Barefoot please help me here!

[flump]

I was wandering if I could get some advice i know there are hundreds of threads on this but I can't get my head around them all at this time so I thought it was easier to start my own post. I have 4 thoroughbreds and a heavyset Irish draught x thoroughbred, one of the tbs is already retired and has gone for years with no shoes, he gets slightly footy at times but nothing that I would ever worry about.
I would really like some straightforward Dvice on the best steps to take my horses from shod to barefoot, there are numerous reasons why I want to try this and the main reason is that I hear people speaking of the a,axing benefits it can have.
I compete my horses unaffiliated sometimes on grass and my main hacking is off road, I just need some clear cut advice on how is best to start the transition as I'm so confused, I appreciate it may not work for every horse but you don't know unless you try. Their diet consists of happy hoof, speedi-beet and either hi fi cubes or pasture mix. They are on no other supplements.
If anyone could take the time to read this and help out I'd much appreciate it.

 

[Oberon]

happy hoof

I've sent you a pm with some generic 'Going barefoot' info. Hope it helps.

 

[cptrayes]

Also, join phoenixhorse.myfastforum.com, specially for barefooters.

 

[Holly Hocks]

Don't be afraid of using hoof boots - they are very very useful.

 

[Skippys Mum]

Oberon will have sorted you out diet wise. My only advice (and the bit I didnt do myself but would do if I ever took another horse barefoot) would be to take the backs off first, let them get sorted, then do the fronts.

13 months down the line, mine hacks on all surfaces (for hours), jumps, xc, basically a good wee all rounder fun horse.

 

[flump]

Thanks all! They haven't had backs on for a while so hopefully I'm one step forward!

 

[OldNag]

I've sent you a pm with some generic 'Going barefoot' info. Hope it helps.

Oberon I'm interested why not HappyHoof. I know some people at my yard use it in the belief that it's great for their lami-prone horses.

Don't worry, I'm not using it myself , but I did wonder what the problem was. Presumably too much starch?

 

[Slightlyconfused]

And molasses....I feed it to my lami boy as he has to have his metformin and won't eat it in hi fi.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

Otherwise he wouldn't be on it.

 

[Oberon]

Oberon I'm interested why not HappyHoof. I know some people at my yard use it in the belief that it's great for their lami-prone horses.

Don't worry, I'm not using it myself , but I did wonder what the problem was. Presumably too much starch?

I fed Happy Hoof for years, so I was a fan.

If you compare HH to Spiller's High Fibre Cubes (which we find fine for even sensitive horses) the HH is actually much better on paper. It's only 4% starch whereas the HFC is 10%.

But we consistently find that barefoot horses have problems with it. I know my horses improved when I stopped feeding it.

We often find the same with TopSpec products too .

Obviously there will be lots of horses who do just fine either way but the amount of horses who struggle with it can't be a coincidence.

I find the name Happy Hoof to be ironic - when it makes some horse's hooves less than happy .

 

[OldNag]

Thanks Oberon.
I now have mine on Alfa molasses free and Spillers HFC, Pro Balance, salt and linseed. Have just got some Fast Fibre and will introduce that to phase out the Alfa. Thank you!