KINDMARE
Well-Known Member
Do any of you manage to keep a horse barefoot when they are hacked regularly on roads and stony tracks? Any tips please?
Barefoot experiences
- Thread starter KINDMARE
- Start date
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Do you mean without ever wearing boots or similar?
Tarragon
Well-Known Member
I do.
It has taken me some years of transition (both in my ideas and for the ponies) and it takes effort!
When the ponies were shod, I cared about the state of the shoes, now they are not shod, I care about the state and health of the hooves.
I find that it takes much more effort, and you cannot get complacent, as the success or not depends on so many varying factors, such as time of year, grass, conformation of pony, how much riding and where, you are constantly having to make decisions. So, what may work one month, will probably need tweaking the next. BUT, I think that a healthy hoof reflects a healthy horse, so it is probably made me a better owner as a result.
Mind you, I don't rug, and when I see the amount of decisions a rug-wearing pony owner has to make each day, and the costs of rugging, I feel that the daily decision of to rug or not to rug and what rug are comparable!
I do own and use hoof boots, but again, whether I decide to use them or not depends on the day.
Sometimes, I have wondered if I should go back to shoeing as it seems so much easier, but I talk myself out of it, as I think I should be able to solve any problem with the use of hoof boots, which is still keeping your pony barefoot.
My dilemma at the moment is a pigeon-toed pony that wears his hooves unevenly. I cannot decide on how best to manage him! Keep on balancing the hoof, pad out hoof boots, or something else.
It has taken me some years of transition (both in my ideas and for the ponies) and it takes effort!
When the ponies were shod, I cared about the state of the shoes, now they are not shod, I care about the state and health of the hooves.
I find that it takes much more effort, and you cannot get complacent, as the success or not depends on so many varying factors, such as time of year, grass, conformation of pony, how much riding and where, you are constantly having to make decisions. So, what may work one month, will probably need tweaking the next. BUT, I think that a healthy hoof reflects a healthy horse, so it is probably made me a better owner as a result.
Mind you, I don't rug, and when I see the amount of decisions a rug-wearing pony owner has to make each day, and the costs of rugging, I feel that the daily decision of to rug or not to rug and what rug are comparable!
I do own and use hoof boots, but again, whether I decide to use them or not depends on the day.
Sometimes, I have wondered if I should go back to shoeing as it seems so much easier, but I talk myself out of it, as I think I should be able to solve any problem with the use of hoof boots, which is still keeping your pony barefoot.
My dilemma at the moment is a pigeon-toed pony that wears his hooves unevenly. I cannot decide on how best to manage him! Keep on balancing the hoof, pad out hoof boots, or something else.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
Yup, some need a slower transition some step right out. Frank (trans at 19) was always a bit of a work in progress but had functional and fast growing feet for the terrain we covered- regularly 30+ miles a week in his 20s. Current rides one is rock crunching (never shod) and one trans later in life who is less rock crunching but functional.
Other than very soon/first 6 months after transition I’ve never had an issue on roads, only stones.
Tips keep on top of any thrush (even if it doesn’t seem like there is any, treat semi regularly, feed sensibly, boot if required, within reason let the horse sort what it needs. F had a lateral deviation on the leg with a spavin and was sore if you trimmed bars, so I didn’t
Other than very soon/first 6 months after transition I’ve never had an issue on roads, only stones.
Tips keep on top of any thrush (even if it doesn’t seem like there is any, treat semi regularly, feed sensibly, boot if required, within reason let the horse sort what it needs. F had a lateral deviation on the leg with a spavin and was sore if you trimmed bars, so I didn’t
Catbird
Well-Known Member
I only really have access to road hacking and my cob is fine with no boots. He can be a bit footy on the odd stony track we go on so I let him pick his way around the worst bits and take it slow. That said, when it was dry last year he would trot along stony tracks with no problem so I'm expecting (and hoping!) he'll manage better again when his field is drier and he's not stood in the wet for hours at a time!
Barklands
Well-Known Member
Two of ours are barefoot - they both cope very well on the lanes but not on the stones. They are trimmed regularly and fed supplements for the feet but I don't think will ever do well on stony tracks. As such we just stick to the roads, grass, surfaces and they are quite happy
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Roads are, or should be, no issue. Stony tracks without boots takes both the right horse and consistent exposure. For example I deliberately laid a stony track from my barn to the field so the horses would be constantly exposed. But not all horses would cope even then. And grass is no friend as a feed for barefoot horses, nor wet mud as turnout.
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FitzyFitz
Well-Known Member
In the summer their feet are harder and tougher generally, right now I only have two (out of 4 totally barefoot) that aren't footy over stones although they DO slow down and pick the best bits, which is only reasonable if you ask me. One of mine is very tough and is generally only booted for unknown terrain or rides over 20km, all our hacking is tarmac or stony tracks. The other is still green, currently booted for anything but short rides as we're doing tons of hill work right now (again on tarmac and stones) and she was wearing her hinds too much. Wasn't sore, but I don't want her to get sore.
Tarmac should be no problem for most horses all year unless their feet are particularly soggy or you have very gritty lanes. Stones takes regular exposure and care, some won't be too fussed, some will be careful. Type of stone makes a big difference too, some are more pokey than others. Keep on top of thrush (it can be very sneaky and hide in grooves) don't over feed them and keep them moving as much as possible, most of all be patient, and you have a decent chance. Not all horses will be tough as old boots rock crunchers though no matter what you do, it's just life, don't make them sore by trying to do something they can't quite manage.
Tarmac should be no problem for most horses all year unless their feet are particularly soggy or you have very gritty lanes. Stones takes regular exposure and care, some won't be too fussed, some will be careful. Type of stone makes a big difference too, some are more pokey than others. Keep on top of thrush (it can be very sneaky and hide in grooves) don't over feed them and keep them moving as much as possible, most of all be patient, and you have a decent chance. Not all horses will be tough as old boots rock crunchers though no matter what you do, it's just life, don't make them sore by trying to do something they can't quite manage.
tda
Well-Known Member
Ive currently got one mare who is happy on all surfaces, always has been.
I have one other who is like the princess with the pea on rough ground, never improves but absolutely fine on tarmac
I have 3 youngsters who've lived on a hard-core yard with field access, they self trim and am expecting them to march straight out when their time comes
I have one other who is like the princess with the pea on rough ground, never improves but absolutely fine on tarmac
I have 3 youngsters who've lived on a hard-core yard with field access, they self trim and am expecting them to march straight out when their time comes
dreamcometrue
Well-Known Member
I did with my Welsh section D. She had never been shod and had hooves like iron. We hacked for miles on roads and tracks and did long pleasure rides too withou any problems whatsoever.
Boughtabay
Well-Known Member
My PRExWelsh has never had shoes and is kept on (partly) bog. I’ve been very lucky that his feet seem very solid *touches wood. He covers all ground in the summer including road/gravelly forest tracks and sharp exposed rock/shale. On one occasion he navigated a badly damaged bridle path that had been worn down to very sharp loose stones - that took a little more picking his way through and I wouldn’t go that way again, but he was none the worse after doing it. I don’t know whether this would be the case after being shod and returning to barefoot.
My rising 3yo welsh c is coming into a trim cycle after being left long before I bought him - all 4 feet are white and don’t appear that they will hold up as well without help
but time will tell.
My rising 3yo welsh c is coming into a trim cycle after being left long before I bought him - all 4 feet are white and don’t appear that they will hold up as well without help
but time will tell.
Landcruiser
Well-Known Member
My semi retired has been barefoot for 15 yrs and is mostly rock crunching over all surfaces. He occasionally gets some sensitivity on stones and wants to pick his way, which is fine - probably down to grass sugars. I used to boot for the orienteering phase when we did TREC, because you never know where you'll be sent and you have to keep up the speed - but otherwise not generally needed.
My other 3 are all barefoot also, and I trim all of them myself. They are kept on a decent sized area with mixed surfaces..concrete, agregate, mushy mud (surface under so not deep). open stables with matting, regular access to a sand/fibre arena for a play and a roll, and when it's dry enough access to unimproved paddocks on a sort of equicentral/track hybrid.
It works for us very well. My 5 yr old will stay barefoot and I plan to do TREC with her on the same "boot for distance phase" basis.
They are fed a low sugar/starch diet with added vits and mins as appropriate, plus ad lib meadow hay
My other 3 are all barefoot also, and I trim all of them myself. They are kept on a decent sized area with mixed surfaces..concrete, agregate, mushy mud (surface under so not deep). open stables with matting, regular access to a sand/fibre arena for a play and a roll, and when it's dry enough access to unimproved paddocks on a sort of equicentral/track hybrid.
It works for us very well. My 5 yr old will stay barefoot and I plan to do TREC with her on the same "boot for distance phase" basis.
They are fed a low sugar/starch diet with added vits and mins as appropriate, plus ad lib meadow hay