Making Natural Hoof Care Work for You

This is the best hoof care book I've ever read. It is both clear and persuasive.When I became a horse owner in 1997, one of the great mysteries to me was hoof care. Everybody I talked to and everything I read told me something different. It took me a while to find a farrier I trusted, and two years later he had to give up his practice due to heath issues.About that time I attended a Clinton Anderson seminar in which he devoted almost a whole session to natural hoof care. He sang the praises of Pete Ramey. So I bought Pete's book.I was looking for a better understanding of hoof care in general, but I was also hoping to learn enough to start doing my own trimming. This book was a great help with both. Now for the first time I feel like I can look at my horse's feet and have some confidence that either they look like they're supposed to or I know what to do to make them better.I've been doing my own trimming for over a year now. Here's some advice for anyone who hopes to do the same. Ramey's book is not a beginner's guide. He assumes you already own farrier tools, know how to use them, and that you know how to stand while you pick up a horse's hoof.My advice is to start with just a $20 hoof rasp and some kind of a stand. I put a short piece of 4" PVC pipe on a wooden base, but an automotive jackstand or a real hoof stand would be better. Read the book, watch your farrier closely, ask lots of questions, and start applying what you've learned.In the beginning you won't get much done. You'll gain new respect for the difficulty of a farrier's job as you fight your horse and become exhausted before you finish the first hoof. If your horse wants to move, I find it helpful to do what Clinton Anderson calls "touch and rub" (or porcupine game in Parelli language) - cheerfully lead the horse away from the trimming area and have him turn little circles for a while, then lead him back to the trimming area and give him the option to stand quietly. Smile and repeat as necessary. At some point he will get it. The more frequently you go through the motions of trimming, the quicker your horse will learn to cooperate. My horse will stand quietly now without being tied.Even if your horse is an angel you will still become rapidly exhausted because you will be asking muscles to do something they've never done. So don't wait until it's time for the next trim before you pull out your rasp for the first time. Ramey recommends that you trim every four weeks, but I try to keep to a weekly schedule. Do what you can, concentrating on eliminating flare and maintaining a nice rolled edge on the hooves.If you miss several weeks you'll find it hard to catch up with just the rasp, and a good hoof nipper will set you back $40-$90, so you might want to call your farrier back and start over until you're satisfied you'll be doing all your own trimming. I shared the book with a friend who does his own trimming and learned a lot in a hurry by working with him.If Ramey ever comes my way with a seminar I'll try to attend. There's no substitute for being able to watch, ask questions, and get your hands dirty. Meanwhile, the book is a great resource. I think every horse owner should read it.Edit, 12/24/2009I bought some Clinton Anderson DVDs on the Black Friday sale. One of them was RFD TV Downunder Horsemanship episode 127, "Natural Hoofcare With Pete Ramey." This 2007 one hour episode of Clinton's TV show features Pete Ramey doing natural trims on two horses, with commentary as he works. Ramey's book was written in 2000, and he's learned a lot in seven years. He has become much more conservative, removing less material initially, as experience has taught him that much of what he once achieved by carving comes naturally with time. The video retails for $19.99. If you really want to master natural trimming, buy Ramey's ten DVD set, "Under the Horse," a full 20 hours of instruction for $250. He has additional DVDs available at [...]. But if you can't afford a $250 set of DVDs, the Downunder Horsemanship episode is an extremely helpful supplement to the book.

This book is an amazing resource for anyone who is interested in learning more about hoof trimming and general hoof care. Ramey uses wild horses (who have virtually no hoof problems) as an example of the ideal hoof, and explains how domestic horses should be trimmed to account for their domestication. He also takes into account that every hoof is different, and demonstrates how to read the hoof to trim it appropriately. There are tons of great pictures and case studies that are very helpful and cover a wide variety of situations and problems. While I feel like this book is definitely written in a way that most everyone can understand, I do believe it's important to have a basic understanding of hoof anatomy and trimming/shoeing practices to get the full benefit of reading it. I worked in the horse industry for about 10 years and have spent a lot of hours holding horses for various farriers (and watching and asking lots of questions), and I felt this book was very easy to understand and I learned a LOT from it. After reading it, I realized that what separates the farriers I've considered "good" vs. "bad" over the years has been the use of the techniques Ramey explains. The only farrier that's ever been able to keep my OTTB sound basically trims him exactly the way Ramey suggests! I am looking to learn more about hoof trimming so I can trim my own horses, and I think this book definitely got me off to a great start.

The third book ordered for my returning venture to trying to keep my own horses trims up to date. I am very pleased with all three and actually recommend all three-as they communicate differently-and the pictures are different, and what doesn't hit you in the nose in one-may jump out at you in another.As stated in the Novzorov book review-I also have purchased some power tools to help me- as I do not have the hand or back strength to keep all four of mine trimmed and ride them too! :)In my case-all the tools I purchased (A Ryobi cordless sander, an Electric Hoof Knife-with several discs-of which I have only had to use the heavier sander), a curved rasp from Star Ridge, and my old nippers...have got us back on track, without lameness or tenderness which they all experienced every time the farrier came-despite my begging him not to take so much...all at the cost of one and a half of his visits...a good investment if you ask me!The main critical message I have gotten from each of these books is leave the sole alone...REALLY!...I've struggled with farriers over the years with this-as it LOOKS "NEATER" if the sole is "cleaned up", the frog is pared to a neat triangle and the walls are rasped???? Get used to "balanced, but perhaps a bit rough appearance. If the horses feet are such a mess from neglect or disease-please seek a qualified farrier and keep up the maintenance!

This is a brilliant easy to read book and is the perfect introduction to those interested in keeping their horse/pony without shoes. The many photos and pictures begin the process of imprinting in your brain how a truly healthy hoof should look and if you decide to do your own trimming will help your hands in guiding the hoof towards the wild horse hoof ideal. Many of our equine friends will never achieve this ideal but if we can even come close our four legged friends will ultimately be much healthier and far more comfortable for our efforts.And isn't that what we want for our friends?

I have read a few books on natural hoof care and this one is the best so far. The explanations are clear, not verbose or patronising but thoughtful. The author clearly speaks from long experience. I liked the detailed examples where the feet of one horse have been photographed over time. Whenever I am going to trim the feet of my horses, I have a look in this book first to remind me what I am trying to achieve.

Very informative

Really good and useful read for anyone thinking about trimming your own horse. It is not a detailed how to trim guide but does give you a good idea of what can be achieved and how to go about it.

The best and easiest to comprehend book on barefoot trimming I have found. Beats Jamie Jacksons book by a country mile.