I'm throwing the trim out with the bath water until someone can prove to me 100% that the pain is actually necessary, and that it is the
only way to help horses. At no point have I said that all H. Strasser's thinking is flawed and I do of course agree with the concepts of natural living conditions and movement etc. I just want to be 100% clear about my view on that point.
This is as best as I can remember and is probably not a 100% accurate re telling of events, this is my telling of my memories.
Many may think I should not post in that case. I think I should. I could have said nothing in these circumstances but I chose to bring my experience into the public domain so that people could be aware that imo this trim, be it classic trim taught by H. Strasser or some trim done by the trimmer based on that trim, needs to be very carefully thought about before agreeing to allow it to be done. In hindsight there are direct questions that have to be asked like 'will there be pain?'
Over the past few days I have often wished I'd kept quiet I must admit but I still believe I did the best thing by being public although of course my posting may not be not balanced or clear enough.
I'm afraid I don't feel like eating anything much so no scones, with or without jam for me.
Mandal, I don't in anyway dispute what you saw. It is what I would have expected to see in a horse trimmed in that way.
I would be interested to know what the trimmers explanations were as to why she was doing things. What was her reaction when the horses were sore wallking away. Had she expected it?
You said that these horse (s) had dinner plates at the start and were several sizes smaller by the end. To achieve that I can only think that she would have drastically trimmed the flaring.
I cannot remember much emphasis being placed when we were taught (and admitedly it was only the 3 day course I did) on trimming flare. I don't remember bringing the foot forward nor using a hoof stand to take flare.
This makes me wonder if these horses had a two pronged attack. ie there was considerable trimming of flare and also lowering of the heel, taking sole and bar and frog trimming.
Not much left to trim really. ;D ;D ;D
I'll describe what I saw on one pony, I did not see it all. This pony appeared the sorest after the trim. I did not see or could hear it all and there was a lot of conversation and questioning between trimmer and OH of owner who was very interested that was done closely over the hoof.
The comments of all the people I’ve mentioned are likely not 100% accurate but are the words I remember and of course it is my understanding and the memories which are somewhat muddled.
First there had been apparently no mention that the pony might be sore before or certainly wasn't in my hearing during the trim.
The hoof was picked up, long hoof wall, slight V shaped hair line at the back of the hoof at bulbs was noted and trimmer stated this hair line should be straight. I think hoof mechanism was mentioned at this point but don’t remember for certain.
First nippers were used to remove all outer hoof wall flare outside the sole ie. up to the white line/adjacent to sole. This was done all the way round the hoof with the nippers held at 90% to the hoof held in her hand and finished with the rasp held sideways on. Explanation... 'all flare had to be removed'. I don't remember any other explanation at the time.
Next frog and neighbouring sole addressed. Tip of frog loose and over grown, trimmer stated ‘that has to go, it's not even attached, look.’ Then the frog was worked, the loose tip was removed and then frog tissue removed in slivers until it was flush with the sole at the tip, all the time also running the knife up along all aspects of the frog allowing the frog to remain slightly more raised as it neared the back of the hoof.
The sole around the frog was also addressed in between the frog being shaped trimmer said 'all had to flow up and out away from there (indicating tip of frog with her knife) in all directions to create concavity'. The back of the frog, quarter area and back of sole was addressed. The bars had also been taken level with the sole at this time but the knife work was quick, moved from area to area and I couldn't see clearly at all times. I remember lots of exchanging knives and mention of taking slivers and working carefully by the trimmer.
The owner at some point had queried about removing sole and the trimmer stood up and explained how cutting the overgrown nail on your finger was different to cutting the nail still attached to the nail bed. She pointed to the parts of her own finger to illustrate this as she explained and then returned to removing sole.
Next the bars and seat of corn were addressed along with the heels. The sole over and around the bars was removed in slivers, trimmer stated as she worked ‘I‘m taking the heels back, back‘ The owner queried what this meant "what does this taking the heels back mean?" trimmer replied words like… ’I’m taking the heels back,
back not down. I’m taking a sliver, look, I’m taking the heels back.’ There was talk of feeling different textures as well but I was feeling sick at this point. Slivers and more slivers were removed in this area on both sides. They were slivers but there was an awful lot of them. All the time she explained she was getting that concavity and getting rid of lumps and humps and taking only
a sliver (that stuck in my head). There was work on the heel height briefly with the rasp but the knives also worked here, flat, back, up and out. trimmer said 'heels must be level'.
At some point during this work at the back of the foot the owner had again queried removing sole and trimmer had said the horse will tell me. The owner at point said ‘there, she’s telling you’ and the trimmer replied ‘no, she’s not, not yet’ and continued working until the pony snatched her hoof away.
This part of the trim took by far the longest and then she went back around the sole taking off any lumps she could feel to 'get it all smooth and concave' She sighted down the back of the hoof for heel, hoof balance and concavity a few times during this.
The work was inspected by eye and any minor slivers removed as necessary from any areas that were a lump or hump with much feeling of the sole for smoothness.
Then the top of the hoof wall, held a little forward in trimmer's hand, was very lightly addressed at the bottom with a rasp mostly again round the rim of wall at the base held horizontal to the hoof. No rasping to remove flare on the outer wall was done when I watched.
The Trimmer did say she was 'making the hoof look pretty' at some point.
The hoof was put down and we were told to look at the 30% angle (to the ground) of the coronary band when an imaginary line from it met the ground.(mta. more accurately the trimmer said to look at the angle of the hair line at the top of the hoof at coronary band.) We were told to look at the new angle of the front hoof wall and told it was around 45% to the ground viewed from the side. No protractor was used to measure angles.
I did not hear many questions asked by the clients OH or the answers, just picked out the words concavity often, back, sliver and smooth repeated a few times.
When complete the solar view of the hoof showed an opaque whitish sole of a waxy appearance, a slightly grey back half of a very flat frog and two whiter lines where the bars were.
We were told to walk the pony up and down and she noted how much improved her gait was and asked us to listen to the 'clip, clop noise from her hooves as she walked, trimmer said that was good sound as it indicated good concavity, I think the trimmer‘s words were ‘Ah, that‘s a good sound, that‘s a sign the hoof mechanism will be working, that there‘s good concavity‘. The pony was then taken out and asked to stand correctly for photo graphs to show the good shoulder leg hoof alignment.
After the pony had walked up and down in the barn it was apparent she was sore. When asked why the trimmer stated that 'she was just feeling her new hooves, they will feel different but she'll soon get used to them'. After the photos the owner insisted on bringing her back into the barn and pads were fitted.
As I said the trimmer asked where those were bought and what were they made of...
I left shortly after this.
I believe from the owner that there was mention of giving devils claw when the pony was lying on the carpet and that there was a comment from the trimmer of… ‘and no grass’. The owner is still unable to remember events and comments clearly so I have stuck to what I saw and remember even though it isn’t that clear, I have said some of what I remember and believe to be fairly accurate.
I'd like to give a huge thank you to Taklishim (Pat) for her support and freely giving her experiences and advice as well as giving two pairs of boots.
I will be forever grateful.
The ponies appear comfortable but soles are flat as pancakes on the 2 that were trimmed most. One pony has a hotter hoof. The hoof wall may not have actually grown but the outer hoof is definitely flared so I'm wondering if the whole hoof has dropped and pushed the wall outwards.
Three were trimmed, one only lightly.
Mta. I described the trim on one front hoof of that pony, as far as I could see and hear the other hooves were trimmed in the same way.
a few hours after being shod! I rang my farrier and he came out and dealt with it.
Lets hope the ponies have a speedy recovery, and this thread dies.. I'm quite good at killing threads 
