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Why the bad blood between Trimmers and Farriers.............
There is a laundry list of complaints that many farriers have with trimmers, and vice versa. I'd like to address each of these points separately, from my point of view.
- Myth:
Farriers think every horse should be shod...Fact: The truth is that farriers don't always think horses should be shod. Most farriers have at least 30% of their schedule filled with barefoot horses. They are however quicker to apply shoes to fix a problem because they have shoes available at their disposal. Trimmers are more likely to fix problems with more frequent trimmings, hoof casts, or the use of hoof boots and pads. This myth may have been hatched by a recently published article instructing farriers to maintain as many horses as possible in shoes in order to increase their bottom dollar. A $150 shoeing package is obviously far more lucrative than a $30 trim. To be fair though, a GOOD farrier won't do what is not right for the horse. Certainly though there will be those "professionals" who try to make a buck, regardless of the horses' or owners' needs. Some trimmers do this too! The horse owner is responsible for screening their hoof care provider to be certain the horse's needs are front and center.
Myth: Shoes ruin hooves...Fact: Correct shoeing applied to correctly trimmed hooves should not do harm, providing the shoeing is reset on a short schedule. What ruins hooves is bad shoeing coupled with bad trimming. Stretch that mess out to 12 weeks and you set the horse up for damage to both static and dynamic tissue.
Myth: Trimmers don't shoe because they're not capable of attaining the skills...Fact: I read this a lot but it could not be farther from the truth. Of course there are trimmers out there who can barely get out of their own way with a knife. There are farriers like that too ;-) But the majority of trimmers are highly talented and intelligent individuals who live a life dedicated to knowledge base expansion and rehabilitation and maintenance of hooves without the use of shoes. Choosing to not shoe is not the same thing as being incapable of learning the trade. Many trimmers used to be farriers but gave up shoeing.
Myth: Trimmers who used to be farriers were just terrible farriers...Fact:Of course there may be ex-farriers turned trimmers who performed less than desirable work. But the notion that a farrier would ONLY turn trimmer because he/she was bad at putting on shoes is definitely a myth. Professionals such as Pete Ramey and KC La Pierre were very good farriers for many years but eventually decided they just couldn't shoe horses anymore in good conscience. This is one way folks attack ex-farriers for leaving the profession. They cannot imagine that one would have a change of heart and thus change of profession, so it is far easier to simply attack their skills or intelligence. Petty and childish - but easier nonetheless.
Myth: Farriers have big egos and are just full of themselves...Fact: This is a tough one. True that some farriers act as if though pounding steel is the ONLY worthwhile cause in the world. Pounding steel seems to make them feel powerful and "manly" Raaaaaaaah!!!! The truth is, there are many female farriers in the world, and more yet that are very considerate, gentle individuals full of compassion and tenderness. (Sorry guys - but you know it's true). I say this is a tough one because shaping or hand making shoes is an art form as much as it is science. It takes great skill and knowledge to forge metal into a useful tool that protects horses. It is rather disingenuous and inflammatory to degrade the trade which obviously requires intense knowledge and skill in which to perform acceptably. There are some of us (like myself) who acknowledge and admire the tremendous skill set required to make shoes, but also debate that these shoes are always the best thing for our horses.
Myth: "Barefooters" think its okay for a horse to hobble around in pain for a year...Fact: "Some" barefooters might think this is okay, but any Trimmer worth passing through the pearly gates, knows that forcing an animal to live in pain is cruelty. There ARE ways to carefully manage discomfort in newly deshod horses. If a Trimmer ever tells you that it is normal for a horse to repeatedly abscess, go off feed due to pain, or hobble around miserable for a year in your dry lot, THEY ARE WRONG. This is NOT normal. Any responsible, humane professional will give you the tools to make the horse's transition to barefoot as successful and comfortable as possible. This means having hoof boots and pads on hand before the shoes are pulled off. This means being ready and willing to supply the horse a turnout area with soft footing clear of rocks. If the owner has to get their tuckus out there every day and pick out rocks, then they need to know this up front and be willing to do it until the horse's feet are accustomed to their bare state. This means giving bute if ocassionally needed. And most of all, this means knowing when it is impossible for a horse to go shoeless without strong, negative consequences to her health.
To be fair, the owner must be willing to acknowledge and accept a certain level of "inconvenience" during this transition period. The hooves are living, dynamic structure that can be conditioned and rehabilitated, just like any other dynamic tissue of the body. The owner must be willing to give the horse time off from work, and do rehabilitative work with the feet. The owner must be willing to spend money on boots and pads, and then USE THEM. Horses pulled out of shoes do NOT have to be miserable.
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