--- Renee Martin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Sylvia, > Your farrier should trim and shoe your horse to whatever it's > NATURAL > angles are -- just like any other horse, gaited or non-gaited. > The only > time you would be interfering with your horse's natural gait is if > you went > against that basic good farrier practice.
Well since we are in the farrier business...I will just say a few things on this HOT subject. Many many farriers do not trim to the horses natural angles, many certified or AFA or cowboy shoers, whatever. Many just trim the same trim on whatever horse they are doing...it is much faster that way. Some like exact angles on the fronts and the hinds. I know some farriers that are seen as good farriers because the feet look sooooo pretty afterwards ie. The heel is high, the toe is short, the nails are PERFECT looking and you can put a dime around the shoe, which is a AFA standard BTW. The trim should follow the sole plane to most benerfit your horse, the natural way the hoof grows.... I will say that some clients want cetain angles on their horses feet, believe me it is more common than what you might think. We quit a ranch job becuase the owner wanted all the QH and the Welsh ponies to have a 55% angle on the front and a 59-60% angle on the hinds, no matter what...dealing with people can be a little more difficult than you might think. SOme of them have some weird ideas, some of it based on how it looks, like if it looks pretty that is best for the horse > > You know, it would kind of bug me if a farrier asked me this > question. . . > I would wonder why she doesn't go by the individual horse standing > before > her in determining how best to trim (and then shoe) that particular > horse. > The answer is right in front of her, you know? Many farriers might ask that, especially a first time client....as you do not want to start off doing a trim that they deem weird. Like if the angles were really high and they started to change them without talking to you about it and then the horse moved differently, or it looked different you might not like it. And remember most farriers are not communication wizards, and every trim or shoe job pays a bill. Sally just will do what is in the best interest of the horse period......and sometimes you give clients up because of what you believe. Skye Fire Island Eco-Treks-808-443-6085 Fire Island Professional Farrier Service-640-6080
