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TL;DR - The correct trim cycle for a horse is one where the EP/trimmer only has to use the rasp as opposed to nippering great chunks of wall off, and it will be the point in time just before you look at the hooves and think "they need trimming".

If you want to know why I believe that, read on...

Horses in the wild don't have their hooves trimmed, so why should our domesticated ones? What are we trying to achieve by trimming hooves? Equine podiatry is not all about the trim - or at least it shouldn't be - but trimming the hoof capsule does make up a large part of the day to day work, and it's often the part that we have the most control over.

On a basic level, we trim the hooves to make them shorter (thanks, Debs!). Horses in the wild move over tens of miles of varied terrain every day in the course of their lives, and our domesticated horses simply don't get the same amount of wear on their feet. Dr. Tomas Teskey refers to trimming as applying miles of wear to a hoof in one go, which I really like as an analogy. Of course, we're not just taking length/height off a hoof when we trim, we're using external markers to try and balance (align) the internal structures (bones and joints) within the hoof and so the leg. This is why a properly balanced trim may not result in the prettiest, most symmetrical hoof capsule; the "balance" we are trying to achieve is internal, not a perfect-looking hoof for a social media post. 

So, how often should we trim? In true podiatrist fashion, the most accurate answer to this is "it depends"! How long a horse goes between trims depends on;

• how quickly they grow hoof horn,

• how much wear they get through work and/or living conditions,

• whether they have any pathologies or a way of moving which causes them to not wear/grow their hooves perfectly evenly,

• the owner's work schedule and/or financial situation,

• how often their EP/trimmer is in the area,

• the time of the year,

• the phase of the moon (maybe not so much this one but I wouldn't rule it out).

Basically, it's a complex question that usually gets boiled down to trimming every 4 or 6 weeks as this is traditionally how long horses would go between being shod and so people got used to the idea of horses needing hoof care at this interval. 

I often go to new clients who have historically had their horses on longer intervals of 8 or even 12 weeks between trims, and whilst this may be ok, I don't believe it's ideal when we keep in mind the reasons of why we are trimming - to emulate the wear the hooves would receive if the horse could move as much as its wild counterparts do, and keep the hoof (and so bony column of the lower limb) balanced.

Wear is applied constantly every time the horse moves, so if we assume our hypothetical wild horse is starting with a balanced hoof, they are keeping that hoof in balance every time they move. Why is balance important? Because it allows the joints and muscles to move and work as efficiently and effectively as possible, with as little incorrect stress and strain as possible - thus prolonging the health and strength of the horse. Horses are prey animals, if they can't move they can't escape from predators.

Predators aren't such a threat to our domesticated horses, but things like arthritis, sidebone, navicular disease and syndrome, tendon and ligament damage will all become potentially life-shortening problems much sooner if the horse cannot move as effectively and efficiently as possible. Very few horses grow/wear perfectly balanced hooves, and so the more the hooves grow, the further they get from being in balance. The more imbalanced the hoof is, the less efficiently and effectively the horse can move which puts extra stress and strain on their bodies.

So, should we be trimming our horses' hooves every day? Maybe, but that's probably a little excessive. Even with the best training, we're still manually trying to simulate a natural action, and being human are unlikely to get it right all of the time, so daily trimming is probably too much intervention. There's never going to be one correct answer that fits all horses in all situations, but taking as much as possible into account, I believe that the correct trim cycle for a horse is one where the EP/trimmer only has to use the rasp as opposed to nippering great chunks of wall off, and it will be the point in time just before you look at the hooves and think "they need trimming". Trimming should be done to maintain the balance of the hoof capsule, rather than continually resetting it to a balanced point before leaving it to grow way past that and then starting all over again at the next trim.

If you have any questions about the trim cycle your horse is on, speak to your EP/trimmer :)