I have been working my way through "Horse Owners Guide to Natural Hoof Care" by Jaime Jackson (2002) for what seems like a very long time. It's not the easiest reference book to read, and I had already been trimming my own horses hooves for at least a year when I started reading it, so the book mostly confirmed things that I already knew. Yes, I have been trimming for a couple of years now, and I wish that I had gotten started sooner, especially when I was younger and had more strength and stamina. I used to be able to trim all 4 of our horses' hooves in one day, but now I just limit myself to one horse per day. It's a monthly ritual, but it probably saves us at least $1,300 a year on farrier expenses. It also has helped me get more of a personal knowledge of how my horses move, and it keeps me more aware of their health. It's really a lot like clipping your own fingernails. I was worried at first about taking off too much, but I think I probably err on the side of taking off too little. And I did get kicked once, when I was trimming Casper and was using the nippers on his back toe. I'm not sure if I hurt him or just startled him, but he flailed his leg back and forth a couple times to shake me off, and he caught be in the leg. I didn't get hurt or anything, but of course it was a good lesson for me. Casper, the young one that kicked me, died on New Year's Day 2018. He broke his leg, maybe from the ice on the ground, maybe from a kick from another horse. I haven't been the same when it comes to horses since then. I guess God knows what He's doing when it comes to that kind of stuff. I haven't been the same when it comes to God stuff since then, either. Casper was only about 4 years old, and I had just started riding and training him, so I was expecting at least a good 15 years of having him be my riding horse. Now I just have two geriatric, used-up old farts, Apache and Lucky. Mom recently acquired a pretty good horse named Dolly, but that came after my best man-friend Tommy died. And I also trim my cousin's horse, Katt. So those are my 4 hoof wards - Apache, Lucky, Dolly, Katt. But I don't want to ride. Maybe someday. The last time I rode a horse was at the Forestburg Watermelon Festival in August. I was worried that the horse might collapse under my weight, but peer pressure got me in the saddle. It was not enjoyable. I guess I have lost my youth. And I know I'm still grieving and angry. Oh, wait, I did ride a horse once since then, in January at the Fort Worth Stock Show Parade, when we parked in the wrong place and had to hoof it a couple of miles to find the rest of our group. I was only supposed to be on groom duty that day, and I didn't ride in the actual parade, but I did ride back to the trailer. But anyway, I trim hooves now. I charge $10 if you're interested in my services. A professional probably charges about $30, but the only training I have is my 38 years of observation and this book.