A simple questions about barefoot horses/ponies

[monkeybum13]

When I had ponies none of them were shod and then a horse I used to ride was shod in front and without shoes behind. My current horse is shod all round.

The ponies did all disciplines, pc activities etc absolutely fine. There was never a "barefoot craze" about they just went without shoes because they coped fine and didn't need shoes. We never used these hoof boot things you can buy, no fancy hoof oils/creams and if they had an chaff in winter we'd chuck a bit of seaweed in the feed.

Now this is my question, why has everything gone crazy about barefoot, why do people consider it essential that horses need to wear hoof boots and you're frowned upon if you don't use boots? There's a new wave of barefoot trimmers and god forbid you shoe your horse (which current horse is!) you obviously have no idea about horse care.

In my eyes if your horse is fine without shoes that's ok. If you shoe your horse that is ok too. So why is there this massive craze that barefoot is always best and why if you go barefoot do you need all these "extras"?

 

[YasandCrystal]

Thats because the horse world likes fashion and change and wasting money!

Ditto - I had barefoot ponies in the 70's and my farrier trimmed them - they were never lame or sore. People used to shout from their car windows that I was cruel riding my horse with no shoes on!!!

Now you need a trained in a week equine podiatrist to measure and trim your horses feet and spout about nutrition, all advice freely available from your farrier or online if you are interested!

You know what it will be next - don't ride the poor horses it's unnatural you know!!! (And yes most of mine are barefoot c/o my farrier hubby)

What people fail to forget is that we buy and feed all this lovely sweet feed that is terrible for hoof quality and many horses have little and poor grazing and we breed indiscriminately so poor feet carry on in certain breeding lines. It is no wonder that few horses, but for their dedicated owners can now be totally barefoot all year without the need for boots.

 

[brucea]

3 of my 4 barefooters go without boots, the 4th normally does but he seems to be needing them at the moment and we are looking at dietary challenges for the root of that.

One of them wears boots for roadwork - he drives, and has had laminitis so we want to cut down the concussion - that said he'll trot happily along for 5 miles with his gig.

Remember a pair of Gloves is the cost of a single shoeing, I've had mine for over a year, and a pair of the Bares for the driving pony for 3 years - just needed new pads at £12!.

I think you're being unnecessarily down on trimmers though.

 

[peaceandquiet1]

Thats because the horse world likes fashion and change and wasting money!

Ditto - I had barefoot ponies in the 70's and my farrier trimmed them - they were never lame or sore. People used to shout from their car windows that I was cruel riding my horse with no shoes on!!!

Now you need a trained in a week equine podiatrist to measure and trim your horses feet and spout about nutrition, all advice freely available from your farrier or online if you are interested!

You know what it will be next - don't ride the poor horses it's unnatural you know!!! (And yes most of mine are barefoot c/o my farrier hubby)

What people fail to forget is that we buy and feed all this lovely sweet feed that is terrible for hoof quality and many horses have little and poor grazing and we breed indiscriminately so poor feet carry on in certain breeding lines. It is no wonder that few horses, but for their dedicated owners can now be totally barefoot all year without the need for boots.

Agree with this, also from a farrier's OH!

 

[kittykatcat]

I don't think being barefoot is all about having hoof boots is it???? Quite the opposite I would have said. They're good for transitioning and also if, for whatever reason, your horse goes footy and you don't want to nail a pair of shoes on.

OP, you say ''In my eyes if your horse is fine without shoes that's ok. If you shoe your horse that is ok too.'' So why post this thread?? If people want to use boots, so be it!

 

[BeckyCandy]

All mine are barefoot and i live on an unmade stoney horrid road and they are fine! None of them got sweet mixes just fibergy, unmollased sugarbeet, splodge of oil and two level scoops of benevit and the oldy gets a joint supplement ! My mum's always said why pay so much a month for shoeing when they are fine without them. Oldie went through a thrushy patch and hoves crumbled when she first came so had shoes on for aboout the first 18months just on fronts and with hoof treatments and a new diet and daily management shes never worn shoes since and has done everything included lots of roadwork and long hacks, cross country, jumped for pony club, done camp etc and throught we were always the minority not to have shoes on. I understand some need them etc but if they dont i do not see why people fuss so much with shoes and feeding the newest brand of competition mix

 

[FionaM12]

I don't think being barefoot is all about having hoof boots is it???? Quite the opposite I would have said. They're good for transitioning and also if, for whatever reason, your horse goes footy and you don't want to nail a pair of shoes on.

OP, you say ''In my eyes if your horse is fine without shoes that's ok. If you shoe your horse that is ok too.'' So why post this thread?? If people want to use boots, so be it!

I didn't think the use of boots was being critisized. As I understand it the OP was wondering why seem people seem to be saying you MUST use boots when horses used to be fine without.

 

[monkeybum13]

I didn't think the use of boots was being critisized. As I understand it the OP was wondering why seem people seem to be saying you MUST use boots when horses used to be fine without.

That's exactly what I was trying to say, thanks Fiona!

 

[ThePony]

Fortunatly my experience is different to how yours seems to have been op!

When I was younger and everyone I knew was on ponies then it was much more usual to have no shoes, now all my peers are several decades older we are generally on horses and for whatever reason it seems that it is more widely accepted that horses are shod. I don't think its a 70s vs now type thing, just that for some reason it is generally thought that ponies can be barefoot but not horses in full work.

Both of ours are out of shoes/shoeless/barefoot (whatever name floats your boat!). One coped exceptionally well straight off, the other has needed boots for challenging surfaces to support her while she had the opportunity to grow a better hoof. When a horse/pony doesn't wear shoes, shortcomings in their nutrition are shown up more obviously as you don't have the 'protection' of shoes masking any niggles. Again, one of ours does well whatever she eats, and the other (the boot one!) is more easily challenged. Like everything really, it just comes down to the horse's needs.

They are both now on a balanced diet, low in sugar/starch with added minerals as dictated by what is lacking or abundant in their grazing. This would be the same optimal diet for their needs regardless of whether you put metal on their feet or not.

We also have our farrier trim ours. Having had a few different farriers in our time, ours is noteworthy of being very open minded and willing to explain to me what is going on with their feet so that I can have a good understanding of the changes going on, and is very happy not to shoe a horse that doesn't need shoeing. This is sadly not always the case (as with any profession!) so people who want their horse trimmed go in search of another professional to do this, and sometimes they also want the support for nutritional info too.

Each to their own, like all horse management decisions!

 

[littlescallywag]

My horses are barefoot, one always has been and the other for nearly 6 months. Don't use boots on either of them and won't unless they really need it but I don't think they ever will as the newly barefoot one was not footy at all from day one of shoes being taken off , actually went on a hack up a gravelly road and round some farmers fields about 2 days after x