What part of I DON'T TRIM LIVE SOLE didn't you understand?

I guess a red flag should have popped up in my head when the subject line of the email included the phrase "high performance barefoot trimmer". That was exactly the terminology used by the last Strasser follower I crossed paths with. But this individual had found and, a logical person would have presumed by what she said in her email, read my website, which describes in detail my trimming philosophy and mentors. She was looking for a trimmer, was already on the barefoot path, and had some doubts about how her current farrier was trimming her horses. I got her on the phone and we had a fairly lengthy conversation, which included the subject of trimming toe from the bottom (bad) and beveling the wall, among other things. All tenets of a good barefoot trim. Her main concern was that several of her horses seemed to have gone flat footed after recent trims, which sang to me of a sole carved too thin, and a toe trimmed from the bottom.

It never crossed my mind to ask specifically whether she subscribed to Dr. Hiltrud Strasser's techniques; most of the folks I encounter have already ruled her ideas out. It's not a battle I generally expect to have. Why shoeing is unhealthy, well, now, that battle I have every doggone day. Why the typical pasture trim is not much better, except for the lack of nails, yep, I'm pretty used to that one, too. But my screening of new clients has not historically included a question to reveal Strasser devotees.

Now it will.

The first 3 minutes of our visit went pretty well. And then she whipped out Strasser's "text book". I immediately recoiled (lest I should turn into a pillar of salt on the spot) and explained that I find Strasser's invasive ideas unnecessary and at times quite detrimental to the comfort of the horse through the transition, and that her technique thins sole dangerously. I even warned her at that point that I might not want to get involved with trimming her horses if Strasser was part of the equation. But this gal had impressed upon me how badly she needed competent help trimming her horses, and my conviction in my trimming style is resolute, so I thought perhaps I could teach her. So I offered to at least evaluate one of her horses, explain what I saw, how I would trim and why.

The second red flag actually DID pop into my head when she brought the mare in and anchored her with cross ties. *Sigh*. Apparently the natural horsemanship aspect of my website was lost on her, too.

I then spent the better part of my afternoon being sneered at when I explained why I rarely invade the unexfoliating sole plane (sneer), why the heels and bar on a hoof with a diseased frog will grow back with a vengeance when lowered too aggressively (sneer), that treating the source of the discomfort was the most logical way to achieve healthy heel height in the shortest period of time (double sneer). I went through three of four hooves this way, doggedly ignoring her sour facial expressions and protests, pointing out what was good and bad; overall, the first three feet had adequate sole coverage; both hind feet were slightly imbalanced, but not badly; heel on the left front was a bit long, but not radically, with some contraction (hello, chlorine dioxide), and all in need of a serious beveling job.

Then I picked up hoof number four, the right front. Now, don't misconstrue this paragraph as a critique of this lady's trimming skills; my point is only how Strasser's technique struggles against what the hoof is trying so very hard to tell us. And this hoof was screaming. Aye, yay yay. Horrid contraction. Poor, sad, scrawny little blackened frog giving up the ghost in the middle. Pronounced mediolateral imbalance. Heels trying hard to touch each other, except for the fact that they had been trimmed literally almost to the bottom of the collateral groove, swooping like the runners on a rocking chair from the quarters (where she could rasp no further without quicking the horse) to bring the "length of the heel" into Strasser's parameters. The mare literally had no point of heel purchase. Opening cuts had been used to cut away and forcibly, artificially widen the heels. Aaaarrrgghhh.

I expressed concern over the way the heel had been trimmed. (Sneer.) I could not, due to the overzealous and unrelenting weekly-or-more trim jobs, tell where the hoof was wearing naturally, and suggested allowing a little more time between trims to listen to the hoof. (SNEER.) I quietly reasserted the effectiveness of chlorine dioxide soaking to eradicate chronic frog infection. When that again met with the impertinent little sneer, I cut my losses, gathered my things, and left. Enough time wasted for one day.

Much of Strasser's work which focuses on healthier horsekeeping and the evils of horseshoeing resonates with my philosophy. However, her aggressive "carve the foot you want to see" methods completely ignore the basic principles I believe are the most important to creating a truly healthy hoof, including doing everything humanly possible to make the transition comfortable for the horse. And above all, not invading the sole!!! No, you CANNOT carve concavity into the sole, unless you happen to own a mini, or a long ears, who just don't shed sole on their own. You can try, but until the sole plane reaches a healthy depth and mirrors the bottom of P3 on its own, you will fight a losing battle.

Not every horse trimmed a la Strasser will suffer. But too many do. A far less invasive approach works beautifully, with far fewer risks. Why fight what the hoof is telling you? Instead, read it, and gently fix the problem.

My new "Potential Client Questionnaire" will be available on my website soon...