Any barefoot eventers?

[SG_Bunny]

Hello,

just wondering if there are any eventers or even show jumpers out there that are barefoot? I compete at 90cm aiming for 1m next year and wondered how your horses cope without studs? Thanks

 

[TheMule]

I tried- evented one to Be Novice and SJd to 1.15 unshod and but some ground conditions she couldn't cope with. My young horse is unshod when not eventing, but I shod her after she slipped out xc schooling and I ended up in hospital with a TBI. I won't take that risk again.

 

[ycbm]

I never had a problem. I rode five at up to BE Novice in all sorts of ground conditions, but I wasn't the most competitive person in the world. You do lose marks on a slick dressage arena and time on corners on the cross country.

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[Upthecreek]

In my opinion if you want to be competitive event horses need to be shod. You won’t be on a level playing field otherwise. From a safety point of view I wouldn’t contemplate cross country at 90cms without shoes and in slippery conditions you most definitely need studs.

 

[ycbm]

In my opinion if you want to be competitive event horses need to be shod. You won’t be on a level playing field otherwise. From a safety point of view I wouldn’t contemplate cross country at 90cms without shoes and in slippery conditions you most definitely need studs.

You don't most definitely need studs from a safety point of view.. I have done a clear xc BE Novice - two levels higher - at Henbury (one of the tougher asks at the time) in rain, with everyone commenting on how slippery it was, with no issues at all. Your horse has to be balanced, responsive and you can't push for the time, but you can be as safe as anyone else.

I have hunted in all conditions barefoot with not a prepared take off or landing in sight and nobody studs to hunt.

 

[ihatework]

In my opinion if you want to be competitive event horses need to be shod. You won’t be on a level playing field otherwise. From a safety point of view I wouldn’t contemplate cross country at 90cms without shoes and in slippery conditions you most definitely need studs.

I agree, just not worth the risk.
It might be fine, until it isn’t, although to be honest I would have as much concern with SJ on grass as I would Xc.

 

[twiggy2]

No one studs up to hunt and going can be terrible so I would say you can event safely without studs

 

[ycbm]

It is really fascinating how many times onlookers will see a barefoot horse slip and say its because it's got no shoes on, when shod horses slip all the time.

The horse in my avatar slipped a lot more in shoes and was never commented on. Slipping without shoes and the world and his/her wife were tutting from the sidelines.

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[ihatework]

Yes shod horses slip frequently.
But my comments are based on proper splats - as in horse falls not as a direct result of a fence. Those have all been in unshod horses or those bare behind and the riders involved 100% attributed them to lack of studs and vowed for shod in future.
And it generally isn’t boggy ground that causes this, it’s firmer ground with/without a slick top from rain.

 

[milliepops]

Also modern xc courses tend to be more twisty and accuracy-based, less forgiving on a slip than the old fashioned galloping courses.

 

[ycbm]

Firmer ground is definitely an issue and no you can't fling your horse around a corner to get the time, and if you intend to, you need to stud. But that's not for safety, that's for the desire to win.

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[ycbm]

Also modern xc courses tend to be more twisty and accuracy-based, less forgiving on a slip than the old fashioned galloping courses.

This is true, but all it means is that if you intend to event barefoot you must realise that it will be more difficult to get a winning time.

Most people who event barefoot, I think, do it because they believe that it is better for the horse, and winning is lower in their list of priorities.

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[ihatework]

Well if people have the cash to splash to go around 90at snails pace then good on them!

These days the angles and turns at Novice and beyond need to be ridden on a forwards and committed turning stride. Very much a safety issue unshod in my mind.

 

[ycbm]

Yes shod horses slip frequently.
But my comments are based on proper splats - as in horse falls not as a direct result of a fence. Those have all been in unshod horses or those bare behind and the riders involved 100% attributed them to lack of studs and vowed for shod in future.
And it generally isn’t boggy ground that causes this, it’s firmer ground with/without a slick top from rain.

I have seen several shod horses slip and fall over on roads and fields while I was following them hunting on my unshod horse.

It's my strong impression that people take a lot more notice of a fall when the horse has no shoes on.

 

[milliepops]

I don't think it's just about a winning time
As ihw says some of the combinations depend on being able to ride a forward attacking stride to meet the elements correctly. Holding to stay in balance barefoot may mean you reach an imposing fence on a half stride or without sufficient punch to clear it properly.

I accept all the reasons people go barefoot but for maintaining horse confidence and doing a good job of more trappy courses I think studs are necessary for most.

 

[ihatework]

I have seen several shod horses slip and fall over on roads and fields while I was following them hunting on my unshod horse.

It's my strong impression that people take a lot more notice of a fall when the horse has no shoes on.

I have no doubt.
But you are talking about unstudded out hunting yes? Whereas this thread is about Eventing.

 

[Upthecreek]

You don't most definitely need studs from a safety point of view.. I have done a clear xc BE Novice - two levels higher - at Henbury (one of the tougher asks at the time) in rain, with everyone commenting on how slippery it was, with no issues at all. Your horse has to be balanced, responsive and you can't push for the time, but you can be as safe as anyone else.

I have hunted in all conditions barefoot with not a prepared take off or landing in sight and nobody studs to hunt.

The question was about eventing. You are not competing when hunting so the circumstances are entirely different. Good for you doing a clear BE Novice without studs. I have seen so many nasty accidents XC from slipping that I personally wouldn’t choose to compete without studs appropriate for the ground conditions or at the very least to have the option to stud. Just my opinion.

 

[ycbm]

I have no doubt.
But you are talking about unstudded out hunting yes? Whereas this thread is about Eventing.

You think the two are unrelated?

 

[ycbm]

I don't think it's just about a winning time
As ihw says some of the combinations depend on being able to ride a forward attacking stride to meet the elements correctly. Holding to stay in balance barefoot may mean you reach an imposing fence on a half stride or without sufficient punch to clear it properly.

I accept all the reasons people go barefoot but for maintaining horse confidence and doing a good job of more trappy courses I think studs are necessary for most.

My personal experience is that similar questions are asked out hunting, often at greater speed, with worse striding and no ground preparation.

 

[milliepops]

Well we have very different country, I've never come across skinny fences on a related distance to massive tables or corners out hunting and even if I did I could choose to go around and through the gate 🤣

 

[ycbm]

The question was about eventing. You are not competing when hunting so the circumstances are entirely different. Good for you doing a clear BE Novice without studs. I have seen so many nasty accidents XC from slipping that I personally wouldn’t choose to compete without studs appropriate for the ground conditions or at the very least to have the option to stud. Just my opinion.

No problem. I've been there, done it, on multiple horses. If other people choose not to, for whatever reason, that's up to them. But I really do have an issue with people who have not done it (not talking about you) saying that it can't/shouldn't be done.

 

[ycbm]

I am truly mad, I've even done it with a broken arm in a splint 🤣

 

[ihatework]

You think the two are unrelated?

In the context of this thread then yes.

 

[ycbm]

In the context of this thread then yes.

Then you have not hunted over the country which I have hunted. An event course with prepared takeoffs and landings and measured distances is, in my experience, a lesser physical challenge than a tough leg on a drag hunt.
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[Ambers Echo]

I tried to event Amber barefoot. She slipped on the 20m canter circles in dressage even in dry conditions. But was otherwise ok. Then one event it was raining and the ground was slippery. She slipped and fell on grass in the SJ phase. After that I shod and studded and there was a clear difference in the dressage and SJ phases. XC was not really a problem at events when she was unshod but then again nothing at my BE90 level was too technical.

She is unshod again now till next season and I am very aware of the need to ride wide turns and straight lines when XC schooling - when I forget she is unstudded and turn her tighter through combinations she does slip. She is definitely far more sure footed with studs in. So even though I did event to 90 I would not go higher XC without.

It may depend on how balanced the horse and rider are but I am not running her unshod again. It's too expensive to enter only to have to pull out if it is wet.

 

[ihatework]

Then you have not hunted over the country which I have hunted. An event course with prepared takeoffs and landings and measured distances is, in my experience, a lesser physical challenge than a tough leg on a drag hunt.
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Oh I’ve been out with a big drag hunt on a number of different horses. The experience is completely different to Eventing. Both pose challenges, just different ones. I’d be just as happy to go barefoot out dragging as I would shod and unstudded (in fact I may even prefer it given studding our hunting is not feasible with the roadwork). I would respectfully suggest that given your last attempt at a Novice course was in 2005 that things have evolved since then.

 

[ycbm]

Have you evented or hunted barefoot IHW?

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[Reacher]

I am a BF enthusiast and would love to be able to event BF. This summer I did some Eventers Challenges 80 - 85cm. On hard dry ground we were fine. However at one event it had rained heavily for several hours, ground squelched. At the 2nd fence in SJ we stood off the jump a bit and horse either put in a stop (totally unlike him) or tried to chip in a short stride - anyway the result was we slid about 4 foot into the jump - horse panicked that’s he was about to plough through it and reared nearly vertically. Still ploughed through the jump and I retired.
A month later, same venue, same weather conditions- I withdrew- not going to risk that again.!
Horse has good feet that should grip as well as anybody but he clearly is not happy on wet slippery ground.

 

[twiggy2]

Well if people have the cash to splash to go around 90at snails pace then good on them!

These days the angles and turns at Novice and beyond need to be ridden on a forwards and committed turning stride. Very much a safety issue unshod in my mind.

It doesn't cost anymore to go at a snails pace so no more 'splashing the cash' than one who goes fast

 

[ycbm]

If we are going to say that eventing can only safely be done with studs, we need, I think, to consider the impact of removing the stress-releasing function of slipping. I found this interesting, there are also other papers on the subject:

http://www.internationaleventingforum.com/the-use-and-effect-of-studs/