If you do not yet know what Natural Trim is, take a look at our website about Natural Trim .
Natural trimming is ideally suited to do yourself. In fact, it is best to do this yourself, because with Natural Trim it is important that the hooves are regularly maintained. After all, with Natural Trim we imitate the natural wear and tear of the hoof as much as possible, and in nature that wear does not even take place every few weeks.
It is not practical to have your farrier drop by every week to grate all the hooves in two minutes. If you regularly maintain the hooves yourself, it is better for the horse and, moreover, keeping the hooves remains an easy job because not much needs to be removed.
Natural Trim is not difficult once you know how to do it. This course is very suitable for learning to trim yourself.
The course
The Natural Trim course organized by Paard Natuur is the course with which natural trimming has become known in the Netherlands and has become accessible to the wider public. We have the most experience in giving Natural Grooming courses and now have an impressive database of ex-students who have been trimming their own horse with great success since the beginning of 2004. Our method has been tried and tested and has proven itself in practice .
The basic course Natural Trim is modular. We distinguish the following modules:
Module 1: Theoretical knowledge (part of the basic course Natural Trim)
Proper trimming is only possible if you have a theoretical basis. You not only need to know how to trim, but also why. This module deals with the anatomy, the lifestyle and nutrition of the horse and the influence thereof on the hoof, the natural hoof model, the gaits and stances, the most common hoof problems, etc. You will learn how to look at the horse and the hoof. should look, recognize the properties of a hoof and how, theoretically, to trim the hoof.
This module consists largely of self-study: The multimedia package "Natural Covering" will be sent in advance, which you should study carefully. After this you take the written test . You do this at home, by computer, at a time when it suits you best. The result of this test will be announced during the course, and the questions answered incorrectly will be discussed in detail so that in the end everyone has sufficient theoretical knowledge to start the next module.
Module 2: Practical skills (part of the basic course Natural Trim)
Knowing how to trim the hoof is of course not enough; you must also have the practical skills to actually implement the trimming. We are talking about sharpening the tools, the various cutting and rasping techniques and the actual trimming of hooves.
We do everything for you and then let you practice each part.
Safety is also an important aspect, both in the handling of the tools and in the handling of the horse.
Ultimately, you will trim one or more practice hooves under supervision.
These are the two modules that are taught during the basic course Natural Trim. A certificate will be issued if both modules are successful.
Once you have followed the course and you need extra practice, you can participate again in the course for a small part of the original course fee.
Program
The program actually consists of two parts: One part you follow at home, another part on the course day itself.
Home
The course starts at your home as soon as you have paid the reservation amount. You will then receive the multimedia package "Natural Trim" from us, which you must read carefully. This automatically gives you the basic knowledge to make optimal use of the course day.
When you have gone through the course material, you take the written test. Taking this test is an important part of the course, you can read more about this on our page about the written test .
First practice on a board
Course day
Due to the interactive nature of the course, the program is adapted to the needs of the group of students.
In the morning, the main focus is on theory: We give a presentation with additional theoretical information, in which the questions of the test form the common thread. All questions are addressed in this way, whereby we naturally pay most attention to the questions that caused the most problems. Eventually it becomes clear what the right answers are, and more importantly, why they are the right answers. The questions of the test automatically invite a discussion, which gives this morning session a strongly interactive character.
After this we will look at the hooves of our horses and we give some practical tips for the trimming itself.
There is a lunch break at noon; we provide a delicious lunch.
After lunch, we continue with the practical part of the course, which includes the following points:
How do you sharpen the hoof knives
How do you handle the tools
Practical exercises with the tools
Discussion of the practice hooves
Step-by-step instruction and trimming exercises on practice hooves
Discussion of the trimmed practice hooves
For whom
The course is intended for people who want to learn to groom their horse in a natural way and/or who want to be able to maintain their hooves in a responsible manner.
The course is especially suitable for people who have horses with relatively good and healthy hooves.
Given the duration of the course, it is not possible to go too deeply into "problem hooves" and chronic hoof diseases.
However, it will be extensively discussed how you can get horses that were previously on irons to get better hooves and what things you will have to deal with during the transition phase.
The multimedia package "Natural Covering" will be sent to you in advance. Studying this will give you sufficient prior knowledge to participate in the course.
Where & by whom
There are currently three course locations where the course is taught
In most cases there are two instructors to guide you, who they are depends on the course location. Individual attention is guaranteed: there is a maximum of five/six participants per instructor.
Nieuwdorp (Zeeland), (unfortunately, the instructor has moved to Hungary!)
Odoornerveen (North-East Netherlands) (course stop, no course is given here for the time being)
Necessities
The multimedia package "Natural Trim" worth 79.95 Euro is included in the course. Lunch, snacks and drinks are provided. What you still have to bring/buy:
Work gloves. These are mandatory.
An old towel is practical. The practice hooves are indeed packed in plastic, but because they come out of the freezer, they get wet due to condensation.
Trimming tools: hoof blades and a rasp. These are required for the practical part of the course and can be purchased during the course.
More information about our tools can be found on the page [Trimming tools](http://www.paardnatuurlijk.nl/nl/hoofcaretools.html) . A [cap apron]((http://www.paardnatuurlijk.nl/webwinkel/hoefstandaard.htm "> hoof stands are handy and safe.
!
It often happens during the course that people discover that their pre-purchased trimming tools actually do not meet the purpose or are of very poor quality. Not infrequently people still buy "our" tools on the spot. In case of doubt, our advice is to first borrow tools somewhere and only decide during or after the course what kind of tools you want to buy.
Cost
Participation in the course costs 159.95 Euro , the multimedia package "Natural Trim" (worth 79.95 Euro) is included in this price .
Tea/coffee/soft drinks/cake/biscuits and a nice lunch are also included in the price.
Do you already have the multimedia package "Natural Covering"? Then you have received a discount coupon for participation in the course. You will then be reimbursed for the costs of the package, so you only have to pay 80 Euro for the course. Of course you will not receive an extra multimedia package "Natural Trim". (Indeed: It makes no difference whether you purchase the multimedia package "Natural Hair Trim" in advance and then register for the course, or register directly for the course and receive the multimedia package "Natural Hair Trim" as part of the course. )
For this course 40 Euro plus the multimedia package of 79.95 (+ shipping, in NL 5.99) must be paid upon registration (if you have a discount voucher, the 79.95 Euro will expire).
Are you coming together with your partner and is one multimedia package enough for you? Read more here: Discount for family members .
Registration & Preparation
Registration and preparation is as follows:
You go to the agenda page, choose a date and location, click on "register", fill in the form, and click on "Agree".
You transfer the reservation amount. In the email you receive after completing the registration form, the amount and account number are stated.
After we have received the reservation amount, we will send you the multimedia package "Natural Covering" . You need to go through this independently. (Don't worry, you don't have to understand everything: The course itself deals with bottlenecks and any questions).
After you have carefully studied the course material, you take the online test. The incorrectly answered questions are discussed extensively during the course. (You can find an example of the test by clicking on start on the test information page .)
!
In view of the time you need to be able to study the course material in advance and to take the online test, it is recommended that you do not register for a course too short in advance, and that you ensure prompt payment of the reservation amount so that we can send the course material on time.
Via our interactive agenda you can view which course dates and locations are available and register online.
Natural trimming is ideally suited to do yourself. In fact, it is best to do this yourself, because with Natural Trim it is important that the hooves are regularly maintained. After all, with Natural Trim we imitate the natural wear and tear of the hoof as much as possible, and in nature that wear does not even take place every few weeks. It is not practical to have your farrier drop by every week to grate all the hooves in two minutes. If you regularly maintain the hooves yourself, it is better for the horse and, moreover, keeping the hooves remains an easy job because not much needs to be removed.
Natural Trim is not difficult once you know how to do it. This course is very suitable for learning to trim yourself. Many students have already preceded you . Also read our page "Trim yourself or not?" .
?
But real farrier training takes a few years. How can you learn to trim in one day?
The course actually takes many times longer than one day: we assume that you thoroughly study the multimedia package "Natural Trim" beforehand. By the time you show up here on course day, you have already had quite a few hours of study! In most cases, one course day is sufficient to learn how to trim horses, but for a small amount you can come back to our refresher course so that you can practice extra.
Furthermore, a farrier has to learn many things that are not necessary in our case:
Farrier training is mostly about working with horseshoes, blacksmithing, etc. This is a craft that requires a great deal of knowledge and practical experience. However, because we do not work with horseshoes, that part of the study is canceled.
To install horseshoes, the underside of the hoof must be made perfectly flat and smooth. This requires a lot of experience. However, because we do not work with horseshoes, it is not so bad if there is still a fray or small bump after trimming; after all, that wears away very quickly, precisely because we do not use horseshoes.
Farriers trim horses for a living; time is money. For that reason, a farrier cannot take too long on a horse, he uses tools such as a machete with which he can work quickly even with poorly maintained hooves. However, this course is intended to keep track of your horse yourself and to have this take place more frequently. Time plays a less important role and you will not have to deal with poorly maintained hooves. This means that hoof blades and a rasp are enough for beginners, which are much easier to handle. You don't have to learn how to work with difficult tools that allow you to make mistakes quickly.
Another very large part of the training as a farrier is about all kinds of hoof diseases, abnormalities and injuries. However, if you only want to do the normal hoof maintenance yourself and consult a specialist in case of illnesses and injuries, then you don't need all that knowledge.
All that remains is to trim a healthy hoof without a shoe, and that is only a very small part of what the real farrier has to learn. And then it is also true that natural trimming is much easier than traditional trimming because we do not cut in sole and radius. In this way it is still possible to learn in one practical day to maintain the hooves of your horse responsibly.
If it turns out that one day of course is not enough for you, you can participate in the course again for a small part of the original course amount and that way practice extra.
Practice hooves
?
Why exercise on dead hooves instead of live horses?
The first time you trim a hoof under supervision, it will take you a long time. You must be able to view the hoof frequently, the instructor must be able to give detailed explanations, without the horse pulling the hoof away prematurely. It is unrealistic to require this patience from a horse. Moreover, this is an exercise in which it must be possible to make mistakes without affecting a living animal. Sometimes we even want to consciously make mistakes to see what the consequences would be. Almost every student who comes to us makes mistakes in trimming at least the first hoof. Then we always say: "It doesn't matter, you learn from mistakes!" Of course it is very nice that you also have the feeling that you can make mistakes without an animal being the victim.
Apart from all this, we want to be able to focus our full attention on the trimming, without also having to take into account the horses, which become impatient, react to each other, and/or are not yet completely "trimming-proof".
?
Why exercise on dead hooves instead of plaster or plastic models?
Plaster or plastic hooves are especially convenient for the instructor: No hassle with the butcher, varying range, freezers, and waste that is difficult to process. We too would prefer to opt for easier training material. However, these types of fake models are hardly interesting for the students: The purpose of the exercises is to learn to recognize the various hoof parts, which differ in color and hardness (which is not reflected in fake models), and to use the tools on material that feels "real". Our practice hooves, which come from the slaughterhouse, are very different from each other: you encounter all kinds of things and learn not only from your "own" hoof but also that of the rest of the group. Discussing the characteristics of the practice hooves is an important part of the course and is experienced by the trainees as very useful.
?
I dread practicing on dead hooves. How bad is that?
Rest assured, you are not the only one who dreads this in advance. In practice, however, it turns out to be very bad; we have not yet experienced that a student actually had problems with this. The hooves are pre-cleaned, frozen and packed in such a way that only the hoof sticks out.
Photos and comments
Also take a look at the page where former students tell about their experiences: Self-trimmers speaking .
First practice on a board
