Chat
05-11-2021, 10:03 AM
Seeing someone else trim firsthand and then having them guide you through doing it yourself is the best way to learn. Quality trimmers are a must, and I love my little mini hoof rasp for filing down sharp/rough edges.
Cracks (if they happen) usually start at the bottom, and if you have an uneven or sharp edge on a hoof wall it creates a weak spot for a crack to form. Strong, well-formed hooves aren't fazed by this and they will naturally round themselves off through normal wear-and-tear as they walk. But weak or malformed hooves aren't able to properly self-trim so they tend to start cracking if you don't round that edge for them. And yes, it's the outer hoof walls and toes that need rounding. My horses' hoof trimmer once explained it to me by describing a broom handle. It's rounded on the end to help keep the handle from splitting. If you bang that rounded end on the ground it will chip before it can split. But cut the round end off flat and bang it on the ground and it won't take long for the broom handle to start splitting.
Cracks (if they happen) usually start at the bottom, and if you have an uneven or sharp edge on a hoof wall it creates a weak spot for a crack to form. Strong, well-formed hooves aren't fazed by this and they will naturally round themselves off through normal wear-and-tear as they walk. But weak or malformed hooves aren't able to properly self-trim so they tend to start cracking if you don't round that edge for them. And yes, it's the outer hoof walls and toes that need rounding. My horses' hoof trimmer once explained it to me by describing a broom handle. It's rounded on the end to help keep the handle from splitting. If you bang that rounded end on the ground it will chip before it can split. But cut the round end off flat and bang it on the ground and it won't take long for the broom handle to start splitting.