Short Trimmer, Really Tall Horse!

 I am a natural hoof care practitioner.  I trim horse's hooves to mimic how feral horses wear their hooves in the wild. It's a fairly new way of caring for horses' hooves that does not involve nailing on a metal shoe.  In another post, I'll explain how I became interested in trimming horses hooves and why I believe nailing on metal shoes is not in the horse's best interest.  But first I want to introduce you to one of my favorite horses that I've been fortunate enough to trim.

The horse in this photo is named Rebel.  He is a Percheron gelding (a draft horse breed) and he stands more than 18 hands tall.  This means that Rebel is over 6 feet tall at the highest part of his body.   He is a really big horse!   For comparison, I stand 5' 2" tall.  Rebel also weighs close to a ton, twice what the average horse weighs.  (But I'm not going to tell you my weight!) 

When I trim Rebel (I trim him every six weeks) it is always a bit of an adrenaline rush.  Rebel is by far the largest horse I have ever trimmed.    His hooves are quite literally the size of dinner plates and it definitely is more work to trim feet that large.  Typically draft horses of this size are trimmed or shod while standing in stocks.  The stocks provide the farrier or trimmer more safety and control of the horse as the horse cannot move around much.  The stocks keep the horse from being able to move forward, backward or sideways.  The hoof that is being worked on is strapped down to a wooden block and the horse is unable to move his foot until it has been released.  When I trim Rebel, his owner stands next to him holding his lead rope.  There are no stocks to immobilize Rebel as I trim him. 

Rebel is one of the most agreeable horses I have had the privilege to work with.  He has never offered to kick or bite.  He may get a little bored and fidget a bit, but his owner, a big bear of a man who used to be in the Marine Corps, will talk softly to Rebel, scratch his neck  and Rebel will again stand quietly.  It's amazing to see the horse and the man interact, they are truly the best of friends.   Unfortunately for me, Rebel and his owner have recently moved out of the area, so I am no longer able to trim him.