How to Trim Horse Hooves: My 6-Step PAPSEE Method for Safely & Quickly Learning Barefoot Trimming

Book Synopsis: The resource I needed to learn to trim hooves didn't exist when I started out. So, I spent years creating it. This book is the result.

"Hoof trimming isn't something you can just learn in a book and do by yourself," they said. And it made sense.

But learning to trim my own horses' hooves wasn't really a choice. Rather, I was desperate for this information because I couldn't find a qualified farrier within driving distance of my remote farm. I heard the argument more than once that trimming my own equine was not the solution, yet there wasn't another option.

It took me years of in-depth research, money spent on tools, trial and error, frustration, more research, more books purchased, and more videos watched, but now my barefoot trimming technique leaves my horse and donkey with healthier, better-functioning feet trimmed to the proper angle than any of my previous farriers managed. Now, I've condensed everything I learned over my journey into an easy-to-apply format for you to learn the same for your animals.

You won't have to spend months on trial and error because I share clear directions for how to use each tool, when to use it, how to safely handle it, and exactly what the proper technique should look like.

About the Author:

My approach to hoof trimming is conservative. My method balances the theoretical ideal of the mustang hoof with the reality of today's domestic horse-keeping.

I believe the horse hoof evolved to best meet the needs of wild horses in their native environments, and I also understand that domestic horses today are kept in very different environments that change the way their hooves function and grow, which in turn needs to influence the way our horses' hooves are maintained.

I believe that horse owners who seek education and improvement while respecting the seriousness of hoof health can safely learn to trim and manage their own horse's hooves, even through an unconventional method such at this book and, for interested students, my e-course. I do also, truly, understand that I am teaching a very complex skill, and that my method may not be well-received by professional trimmers and farriers in the industry. I have incredible respect for equine professionals who maintain the health of horse hooves for their clients. I also understand that not every horse has access to a qualified trimmer or farrier – because I found myself in this very situation just a few years ago. For that reason, I believe not only that horse owners can learn to perform this skill safely for their animals, but also that, in many cases, it is of the utmost importance that they do learn to trim their own animals, and quickly.

I understand the discrepancy between the theoretical best-case scenario that would have an educated, well-trained farrier available to serve every animal around the world, versus the reality that factors such as location, cost, and the temperament of an individual animal often preclude access to professional services.

I embrace the solution of equipping motivated horse owners to make positive decisions for animals in their care, to include trimming their own animals' hooves. I also understand that supporting and facilitating this solution through affordable access to educational resources may result in backlash from industry professionals.

Still, I created my book and course to fulfill a real need not only in the United States, but worldwide. I am based in the United States, and while I have lived in five different states across the country, I have never lived abroad. The information I provide in this book may favor the traditional methods of caring for horses in the United States, but the trimming skills that I teach in this book are applicable to any horse, anywhere.