Trim day for the boys

Dallas and Doc are barefoot- that means they don't wear shoes. I'm not an all-natural-hippie-chick-natural horsemanship- type owner. But.....I don't think taking a hunk of iron and nailing it into a living creature makes any sense. In fact, I think it is cruel. Done correctly, shoeing can prevent wear and tear on the animal's hoof, but in the long run I believe horseshoes create more problems than they ever correct. We now have hard-wearing, long-lasting hoof boots available like these Easy Boots- the brand our critters wear, so there really is no reason to use horseshoes.

When I bought Dallas he had shoes on his front legs- he had very little concavity, small feet, and contracted heels. Fast forward to three years later and his hooves have concavity, his heels are no longer contracted, and his hooves are much bigger and better able to support an animal of his magnificant stature.

As a mule Doc has somewhat harder and more upright hooves than a horse, and according to our trimmer he has all around awesome feet. Great hoof wall and concavity.

Anyway, every 6 weeks our awesome barefoot trimmer comes and does the boys. Today was that day, so a few pictures to document the occasion.