07/29/2026
I can’t believe I have to make this post, but after some “drama” on a recent post, here goes.
I do not follow a specific trim method.
In fact, I don’t believe there is any one trim method.
I believe in constant continuing education for the good of the horse - even if it challenges our ideas.
I believe in NOT sticking to an “ideal” - as this is often to the detriment of the horse.
I think forcing a specific trim based on our ideals or even “our training” oftentimes does a disservice to the horse.
I do not believe in any one “hoofcare guru” or a certain “Way” in hoofcare.
I am absolutely not against learning from an organization or going through a hoofcare school, of course! I am a member of, and mentor for, an international hoofcare organization (PHCP), and one of the most amazing things about it is there is no one trim style or method in the organization - which allows all of us to discuss and collaborate on difficult cases across the world, to find solutions for our clients that we may not have originally thought of. That’s why I decided on that program.
I see every single horse as an individual, and decide what I’m going to do in a trim based on many factors:
-How the horse walks up for the trim
-How the horse chooses to stand/their posture
-How the horse shifts its weight when I ask for a hoof to be lifted
-How a horse rests their legs or feet after a hoof is placed down
-The depth of the collateral grooves
-The health of the frog
-The appearance of the sole (waxy? Chalky? Almost translucent? “Orange” colored? Flexible?)
-The health and appearance of the white line
-The horse’s ability to stretch each limb - whether just holding up a foot, or when asked to maneuver it away from the body to assess the soft tissue mobility
-The thickness and health of the hoof wall
-The horse’s diet
-The horse’s metabolic status
-The horse’s living environment
-The horse’s job and workload
-The owner’s ability to implement changes in management if needed
Any and all of these can affect what I remove, what I leave, and overall my plan and goal for the horse.
And even with all this information, we can be wrong. The HORSE is the ultimate judge - not a textbook, not the radiographs, not the heel height, not some instructor who has an idea of how the trim should be.
The horse tells us if the trim is right…. by their movement, comfort, posture, and soundness.
Are there landmarks in the hoof we can look to? Sure. Are they never-changing constants that should always be trimmed to? Absolutely not.
The internal structures, pathology, and distortion/inflammation can affect the external structures and landmarks, and even where they exist on the hoof.
I will never tell you what you MUST do in a trim. I will never say there is only one correct way.
And yes, I admit, I will get grumpy if you try to tell me there is only one way to do things and it works for all horses. And it may come out as defensive, or annoyed, or angry.
Because if I leave this hoofcare industry having left behind one bullet point, it would be this:
Horses don’t read your textbooks, blog posts, webinars, or courses - and they are living creatures in front of you at the mercy of whatever you decide to put them through.
Please make dang sure that what you put them through has their interests at heart.
❤️Your Grumpy FB Page Admin
