Barefoot question

[Identityincrisis]

Hi all,

I have a barefoot TB who is currently doing quite well (touch wood!) his hinds have changed quite a bit recently, I have noticed he has grown bars and the feet have become quite concave (hinds only) now for the questions

1) Are bars a good thing or a bad thing?

2) I believe concavity is desirable but what confuses me is, I have always read the reason shoes are 'bad' is because they make the horse weight bear on the wall of the hoof, whereas being barefoot the horse can use wall, sole and frogs....but if they are concave they can't weight bear on the sole.....please someone clarify for a simpleton like me!!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Hi all,

I have a barefoot TB who is currently doing quite well (touch wood!) his hinds have changed quite a bit recently, I have noticed he has grown bars and the feet have become quite concave (hinds only) now for the questions

1) Are bars a good thing or a bad thing?

2) I believe concavity is desirable but what confuses me is, I have always read the reason shoes are 'bad' is because they make the horse weight bear on the wall of the hoof, whereas being barefoot the horse can use wall, sole and frogs....but if they are concave they can't weight bear on the sole.....please someone clarify for a simpleton like me!!

Yes I asked a farrier, and he said, "I always leave the bars alone", he was quite an experienced farrier.

There is some idea that the horse walks on the walls almost like a ballerina walks on tip toes.
The frog takes an active part once we remove the shoes, [ shoes prevent the frog working].
Buy Feet First [ignore seaweed] and look on Rockley Farm blogs, see "Celery"
Once the hoof is released from the metal shoes and the diet is adjusted [recommended] concavity will increase, and the soles will thicken, all in all it allows the horse to support its body weight and walk in the correct manner.
The foot will try to adjust to what is best for the horse, and the hinds always look more concave than the fronts, the sole and the woof wall are like the sides and base of a cardboard box, they are integral to the strength of the whole structure.
Don't know if that explains it, but they walk on wall, soles, bars, and frogs, and I think the sole is more important in its role in structural integrity than in contact with the ground.

 

[Casey76]

Bars are an essential part of a functioning foot. They provide grip in the heel area. The length and height of the bars can tell you about the overall foot health. I.e. normally the bar would terminate 1/3 along the length of the frog - sometimes you see the bar extend around the apex of thefrog, and it is often then when the sole is thin or weak and the foot needs extra support.

Concavity is a good thing. A horse should not have the totality of the sole on the ground - this can make walking very painful, especially if on stoney ground. What you will find in a good functioning bare foot, is that the concavity starts about 1cm from the toe wall, so on the ground you have the hoof wall, the white line and also some sole. The rim of sole on the ground is often thickest at the toe, and decreases as you head back towards the quarters. So yes, the sole is weight baring, but only the outer edge. The inner part of the hoof/sole is internally supported, and the frog is weight baring when loaded.

Clear as mud? You'll get there. Just keep asking questions, and things do become clearer...

 

[Identityincrisis]

Thank you both, it does make more sense now I've been barefooting for about 3 yrs now so most makes sense just needed a couple of things clarifying!