Rates & Services

Articles:

What is Natural Hoof Trimming?

Why not horseshoes?

Keeping a Healthy Horse

Hoof Problems

How To Feed The Feet Right Off Of Your Horse

Tools You Will Need to Perform a Maintenance Trim

Looking for Custom Made Farrier Chaps?

Resources

RATES & SERVICES
We will travel up to a 30 mile radius from Duluth, MN without additional mileage charges.*

COST
(Prices subject to change without notice)

Initial Consultation - REQUIRED

This is an opportunity for us to meet and discuss the current situation with your horses, as well as what you envision for the future.

We will come to your location, check out your operation, take pictures of your horses, check their feet out and discuss our findings with you BEFORE we do any work. This is your opportunity to ask questions, get clarification about what our system is and discuss any special concerns or behavior issues with your herd.

It is also our opportunity to note any current or past health issues that we observe on your horses and to begin suggesting possible changes which will benefit your operation long-term.

After the Initial Consultation both parties can decide if a working arrangement is possible between us, before any work is done. Please review the Initial Consultation page to get a better idea of what will be covered in our meeting.

Free

Initial Trim - REQUIRED

First Trims can be a lengthy process depending upon the condition of your horse and how long it has been since the last visit by a trimmer or farrier. Most farriers will not be trimming in the same style that we practice and there may be long-term issues which will take some time for your horse to work through and heal. If it has been over 8 weeks since the last trim it will likely take 2 to 4 times longer to bring the hoof back to a good starting place for natural hoof growth to occur. If it has been 8 weeks, or more since your horse's last trim, this will be our standard fee. Horses on our 4 to 6 week trimming schedule will be charged a Maintenance Trim fee instead.

For horses that haven't been trimmed in 8 weeks or more, the initial trim may take up to 2 hours per horse. There are numerous factors which can affect this. Please make sure you set aside enough time to accomodate this. Horses which have been trimmed regularly before seeing us will probably take less time and may qualify for a discounted rate.

( Behavior issues with poorly trained horses can cause us great difficulty and take time away from our work, not to mention put us in potentially dangerous situations. See our section regarding Difficult Horses at the end of this page.)

$60.00/horse

Maintenance Trims

The Maintenance Trim should be scheduled in 3 to 6 week intervals (4 weeks is typical), depending upon hoof wear vs. growth. This will vary from horse to horse and with the seasons as hoof growth tends to slow during the colder months. A typical maintenance trim on a well-behaved horse generally takes 45 minutes to an hour. If you have a difficult horse refer to the Difficult Horses listing below.

We are currently offering a $5/horse discount for horses brought to River Ranch in Esko, MN for trimming. Please contact us for an appointment.

$40.00/horse

Laminitis/Founder Trim

Laminitic horses, or those who have foundered require special care and trimming techniques. In addition the horse may be in a lot of pain, and may or may not be able to stand well while we are working. There may be days where the horse will be unable to stand for us at all. We have had success using Bute to take the edge off of the pain for the horse, making them more comfortable, increasing the appetite, and relieving some of the stress associated with this disease, long enough to get the initial trim completed. You, the horse owner, will be responsible for acquiring and administering any medications. We have seen the trimming process take as long as 8 hours while we give the horse frequent and needed breaks during the trim. Once the initial Founder Trim has been completed we can generally put the horse on a Maintenance Trim schedule. The horse should show some improvement within 2 to 3 months, taking up to a year to grow a full new hoof wall out for severe cases.

Important Note:
There is nothing that can be done for your horse without a major change in feeding and management practices FIRST. Unless the source of the disease is removed, no amount of trimming, shoeing, or veterinary intervention will reverse this debilitating disease. See our Founder page for more information about management practices.

$150.00 max or $35.00/hr whichever
is less.

Fitting Hoof Boots

This includes sizing, initial fitting, and training you to maintain and put on and take off properly. (Cost of boots is not included) We recommend the Easy Boot Epic.

TBD

Difficult Horses

Performing Natural Hoof Trimming is how we make our living. In order to do that we must be in good physical and mental condition. If we become injured we cannot make a living, so we are very careful and very gentle when working around your horses. Unfortunately, there are horses out there that, for various reasons, have behavior issues which can put us in danger when trying to perform our work. Our safety and the safety of your horse are our primary concerns. If, for any reason, we determine that your horses behavior, or the situation we are required to work in are putting us in a dangerous position, we will request a change in the situation. This may include, but is not limited to: moving the work area, getting a buddy horse to stand with the horse being worked on, asking the owner to leave the work area, or if the horse is acting too dangerously we may simply refuse to trim that animal. For a fee we may agree to perform some remedial training with your horse that may allow us to complete a trim. Methods will be discussed prior to training. Fees will be added to standard trim costs. We may also recommend outside remedial training for your horse, or we may point you to training materials that you can use to improve the level of cooperation of your horse. Please don't be offended if we refuse to work on your horse...it's nothing personal...it's self-preservation.

At no time will we resort to violence or abuse of any kind toward your animals. We embrace natural horsemanship as taught by the likes of Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson, Gawani Pony Boy and Monty Roberts. We will also refuse to work with you or your animals if you engage in any violent or abusive behavior toward your horses while we are present.

$40.00 - minimum 1/2 hour fee.
$40.00 per 1/2 hour after minimum.

Trimming Instruction

We are now offering you, the horse owner, the opportunity to learn to trim your own horses feet. Once we perform an Initial Trim , we can teach you how to perform maintenance trims yourself. This is hands-on instruction, where we will teach you how to use the same tools and techniques that we use to perform maintenance trims. You will still want us out a couple of times per year to check things out and give you tips on how to improve your trimming skills, but you will be saving $40.00 per horse, per trim and that can save you a lot of money in a year. Hoof trimming is not rocket science, but knowing the basics can be priceless. Please contact us if you are interested in knowing more, and see our Trimming Tools and How To Perform a Maintenance Trim pages for more information.

$40.00/hr @ 2 to 4 hours
(can be done in 2 sessions)

Price includes 2 e-mail and/or telephone consultations following instruction.

Additional consultations@$25.00/hr

Management Consultation

We can work with you on improving your management practices to resolve problems with your horse's health, such as laminitis/founder. We will evaluate your operation and make suggestions for changes, which will contribute to resolving many issues that may be contributing to health problems in your herd.

$25.00/hr

*Mileage may be additional if outside our normal traveling radius and/or if fuel costs increase significantly.


Articles: What is Natural Hoof Trimming? Why not horseshoes? Keeping a Healthy Horse Hoof Problems How To Feed The Feet Right Off Of Your Horse Tools You Will Need to Perform a Maintenance Trim Looking for Custom Made Farrier Chaps? Resources
	RATES & SERVICES We will travel up to a 30 mile radius from Duluth, MN without additional mileage charges.*	COST *(Prices subject to change without notice*)
	Initial Consultation - REQUIRED This is an opportunity for us to meet and discuss the current situation with your horses, as well as what you envision for the future. We will come to your location, check out your operation, take pictures of your horses, check their feet out and discuss our findings with you BEFORE we do any work. This is your opportunity to ask questions, get clarification about what our system is and discuss any special concerns or behavior issues with your herd. It is also our opportunity to note any current or past health issues that we observe on your horses and to begin suggesting possible changes which will benefit your operation long-term. After the Initial Consultation both parties can decide if a working arrangement is possible between us, before any work is done. Please review the Initial Consultation page to get a better idea of what will be covered in our meeting.	Free
	Initial Trim - REQUIRED First Trims can be a lengthy process depending upon the condition of your horse and how long it has been since the last visit by a trimmer or farrier. Most farriers will not be trimming in the same style that we practice and there may be long-term issues which will take some time for your horse to work through and heal. If it has been over 8 weeks since the last trim it will likely take 2 to 4 times longer to bring the hoof back to a good starting place for natural hoof growth to occur. If it has been 8 weeks, or more since your horse's last trim, this will be our standard fee. Horses on our 4 to 6 week trimming schedule will be charged a Maintenance Trim fee instead. For horses that haven't been trimmed in 8 weeks or more, the initial trim may take up to 2 hours per horse. There are numerous factors which can affect this. Please make sure you set aside enough time to accomodate this. Horses which have been trimmed regularly before seeing us will probably take less time and may qualify for a discounted rate. ( Behavior issues with poorly trained horses can cause us great difficulty and take time away from our work, not to mention put us in potentially dangerous situations. See our section regarding Difficult Horses at the end of this page.)	$60.00/horse
	Maintenance Trims The Maintenance Trim should be scheduled in 3 to 6 week intervals (4 weeks is typical), depending upon hoof wear vs. growth. This will vary from horse to horse and with the seasons as hoof growth tends to slow during the colder months. A typical maintenance trim on a well-behaved horse generally takes 45 minutes to an hour. If you have a difficult horse refer to the Difficult Horses listing below. We are currently offering a $5/horse discount for horses brought to River Ranch in Esko, MN for trimming. Please contact us for an appointment.	$40.00/horse
	Laminitis/Founder Trim Laminitic horses, or those who have foundered require special care and trimming techniques. In addition the horse may be in a lot of pain, and may or may not be able to stand well while we are working. There may be days where the horse will be unable to stand for us at all. We have had success using Bute to take the edge off of the pain for the horse, making them more comfortable, increasing the appetite, and relieving some of the stress associated with this disease, long enough to get the initial trim completed. You, the horse owner, will be responsible for acquiring and administering any medications. We have seen the trimming process take as long as 8 hours while we give the horse frequent and needed breaks during the trim. Once the initial Founder Trim has been completed we can generally put the horse on a Maintenance Trim schedule. The horse should show some improvement within 2 to 3 months, taking up to a year to grow a full new hoof wall out for severe cases. Important Note: There is nothing that can be done for your horse without a major change in feeding and management practices FIRST. Unless the source of the disease is removed, no amount of trimming, shoeing, or veterinary intervention will reverse this debilitating disease. See our Founder page for more information about management practices.	$150.00 max or $35.00/hr whichever is less.
	Fitting Hoof Boots This includes sizing, initial fitting, and training you to maintain and put on and take off properly. (Cost of boots is not included) We recommend the Easy Boot Epic.	TBD
	Difficult Horses Performing Natural Hoof Trimming is how we make our living. In order to do that we must be in good physical and mental condition. If we become injured we cannot make a living, so we are very careful and very gentle when working around your horses. Unfortunately, there are horses out there that, for various reasons, have behavior issues which can put us in danger when trying to perform our work. Our safety and the safety of your horse are our primary concerns. If, for any reason, we determine that your horses behavior, or the situation we are required to work in are putting us in a dangerous position, we will request a change in the situation. This may include, but is not limited to: moving the work area, getting a buddy horse to stand with the horse being worked on, asking the owner to leave the work area, or if the horse is acting too dangerously we may simply refuse to trim that animal. For a fee we may agree to perform some remedial training with your horse that may allow us to complete a trim. Methods will be discussed prior to training. Fees will be added to standard trim costs. We may also recommend outside remedial training for your horse, or we may point you to training materials that you can use to improve the level of cooperation of your horse. Please don't be offended if we refuse to work on your horse...it's nothing personal...it's self-preservation. At no time will we resort to violence or abuse of any kind toward your animals. We embrace natural horsemanship as taught by the likes of Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson, Gawani Pony Boy and Monty Roberts. We will also refuse to work with you or your animals if you engage in any violent or abusive behavior toward your horses while we are present.	$40.00 - minimum 1/2 hour fee. $40.00 per 1/2 hour after minimum.
	Trimming Instruction We are now offering you, the horse owner, the opportunity to learn to trim your own horses feet. Once we perform an Initial Trim , we can teach you how to perform maintenance trims yourself. This is hands-on instruction, where we will teach you how to use the same tools and techniques that we use to perform maintenance trims. You will still want us out a couple of times per year to check things out and give you tips on how to improve your trimming skills, but you will be saving $40.00 per horse, per trim and that can save you a lot of money in a year. Hoof trimming is not rocket science, but knowing the basics can be priceless. Please contact us if you are interested in knowing more, and see our Trimming Tools and How To Perform a Maintenance Trim pages for more information.	$40.00/hr @ 2 to 4 hours (can be done in 2 sessions) Price includes 2 e-mail and/or telephone consultations following instruction. Additional consultations@$25.00/hr
	Management Consultation We can work with you on improving your management practices to resolve problems with your horse's health, such as laminitis/founder. We will evaluate your operation and make suggestions for changes, which will contribute to resolving many issues that may be contributing to health problems in your herd.	$25.00/hr