# Barefoot Trimmers - What Qualifications



## Amymay (24 June 2009)

Alluding to The Farriers post......

What qualifications should a barefoot Trimmer have before commencing their career?

What is their training and how long does it take?

thanks.


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## Eira (24 June 2009)

To become a qualified EP (equine podiatrist) you have to do 

23 days in the classroom
12 days practical training
Approximately 200 hours home study
Conducting 8 mentored case studies
4 days shadowing a senior EP


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## Nailed (24 June 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
In contrast, anyone wishing to become a Barefoot Trimmer in the UK can do so without any training or assessment of their competence and because of the shortcomings of The Farriers Registration Act 1975, which never took account of this trend towards Barefoot Trimming, they can legally set up in business to trim horses hooves without any training whatsoever. The nearest The Farriers Registration Act 1975 comes to acknowledging hoof trimming by persons other than a Registered Farrier is contained in a caveat that it is illegal for anyone other than a Registered Farrier or Vet to trim horses hooves for the purpose of fitting a shoe (the intention here was to allow basic trimming by unqualified persons of mares, foals and horses normally unshod) and of course this is not the purpose of Barefoot Trimming , so it does not apply and leaves it open for any Barefoot Trimmer to legally trim horses feet, since the trim is quite specifically not for fitting a shoe. The changes to the hoof, frog and sole made by Barefoot Trimmers are quite obviously far in excess of what the Act intends.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was taken from another site.

Anyone can trim a horse as long as the foot is not being prepared for reception of a shoe. Its a loop hole in the law. And its being exploited

Lou x


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## Nailed (24 June 2009)

That in comparison to a 4 years and 2 months apprenticship involving 8 block periods at college and a final intensive exam both practicle and theoretics.. worrying.

Lou x


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## nicbarker (24 June 2009)

AmyMay, currently the only standards are the ones set up by the different trimming organisations.  However a government organisation (LANTRA) is setting up national occupational standards for barefoot at the moment. 

We don't yet know when they will be finalised - probably next year - but at that point you will be able to check whether a trimmer has met a nationally recognised standard.  

I only have detailed info on the training run by UKNHCP, which is a course of about 18months - 2 years.  Full details are at www.uknhcp.org

Nic   UKNHCP


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## MagicMelon (24 June 2009)

I'm not sure exactly but I know my one has had a good deal of training and had to pass quite a few tests / projects etc. in Switzerland.  She followed a fully qualifed one for a year or two as well before this.  Id think its rather pricey as she could only do these courses in Switzerland I believe.


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## Amelia27 (24 June 2009)

The first trimmer I had was a fully qualified farrier originally but then retrained as an EP.  She said there was a definite difference in trimming techniques and was impressed with the training/studying programme she had to undergo.  Unfortunately she moved areas and couldn't travel 4 hours to get to me (she already travelled and hour and a half and only charged £5 for the travel!).  She recommended another trimmer in my area who is fantastic.

It's an extremely unfair comparison between the farrier course and trimming course as trainee farriers spend the vast majority of their training on the forge, on how to prepare hoof for shoes and on how to nail shoe on.  Yes they also do lots of training in anatomy etc etc but so do the EPs.  The EPs course however also really looks in to how nutrition and environmental conditions affect hoof quality and performance plus they study equine behaviour and how to deal with a diffult horse without violence.


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## ponydentist (24 June 2009)

I wholeheartdely agree, it is totally unfair to compare farriery training with that of a barefoot trimmer. The majotity of a farrriers training is spent making shoes and other metal products, with only a small amount of that 4 years actually dedicated to trimming feet and the majority of the time that is devoted to trimming feet is devoted to trimming feet in preparation for fiting a shoe to the foot. 

The vas t majority of farriers are upset about barefoot trimmers because those who do decide (and thats what it is,,,,a personal decision by the owner) to go barefoot are classed as LOST INCOME. If Farriery training went into trimming feet and the Science related to the natural foot with the intention of the horse not to be shod, as intensively as  "Barefoot " training courses do, people would use their farrier as an alternative scource to take care of their barefoot horse.

A similar situation exists in Dentistry, in that a vets training only very breifly covers dentistry, yet many people still insist on using a vet to do their horses teeth as opposed to a "specialist" who's training has covered only one specific, topic related subject.

Equine health care is a SCIENCE and as such is constantly changing......however, a lot of practices involved with the care of horses are merely TRADITIONAL, with no real grounding behind them....shoeing of horses, WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS is one of those traditions as, sadly, the vast majority of todays horses dont need to be shod but their owners are being held to it  by TRADITION (note i did say there were exceptions....but not many)


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## Chestnuttymare (24 June 2009)

Hmm, difficult one, pick a person to tend to my valuable and much loved horses feet. Should it be someone who has trained for 4 or 5 years, who has studied long and hard to understand the workings of a horses foot. Or should i choose someone who perhaps has done a few weeks training or perhaps not, .i only know what he/she has told me and has no governing body, well not one that can stop him/her doing this even if he/she is rubbish at the job.
Difficult one. I think I will stick with my farrier, who incidentally shoes one of mine and looks after my barefoot one brilliantly. He has never used violence, my horses love him as he has a lovely way about him.

Nailed, surely this is a loophole in the law that should be addressed, what is the state of play on this. Are their moves afoot to change it?


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## TicTac (24 June 2009)

I agree with you chestnut mare. There is much much more to the foot than just trimming and if a trimm is carried out incorrectly over a period of time alot of damage can be done.

It's rubbish to say that most of a farriers time is spent making shoes and other products Ponydentist. Farriers train for 4 years for a reason.

There are good and bad craftsmen in every walk of life but I would not let a EP near one of my horses as I've seen the resulting problems they cause from their lack of knowledge rather than what they do know!


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## Orangehorse (24 June 2009)

All farriers have recognised training and are qualified, but  do all farriers carry out perfect work?


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## maggiesmum (24 June 2009)

"There are good and bad craftsmen in every walk of life but I would not let a EP near one of my horses as I've seen the resulting problems they cause from their lack of knowledge rather than what they do know!"

That seems to be a contradiction, there are good and bad of everything but all EP's are the same? I've experienced a few bad farriers, saddle fitters, instructors etc etc  in my time but I wouldn't then assume they were all bad. I think until the LANTRA standards are set up the best way to find someone would be through word of mouth and then check out their qualifications with the organisation they trained with.


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## Chestnuttymare (24 June 2009)

Im with maggiesmum with this, of course they are not all great. However, i wouldn't tar them all with the same brush. 
Whereas, if I heard about a bad trimmer, it would just validate my thoughts on them.
I just can't see, how, in the space of a few weeks or even months training, a trimmer can have the full understanding of the workings of a foot and the anatomy of the animal and how certain things affect how it bears the weight etc. The point is that they are not regulated and could be telling a pack of lies about training.
Personally, I wouldn't let a barefoot trimmer anywhere near my horses.


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## Donkeymad (24 June 2009)

When will you and the poster below realise that farriers spend a LOT of time in learning to trim and balance etc. The making and fitting of shoes does not come in until late in their training. They learn how to trim for ALL activities, not just for shoe 
	
	
		
		
	


	




ing.


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## ponydentist (30 June 2009)

Ok donklett....point taken...and agreed with (to a certain extent)..but barefoot trimmers spend ALL their time learning to trim and balance a foot and foot and leg  anatomy biomechanics and understanding "footfall" and how to improve or maintain correct hoof condition through proper nutrition and management of the horse including environmental factors. the "TRIM" is only probably 10% of what is required to keep a BAREFOOT horses feet in good health.

The sad fact is that the VAST MAJORITY of modern EQUINES dont NEED to be shod.....but some people who own them are so scared....or too lazy to break away from TRADITION.

And most Farriers are opposed to the Barefoot horse, because they may loose money from not shoeing them.


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## ponydentist (30 June 2009)

It is probably true to say that some trimmers DONT have a FULL understanding of the workings of a foot whilst doing their training.....but, like ALL areas of animal health SHOULD be conducted...ON GOING training...or CONTUAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING is what is required. Are we to assume that EVERY farrier who passes their exam knows and understands ALL there is to know about how the foot works???or just knows enough to get them through an exam. 

The same anology exists with dentistry. How can a vet know ALL there is to know about horses teeth with only a couple of DAYS (or even less in some schools) alocated to the subject...or some Equine Dentists know ALL there is to know about the subject from a "Week long" course? Whilst other more dedicated and passionate individuals devote many years of "After training" to the subject....Im still learning after 10 YEARS of attending SEVERAL courses, seminars, practical development training periods and teaching and lecturing in the subject myself to others. The same must apply to footcare?? Agreed.

How many owners bother to check if a "TRIMMER" is qualified?? We live in a society where we are prepared to accept what people say without question. ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD......With 35 years of owning and being around horses, I have seen (what I percieve...{because I'm not qualifeid as one myself} as) "GOOD" and "BAD" farriers,  Vets, "back men" "dentists" riding teachers, etc, etc, etc,. But thankfully, there are many I have been very happy with. What I have learned though, is that, If you are that way inclined and have no morals or scruples....how easy it is to take advantage of people in the horseworld.


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