This beautifully produced DVD is very easy to listen to and watch. Phil has a good clear way of describing barefoot hoof care concepts such as:
- Why do people shoe?
- The mechanics of the hoof
- Problems and lameness
- Benefits of barefoot
- Making the transition
The interview style of presentation is interspersed with testimonials from trimmers and horse owners.
It’s a great introduction to trimming with power tools and Phil explains why you would benefit from using an angle grinder to trim and how this can help you learn to do it yourself.
His philosophy is that each of the traditional hand tools requires you to develop considerable technique and it takes time to learn how to use them effectively.
Using a grinder is actually very simple and cuts down on the learning time and a number of techniques, plus there is less chance of making a mistake as the removal of hoof is very gradual (not necessarily so with nippers or knife for the less experienced!). As a bonus, you also get the job done much faster and with less effort!
The real-life instructional segment of the video shows how to tackle a maintenance trim. It essentially shows you a private lesson with a woman who had NEVER trimmed a hoof before.
Following is some feedback from a trimmer:
” Hi Phil, I wanted to let you know that I did get both my horses used to the angle grinder for hoof trims. I was having a little trouble with one of my horses but it only lasted through the first trim. Last night I went out and gave them both a quick trim. I did all 4 feet and didn’t even put halters on! Amazing. For me, they actually do better when I don’t tie them up but when I didn’t even put the halters on last night I was surprised. That’s desensitization for you! Thanks for the tool. It has changed my trim schedule. I used to stew about it, put it off, and resign myself to the job; I’d do two feet at a time because that’s all I had the energy and strength for. Now I zip through 8 feet in around 30 minutes. It’s the greatest. ” Lori R. E. Washington
Other topics covered include Introducing the grinder to an anxious horse, leg handling, and posture tips. One safety issue not mentioned is that of the trimmer’s long hair being kept well out of the way. Even a ponytail swinging around can get dangerously close to the grinder! Other safety tips were well covered and showed some nifty tools such as the tail tie Bungie for keeping the horse’s tail tied up and an instant on/off attachment lever for the grinder.
Using a grinder certainly expands the options for trimmers either doing many horses and physically suffering from that, or for those just not used to using the hand tools like hoof knives, nippers, and rasps.
This DVD has certainly sparked my interest in giving it a go! You can purchase it directly from www.softouchnaturalhorsecare.com or See a Youtube intro by clicking here.
Here is some more info on abrasive trimming and an Introduction to Power Tool Trimming by James Welz.
Your site looks like a good resource for natural horse care. Thank you!