How to Trim Hoof Bars

Horses are often used in farms, but they are also popular pets. If you own a horse, you should make sure that it is well-groomed. One requirement for a horse is that its feet should be correctly cared for. You should regularly trim the hoof for overgrowth and remove objects that may be trapped. You can trim the hoof bar in just a few steps. The hoof bar surrounds the frog of the sole of the horse's foot.

Things You'll Need

  • Stirrup
  • Hoof knife
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the horse's hoof on a stirrup and straddle the leg with your legs so that the foot is elevated and you can secure it with your legs if the horse starts to wriggle free.

    • 2

      Grab the bottom of the hoof so that it is secure in your nondominant hand. Hold a hoof knife in your other hand.

    • 3

      Trim away the dead pieces of the sole. You know that they are dead if they flake away when you push against them with your nail or the hoof knife.

    • 4

      Trim away any bit of the sole that scrapes off. Do not dig into the sole; just scrape away the dead skin by using the side of the blade of the hoof knife.

    • 5

      Find the edges of the bars that surround the frog. Start scraping or filing the bar from the inner part of the sole. Use a filing motion with the edge of the hoof knife.

    • 6

      Trim the bar portion nearest the frog so that it is level with the frog itself. This is very important for the proper gait of the horse.

    • 7

      Begin trimming less starting from the portion of the bar nearest to the heel. There should be a gradual increase of the bar until it reaches 1 cm above the lowest point of the bar.

    • 8

      Measure the height at the heel. It should measure 1 cm. At this point, go around to the other side on the outer edge of the hoof begin filing more off.

    • 9

      Look closely as you trim. By the time you are on the other side of the bar surrounding the frog, you should be once again even with the frog. The two sides will be level with the frog, and the heel will be elevated 1 cm.