Pro tip: Leaving heel long on trims cuts down on soreness

Most farriers trim heels real short, saying it's best for balance. I started leaving more heel after seeing horses limp post-trim. Now those horses walk out fine and stay sound longer. It goes against what many teach, but I stand by it. My callbacks for soreness have dropped big time.

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bell.emma6mo ago

My buddy's mare used to get footsore every trim until his new farrier left the heels up. Now she's totally comfortable walking right out of the barn.

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perez.mia4mo ago

Did your buddy notice if the farrier took any off the toe too? I had a friend with a paint who was sore for days after trims until her farrier left the heel alone and just shortened the toe a bit. That mare started walking out sound just like your buddy's horse, no more limping or looking at the farrier like he was the devil.

9

sean_williams706mo ago

How much heel did the farrier leave? @bell.emma, that's key since over-trimming the back often causes soreness. I've seen horses walk fine right after a trim when the heels are kept up.

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