The Mustang Roll Barefoot Trimming

07/11/2024

This dude. He’s one of my favorites, he’s such a goofball. And he’s TALL.
His right front was pretty messed up, extremely tall heels, that hoof was quite a lot smaller, very over at the knee and he wouldn’t stand on that leg much. If he did it would shake.
Working on getting the heel down, it was almost twice the height it is now and I’m taking it sort of slow so as to allow the hoof to make the changes it needs and not over stress the tendons in that leg. But he stands on that leg a whole lot better and can really move out.

04/11/2024

This.

👉 YOU GET THE TRIM YOU STAND FOR 👈

Period.

- Training/Behaviors: It is NOT the job of the hoof care provider to train your young or green horse to stand for trims WHILE trying to trim them. It is the responsibility of the of the horse owner to work with the horse before calling out the HCP and setting the horse up for a comfortable, calm appointment. Of course we will work with you and your baby brained equine as they grow and mature, but do not expect picture perfect trims if said equine cannot hold still enough for them. And do not expect us to wrestle with them if they are not ready.

- Pain: Pain is a FACTOR, not an EXCUSE. Ooooo. I may ruffle feathers with this one. Pain? Behavior? Both? A horse with an old injury, arthritis, etc will need special considerations during hoof care appointments. Yes, 100%. But also realize, PAIN INFLUENCES BEHAVIOR, and can most certainly make for undesirable and dangerous behaviors at that. *Again, it is not the HCP's job to put themself at risk working with an uncooperative equine for any reason.* If you have a horse in pain, it is YOUR job as the owner or caretaker to properly manage that pain and work with the horse to find ways for them to stand through trims as comfortably as possible. Without this attention, behaviors like ripping legs away, kicking out, biting, avoiding, etc. can develop. Just because they are defensive responses due to pain, DOES NOT MEAN THE HCP HAS TO PUT THEMSELF AT RISK DEALING WITH THEM. (Can I get an Amen?) The pain brings about the behavior. If the horse truly cannot stand for trims in a way that works for them AND the HCP due to pain and dysfunction, then that's another conversation about quality of life.

My shoulder was injured last November due to being ripped around by uncooperative horses. It will never be the same. I can speak for countless HCPs when I say we've been injured (sometimes permanently) in our work. Working with horses comes with a risk. Things happen. One way we can reduce those risks is to be selective with the animals we take on. This is our livelihood. These are the only bodies we get. There is no magic farrier dust that comes out of our rasps that solves behavior challenges, regardless of where those behaviors stem from. With these challenging situations, expect either an incomplete trim, or no trim at all. We have limits.

Some tips:

-Take the time! Pick up. Put down. Repeat. Do it again. Hold it longer. Repeat. Build strength and duration and in doing so it will also build trust and patience. We come out once a month. There is no progress if the only hoof handling the horse gets is during appointments.

-Manage the pain! Daily CBD, Equioxx, strength building through appropriate exercise, massage, etc. Make sure the approach to pain management matches the level of pain the horse is in! CBD is great but they may need something more like Equioxx. Equioxx is great but if the pain is acute, maybe some bute or dorm gel needs to be on board.

-Find what works! If a horse has limited range of motion, train them to prop their hoof on something close to the ground and STAND STILL in that spot. Find where they are comfortable and train them to hold there. Home Run Hoofstand LLC is a neat creation for those horses who need their limbs low!

-Think outside the box- Clicker training, "open bar" feeding with hay pellets, tying up a hay net, etc. can be low stress ways to help keep the horse distracted enough to let us HCPs do the work that needs to be done.

The point is, there are numerous ways to address hoof care hiccups. In order for a horse to remain on the schedule, I have to first be able to trim them without putting my physical wellbeing at risk. Horses with repeated and unaddressed challenging behaviors will not be kept on the rotation for long. Losing my physical ability to work is not worth your horse's hooves.

29/10/2024

Horses, donkeys….horses getting their bellies scratched…lol

23/10/2024

Some great ones of my good friend Mac and his herd.

23/10/2024

Some really funny pictures and a couple of real cool ones with those clouds!

23/10/2024

17/10/2024

AS OF JANUARY 1, this is my fee and the acknowledgment that I will be handing out to be signed:

•$50 per horse/donkey/mini/pony (regular/maintenance trim)
I do not do draft horses.
There are no discounts because your horse is tiny or because you have multiple horses. 😊 Reminder: This is a professional service and you are paying for my knowledge, expertise, and experience, not for the time it takes me to trim your horse.

•Payment is due at the time of service. Period. I will charge $5 per day each day I do not receive payment. Disagreement over this fee will result in termination of my service. If you need additional days, I’m happy to work with you as long as you talk to me about it ahead of time.

•I prefer cash or check. I will accept Venmo or PayPal upon prior discussion/approval.

•I charge a $20 no-show fee. Per horse. If I show up to our appointment and somebody is not there to catch and hold horses, horses cannot be caught or located, the fee applies. My time is worth quite a lot to me. The fee should be paid before our next appointment.
(IF YOU DO NOT RESPOND to a confirmation/reminder text, please note that I will not show up!)

•$20 flat fee for SAME DAY cancellation.

•Shoe removal: $60, trim included, whether I pull 2 or 4 (or 3…) 😆 Shoe removal must be scheduled when making the appointment, not added in at the last minute, as this takes more time and I need to schedule accordingly.

•.60 per mile (one way) if over 50 miles, no exceptions.

•If the horse is nuts, I may be inclined to charge extra. If I feel that anyone, including myself, is not safe, I will likely choose to call off the attempt. If you need help teaching the horse to stand and it is beyond your capabilities (skills or time), I have several trusted sources I can refer to you. If you’re willing to put in the work, I can show you what to do.

•I am not chasing or catching horses (or finding it in acres of woods). My time and safety is worth something. I fully expect the horses to be caught and ready, or at least in a pen/corral. I do expect you/someone to hold horses.

•$75 if I get kicked (or kicked at) and I will likely call it off. Full charge ($50/ horse) if I come and cannot trim because said horse is wild. No sense in lying to me that the horse stands if they do not.

•If the horse is LONG overdue for a trim, I will be inclined to charge more since this takes much more time and is much more difficult….. particularly if the horse does not stand well.

•I have a strict policy about staying on a schedule. I am not interested in trimming a horse once or twice a year. If a schedule is not something you can commit to, this will not work out.

•Boot measurement: no charge

•Slight additional fees for crack filling, glue on shoes, sole guard, hoof armor, white line/thrush treatment, etc., depending on what you want done.

•I work on horse time, not people time. I try VERY hard to schedule accordingly and am on time 99% of the time. Anyone who knows horses knows they don’t have any regard for time. If I’m going to be late, or early, I try to text you and let you know. I appreciate the same if you are running behind so that I can let the next client know.

•I will come rain, snow, or shine, just so long as I have an adequate dry area to work in. While I do know that horses get muddy, I don’t expect to trim in wet or muddy areas. This is not safe for the horse to stand on three legs, nor is it safe for me to try and balance while I’m sliding around.

•Dogs: I realize most farms have dogs. I love dogs. I don’t, however, love dogs jumping on my car. You’ll notice that my car is well kept and well maintained. If your dog jumps on my car, there’s definitely going to be a problem and if it gets scratched by your dog, I will expect remuneration for my expense to fix it.
Also I would prefer dogs to be put up or at least kept out from under the horse while I’m trimming. While your horses may be used to the dogs, this scenario does present a safety hazard for me while I’m working.
Same applies to your children being under the horse while I’m working. I never mind watchers, but prefer them to be at a safe distance in case something does happen.

•There are many other scenarios I come across that I will be forced to use my discretion. Bottom line is I will not put myself, the horse, or the handler, or anyone near, in danger. This acknowledgement just states that you have read and understand these expectations.

17/10/2024

PEOPLE.
IF YOU DO NOT SHOW UP FOR AN APPOINTMENT, THERE WILL BE A $20 FEE PER HORSE THAT WAS SCHEDULED.
PERIOD.
My time is worth a GREAT DEAL to me.
I will be posting my “requirements” once again as a reminder, and as of January 1 I will be requiring a signed copy that you acknowledge and understand this in order for me to continue to offer my services.

15/10/2024

This is the rehab case in KS, the one with horrible feet (I’ll put a pic in the comments) that were LITERALLY falling apart. He’s doing so great. I couldn’t be happier about his progress. And the best part…he’s happy and comfortable!

15/10/2024

This is the same boy that took a dip in the pond right before I got there the last time! Lol. He didn’t smell like stinky rotten fish today! Lol. He’s a pretty boy. Thank you for not being gross today Levi. 🤭🤣