Benefits of Barefoot Trimming

1 Hour Recorded Zoom seminar with Taryn Hardman of T J Equine hoof care-barefoot trimmer & Liane Wilding Three Ravens Natural Boarding – Paddock Paradise UK
Topics include-
Benefits of barefoot trimming
Benefits of track systems
Understanding the difference between barefoot, shoeing and trimming
Dealing with laminitis barefoot
Nutrition getting their ‘gut right’
Vitamins and minerals . What are horse lacking?
Movement
Examples of success stories
multi professional approach in rehabs
Time for Q&As

I have to say these two professional are outstanding at what they do and this is an opportunity for us all together to broaden our knowledge!

Below is a little information about our fantastic guests speakers:
Liane wilding-

My name is Liane Wilding and together with my partner, Andy, we run a commercial Track System Livery Yard in West Yorkshire, UK, called Three Ravens Natural Boarding.

Three Ravens is one of a relatively small group of the original track system livery yards in the UK, and over the last 8 years I have advised and helped others to set up their own tracks, both commercial and private.

Three Ravens is our second track system. Our first one was at a previous property which gave us some experience of what we could do better and what we needed ‘not’ to do the second time around, design and function wise.

We had been experimenting with horses living naturally for nearly 20 years and from a behavioural perspective, we could see that the benefits of natural horse keeping didn’t stop at just better physical health, but also mental and emotional health was impacted greatly- to the point of seeing many undesirable behaviours suddenly disappearing.

Our research and experiences led us to recognise that looking at whole horse health including diet, movement, gut health and holistic care are all important in achieving a fully functioning healthy horse. The more we learnt, the more we realised there was to learn which caused us to set up a social media support group on FB, The Barefoot Horse Owners Group UK. It quickly grew and currently has more than 28,000 members worldwide, including many hoof care and other equine professionals as well as horse owners.

My experiences learning about diet, movement and laminitis rehab started when one of my own Arab mares suddenly came down with laminitis 12 years ago. She was already a ‘rockcrunching’ barefoot horse, so naturally I took the route of barefoot rehab, and followed many case studies from hoof care professionals in USA and Australia, who were achieving spectacular results especially compared with what we were still seeing in the UK at that time. I was fortunate enough to find an understanding vet, who ended up asking if he could send clients to speak to us and see how we do things.

My main passion is horsemanship training. I spent a few years as a freelance Natural Horsemanship trainer and instructor. I now teach from home at Three Ravens which gives me the time to continuously work at our track system livery. I am passionate about horse management and lifestyles and one of my goals is to be a voice for the horse and help spread the message of species appropriate lifestyles and herd living through educational talks, open days and many more future events. We are continuing to develop Three Ravens Track System to hopefully create an equine oasis, that is a healthy, stimulating environment for our own six horses as well as all our liveries.

Tarwyn Hardman-

My name is Taryn Hardman of T J Equine Hoof Care and I am a fully certified and insured Natural Hoof Care Practitioner/Barefoot Trimmer affiliated with Liberated Horsemanship who are a world renowned educational corporation with certified trimmers all over the world.
I’ve been trimming professionally for only 3 years so I am still a bit of a newbie to the industry compared to some but I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside some fantastic professionals including senior trimmers, farriers, nutritionists, vets and body workers etc and I have carried out multiple cases of hoof rehabilitation for a number of pathologies such as laminitis and navicular.

I have grown up with horses all of my 29 years. My family have always had horses and the passion had continued for me into adulthood and in my career. I went to college and university studying Equine related courses and I have a few additional qualifications including a BSc in Equine Science. I currently own 3 horses, 2 geldings and one stallion, all of whom live out together at my home.

My passion for barefoot trimming and holistic horse care was sparked when my 22 year old pony foundered terribly after the loss of his best friend, my old welsh cob, who sadly passed very suddenly from a heart attack. Both of these ponies are my childhood treasures and had been with me since being months old. It was in fact my barefoot trimmer at the time who got us on the right path to health and soundness and with a few dietary and management changes, Weeman has never relapsed since. I realised that with the knowledge and skill of a barefoot trimmer, I could help owners and horses, and maybe even save them, and the passion to become a trimmer professionally was fuelled.

Natural hoof care focuses on the horse as a whole, rather than just trimming the hooves. It is the general aim of a barefoot trimmer to optimise hoof health and function using natural principles, which means better health and longevity for our horses. We look at hoof health, structures, individual wear patterns, your horses diet, environment and management practices and how they might be impacting the hoof, all of which come into play when optimising your horses soundness and hoof health and strength. Trimming is so very individual and also very intricate, there is most definitely an art to good trimming.

The trim itself is different. We call it the natural trim, or others may class it as a barefoot trim. This method of trimming aims to mimic the natural wear patterns of the horse. So what this means is – if you were to throw your horse out into the equids natural environment (where you will find the strongest and healthiest hooves) what would those feet do? How would they function? What parts would the foot naturally wear away?
The natural trim leads to natural function. Natural function leads to natural movement. Natural movement leads to natural soundness. Natural soundness leads to natural longevity. And this ultimately is the goal for all of the horses that I see.

I hold my opinion strongly that the epidemic of lame horses we are currently sat in is of no coincidence. And it most certainly isn’t normal either. Not when you consider the athletic capabilities of the horse as a species. This is where my true passion lies. The rehab side of things. And horse by horse, together, we all might make a true difference one day and the problems of today might just be a thing of the past.