had the Buddy Apron. This is a really good set of chaps. The leg strap is very adjustable, but the Velcro got gummed up with horse hair. NC Tool also makes aprons. I have never used them, but they are significantly cheaper. Just keep in mind that you may want to lower the leg strap.

*As of early 2008, the FPD chaps are $130.00 for the 26” and $144.00 for the 30”. These prices are for the Cordura versions. The Buddy Apron is $175.00. The NC Tool aprons are $98.00 for the Cordura and $84.00 for the light weight leather farrier apron.

Nippers:

If you eventually feel the need to buy nippers, I suggest buying good quality. I have only owned Diamond and GE nippers. I had to return the Diamonds three times to find ones that had good blades. Once I found a good pair, they worked fine for years. I have always questioned the quality control of Diamond products. Diamond nippers are less expensive, but I would not mail order them. You may or may not get a good pair. If you are looking at them, the blades are what were so bad. Some of the blades had incorrect bevels and others had large chunks missing. GE nippers have always been great! I have never seen a bad pair, but they are more expensive.

There are different sizes of nippers, 12”, 14” and 15”. The longer they are the more leverage you have when using them. This can be an advantage if you have really hard or really over grown feet. It can also be a disadvantage because you can easily over trim. When you are learning, long nippers can be very hard to control.

I just talked to the farrier supply shop and Steve answered a very important question. We were chatting about nippers and he explained that Diamond has two different designs. The 12” and the 15” are one design and the 14” are another. Mid-Atlantic Farrier Supply does not even carry the 14” in the Diamond nippers because the quality is so poor. I bet that is what I bought years ago. He described them as “rough” and that would be an excellent way to describe the pairs that I returned. He says that the 12” and 15” are a much better quality and are a little more expensive. If you make sure to buy the better Diamonds, I am sure they would work well.

*As of early 2008, the GE nippers are $195.00 for the 14” and 15” pairs and $185.00 for the 12” nippers. The Diamond nippers are $80.00 for the 15” and $76.00 for the 12”. Remember, the 14” are crummy and only $36.00. The price alone should tell you that they are of inferior quality.

Shoe Pullers:

Here is where I buy Diamond products or even the inexpensive pullers at the feed store. Some pullers are nicer than others, but I don’t see a big enough difference to warrant the difference in price.

*As of early 2008, the Diamond shoe pullers are $52.30.

Crease Nail Pullers:

This is a real luxury item for some people and a necessity for others. Where I live and work, quarter clips on shoes are the norm. It is very hard to pull shoes that have clips unless you pull the nails first. This way I don’t tear the walls as badly. Another situation that calls for nail pullers is for horses with tender soles. They hate when the sole is used for leverage. If I have pulled the nails first, the shoe slips right off. I find this is another area where the less expensive tool works fine. I like my Diamond nail pullers.

*As of early 2008, Diamond crease nail pullers are $46.00.

*All the prices with asterisk are from Mid-Atlantic Farrier Supply. They are my local farrier supply store. They are sometimes more expensive, but give me amazing customer service. Mike and Steve May are willing and able to answer all you questions. They are very familiar with the products I use and will be able to direct you to the right tools.

Mid-Atlantic Farrier Supply

PO Box 401 (mail)
39184 John Mosby Highway
Aldie, VA 20105
Phone: 703-327-4191
Fax: 703-327-6567
Toll free phone: 1-800-321-9852
midatlantic@direcway.com

You can look up other farrier supply sources. There are many available.

Images