# Lucy Priory Barefoot Trimmer



## unbalanced (13 December 2011)

Does anyone know Lucy Priory? Is she good? I have been googling barefoot trimmers as I am umming and ahhing about whether to take pony's shoes off. Instructor thinks it's an excellent idea, vet said backs would be alright but not fronts as she's had laminitis, farrier said I could try the backs off but only the fronts off if she's not doing much work... I am changing my mind every five minutes here. 
If I do it she will have one more set of shoes next week, possibly with backs off but not sure about that either (as I'm going home for Christmas so will be doing loads and loads of hacking and roadwork and need her to be happy with it). 
I just keep reading these threads here which tell me how much healthier she would be without the damn shoes, my instructor is convinced it would be good for her, and my pony seems to be joining the barefoot 'convince me' team as the other morning I found she'd pulled a haynet down and got it caught in both back shoes so her back feet were effectively tied together. I had to cut it out. Helpful animal. 
Anyway. Lucy Priory? Or other Essex trimmers? I currently box her up to a farrier up in Suffolk for four shoes.


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## cptrayes (13 December 2011)

She is very VERY knowledgeable. Look at her blog for her EPSM  mare Grace that she rescued from the sales.


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## Jesstickle (13 December 2011)

She posts on here I think?


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## ThePony (13 December 2011)

She posts on here and writes an excellent blog. Always struck me as very knowledgeable with a great questioning and open approach.


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## paddy555 (13 December 2011)

http://www.barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/


this is Lucy's blog. There should be enough info on there to keep you going for a bit.


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## Gracie (15 December 2011)

I've been working with Lucy and my barefoot TB for about a year now. Her advice has been invaluable. I couldn't say it was an easy change from what we all know as traditional feeding, shoeing methods and farriery, partly because when keeping a horse at livery, most people don't know much about being barefoot, and therefore think you are either slightly wierd, or just plain wrong which can be frustrating. 

Going barefoot involves more than I expected (it is a lot about nutrition and exercise) however my horse's feet have changed so much for the better. We still have a long way to go, but I've been very happy with our progress, and everything Lucy has taught me makes sense. She's worth meeting


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## brucea (15 December 2011)

Lucy's cool - go for it.


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## tallyho! (15 December 2011)

Yes def Lucy... she hasn't been on here for a while but she is ace.


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## Oberon (15 December 2011)

Lucy is one of the good guys.


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## Lanky Loll (16 December 2011)

Just curious but why not just use your farrier


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## Nocturnal (16 December 2011)

TheHappyElf said:



			Just curious but why not just use your farrier 

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Doesn't sound like she'd get much support from her farrier...


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## Lanky Loll (16 December 2011)

farrier sounds more supportive than the vet though - he's said happy to take off the backs but only take the fronts off if they're only doing light work which makes sense to me.  Transitioning to unshod alround whilst in heavy work can be difficult no matter who is looking after the feet.


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## MerrySherryRider (16 December 2011)

Gracie said:



			I couldn't say it was an easy change from what we all know as traditional feeding, shoeing methods and farriery, partly because when keeping a horse at livery, most people don't know much about being barefoot, and therefore think you are either slightly wierd, or just plain wrong which can be frustrating. 

Going barefoot involves more than I expected (it is a lot about nutrition and exercise) however my horse's feet have changed so much for the better.
		
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I don't think this is totally true. Dietry and exercise advice found on Barefoot web sites is just good horse care. Many of us traditionalists keep our horses like this and I have both unshod and shod horses in full work with the excellent expertise of my farrier. 
 Pumping a horse full of sugar, not balancing its diet and leaving it to stand in a muddy field or soggy stable and exercising it once a week is bad for any horse whatever side of the camp you're on.


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## Oberon (16 December 2011)

TheHappyElf said:



			Just curious but why not just use your farrier 

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Lucy is very good at her job.

What's wrong with using her if the OP wants to?


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## Lanky Loll (16 December 2011)

Oberon said:



			Lucy is very good at her job.

What's wrong with using her if the OP wants to?
		
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Nothing at all, but IF the OP has a good relationship with their farrier, and IF the farrier is supportive which they seem to be then why change?


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## Lady La La (16 December 2011)

TheHappyElf said:



			farrier sounds more supportive than the vet though - he's said happy to take off the backs but only take the fronts off if they're only doing light work which makes sense to me.  Transitioning to unshod alround whilst in heavy work can be difficult no matter who is looking after the feet.
		
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like.


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## Oberon (16 December 2011)

TheHappyElf said:



			Nothing at all, but IF the OP has a good relationship with their farrier, and IF the farrier is supportive which they seem to be then why change?
		
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IME some farriers are only supportive to a certain point. As soon as there is a snag, the answer is to put the shoes back on.

OP's farrier has said, "only if she's not doing much work".

This doesn't sound particularly BF supportive to me:/

Lucy (or any decent trimmer) will see a problem and try to find the solution rather than masking it with shoes. 

But that is tempered with the acceptance that if the issue affecting the horse's comfort cannot be resolved (owner won't change diet etc) then shoes are the better option - they will then refer the owner back to a farrier.


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## Lady La La (16 December 2011)

Oberon said:



			Lucy (or any decent trimmer) will see a problem and try to find the solution rather than masking it with shoes.
		
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Why when your barefoot trimmer fixes an issue do you say it is solved, but when a farrier fixes an issue you say it is 'masked' ?

Just curious


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## MerrySherryRider (16 December 2011)

Oberon said:



			IME some farriers are only supportive to a certain point. As soon as there is a snag, the answer is to put the shoes back on.
		
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This farrier bashing is what I find unfair.
 I've had some brilliant farriers who have to deal with all sorts of owners, Barefoot trimmers usually have owners who are motivated to look after their horse's feet, farriers have to deal with the owners who have no intention of ever looking at the holistic health of their horse. The owners who leave a cheque in the feed room and turn up to find their horse with 4 shoes freshly applied and maybe only book the farrier when the shoes have worn out.

 I've listened to the frustration of farriers who deal with these owners but what do they do ? Refuse to care for the horse and blacklist the owner with their colleagues ?

 I've had a farrier leave his supper to come within 15 minutes, with swollen arms, to replace a lost shoe on my horse for no charge. He wasn't even my farrier. Why ? Because he cared about the welfare of horses.


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## Lanky Loll (16 December 2011)

horserider said:



			This farrier bashing is what I find unfair.
 I've had some brilliant farriers who have to deal with all sorts of owners, Barefoot trimmers usually have owners who are motivated to look after their horse's feet, farriers have to deal with the owners who have no intention of ever looking at the holistic health of their horse. The owners who leave a cheque in the feed room and turn up to find their horse with 4 shoes freshly applied and maybe only book the farrier when the shoes have worn out.

 I've listened to the frustration of farriers who deal with these owners but what do they do ? Refuse to care for the horse and blacklist the owner with their colleagues ?

 I've had a farrier leave his supper to come within 15 minutes, with swollen arms, to replace a lost shoe on my horse for no charge. He wasn't even my farrier. Why ? Because he cared about the welfare of horses.
		
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like

I'll admit I'm the daughter of a farrier - so yes I am probably biaised in their favour.  
BUT I've watched my dad work with many different people over the years to do the best for their horses, he's worked alongside other farriers and vets to develop new methods of treatment and is open to alternative ideas.  Our own horses are only shod when necessary and any that are shod have their shoes removed for any time off.

what I don't like is the assumption that a trimmer must be better, and is the only way forward for unshod


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## eatmoremincepies (16 December 2011)

Unfortunately for a lot of people a trimmer is better than the standard of local farriery . .    I count myself extremely lucky to have found an excellent farrier who gets very good long term results.   

Many acquaintances around here either change farriers regularly as the feet deteriorate after a few shoeings, or end up with lameness problems either caused or exacerbated by badly balanced feet.  Flat feet and underrun heels are so commonplace that they are regarded as normal . . 

There are good farriers around but very few, and I think the average local trimmer is better at balancing a foot than the average local farrier.   Certainly around here.  So in a way I can understand why some people might think a trimmer is always better.

Luckily most barefoot people are a bit less shall we say "evangelical" than they used to be, and realise that unless you have the right facilities or don't ride much, shoeing by a good farrier can be the best option.   

Mine has fronts on mostly, hinds only if he needs studs, and is barefoot on holiday (or in light work, if ground is ok).


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## Lady La La (16 December 2011)

eatmoremincepies said:



			Luckily most barefoot people are a bit less shall we say "evangelical" than they used to be, and realise that unless you have the right facilities or don't ride much, shoeing by a good farrier can be the best option.
		
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I wish that was true..


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## tallyho! (16 December 2011)

I think we should stop slagging off trimmers. Farriers out there have wrecked many a horse in the past. 

Farriers train at a foundry for 4 weeks and then start as an apprentice. You try googling farrier as a career and see what the syllabus is compared to a fully qualified trimmer. There are conscientious farriers out there who love horses and are passionate about their trade. There are trimmers out there who have the same passion and were probably motivated by a difficult experience like I was. 

Farriery can be subsidised by the govt but trimming is not and is funded by riders themselves.

Knowing what I know now, I would trust any EP or uknhcp trimmer to trim my horse and selected farriers only. Not all farriers can do a performance trim and I am surprised so few want to learn. Learn from the people who know hooves... I don't regret it and do my own now.


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## unbalanced (16 December 2011)

I talked to Lucy and I think I will be giving barefoot a go after next shoeing cycle, although pony is getting shod tomorrow as I am off work for two weeks and plan to do lots of hacking which wouldn't be fair with her newly barefoot. 
Being new to the area, I have only used my farrier once so far. He is YO's farrier and she boxes us up to him - he doesn't travel and has a forge about an hour and a half away from us. He is very well qualified as far as shoeing is concerned. When I moved here I asked her to recommend a farrier and she wasn't happy to recommend anyone local, only this guy, and as my horse was in remedial shoes (egg bars and lateral extensions behind at the time) I decided to make the effort to travel to the person she was most confident in. So that is the story behind the farrier. He told my my horse didn't need egg bars only the lateral extensions. 

Lucy sounds lovely, both to talk to and from your recommendations on here. She would be able to travel to us and help us with diet as well.


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## Oberon (16 December 2011)

Hho Hho Hho said:



			Why when your barefoot trimmer fixes an issue do you say it is solved, but when a farrier fixes an issue you say it is 'masked' ?

Just curious 

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I was referring to masking a problem by just putting shoes on and not dealing with the underlying issue (such as diet, thrush, weak heels etc).

Not every farrier reacts this way, but I have seen (and heard from others) some farriers insisting on putting shoes on horses, "Just in case" or as soon as there is the smallest problem.

In some horses this is the kindest option. But it shouldn't be the only answer every time.
Every horse is an individual and should be treated as such - surely we can agree on that?


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## Oberon (16 December 2011)

horserider said:



			This farrier bashing is what I find unfair.
 I've had some brilliant farriers who have to deal with all sorts of owners, Barefoot trimmers usually have owners who are motivated to look after their horse's feet, farriers have to deal with the owners who have no intention of ever looking at the holistic health of their horse. The owners who leave a cheque in the feed room and turn up to find their horse with 4 shoes freshly applied and maybe only book the farrier when the shoes have worn out.

 I've listened to the frustration of farriers who deal with these owners but what do they do ? Refuse to care for the horse and blacklist the owner with their colleagues ?

 I've had a farrier leave his supper to come within 15 minutes, with swollen arms, to replace a lost shoe on my horse for no charge. He wasn't even my farrier. Why ? Because he cared about the welfare of horses.
		
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I stated my opinion was IME. I was not (and never do) farrier bashing (apart from that one thread in Veterinary last week)

I turned to BF trimmers after using farriers for 14 years, purely because the last one watched his apprentice make my horse bleed in BOTH front hooves (this was a simple trim in a healthy, well mannered, horse). No apology or explanation was offered. I now know they saw the natural dimple in both fronts and decided to go digging into the sole - both illegal and unethical

I have been using the same UKNHCP trimmers for the last 4 years and they would NEVER do that. Within two minutes of looking at my boy for the first time, they knew exactly what those dimples were too and why they were there.

My beloved Arab had sulcus thrush for at least 13 years. No farrier ever mentioned it. I always thought he was 'funny' about having his frogs touched...but it was pain

It was one of the first things the BF trimmers said to me.....and when I failed to treat it to their standards I got my arse kicked!

I am afraid BF trimmers don't have any easier a time of it than farriers tend to do. Non compliant owners are very common. I wasn't non compliant, just REALLY stupid! But there are many people out there who just can't or won't listen to advice and then blame the trimmers when the horse is sore.

Trimmers, however, DO have it easier in that they are often in such demand (the good ones) that they can be picky about who they do business with. And if they find someone they can't work with, they will often refer back to the farriers and just dump them.

The OP was asking about a specific trimmer. I just don't feel she should be made to feel like she's doing something wrong by considering using a reputable trimmer over a farrier. 

There's room in this world for both.


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## cptrayes (16 December 2011)

Hho Hho Hho said:



			Why when your barefoot trimmer fixes an issue do you say it is solved, but when a farrier fixes an issue you say it is 'masked' ?

Just curious 

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Because if you take the shoes off again and the horse still has the same problems that it had when you put them on, nothing has been fixed, it was just masked.

If a barefoot horse was footie and changes are made to its management and it is no longer footie then it is fixed.

If a shod horse was persistently lame  in shoes and it is sound without them, then taking them off has fixed it. 

It may only be sound again until the shoes are put back on. But in that case it would be clear that the shoes were laming the horse.


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## cptrayes (16 December 2011)

Oberon said:



			IME some farriers are only supportive to a certain point. As soon as there is a snag, the answer is to put the shoes back on.
		
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horserider said:



			This farrier bashing is what I find unfair.
		
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How is that "farrier bashing"? Some farriers are not supportive of barefoot at all. Some are supportive to a point. Some like Moorman who posts on HHO are true experts. Most farriers in all of those groups have the welfare of the horse at heart, but not all understand the issues of hardworking barefoot horses and what they are capable of. 

Oberon said "some". That is not "farrier bashing".


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## Archie73 (18 April 2012)

cptrayes said:



			Because if you take the shoes off again and the horse still has the same problems that it had when you put them on, nothing has been fixed, it was just masked.

If a barefoot horse was footie and changes are made to its management and it is no longer footie then it is fixed.

If a shod horse was persistently lame  in shoes and it is sound without them, then taking them off has fixed it. 

It may only be sound again until the shoes are put back on. But in that case it would be clear that the shoes were laming the horse.
		
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So far demonstrated to me as my horse being "sound" in a pad/wedge and being slightly lame without them.....yes he is footie too but i know this is the right decesion.


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## jackessex (18 April 2012)

i use lucy she is fab,and in 3 trims (and long discusions about diet)my boy is sounder and doing more work than he did in 5 yrs of shoes,and it wasnt only one farrier it was vets remedial farrier aswell!!!!


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## amandap (18 April 2012)

horserider said:



			This farrier bashing is what I find unfair.
 I've had some brilliant farriers who have to deal with all sorts of owners, Barefoot trimmers usually have owners who are motivated to look after their horse's feet, farriers have to deal with the owners who have no intention of ever looking at the holistic health of their horse. The owners who leave a cheque in the feed room and turn up to find their horse with 4 shoes freshly applied and maybe only book the farrier when the shoes have worn out.

 I've listened to the frustration of farriers who deal with these owners but what do they do ? Refuse to care for the horse and blacklist the owner with their colleagues ?


 I've had a farrier leave his supper to come within 15 minutes, with swollen arms, to replace a lost shoe on my horse for no charge. He wasn't even my farrier. Why ? Because he cared about the welfare of horses.
		
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I can understand the frustration of farriers like this but perhaps they should learn to 'man up' a bit and tell these owners like it is or should be!
If owners don't like it they will change farrier... this only perpetuates owners devolving responsibility imo. That imo is truly caring for the horses in their care.


ps. If we all had the odd boot or pad to tape on for a lost shoe or non urgent help with a sore horse farriers might not have to rush out to every lost shoe like yesterday!


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