advice on going barefoot behind

[AFlapjack]

Perfectly understandable.

When you have some spare cash this is a good place to start learning I think. http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780965800709

Thanks. I will certainly look into buying it.

Hi Alice

It's a real journey, but when you have the time to make it, you may find yourself just saying 'wow, wow, wow!'. I still do, after all these years. And just sometimes I feel like banging my head on the wall with frustration, but that is another story!

For an idea of how/why shoes are able to mask problems have a look at this.

http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/thermography-blood-supply-shod-v-unshod.html

Although I pinched from facebook, the image was originally produced by a vet and I think it is a vet's face book page I nicked it from, but I don't speak spanish.

Woah, it's amazing how different they are and quite scary at the same time!

Would you recommend a certain time of year to attempt going barefoot or anything specific in their feeds or to apply on their hooves?
I will try and read as much as possible about going barefoot in the next few months and go from there.

 

[LucyPriory]

most people say winter because fewer problems with metabolic horses and you are less likely to want to work horse. But personally I find this a hard time to help people transition their horses. and appropriate levels of work for a transitioning horse are a good thing, pasture ornaments rarely ever transition properly/fully because the hoof needs to work.

Newly deshod feet are often weak and the walls have often been heavily rasped. Combined with standing around in fetlock deep mud I see more infections with winter transitions.

For spring summer transitions, if you want to continue a heavy work load, boots might be required while the feet adapt. There may be issues with new awareness of LGL which had previously gone unrecognised. But generally I find these problems easier to help a client with than the winter scenario.

If you can keep your horse in a dry paddock over winter, then you might find this ok/or easier for the transition period. I just don't see many horses in dry fields in winter.

Transitioning a 'metabolic' horse to barefoot is the extreme end and why most people struggle. It can be done, by most people. But you have to be open minded and prepared to change how you manage your horse. See

http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/for-people-considering-transitioning.html

 

[AFlapjack]

most people say winter because fewer problems with metabolic horses and you are less likely to want to work horse. But personally I find this a hard time to help people transition their horses. and appropriate levels of work for a transitioning horse are a good thing, pasture ornaments rarely ever transition properly/fully because the hoof needs to work.

Newly deshod feet are often weak and the walls have often been heavily rasped. Combined with standing around in fetlock deep mud I see more infections with winter transitions.

For spring summer transitions, if you want to continue a heavy work load, boots might be required while the feet adapt. There may be issues with new awareness of LGL which had previously gone unrecognised. But generally I find these problems easier to help a client with than the winter scenario.

If you can keep your horse in a dry paddock over winter, then you might find this ok/or easier for the transition period. I just don't see many horses in dry fields in winter.

Transitioning a 'metabolic' horse to barefoot is the extreme end and why most people struggle. It can be done, by most people. But you have to be open minded and prepared to change how you manage your horse. See

http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/for-people-considering-transitioning.html

Brilliant, thanks once again