How often to trim horse hooves depends on many factors. What your horse is being used for, how old it is, the type of ground he walks on, the season and if there are any issues with the hoof that need to be corrected.
How often to trim horse hooves?
Ideally you should trim them every four weeks unless the horse is turned out on very hard, rough ground, in which case less frequently is fine. Most horse will be fine every 6-8 weeks if you don’t have the time or money to do it more often.
Summer
Trim or shoe hooves at least every 6 to 8 weeks in the summer. Show horses may need more frequent trimming.
Winter
Because the horse’s hooves grow slower in the winter, you can trim hooves every 6 to 12 weeks. This time interval may be different between horses based on their hoof growth.
If your horses hooves are dry and cracked it’s a good idea to start putting hoof oil on them to moisturize them. Hooves can get very dry just like skin does and a moisturizer will keep their hooves healthy and help prevent deep cracks from forming.
This is a good brand to try.
Performance horses should be kept on a 4-week trim cycle.
Foals should be trimmed frequently! Frequent trimming (or natural wear) ensures that their feet develop optimally.
They should be trimmed every 4 weeks or less – you can learn to do touch-ups in between farrier visits if necessary.
Start handling their feet on Day 1 (or 2) to make sure there’s no drama at the first trim!
You can purchase this rasp and file down your horses hooves if they get too long. It is easy to learn how to do.
Check out my article here on newborn horse hooves and how to take care of them. Learn some interesting facts about why they are called fairy fingers.
Hoof Health
If your horse has signs of laminitis, or has had laminitis in the past, it is extremely important to keep its hoofs trimmed regularly and frequently. Chronic abscessing can also result from infrequent trimming, as well as navicular syndrome and other problems.
Learn step by step how to trim your horses hooves here.
Trimming can be expensive but the good news is you can learn to trim your horses hooves and then you may only need a farrier a few times a year instead of every month or two.
https://www.wikihow.com/Trim-Horse-Hooves
Conclusion to how often to trim horse hooves
Keeping your horses hooves healthy and strong is so important. Without good feet your horse will not be able to preform to their full potential. Proper hoof care and trims will prevent the horses hooves from splitting and chipping and will keep him sound. Ideally horses should have their hooves trimmed every 4 weeks to keep his feet in optimal condition. If your horse is lame make sure to call a vet or farrier as they will know best how to treat the horse. When it doubt if your horses hooves are cracking and chipping then they have gotten too long and need a trim.
Please save a pin for later, it would really help me out. Thanks!
