Rather than detract from the excellent post most of y’all will have seen on self-trimming and why it’s most often used as an excuse for neglecting the most important part of a horse, I decided to make this.
Here is an example of a true self-trim. This horses feet were last trimmed by a person in February but it’s worth noting that his angles and balance is checked every 8 weeks when my other horses are trimmed. Despite an identical lifestyle, his two companions don’t self trim. Why? Because it’s not a universal ability. This is despite them being technically better bred and more suited to the local conditions.
Vigo is a very rustic little horse. He’s got 10 acres of stony ground and he roams across it all day and night as well as going on rides on limestone paths and tarmac roads. His feet are optimally made - not too hard and not too weak. Despite his conformational flaws, he moves equally and correctly. In other words, he’s ideally suited to the conditions he’s living in.
Unless your horses have hit the same environmental and physical jackpot, the chances of them doing the same are low. Most importantly, if your horses feet don’t look like this, they’re not self-trimming. Gtfo with long, splintered hooves and underrun heels, that’s not a self-trim but casual neglect.
