Brad's Natural Hoof Care

Your regular farrier will most likely do what's called a "pasture" trim. He basically nips away any long hoof wall from the bottom of the foot, trim the frog and rasp it all flat, and he is done. If he were going to put a shoe on he would likely also pare out the dead sole before nipping the wall. This trim is basically to make the foot resemble what we commonly see in domestic horses as they age,

which is not a very good example to go by. Would you model what "the picture of health" is in people by looking at those that eat poorly and never exercise? Then why model our horses' feet after those that are already unhealthy? The sole and frog are usually left to exfoliate on their own since the dead material will help protect the sensitive tissues inside the foot. The hoof wall will not be trimmed flat to the sole, except for special reasons as needed, but will leave about 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch that is then beveled, or angled to prevent chipping and flaring. a good natural trim will mimic the wear patterns that a horse would have if our domestic horses were able to move enough over rough ground to self trim. Since our domestic horses live in unnatural situations, the need for a trim arises.