I wanted to ask your opinion. I have been reading about all kinds of various ways to take care of the hoof. Today I read about not trimming the hoof at all, and my god it made sense. Last year we went through an unfortunate situation where we couldn't get a farrier but all of a sudden, after having horrible looking feet all the horse looked like they had been trimmed (suddenly = within a space of a week). What do you think about this idea?
It is a very bad idea to not trim hooves that are not moving over abrasive terrain constantly. Hooves will begin to “self trim” when they get long through chipping and breaking, and if the terrain is abrasive enough they will get to the point where the hoof wall smooths out and looks more normal. If the terrain isn’t abrasive enough or the hooves aren’t getting enough movement, all that breaking and chipping is an invitation for disease and imbalance, and the excess that doesn’t break off will strain the laminar connection and the soft tissue of the leg.
So basically, in a perfectly ideal situation, like maybe a really abrasive track system/paddock paradise, it might be okay. In any other situation, no.