Trim

Richard van Dijk

 Trimmer

“I believe we need to always question traditions. As times change so do the reasons that we do things. Traditional farriery is all about keeping horses sound by nailing on steel shoes. Modern hoof care required a change of philosophy and has ways to make horses sound without the application of shoes.”   Richard van Dijk

Natural Equine Hoof Care  

Some years ago Richard had a contract to train and maintain 10 working horses. He was asked to do a barefoot trial on these horses. Having had a background in both shod and shoeless horses, he was skeptical that “barefoot” was any different and that the horses would stay sound.

The trial had 2 horses shod and 2 horses green broken that had never been shod. After two years all the horses had done really well. The barefoot trimmed horses however had grown out their large cracks whereas the shod horses still had the same cracks they had started with.

During that time, Richard had other shod horses in work who had various issues such as forward running heels and multiple cracks.  One horse could not hold a shoe at all.  All of these were addressed by the barefoot protocols with vast improvements in their comfort, and therefore performance, of this group of horses.  Richard was hands on in the trial and did an introductory workshop and then trained with Jenny Austin during the trial. 

I have continued to put the barefoot systems to the test in a range of equine disciplines such as Off the Track thoroughbreds, show jumpers, hunters, Arabians, endurance horses, quarter horse types, ponies and working warmblood sport horses with great success.
"I would highly recommend Richard! My horses feet have never been better! He is friendly and approachable. He is caring and gentle with the horses. Am so impressed!
Stacey Panozzo
"I have a Clydesdale mare who was tied up, fell over and shod on the ground when she was in Melbourne being broken to harness. She was really bad with her feet before that and when she came home to SA my problem was how to get the shoes off her and find someone to help me get her feet healthy. I was introduced to Richard van Dijk and not only did he spend 4 hours taking her shoes off but he has been patiently helping her to healthy feet ever since. It's been about 3 years now and she never stumbles when she walks, she hasn't had a hoof abscess since he started her barefoot and she has the most beautiful clydie feet you've ever seen. He has been patient, conscientious and creative. I'm sure she wouldn't be a working horse now if it wasn't for Richard. I am so grateful that I met him and that he took on my horses. The bonus is that my retired thoroughbred riding horse who I thought just had the worst arthritis now shows no lameness ....ever. He's 28 and his feet just keep getting better. Go barefoot with Richard van Dijk you won't regret it."
Lesley James

Trimming FAQ

What does natural hoof care mean?
It’s a system of hoof care which enables your horse to work soundly on all terrain without shoes.

What do you do differently to a farrier? 
Rather than loading the thin hoof wall peripherally, we trim to weight bear across the heels, frog and toe. We then trim the quarters to prevent cracking and to allow the horse to more smoothly roll over rough surfaces. Often the training of a farrier is more about keeping a horse sound with the application of shoes. Our training is about keeping horses sound without shoes.  

Is this a new thing? 
The recommendation by veterinarians and others to keep horses without shoes, dates back to 1700’s but science and research in the last 20 years has demonstrated that the barefoot horse has a much healthier hoof function, which in turn, leads to an overall healthier horse.

How can horses perform without shoes, don’t they need them for some sports?
Since medieval times shoes have frequently been applied without question because of tradition, the reasons are based on no other alternatives. The advantages of being barefoot are now science based and due to research on robust, hardworking barefoot horses, we have methods of keeping them sound without shoes.  

If you take shoes off my horse will I still be able to ride him? 
Yes, but you must be aware that time is often needed to condition the feet to harder surfaces and to harder work. The amount of time varies from horse to horse and their use.  

What if he’s foot sore after the shoes are taken off? 
There are now a great variety of hoof boots which are only used when working. They offer better protection than shoes as they also protect sole and frog. They are also more economical than shoeing.  

Why shouldn’t I use shoes on my horse? 
Shoes add to concussion, prevent flexion and shock absorption, stop the frog from working and decrease blood flow. Nails damage hoof wall then cracking and seedy toe are the nasty result. Shoeing is also more costly.  

How often will you need to trim my horse? 
Trimming frequency varies due to feed, work, seasons and the individual horse. It is recognised by farriery and barefoot disciplines that a hoof is out of balance in 3 – 4 weeks. However, to suit most people’s lifestyles, the average is 6 weeks.

How much does it cost? 
$50 per trim -  $20 to remove shoes - $70 for a heavy horse breed

What areas do you cover? 
The Fleurieu Peninsula, Murraylands, Southern-Central Adelaide Hills
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