New Shoes & Trimmed Feet

This morning, Jim Bergevin, our farrier (horse shoer) came to Fish Bowl to take care of all the horses' feet. Some of us are barefoot, some wear shoes only on our front feet, and some wear shoes on all four feet. I am barefoot right now, but will have shoes put on next time Jim is here since lessons will be in full swing by then and I'll need some protection from excess wear on my hooves. Since I don't wear shoes, I just have my hooves trimmed when Jim visits every 6-8 weeks. Three of us are barefoot right now: me, Blossom, who stays barefoot all year around, and Jynx, who will be barefoot until she learns to be ridden as a 3 year old. Jynx has learned to stand pretty well for Jim to trim her hooves. He uses a tool called nippers to trim the hooves and then a rasp to smooth them. It doesn't hurt to have our feet trimmed; it's just like having your finger nails trimmed. Hooves grow, just like hair and nails. A farrier neesd to know where and how much to trim, and how to keep the hooves balanced and correct so it feels good for us to move. It's a technical job, and one that requires understanding how horses move, the anatomy of feet and legs, the proper use of the tools and how to handle horses.

Inigo and Nils wear shoes only on their front feet. Did you know horses naturally carry two thirds of their weight on their front feet? They do! Inny and NIls are quite good for Jim, standing quietly as he moves from foot to foot to pull the front shoes, trim all the hooves, and shape and nail on the new shoes on the fronts. Jim uses a forge to heat up the steel shoes and shape them with his hammer and tools so each shoe fits each foot correctly, and then he nails them on.

Braeburn and Echo both wear shoes on all four feet. Echo used to go barefoot, but she is ridden regularly, and the shoes protect her feet from wear. Echo's shoes will be drilled and tapped for studs the next time Jim is here. Studs are like cleats: they are removable traction devices for horseshoes, and will give her traction on slippery grass.

The shoe in this picture is one of mine, pulled last Fall when lessons were over for the year. Horse shoes are fun to make into picture frames or hang over door ways. Remember, if you hang up a shoe to hang it open end up... that way you'll keep all the good luck in the shoe!