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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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