Barefoot Peeps

1, soon to be 2. Really enjoying seeing little one's feet change, the top half (where they've grown since shoes off) looks SO good and SO healthy I'm thrilled :D

Looking forward to the same changes on my other boy :)

J&C
 
just the one - and i am the odd one out on livery yard they all think i am mental - took her shoes off for operation on ovary and decided to leave them off for good - keep getting asked when are they going back on now she is in work!!! they arent!!!
 
Just one wonky footed TB who believes everything in his environment has to be perfect.

He's an Rockley rehab who was written off with soft tissue damage affecting virtually every structure in both feet.

I was the only one on my yard but my whose horse had similar damage has just had his taken off too.

Never thought we'd be able to do this

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rhino said:
Yes, thank you, I have thought long and hard about what is best for the horse at the present time :)
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Rhino, I did exactly the same for my old girl - it was right for her at that time.


and no, I'm not a 'must wear shoes' fanatic - my other mare has never had shoes, and is ridden most days on all sorts of terrain.
 
I have two.
One old man, 23years old and fully retired. He's generally had shoes on for the majority of the 13 years I've owned him as he did struggle on stoney ground. But now he's just chilling I'm the field and can take things at his own pace, he's fine and his feet look great.
My other is a 4 and a half year old who has brilliant feet but for some reason it was impossible to keep shoes on him for longer than 5weeks. Initially we tried just fronts, but then on the advice of my farrier we had them all off about 10weeks ago. His feet look brilliant, we hack twice a week and school twice a week and it's great not having to worry about wether he's going to come in missing a shoe!
 
TheCurlyPony said:
Dreams, solar, just out of interest what problems do they have to go into rehab?
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nic specialises in rehabing horses with lameness that is at least in part related to caudal hoof (heel) pain, but seems like most of them there have a variety of additional problems! my boys initial problem was his hind suspensory ligaments but we think then where he was compensating for that, he's tweaked something in his front feet now too. her website is very helpful (www.rockleyfarm.co.uk)
 
TigerTail said:
Oh poo it lost Rhino's response I was trying to quote too. I dont agree that age should be a factor - provided diet is right there is no reason whatsoever not to remove shoes. Should help in that there is less weight on the end of his old joints for a start! Recently removed the shoes from a 16 yr old TB with dreadful feet and shes sound as a pound and flying round the field like a 2 yr old :p

PS it shouldnt be a club or be bitchy to be barefoot!?
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I would not agree that age and weakened feet are no reason whatsoever to continue to shoe. You may have been lucky with yours. I have seen horses with bad feet hobble for several weeks in spite of a good diet (because of long term damage by the shoes) and it's not something I would do with a happy old horse who isn't likely to live much longer, even though I am a complete barefoot advocate.
 
TheCurlyPony said:
It's a great resource site, I've been using a lot of late as I've just found out my boy has navicular.
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Nic really is a fountain of knowledge on the subject and just speaks sense in the way so many people dont these days. I'd definitely recommend giving her a ring to discuss your boy if you are considering going down the barefoot route. :)
 
TCP, Solar has had intermittent lameness for around 3 years. X-rays show arthritis, ringbone and a bony spur above the navicular bursa. This year he had steroid injections, Adequan, tildren, box rest, navilox and remedial shoeing but was still uncomfortable.

I had never heard about barefoot being a possible route until coming on here and was at the point of retiring him.
It's still early days but removing his shoes had not adversely affected him in any way at all!
 
dreams579 said:
Nic really is a fountain of knowledge on the subject and just speaks sense in the way so many people dont these days. I'd definitely recommend giving her a ring to discuss your boy if you are considering going down the barefoot route. :)
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Do you think she would be happy in speaking to me even though I don't intend to send my girl to Rockley?
 
I have 2
one is 18 and afaik has been barefoot all his life, was worked hard in his early years and no signs of joint problems, and the other is 8 and been barefoot since may
 
Mince Pie said:
Do you think she would be happy in speaking to me even though I don't intend to send my girl to Rockley?
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I've got her book, which might be worth a read :) Don't know Nic personally but I can't see why not. I'm working my way through the book at the moment (Feet First) and it's really good :)

J&C
 
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