Pro tip: Leaving heel long on trims cuts down on soreness

Most farriers trim heels real short, saying it's best for balance. I started leaving more heel after seeing horses limp post-trim. Now those horses walk out fine and stay sound longer. It goes against what many teach, but I stand by it. My callbacks for soreness have dropped big time.

3 comments

3 Comments

bell.emma2mo agoMost Upvoted

My buddy's mare used to get footsore every trim until his new farrier left the heels up. Now she's totally comfortable walking right out of the barn.

perez.mia26d ago

Did your buddy notice if the farrier took any off the toe too? I had a friend with a paint who was sore for days after trims until her farrier left the heel alone and just shortened the toe a bit. That mare started walking out sound just like your buddy's horse, no more limping or looking at the farrier like he was the devil.

sean_williams702mo ago

How much heel did the farrier leave? @bell.emma, that's key since over-trimming the back often causes soreness. I've seen horses walk fine right after a trim when the heels are kept up.