All Year Grass Livery but Barefoot Only?

C

CobLogic

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 January 2010
Messages
76
Location
South West
Visit site
Hi there,

Following a conversation I had today...

If a yard offered all year grass livery, but specified that the horse must be barefoot - would you still be interested?

The reasoning behind this would be - the liveries would be turned out together, so to lower the risk of injury and also, to reduce the damage done to the turn out in the winter months.

This may seem like a silly question, but I am interested to know what you think?

I realise that some horses require shoes and that this approach would reduce the number of interested parties, but still - would it be a viable idea?

Just for fun :)
 
Well my horses are barefoot anyway so I would say yes. However I would rather mares and geldings be turned out separately than all liveries out together (if that's the case) which would probably be the deciding factor for me and many others rather than if the horses had to be barefoot or not.
 
wouldn't bother me. My old man (ok only 15 but retired due to injury!) is on retirement livery on that basis. He is a horse that previously HAD to have shoes due to his foot conformtation, at first he went unshod behind (compulsory to minimise kicking risk as out with mini herd) and within about 4 months went barefoot infront as well. Yes he isn't 100% sound (but he wasn't when shod either ;) ) but its not an issue for me.
 
That's exactly what we have where my girls are and it suits me perfectly.

Small mixed herd all barefoot and out on good old pasture = happy healthy sane horses.
 
It would put me off. My mare used to only have shoes infront and probably could have got away with taking those off, however I hunt in the winter and need them on and recently due to an injury she's had to have remedial shoeing behind. If this happened at a barefoot yard i'd be forced to move, therefore it wouldn't be a choice I would even consider i'm afraid.
 
That's exactly the situation Frankie was in when he was in rehab livery and although he had the odd cut ad scrape, nothing that involved bute or box rest which was not the case with a small shod herd.
Now he's back and his companion is shod in front only so I expect there may be a cut at some point.

Are barefoot horses kinder on the grass?
 
Hi there,

Thanks all for your responses - it's really interesting to hear your views!

Criso - I was always led to believe that shod horses churned up the grass more in bad weather, but I'm not sure that is 100% true.

Thanks again :)
 
At our yard we turn out in one mixed herd and some are shod although most are not. Not had a single injury in the 15 months I've been here from a kick at all. Maybe we just have a good herd but they sort the pecking order every time a new horse comes in and within half an hour are happily grazing together - as happened yesterday it only took 10 minutes of the new horse running around and heads were all down


Maybe it depends on the mix of horses as to whether it works or not
 
Its pretty standard for retirement, resting and youngstock grass liveries turned out in herds to at least have to be unshod behind. It wouldn't suit most working horses but that isn't who its aiming at catering for.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top