International Hoof Care Week on January, 2025: my horse is tripping when riding!?

International Hoof Care Week 2025. International Hoof Care Week: Can You Shoe Your Own Horses ... International Hoof Care Week:

If the tripping problem disappears after the farrier trims and shoes your horse, you will know that he should not go 6 weeks, whether is showing or not. I would think that it is very likely the long hooves are the cause of his problem.

@Judith S: I agree with most of what you are saying, but having a "certified farrier" isn't always the best measure of a farrier. The USA does not have a standard certification. You can be certified by the American Farrier Association, Brotherhood of Working Farriers, Guild of Professional Farriers, and other organizations. It seems that each school of "natural trimming" has it's own certification. One natural trimmer in our area was advertising as the "area's only degree applied equine podiatrist." Not having a clue as to what that was, I googled it, and was stunned that it basically an internet correspondence course. You took tests on line and sent in pictures. If you attend the International Hoof Care Summit in Cincinnati next week you will probably find a lot of farriers and trimmers that are not certified there. You will also find vets and some horse owners. One thing that they have in common is that they have paid money to attend, paid travel expenses to go, paid for a hotel, and are sacrificing paid work. Why have they done this? To further their education and understanding of the physiology of the horse and the horse's hoof. I'd recommend a farrier that goes to clinics, reads book and magazines, and in general continues to try to improve themselves. If you or your husband attend either the ICHS or the AFA convention this year, stop by the Crossroads Farrier Supply booth and introduce yourselves.

Need a farrier fast! Can anyone help?

ETA 2: My goodness, what a rude little person you are! I do understand being on edge due to a horse's health/soundness/comfort issues - but you ASKED, and I took a lot of my precious time to offer the advice that I thought would be helpful to you - and you turned into a foul-mouthed snarling little she-dog.

You're welcome for the time that I took to share near 40 years of horse knowledge with you.

ETA: What is a farm of table?

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You're asking people on an international forum about getting a farrier to your place in the Bedlington area.

Think about that.

Seriously, stop reading and think. You're asking people in Australia, India, USA, France, Scotland, Russia, and Nepal about finding a farrier *in the Bedlington area*. What percentage of us do you think even has an idea where Bedlington is?

Now, please think about this. You can't "correctively trim to correct severe cow hock"! Those cow hocks are his conformation, and that's the way the joints meet and function, from the P3 coffin bone inside the hoof all the way to the point of the hip and the spine. If you change one thing, you're changing the way the entire leg functions - and you can't make crooked legs straight, especially not by trimming the hooves.

The best thing for this horse is to keep his hooves balanced *to match the way he goes*, cow hocks and all. Any attempt at "correcting" him will only set him up for early-onset arthritis. At his age, it's possible that maintaining a balanced trim will minimize future worsening of his angular 'deformities', but please don't demand that a farrier try to make him go straight. You'll only shorten his useful life even more than the original cow-hocked posture would have done.

He's been getting into this condition for 6 months. Another week or two won't make a big difference in his feet, but it can make a difference in his future hoof-care behavior. It's not fair to the colt or the farrier to try to trim him if he's fearful or stressed about it, and it will set the stage for a lifetime of difficulty. Make it enjoyable to have his feet handled. Pick one up and hold it until *just before* he feels the need to pull it away. Place it down, don't let him pull it away from you, then tell him what a fine little boy he is and skritch his itchiest spot, then pick it up again in a few minutes.

At this point, don't worry about a cheap or reasonably priced farrier - look for one who knows what s/he is doing and will be patient. Be sure to tell the farrier when you call for an appointment just exactly how your colt behaves with his feet. Ask point-blank if the farrier will take the time needed to make it a good experience for the colt.

He might never be perfectly straight-legged, but with correct trimming *for his conformation*, he will probably get along nicely with his cow hocks, for a long, happy life doing almost anything that doesn't require perfect conformation or extreme athleticism.

And PLEASE don't breed him! Only the finest horses should be allowed to pass along their genes. I'm sure he'll be a lovely pleasure mount or driving horse or perform at local levels in whatever discipline you like - but that doesn't mean he is worthy of being a sire.