What do you think of this trim?

Kim Cassidy · What do you think of this trim?

Thought this was only fair since I've been critiquing Clarissa and others work. Nothing like pointing the mirror at myself, eh?

What do you think of this trim? Is it good for this horse? The environment? His riding terrain?

Just so everyone knows, I am the trimmer, so the pictures are mine to use.

appellativo

I'm not quite ready to critique your work, but maybe you could explain why you did what you did, and give a history on the horse? (you may choose to do this after others have had a chance to critique)

ForgeNHammer

I have no clue what its like to trim feet in that part of the country but, if it was here i might not trim so much off the frog or scalp it like that. Maybe brought the heels back a hair more and dressed the toe instead of just the big roll. And if it was here I would've explored the sole some more but, I'm sure he needs it there.

whudson

I think it would be great to learn the hx here and your relationship with this horse. Is this a new horse you are trimming...ie first trim, or have you been trimming this horse for a longer period ? Do you consider his hooves a work in progress or do you consider this horse finished? Is the horse showing signs of lameness?

Kim Cassidy

Of course it is a work in progress, it always is

Horse is over 20, owner bought him a month ago, seller claims horse had just been shod. This would have put the shoe job at 5 weeks. I doubt it, but this is what I had to work with.

Is being used to pony little children around and the occasional non horsey adult. Owner says he is so quiet and wonderful

I suggested we try him bare to get his shape in a better health and if he starts showing signs of shoes I'll put them on. I did warn her a lame horse is a tame horse!

I have pretrim photos but I thought there would be more discssuion before I put them up.

I did not scalp the frog, Nick. Most of it peeled off with my nippers hanging on to the apex. When it was most of the way off I used my nippers to cut the pieces still holding on. I also peeled out huge amounts of dead sole. It took all of my strength to nipper the excess wall. I would have brought the medial heel down more but didn't see it til looking at the pix.

Also I wanted him to continue to do his job of shuffling the kids around so I left him another layer of retained sole. Will do work next visit.

More pix to come.

I'll put those up later.

jokersmama

Do I see "desert thrush" ? LOL JK!

learningthedance

appellativo

one of my thoughts was since the connection down there at the bottom of the white line is so junky, is it doing any good to leave that wall there? Is it really doing any good job of supporting? (questions...all I have are questions... lol)

I probably would have removed some of the extra in the central sulcus too.

Kim Cassidy

Well in this harsh environment taking too much away can be really dangerous. That is another layer of impacted sole, but since the horse was going from shod to bare I left it. Here is what the foot looked like immediately after the shoes were removed and the sole before I started and midway thru.

This horse will "puke" off more frog and sole at the next visit. But look how much the angles changed and how much wall came off. Whats there isn't harming, I think it is protecting.

I say let him have it for now. Per the last check with the owner, horse is doing good and still giving his pony rides. Next time I'll get a body shot, wish I had when I was there, horse looked like a skeleton with skin and a little meat over it.

jokersmama

I can't wait to see how they change. 5 weeks since shoeing my butt! Those nail holes are all the way grown out.

Please keep updating this! It's so fun and educational to get to follow progress with photos.

Wow the desert does some weird looking things to hooves. SO different than my neck of the woods!! Amazing.