Is Trimming Expensive?
(Prior to writing this article, I had assumptions of what the answer might be, but never did the math to fully support it.)
I, like many other trimmers who are dedicated to the best barefoot care of your horses, likely charge more to trim horses' feet than some farriers in our local markets. This price reflects the expertise, education, and experience that we bring to your horses. The intent of this article is not to debate how prices should be established, or how we should set prices, but instead to just make a simple comparison, from a monetary standpoint, between barefoot trimmed horses kept on a good schedule, and shod horses kept on a good schedule.
Assumptions
Care Cycle
We'll make a few assumptions that will guide this, and those are that the horses are being cared for on a 6 week trim/shoeing cycle during the months of May through November, and then the cycle is extended to 8 weeks during the winter months. I am also assuming that the shoes are kept on only during that period May through November, and during the winter those horses are maintained barefoot. If you are not in the know, these cycles reflect a standard of good hoof care. Laminitis is the common result for horses kept on a significantly longer cycle, throughout the year.
Cost of Services
I do not go out and survey other farriers regarding their fees, but for the sake of this comparison, we'll assume that we are talking about the care of a trained saddle horse whose behavior is not terrible, and so my fees would be $75 for a trim, and a number I hear floated around for shoeing might be $120. I also assume that the shoeing farrier charges $55 to trim in the off season These numbers may be a little low, but for comparison, they'll work.
Comparison
The care cycle described above would have a horse's hooves worked on approximately 8 times a year, 6 times during the period May through November and twice during the winter. The summary below reflects the carried out math.
Trimming. 8 cycles of barefoot trimming to cover the whole year at a cost of $75/trim costs $600/year.
Shoeing/Trimming. 6 cycles of shoeing at $120/visit and 2 cycles of off season trimming at $55/visit, comes to a total of $830/year
If we assume that the horse is not completely transitioned to barefoot living in the mountains, and the horse requires front hoof boots to maintain comfort in the mountains, then this would add an approximate $210 for boots that will last several years, and still allow a horse the benefit of remaining barefoot all year.
Conclusion
It appears that the first year is more or less a wash, if hoof boots are required. If not, barefoot trimming saves a little bit of money. Personally, I don't place money as the primary motivator for decisions on how I care for my horses. I first consider what is best for the horse, and then research an affordable solution.
I hope this article is helpful, and I am happy to discuss any of it with you. We will continue to produce content that will try to answer questions that pertain to barefoot trimming and horse general care. Let me know your questions.