HORSE TRANSPORT & TRIMMING

GENERAL INFORMATION

HWH Stables offers a Horse Transport service for up to 5 horses as well as a Barefoot Trimming service, both services are for customers located within the local area of Coffs Harbour and its surrounding shires. Our large truck is able to take 10 horses, however we limit all transport jobs to 5 horses.

Barefoot Trimming services are also combined with consultation of individual horses’ diet and nutritional requirements and general hoof care.

PRICING

Transport Price Guide - $200 service fee plus $2.50 per kilometre – insurance is available upon application at an additional fee. *Conditions apply.

Barefoot Trimming – $80 per horse, donkey, cattle. Additional travel costs may apply for customers outside the immediate Upper Orara/Coffs Harbour area, please enquire for more information and a quote.

** Public Holiday and Special Event surcharges may apply, price on application, all prices are quoted in Australian dollars, include taxes (GST) and are subject to change without notice.

WHAT IS BAREFOOT TRIMMING?

Barefoot trimming is about simulating and stimulating. First we are simulating the wear horses' feet would get if they were free to get all the exercise they needed to keep their feet self-trimmed. Secondly we are trimming the foot to stimulate it to grow healthy and in the proper form for each individual foot.

In other words we are helping nature - key word "helping". We are not trying to impose our idea of perfect form on the foot. On the contrary, we read each foot to see what IT is trying to tell us it needs.

Is a Natural Barefoot Trim different than just leaving my horse barefoot, or having a normal farrier trim?

Absolutely! The exception would be if your horse lives on the type of terrain and gets adequate exercise to facilitate self-trimming. (And some horses do!). Most horses do not get enough exercise to wear their hooves sufficiently to give them the short, tight feet they would have in the wild.

The hoof wall grows continually. If growth exceeds wear (this is the most common scenario) then the feet become too long and the hoof capsule starts to deform. Our goal is to keep the feet at the optimal length for each horse. And that length may well change as the horse's foot becomes more healthy. There is no perfect length. A barefoot horse left untrimmed can be just as bad off as a horse with shoes on, or a horse who is trimmed badly.

In addition to keeping the length under control, we also use a "mustang roll" or in Australia, "brumby roll" to keep the toes from running away (a common problem) and the breakover where it belongs. If you have seen horses with shoes, then you've probably noticed that the shoes have been worn in such a way that the front is rounded. This is how horses try to wear their feet. The roll is important, it not only saves the horse the work of doing it themselves, it keeps the foot from chipping.

How often should my horse be trimmed?

The best thing is to trim every 5-6 weeks. In some cases, due to hoof problems, more frequent trimming may be necessary. After being trimmed a few times the feet may begin to self regulate. That means that the growth will start to balance with the wear. When this happens many horses can go 8 weeks or longer between trims. To learn more please see https://www.barefoottrimming.com