30/08/2025
Hoof care is a shared responsibility.
It’s not only up to the farrier, trimmer, or vet…the horse owner plays just as big a role. Daily care, good nutrition, and proper living conditions are just as important as professional trimming and treatment. Healthy hooves happen when owner and professional work together.
Owners are often told they shouldn't be responsible for their horse's hoofcare. That owners learning to trim is irresponsible, and their standard of work will not be as good as professional farriers or trimmers. What we have learned in Hoof Builders is that the reality is often the opposite. Owners come to us because they have run out of options, their horse isn't thriving (sometimes they are only barely surviving), and they want to see if they can do it themselves. Nothing about the journey they undertake is easy, but that doesn't mean they can't be successful.
We don't believe in gatekeeping knowledge, using fancy terminology for the sake of looking smart, or insisting on having a huge range of expensive tools and equipment. The only minimum requirements for Hoof Building are a rasp and a loop knife, the physical ability to pick up and hold a hoof, and the willingness to struggle through learning something new.
This is an excerpt from some feedback given by David in our Hoof Builders Facebook group:
“Struggling is a good word for trimming horses' feet. I do a lot of that myself. Some horses stand nice and have difficult feet, some have easy feet but don’t stand good, and some don’t stand good and have difficult feet.
Learning to trim properly is challenging. Especially the frogs. Personally, I think that’s why so many horses have hoof problems. A lot of professionals are having the same problems.
I have the most success making trimming easier for someone when I can show them how to hold the foot and use the tools in person. That’s how I learn best too.
In the meantime, just pick one foot to trim. Don’t think about the other three or make it a project to get a horse trimmed.
Get a brand new rasp and sharpen your knife really good.
Go out to your horse and clear your mind.
Picture the back of the frog and how you’re going to smooth those dead lumps off with the rough side of your rasp. Then take a few light strokes to get the rasp flowing and gradually press harder as you feel you’re in a rhythm. Finish with the fine side. Don’t forget to breathe or your strokes get short and choppy.
If you start to struggle, put the foot down and pet the horse. When you’re ready again, pick up the foot and do some more. When you get that done, put the foot down and pet the horse.
If you’re still in the mood, then pick the foot back up and smooth down the inside edges of the central sulcus the same way.
Do another foot the next day.
It’ll all come together over time."
Pictured: Karyn & Billy at a clinic in NSW ❤️
