How often is hoof trimming necessary?

How often is hoof trimming necessary? The answer to this question depends on several factors:

• The health of the hooves
  Healthy hooves can often keep themselves relatively balanced and might only require light trimming every 5-6 weeks. Compromised hooves require a much more frequent schedule.
  
• The time of year
  Hooves generally grow faster in the warmer months, so a more frequent schedule may be necessary in Spring, Summer or early Fall.
  
• The conformation of the horse
  A horse with conformational defects such as pigeon toes, cow hocks or toed out on front will tend to wear and grow hooves unevenly. Keeping these horses in balance requires frequent trimming in order to avoid injury.

Some horse owners can learn to touch up trims between professional trims, which may allow a more flexible schedule.