I used to think a quick trim was fine for a slightly long toe, but this one horse changed my mind

I was working on a big warmblood last week who had a toe that was maybe a quarter inch too long. My old habit was to just take it down quick with the nippers and call it good. But this time, the owner, who's a dressage trainer, asked me to really roll that toe back and take more off the quarters to help his breakover. I was a bit unsure, but I did it. Saw the horse again yesterday for a reset, and the owner said his movement was way better, no more stumbling on turns. She showed me a video and you could really see the difference. It clicked for me that even a small change in the foot shape can make a huge difference in how they move, not just how it looks. I guess I was being lazy before, thinking 'close enough' was fine. Has anyone else had a client point out something that made you change a basic part of your routine?

2 comments

2 Comments

adam_nguyen78d ago

I mean, that's awesome it worked out, but a quarter inch is actually a pretty big change, not a small one. Idk, maybe it's just me, but I'd be careful taking that much off in one go on a horse that wasn't used to it. You can get into soreness issues if you change the breakover point too fast.

paulw638d ago

Yeah, reminds me of a pony that went dead lame after a too-aggressive trim.