Horse Sore After Trim
There are many reasons a horse may be sore after a trim but often it boils down to the fact that:
The trim removed something that was providing them with comfort and/or protection
Another reason that a horse might be sore after is a trim is if…
There is underlying inflammation in the laminae
Removal of Comfort
Always let your farrier know that the horse was sore after a trim. If you wait to tell them until the next time they come out, they may have forgotten what exactly they did at the last trim that could have made the horse sore.
Farriers should take this feedback into account, be less aggressive on their next trim, and avoid removing whatever protective barrier the horse laid down in the hoof.
It could have been anything from removing sole or bars, cleaning up the frog, removing height off of heels, or bringing the toes in too far and your trimmer should assess each of these landmarks individually.
Trim Cycle Length
Less frequent trimming often means that more hoof material needs to be removed when it is time for another trim. This makes it hard to gauge what is actually happening in the hoof throughout that cycle.
More frequent trimming allows us to make more observations and achieve desired results faster. Following a 4 or 5-week trim cycle should be a priority for you and your trimmer!
If your horse is sore on a shorter trim cycle, extending the cycle to 6 or 8 weeks it is not the answer. We should remove less, more often - rather than having to remove more, less often.
When we trim on a longer cycle with the goal of making lasting changes to the hoof, it can be like constantly playing a game of one step forward, two steps back.
Inflammation
Another reason that a horse may be sore after a trim, is if the horse has any inflammation in the laminae. The vibrations from the rasp can be enough to irritate the hoof to the point where they are sore after a trim.
Get your diet in check, treat thrush, assess landings, and consider bloodwork.
What To Do
Get your diet in check and consider bloodwork.
Treat thrush aggressively, with safe products.
Assess landings frequently throughout the trim cycle.
Adjust the trim methods & shorten the trim trim cycle if needed.
