# Miniature Hoof care for newbies ( Long)



## Reble

This should have been added:

http://www.indigocreek.com/kfme/main_hoof_care.htm

* A miniature's hoof is much different in care and repair than a full sized horse - We are experienced Miniature Hoof Care Specialists and understand the differences and unique care that a miniature horse requires and that most full sized horse Ferriers do not specialize in.

The hoof is quite different from a human foot or a dog’s paw. A hoof has unique parts and features that require special care. If you looked at the bottom of the hoof, you would see the outer layer of the hoof that is called the hoof wall. This is also the part of the hoof that is visible when the horse is standing with feet on the ground. This hard surface is what braves the elements and is somewhat like a fingernail. Just inside the wall is the white line. And the sole of the foot is the area between the white line and the triangle shaped anti-slipping device known as the frog that is in the center of the foot.

The hoof is a structure made up of bone, cartilage, joint surfaces, and sensitive and insensitive laminae which act like double-sided sticky tape to hold the hoof together. The frog of the hoof, a traction device as well as a cushion, is the heart of the foot. It is the triangular, spongy tissue located in the center of the hoof which leads back to the heel in a widening "V." Debris, be it gravel, glass, nails, or any other foreign object, can lodge along the sides of the frog and can work up into an "unseen" portion of the hoof, between the frog and the hoof sole, causing hoof bruising and/or lameness.

*Hoof Cleaning & Care*

Pick up the hoof by standing next to the horse facing the tail, run your hand down the leg gently squeezing the leg just above the fetlock (looks like an ankle) and lean into the horse to gently shift his or her weight to the other legs. Most horses will lift their feet as soon as your hand nears the hoof. Use your hoof pick to firmly dig out wet mud, manure and any stones present by pushing the pick from the wide part of the frog toward the toe. Never pick in the opposite direction as you might inadvertently push a rock or stone further into the hoof causing injury. Be very careful to place the hoof back on the ground when you are done. Dropping the hoof on the ground could result in a chip. When lifting the rear feet use the same method being careful not to pull the leg out to the side. It is also generally safer if you hold the rear hoof a little (6-12 inches) farther behind the horse. That makes the horse both more comfortable and less likely to kick.

If your horse is healthy, there is no need for special creams or treatments on a daily basis. Avoid washing the hooves often with water as that can dry them out. It’s also important that the horse is in a clean dry stall and dry pasture. Wet areas breed bacteria that will result in a disease known as thrush. You will know if your horse has thrush because of the offensive smell coming from the hoof. The frog may also appear dark and overly soft. There are a number of products on the market to treat thrush as well as many home remedies. We can assist in determining what is best for your horse.

A balanced diet is important to the healthy hoof. Too much lush grass in the spring or too much grain with little work can result in laminitis (also known as founder), which is a swelling and fever in the feet. Younger horses are particularly susceptible to laminitis and should receive limited amounts of grain for that reason. Consult your veterinarian to see if your horse is at risk.

How often should you have your horses hooves trimmed? There is no easy answer. The younger your horse, the faster his hooves grow. The level of nutrition your animal is on affects his hoof growth. The amount of exercise your horse gets probably has the biggest affect on hoof growth.

The amount of hoof growth versus hoof wear determines how often trimming is needed. As a rule of thumb about every 8 weeks usually is correct. There are other guidelines one can use.

*Conditions that indicate trimming is necessary:*

1. The horse stumbles due to excessive toe length.

2. The hoof wall is cracking.

3. The hoof wall is jagged or irregular. This can also be due to hoof angle changes due to excess wear on either side of the hoof wall.

4. When ground conditions change and a trim is necessary for top performance.

*Emergency Care*

If your horse exhibits lameness. that is the time for emergency hoof care. Lameness as defined by the AAEP (American Association of Equine Practitioners) is any alteration of the horse's gait. To be able to determine just how lame your horse is, you need to scale it in a manner that us and the veterinarian are both familiar with. The AAEP has a lameness scale, which is currently the standard being used. The AAEP guidelines are:

* 0: Lameness not perceptible under any circumstances.

* 1: Lameness is difficult to observe and is not consistently apparent, regardless of circumstances (e.g., weight carrying, circling, inclines, hard surfaces, etc.).

* 2: Lameness is difficult to observe at a walk or when trotting in a straight line but consistently apparent under certain circumstances (e.g., weight carrying, circling, inclines, hard surfaces, etc.).

* 3: Lameness is consistently observable at a trot under all circumstances.

* 4: Lameness is obvious at a walk.

* 5: Lameness produces minimal weight bearing in motion and/or at rest or a complete inability to move.

Also, it is important to know which leg your horse is lame in. When a horse is noticeably lame, his head will bob down on the sound leg. This works really well for front end lameness.

Now that you can grade lameness and can tell which leg is lame , you are ready to act. Remember that you, along with us, and your veterinarian are a team when it comes to your horse's hoof health.

If your horse suddenly shows up lame, what should you do? Do NOT wait 2, 3, or more days to see if he gets better. The first thing to do is make a quick physical exam. Check your horse for cuts, bruises, and abrasions. Then check the hooves; clean the bottom or sole of the hooves thoroughly. Look for rocks, nails, glass, or any other foreign object that could cause damage. If nothing is found, feel the coronary band for heat. Heat here would indicate a possible abscess. If you still don't find anything, wash the sole of the hoof and check for small puncture wounds.

You should call your farrier or vet.


----------



## skippysmom

I'm confused by your quote "* A miniature's hoof is much different in care and repair than a full sized horse - We are experienced Miniature Hoof Care Specialists and understand the differences and unique care that a miniature horse requires and that most full sized horse Ferriers do not specialize in." You didn't say anything about the so called differences and unique care that a minature horse requires that is different than a full sized horse. I've been trimming my minis and big horses for years and the trimming is pretty much the same. I will say I trim every 6-8 weeks to keep them standing flat and square for show. Minis tend to toe out when their hooves get longer or the heels get too long.


----------



## Reble

skippysmom said:


> I'm confused by your quote "* A miniature's hoof is much different in care and repair than a full sized horse - We are experienced Miniature Hoof Care Specialists and understand the differences and unique care that a miniature horse requires and that most full sized horse Ferriers do not specialize in." You didn't say anything about the so called differences and unique care that a minature horse requires that is different than a full sized horse. I've been trimming my minis and big horses for years and the trimming is pretty much the same. I will say I trim every 6-8 weeks to keep them standing flat and square for show. Minis tend to toe out when their hooves get longer or the heels get too long.


this is the site I found this, sorry meant to put this also up..

http://www.indigocreek.com/kfme/main_hoof_care.htm

thanks for sharing would like to know more.


----------



## icspots

I think it's good, clear and concise, easy to understand, and is helpful for new people


----------



## hahler

To do a mini foot is opposite of doing a full size

When I switch between full and mini i have to switch mind sets

that is what i do anyway

it is so different

i get calls from full size farriers wondering about shoeing them

i try to politely tell them that you cant

i feel sorry for some of the minis that these guys touch

i try to help when i can


----------



## Jill

I'm not a farrier, however, Harvey and I have been trimming our own miniature's feet for years now. Our farrier helped get us started, we read books, and watched a video.

Maybe I'm just dense, but how is a miniature horse's hoof so totally different than a full size horse's hoof? As an owner of both big and mini horses, I feel the hooves are the same honestly except the size. They require the same care, and from my novice perspective, the same level of trimming.

Also, I do NOT think trimming miniature's feet is something a newbie should set out to do. It takes a lot of watching and learning before trying it for yourself. Our farrier worked with us to get us ready to do it on our own.


----------



## Genie

The hoof appearance is not different, obviously, but the manner of trimming the hoof is different, at least in our case it is..

The heel of my miniatures is taken down more than the full sized hoof trim.

Also, I notice that the issues with my miniature horse's hoof are different than issues I have had with the full sized horse.

I am guessing it is due to weight bearing and strength of the full sized horse that causes more cracking, bruising etc. than ever happens with my little guys.

The article is informative and helpful and provides good advice for those who are contemplating learning to do their own farrier work.

We have had the little horses since 1991 and have been trimming our own for about 6 years, due to the unavailability of the farrier when needed.

We watched various farriers for 10 to 12 years and attended clinics and vet seminars to try to better understand the procedure.

No hoof...no horse.


----------



## Reble

Do not want newbies doing their own trimming.

Sorry for the confusion





Funny how I see one thing on this topic and others point out something else





Interesting


----------



## krissy3

my ferrier is a nightmare ...but he is the only one in this canton , so I have no choice but to continue using him. he uses a hoof knife and a mallot and hammers down cutting off about 1/2 inch at a time .



this last time I got him to at least hold the back hoof behind the horse and not out to the side and 12 inches high ....holding the horses foot low and to the back instead of the side helped a lot .. Next time I am in California I will pay my excellent old ferrier to show me how to do my own. I hate ferriers that treat and man handle minis, because they are too lazy to take the time or bend down


----------



## MiLo Minis

Trimming a Miniature's hoof is EXACTLY the same as trimming a full size horse's hoof. They are exactly alike in composition and build. There is no difference in trimming their feet as compared to a full size horse's foot - you trim to arrive at a balanced, level foot whose angle matches that of the pastern. Their heels shouldn't be trimmed any shorter than necessary just as with a full size horse.

Where Miniature horses differ is that they need more frequent trimmings as a foal than an average full size horse foal. They don't have the weight to spread their foot to keep the frog in contact with the ground and if not kept trimmed their foot will become deformed which can lead to their legs becoming deformed. I find that a good deal of the really tiny 30" and unders are in the same boat for their entire life.

Actually Hahler, you can shoe a Mini. There are glue on shoes for those that don't have thick enough horn to put a nail in and quite a few of the B size Minis can easily take a slim nail and a shoe. Most of them have such tough little feet they don't need shoes though - their feet aren't taking the pounding that a 1000 pound horse gives theirs.


----------



## Genie

MiLo Minis said:


> Trimming a Miniature's hoof is EXACTLY the same as trimming a full size horse's hoof. They are exactly alike in composition and build. There is no difference in trimming their feet as compared to a full size horse's foot - you trim to arrive at a balanced, level foot whose angle matches that of the pastern. Their heels shouldn't be trimmed any shorter than necessary just as with a full size horse.
> Where Miniature horses differ is that they need more frequent trimmings as a foal than an average full size horse foal. They don't have the weight to spread their foot to keep the frog in contact with the ground and if not kept trimmed their foot will become deformed which can lead to their legs becoming deformed. I find that a good deal of the really tiny 30" and unders are in the same boat for their entire life.
> 
> Actually Hahler, you can shoe a Mini. There are glue on shoes for those that don't have thick enough horn to put a nail in and quite a few of the B size Minis can easily take a slim nail and a shoe. Most of them have such tough little feet they don't need shoes though - their feet aren't taking the pounding that a 1000 pound horse gives theirs.


So the shetlands and the miniature horse and the hackney are all trimmed EXACTLY the same as the full sized horse?


----------



## SaddleTrail

I am hoping to learn how to do my minis feet myself. I bought the equipment, files etc. When my farrier comes out next time he is going to teach me the basics of trimming. I know how to clean and actually how to trim but want him to teach me his way. He was really good with Shotgun and I liked the way he handled him.

He had me walk ShotGun after each hoof was done to make sure he was level and squared up. That spoke alot to me.

I also found this farrier forum I have been reading to learn more.

Farrier Forum


----------



## Katiean

I would think that a Hackney would be much like a Saddlebred. I do think they are done differently than others because of the hoof build-up to get the gait. However, a mini , a shetland and big horse are all done the same. IMHO the person that wrote that artical is using it as a marketing tool to discourage horse owners of any size from doing their own horses feet.


----------



## Baydreamfarms

I've been trimming my own mini since she was about 2 months old. I learned from books and from a friend of mine that is a trimmer. Honestly I don't see where they are finding any difference. The only rule when trimming that you need to follow is...LISTEN TO THE LIVE SOLE. That being said EVERY horse is different, EVERY hoof is different. There is NO standard for trimming and you only follow the sole.

I do a barefoot trim on her and there is no set regulations and the reason I started trimming her was the trimmer the breeder was using was doing an awful pasture trim and giving her NPA and cutting and digging into her live sole. I felt so sorry for my filly at the time and that is when I read every website, book and watched every DVD I could find. I have enlisted help from farriers and trimmers on another forum and her hooves are great now.

I'm sorry but I do not agree with a mini's hooves are different than a full sized horses. I have trimmed both and the only rule is to follow the live sole, period.

This may start a flame session but that is what has been proven over and over again. So that to me is more important than anything. The health of my horse and her hooves.


----------



## skippysmom

Katiean - I think you hit the horse-shoe nail on the head!


----------



## sedeh

I've used the same farrier for 15 years. He did my big horses and when I switched to the minis he did them too! Now he loves doing the minis so much that much of his clientel are mini horse or donkey owners. I don't believe that their feet are different than the big horses. It's all about a balanced foot. My farrier does an excellant job. However we do trim some horses more frequently than others. The foals will often get their first trim at 2 weeks, no later than 4 weeks and then are done on a monthly basis until they're about a year old. I have a couple of mares that had foundered and they also receive more frequent trims. They're individuals and that's how we treat them.


----------



## MiLo Minis

Genie said:


> So the shetlands and the miniature horse and the hackney are all trimmed EXACTLY the same as the full sized horse?


Yes, in that they all require a well balanced, properly angled foot. The Modern Shetlands and Hackneys (some Hackneys are full sized horses by the way), as well as several other breeds, are allowed to grow a longer foot to enhance their action but yes, it needs to be a balanced, properly angled trim and so does a Mini's.


----------



## Minimor

I agree with those that say trimming a mini is the same as trimming a big horse--of course you don't trim them all exactly the same as you trim all big horses, but then again you don't trim every big horse exactly the same as every other big horse, and you don't trim every mini the same as every other mini.





As Lori said, you trim the horse so as to have the hoof in balance for that particular horse...I have Minis that grow a very upright hoof, and I have others that have hoofs that tend to flare out...left long the upright ones would start to look like stilts while the flared out ones would be more shovel like--they do get trimmed differently from each other, but they are the same in that I trim them so that the hoof is properly trimmed/angled for that particular horse and his conformation.

Same is true of my Morgans. I have a Morgan mare that tends to wear down her toes--and a good part of it is she is always fussing and pawing at the gate...she is sure that if she doesn't fuss and paw we will forget to feed her...and pawing does help to wear down her toes. She gets trimmed differently than the gelding that has a tendency to have low heels...his feet tend to get longer in the toe and underslung in the heels as they grow out...but the end result is the same for both....a balanced hoof.


----------



## Reble




----------



## Jill

I'm happy I'm not the only one who thinks a horse's hoof is a horse's hoof... mini, pony, full size -- whatever


----------



## Minimor

> IMHO the person that wrote that artical is using it as a marketing tool to discourage horse owners of any size from doing their own horses feet.


Forgot to say....that's my impression too!!


----------



## Minimor

Reble said:


>


Well Reble, why don't you tell us YOUR interpretation of this article then, since you apparently don't agree with what we are saying....

You are dandy at posting links to all these articles, helpful or otherwise, but you rarely tell us what you have to say about the matter.

Please share!


----------



## Reble

Minimor said:


> Reble said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well Reble, why don't you tell us YOUR interpretation of this article then, since you apparently don't agree with what we are saying....
> 
> You are dandy at posting links to all these articles, helpful or otherwise, but you rarely tell us what you have to say about the matter.
> 
> Please share!
Click to expand...

First this is for Newbies to learn Hoof care not how to trim a horses hoof.

Why do some have to pick one thing out of a topic and run with it, is beyond me. takes away from some that do like to give information that hope can help.

This forum is to share and to learn and yes, we all do not agree, but make your point than let it go..

Do not have to go on and on and on.

Since you mentioned I am dandy at posting links to all these articles, helpful or otherwise, but I rarely tell you what I have to say about the matter.

I will share!

What you guys took from this topic was something I did not see, but you sure made it the topic.

So I will share with you the information which I found interesting.

How to pick up a hoof and which way you should clean the hoof.

How to lift the back feet

How to tell if a horse has thrush

healthy hoof means balanced diet.

When to trim a horses foot. & they listed conditions that indicate trimming is necessary.

How to tell which leg your horse is lame in and more.

but everyone else I guess just seen newbies learning to trim their own horses feet.

While I hope I answered what you where looking for.

Looking forward to you reading more of my articles, helpful or otherwise.


----------



## MeadowRidge Farm

I think on a forum of this size, you will find that there will be alot of differant views of what is posted, and taken in content alot of different ways. But, I do feel most of the links posted can be a learning tool , even if it is only to one person reading the article and they only remember one sentence out of it. They are learning weather it be good or bad.

As far as mini hooves go..I would say as long as you keep them healthy and in balance, with a proper angle, they are trimmed the same as a full size horse, but just keep in mind each horse is a individual and each hoof is trimmed to suit that particular horse, as no two horses will have the identicle shape to there hoof.


----------



## MiLo Minis

There was a lot of good, factual information in that article Mary, the problem is that when they start off with a blatantly incorrect statement you tend not to think they know what they are talking about and a lot of people wouldn't bother to read farther. I have an article on trimming Minis on my website complete with photos and illustrations that may be helpful to anyone that is thinking of trimming their own horses feet.


----------



## Minimor

> There was a lot of good, factual information in that article Mary, the problem is that when they start off with a blatantly incorrect statement you tend not to think they know what they are talking about and a lot of people wouldn't bother to read farther.


That you, that is exactly the problem in this case. The incorrect opening statement takes away the credibility of the rest of the article, and that's why it became the focus of the replies on here.
As well, this wording in the topic heading:



> Interesting views on horse trimming


pretty much directed me to focus right on that opening statement!


----------



## tagalong

> That you, that is exactly the problem in this case. The incorrect opening statement takes away the credibility of the rest of the article, and that's why it became the focus of the replies on here.


I agree with *minimor*, *Jill* and others... a hoof works the same way no matter what size of a horse it is attached to. The only difference would be mini foals - some of them have feet that need regular attention to keep the heels from rolling under.

Other than that - a balanced hoof is a balanced hoof. Form to function. And a newbie should not be messing with any of that.


----------



## Jill

This is drifting, but people should try to realize when you share something with a group as large as this one, you need to be willing to accept other perspectives than your own viewpoint and if you can't stand to do so, then consider not sharing with such a large group of people. In this case, it's not even the OP's own words but a cut and pasted article, yet apparently there's still room for taking other opinions too personally.


----------



## hahler

I usually dont reply to these kind of threads (even though this is what i do for a living) because of fall out

I have found that there is as many ways of doing this as there is as many people doing it

The WAY I do it is there are different trims for almost every class at a show and inbetweens

I can go to a new clients house and tell immediatly if a full size horse farrier did them before

and when you get to the corrective trimming it IS different then trimming a full size

It all boils down to one thing ......

WEIGHT

that has to be taken into consideration

Ok go ahead and fry me

but that is what i found has worked


----------



## Reble

Minimor said:


> As well, this wording in the topic heading:
> 
> 
> 
> Interesting views on horse trimming
> 
> 
> 
> pretty much directed me to focus right on that opening statement!
Click to expand...

It was not there to begin with added it because this became the topic.

So will remove it now...

quote: Jill:

This is drifting, but people should try to realize when you share something with a group as large as this one, you need to be willing to accept other perspectives than your own viewpoint and if you can't stand to do so, then consider not sharing with such a large group of people. In this case, it's not even the OP's own words but a cut and pasted article, yet apparently there's still room for taking other opinions too personally.

Oh Jill I have know problem with opinions, as you can see.

Will not stop helping here on the forum either.

I did not mind this topic going in this direction until it was just repeat repeat repeat.

Had nothing to help the newbies with, because I do not expect them to do their own horses hoofs.

Lets just let this go now, so this does not drift anymore.


----------



## Genie

hahler said:


> I usually dont reply to these kind of threads (even though this is what i do for a living) because of fall outI have found that there is as many ways of doing this as there is as many people doing it
> 
> The WAY I do it is there are different trims for almost every class at a show and inbetweens
> 
> I can go to a new clients house and tell immediatly if a full size horse farrier did them before
> 
> and when you get to the corrective trimming it IS different then trimming a full size
> 
> It all boils down to one thing ......
> 
> WEIGHT
> 
> that has to be taken into consideration
> 
> Ok go ahead and fry me
> 
> but that is what i found has worked


I do agree with you. What you have said makes sense.

It was the "exactly" that got me, since you can not find hooves or horses exactly the same.

Sorry Reble, I know you want this to stop drifting, and again, your original topic was a good topic for all of us trying to be better animal caretakers.


----------



## hahler

dang i actually said something that made sense?





sorry have to ad some humor here


----------



## Genie

hahler said:


> dang i actually said something that made sense?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> sorry have to ad some humor here


humour is a good thing . . . . you are batting a thousand today


----------



## tagalong

> Ok go ahead and fry me but that is what i found has worked


Why would anyone fry you?

You are just stating your observations and opinions based on your experience. Both the farriers I have had work on the minis I have been involved with were full size farriers as well - and handled many disciplines. And yet they also did the minis perfectly - and helped me work on problematical feet and those foals who needed more attention from the get go. Long before mini sized tools were available, they each altered their nippers etc. to make working on the minis easier... I doubt that you would have had an issue with either of them...





Humour is appreciated - and all threads tend to drift at times... that is just the way a message board works!


----------



## MiLo Minis

If more experienced people hadn't chimed in on this thread a lot of newbies would have been left with the opinion that farriers that trim full size horses would not be capable of trimming their Minis as Minis need a different kind of trim which is just not true. They would have been trying to find a "Mini" farrier and those are few and far between because anyone that wants to make a living at farriering is happy to trim ANY size horse.

"I can go to a new clients house and tell immediatly if a full size horse farrier did them before

and when you get to the corrective trimming it IS different then trimming a full size

It all boils down to one thing ......

WEIGHT

that has to be taken into consideration"

This is true no matter what size horse you are trimming Hahler - think of a draft horse. If you are seeing a bad trim it isn't because it was done by a "full size horse farrier" but by a farrier that is not a good farrier. I used to trim all sizes of horses and saw both good and bad trims on all sizes of horses. I now trim ponies and Minis only because I am getting too old to want to contend with all that weight and I still see both good and bad trims.


----------



## hahler

tagalong said:


> Ok go ahead and fry me but that is what i found has worked
> 
> 
> 
> Why would anyone fry you?
> 
> You are just stating your observations and opinions based on your experience. Both the farriers I have had work on the minis I have been involved with were full size farriers as well - and handled many disciplines. And yet they also did the minis perfectly - and helped me work on problematical feet and those foals who needed more attention from the get go. Long before mini sized tools were available, they each altered their nippers etc. to make working on the minis easier... I doubt that you would have had an issue with either of them...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Humour is appreciated - and all threads tend to drift at times... that is just the way a message board works!
Click to expand...

Told ya


----------



## MiLo Minis

hahler said:


> tagalong said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ok go ahead and fry me but that is what i found has worked
> 
> 
> 
> Why would anyone fry you?
> 
> You are just stating your observations and opinions based on your experience. Both the farriers I have had work on the minis I have been involved with were full size farriers as well - and handled many disciplines. And yet they also did the minis perfectly - and helped me work on problematical feet and those foals who needed more attention from the get go. Long before mini sized tools were available, they each altered their nippers etc. to make working on the minis easier... I doubt that you would have had an issue with either of them...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Humour is appreciated - and all threads tend to drift at times... that is just the way a message board works!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Told ya
Click to expand...

I would hardly call that a "fry"


----------



## hahler

lol i know


----------



## Reble

Here is more information on these people that trim horses.

http://www.indigocreek.com/kfme/main_about_us.htm

I did email them, and asked. If they would explain this for us:

A miniature's hoof is much different in care and repair than a full sized horse - We are experienced Miniature Hoof Care Specialists and understand the differences and unique care that a miniature horse requires and that most full sized horse Ferriers do not specialize in.

I hope they will reply.


----------



## Jill

I agree with what you've said Milo and sure didn't see any frying, either





The article is definitely a sales tool / scare technique in my opinion. A hoof is a hoof and the differences you find are due to the individual horse and not the breed. Our farrier didn't do "mostly" minis (how could he and really stay meaningfully employed in this and most areas) but he always did a good job on my minis AND my Morgan and Quarab biggies.

Problem was getting on his schedule and since we were willing to learn, he was happy to help us. Now it's so much easier. Our horses feet look exactly like I want them to and we can trim a few at a time, or a lot at a time -- whatever suits our schedule and the horse's needs. We took our time, watched, learned and started alternating us doing them one time, the farrier doing them the next, until we were doing a really good job.

There are a lot of farriers out there who do do a poor job, but trust me, that is not exclusive the the trims they put on miniatures. I would be instantly skeptical of a farrier who told me I needed some kind of farrier who was specifically a mini expert to get a proper trim.


----------

