The Magic Trim
Promises and Disillusions
Several years ago my phone rang. A woman on the other end wanted to know if I knew how to do the natural trim that would make it possible for her to ride her horse barefoot wherever she wanted to ride. Not long after that, I got a call from a different woman. This woman wanted to know if I knew how to do the natural trim that cures founder. I've received lots of other calls like that over the years. In fact, I've received so many that in my lighter moments I no longer use the term "natural trim," I jokingly prefer "magic trim."
I call it the magic trim, because apparently there's nothing it can't do. I say that, because I can't think of any hoof or lameness problem that I haven't heard some horse owner think a "natural trim" can't cure.
If a horse has small hooves, a natural trim will make them get bigger. If a horse has weak hooves, a natural trim will make them strong. If a horse has splits in the hoof walls, a natural trim will make them go away. If a horse has flaky, peeling hoof walls, a natural trim will make it stop. If a horse has pain in a hoof, a natural trim will cure it. And of course all that is on top of the two big ones--a natural trim will allow you to ride barefoot anywhere you want to, and a natural trim will cure founder.
It's enough to make one think of a rasp as a magic wand.
