Barefoot - teach me, please?

Jenko109

Jenko109

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So I decided to put a deposit down on a scrummy little Highland colt.

Ive not had a ridden horse in a few years and I got to musing about cost saving ideas for the impending state of financial disrepair that I will undoubtedly find myself in.

I don't do much. Hacking mostly, for which I intend to find somewhere with direct forest hacking or very minimal road work. Plus the odd fun ride, beach trip, pole work lesson or whatever.

Who knows. I might even learn to ride a bit better and do an Intro C 🤣

So for a native type on said workload, barefoot should be perfectly achievable?

But I read about barefoot diets? Honestly, I have always been a 'chaff and nuts' owner, with some sugar beet thrown in if they need a bit extra.

Is a special diet paramount? Ive never really done balancers. Will I need to do that?

What about hoof boots? Do they do boots to fit meaty highland feet? Are boots usually not necessary anyway?

Obviously if he ends up really needing shoes, then he would have them, but I would hope not.
 
Every horse is different but IMHO most could do barefoot - without it being a big deal. There are several top level competition horses now barefoot.

Learn to look at your horses feet (and any other feet you can see) you can assess how he's coping by looking a lot.

Mine don't have a massively special diet, I avoid too much sugar - but I need to do that anyway as they are fatty natives !

I use boots on particular hacks that are stony where I know he creeps onto the verge - so I can observe that he isn't as comfortable as I would like him to be.

Read lots, look lots, try things, find a recommended local trimmer who will talk to you about what they do and why and what they are looking for.
there are lots of people setting up as trimmers so be picky about who you let touch your horse - personal recommendation is best.
 
I will preface this with I am no expert, but I am now on my second barefoot horse (and took a third barefoot for a year or so before having to put shoes back on).

Firstly, as a native youngster you are already more then likely to succeed. Being a highland he should have decent feet, and having not worn shoes yet (I presume) they will already be pretty tough.

Yes diet is important, but does not need to be anything special. Just needs to be low sugar. I feed fast fibre and unmollassed hifi.
A good balancer or supplement will help - I like Equimins advanced complete to encourage good hoof growth (although current horse isn't on it and doing fine)

If needed boots will help with stony ground etc, but I wouldn't be surprised if you do fine without. Just slowly build up the road work and walking on hard ground etc. Usual youngster in hand work will be perfect.

Other then that, if you need a little help, I find red horse strong horn good.
Also, a farrier/trimmer who won't take too much off.
 
As with almost all things horsey, it depends :cool:. If you search on "barefoot" in here you'll find a ton of posts about all aspects of keeping different types of horses barefoot, and managing particular workloads. Until you get started you just won't know, but it would be a good idea to line up a good hoofcare professional now, ideally one who understands diet and conditioning, and who teaches you to check and lightly rasp the feet in between their visits, it seems to be the best way to keep many of them (not all will need this approach!).
 
Best thing is not to overthink it. Use a farrier or trimmer whose barefoot work you have seen and respect. Keep the diet low in sugar. Keep it forage based. Hoofboots come in all sizes and if you find your pony's workload contains enough rough/stony/tarmc that you need boots, then contact one of the reputable hoof boot sellers, such as Hoofboot Boutique, who will ask you to send specific photos and measurements, then advise what boot style will fit best, and can hire you fitting kits so you can check fit before you buy. Keep and use a rasp lightly (just as you would on your own fingernails) inbetween your farrier or trimmer's regular visits, and keep their trimming interval short (no more than 6 weeks as foot grows and changes balance over that time).
 
At least part of a good foot comes from within - deficiencies and gut health do make a difference so my main concerns are

- avoid selective herbicides (on grazing or hay) - they are endocrine disrupters
- oily herbs (rosemary, thyme, oregano) seem to be useful in helping maintain gut health
- know what's in your forage. Sometimes you strike lucky and your hay/grazing are reasonably well balanced in terms of mineral ratios but equally they can be awful. You can have them tested and feed minerals accordingly, if necessary.

You can often manage quite well without worrying too much about any of that stuff, but it's useful to have in the back of your mind if things don't go smoothly.
 
Thank you for the replies so far!

Farriers. Thats the other thing.

Should I be looking at specific 'barefoot trimmers' rather than conventional farriers?
 
A knowledgeable farrier who's pro barefoot and will share with you what they are doing and why is better than a newly registered trimmer who's spent a long weekend on a course and £1000 on sign writing their van and that's it !

I've seen really good and bad of both trimmers and farriers - but at the moment the proliferation of new trimmers gives me a little fear.
 
If you are interested in background reading then there are various resources here (but don’t feel overwhelmed by a long list!).
Good luck, yours will hopefully be straightforward as others have said. It feel nerve wracking at first, if you have always shod, I have had mine barefoot for a while and barefoot feels “normal” and I feel stressed at the thought of having to shoe (to stud etc) 🤣.

Reacher

Thread 'Barefoot info websites'

Here are some barefoot websites that I have come across, which I hope will be useful for people who are new to barefoot and may not have access to advice / support.
Usual sort of disclaimer - I’m not giving any guarantee as to the quality of the info given on these sites. The user uses any information at their own risk and should verify themselves as to the qualifications / experience of the authors.

There will be loads of key websites omitted - please add more links – it will make it much more useful!

UK
http://www.epauk.org/ Equine Podiatry Association UK...
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Jenko109 said:
So I decided to put a deposit down on a scrummy little Highland colt.

Ive not had a ridden horse in a few years and I got to musing about cost saving ideas for the impending state of financial disrepair that I will undoubtedly find myself in.

I don't do much. Hacking mostly, for which I intend to find somewhere with direct forest hacking or very minimal road work. Plus the odd fun ride, beach trip, pole work lesson or whatever.

Who knows. I might even learn to ride a bit better and do an Intro C 🤣

So for a native type on said workload, barefoot should be perfectly achievable? absolutely. My Highland mare is 23. She was footsore so I put shoes on at age 5. At age 9, I read up and I had too much sugar in her diet. I had tried farriers formula which made a little difference but not enough. Stripped it back to fast fibre, progressive earth supplement and linseed. - my pony stomps over most terrain. Sometimes a little footsore on stones. She did a 25km ride this year barefoot. She went to riding camp and did farm rides, lessons in indoor arena, outdoor arena and cross country all barefoot.

But I read about barefoot diets? Honestly, I have always been a 'chaff and nuts' owner, with some sugar beet thrown in if they need a bit extra. Start with a basic diet and you can add extra if needed. My young arab got chaff, speedibeet and suregrow for 2 years. Hes still barefoot- not ridden but long lined up to 8 miles, ride and lead at walk, trot and canter on various terrain.

Is a special diet paramount? Ive never really done balancers. Will I need to do that?
Nope. Try basic first. Keep it simple.
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Jenko109 said:
What about hoof boots? Do they do boots to fit meaty highland feet? Are boots usually not necessary anyway? Some Highlands are in boots. Theres a wide range for all types of sizes. I know Highlands that use now and then, never, fronts and all round.
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Jenko109 said:
Obviously if he ends up really needing shoes, then he would have them, but I would hope not.
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Congratulations on your new arrival. Pics tax please?


I use a barefoot trimmer. Originally because I couldn't get a farrier at all.
With everything there is good and bad with trimmers and farriers. Ask locally for recommendations especially with horsecfriends with barefoot horses.
 
Oh yes, I think with a native young pony start with assuming barefoot will be good and go from there. If straight forward and you are interested, you can end up doing most of the hoof care and trimming yourself!
I realised when is took my ponies barefoot, that the main difference is that with a shod pony I was checking the state of the shoes, and with a barefoot pony I was checking the health of the feet (and therefore health of hooves and horse!), which in my opinion was a real game changer.
 
How old is he? Up to about 2 1/2 you need to be more ‘youngstock’ specific in your feeding program. Older than that and an adult, hoof friendly diet would be more appropriate.

Any decent hoofcare professional should be up to the task.

FWIW my 2yo highland x tb has amazing feet, he is seen every 4 weeks by our yard farrier but he sees no reason he won’t be an easy keep barefoot.
 
How exciting! A decent youngstock balancer, as much turnout as possible on varied surface and terrain, and meticulous hoof balance should set you up for life!
 
I second everything said above about educating yourself to know what good looks like for barefoot hooves, and in getting Farrier or Trimmer who's ongoing work and skills you can have confidence in.


Farrier education is clearly understood and checkable (apprentice, level 3 diploma), and many are also expanding their barefoot skills through CPD. For Trimmers - The Equine Podiatry Association is the only self-regulating and registered organisation so far, they are campaigning for regulation - if you look at their list, all of their full members must hold the (Lantra Awarded) Level 5 Diploma in Equine Podiatry and complete regular continuous professional development. That includes nutrition/gut health for hoof health. If you're looking for a shoeless hoof care provider for the first time it's a great start as you know each person will at least have completed a governed national qualification and is keeping up to date.

(editied for my terrible spelling o_O)
 
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I really wouldnt overthink it, you should be absolutely fine, I've had almost all my horses barefoot for the last twenty years, and I've never fed a special diet or used a hoof boot. I dont do much roadwork, but a fair amount of off road hacking, and arena work. My horses all walk over hard core and stony surfaces every day to and from their fields etc, and they compete and have no problems with the various surfaces they encounter away from home. They are all trimmed by a farrier, not a trimmer, and I am a sad disappointment to a lot of barefoot people because I dont do anything special.
 
Biggest problem you will have is keeping the blemmin weight off him. Really.... hoofs like rock,
dont feed anything extra, keep him on the roughest poorest grazing you can get and keep him moving in a big herd.
Staying in a 1 acre dairy pasture a la usual livery yard for any length of time will have him balloon and shuffling about with pulses in his feet before the age of 5. So many of my friends have lost their highlands to laminitis its horrendous and so hard to deal with. Not that they were poorly looked after but quite the opposite. Folk are too kind to them, rug them (NONO), feed them like a normal horse, (NONO), stable frequently at a smirry of rain (NONO) and either ride them too little, or the other extreme too much fast work.
Keep it simple, they were created to live on the poorest peaty heather covered steep hills. Move slowly over large distances daily, no or poor hay only if it snowed and live out in the worst wettest winter weather with nothing and live to a ripe old age.
Some highlands literally live on fresh air. A notorius awful yard near me had 30 various horses in a mud slurry field10 acres of bog, all skin and bone except the highlands of course.
My vet told a dear fried to keep her highland in concrete yard, shavings bed, bare paddock or muzzle in the field and weighed straw with just 1% of bodyweight of poor soaked sheep hay to eat as he was so fat in a normal grazing field. Friend was horrified and didnt think he was that fat at the time...couple months later crippled with rotation at 4yo. Her life now revolves around managing him, soaking hay, booting, restricted grass, muzzle rubs, constant vigilence of the weather and app checking for risk, gentle walks as his feet get sore, its honestly exhausting and a pretty miserable existence to me.
Another friend lost 2 to laminitis in consecutive months in a bare paddock after showers and sunshine caused the grass to grow.
Highlands at a riding centre I attended worked 2-4 hours 5 days a week, kept on poor grazing only, still fat as butter after a full season.
If you have them at home and can manage them as you wish you will be grand. I love highlands great characters but I wouldn't have one without the right setup now.
Wow that was alot.
Enjoy your baby, piccies please.
 
My Connemara is barefoot she can walk over any sort of surface and just gets a normal diet. I feed a balancer with chaff and obviously forage nothing specific for barefoot. She gets trimmed every 6 weeks by my trusted farrier. We do mainly hacking and schooling and some local clinics. I have had her since age 4 she is now 7 so it’s likely she will not be shod. Just monitor your pony as they are each individuals.
 
angel7 said:
Biggest problem you will have is keeping the blemmin weight off him. Really.... hoofs like rock,
dont feed anything extra, keep him on the roughest poorest grazing you can get and keep him moving in a big herd.
Staying in a 1 acre dairy pasture a la usual livery yard for any length of time will have him balloon and shuffling about with pulses in his feet before the age of 5. So many of my friends have lost their highlands to laminitis its horrendous and so hard to deal with. Not that they were poorly looked after but quite the opposite. Folk are too kind to them, rug them (NONO), feed them like a normal horse, (NONO), stable frequently at a smirry of rain (NONO) and either ride them too little, or the other extreme too much fast work.
Keep it simple, they were created to live on the poorest peaty heather covered steep hills. Move slowly over large distances daily, no or poor hay only if it snowed and live out in the worst wettest winter weather with nothing and live to a ripe old age.
Some highlands literally live on fresh air. A notorius awful yard near me had 30 various horses in a mud slurry field10 acres of bog, all skin and bone except the highlands of course.
My vet told a dear fried to keep her highland in concrete yard, shavings bed, bare paddock or muzzle in the field and weighed straw with just 1% of bodyweight of poor soaked sheep hay to eat as he was so fat in a normal grazing field. Friend was horrified and didnt think he was that fat at the time...couple months later crippled with rotation at 4yo. Her life now revolves around managing him, soaking hay, booting, restricted grass, muzzle rubs, constant vigilence of the weather and app checking for risk, gentle walks as his feet get sore, its honestly exhausting and a pretty miserable existence to me.
Another friend lost 2 to laminitis in consecutive months in a bare paddock after showers and sunshine caused the grass to grow.
Highlands at a riding centre I attended worked 2-4 hours 5 days a week, kept on poor grazing only, still fat as butter after a full season.
If you have them at home and can manage them as you wish you will be grand. I love highlands great characters but I wouldn't have one without the right setup now.
Wow that was alot.
Enjoy your baby, piccies please.
Click to expand...
very much this. It isn't the feet I would worry about, I'm sure they will be fine. It is the weight. Try not to even let him gain weight as a youngster. Far easier in the long run if you can keep him lean.
 
Ive always kept natives, usually NF, so quite used to weight management.

Once he's mature, he will be turned out through winter 24/7, on grazing which will have been grazed by youngstock all year.

In spring and summer he will be turned out on poor grazing overnight and stabled with a small soaked net during the day.

I don't have a problem with them standing in for a few hours with nothing. I actually think it's generally beneficial.

Riding wise, im anticipating long hacks most days. Mostly in walk. Hoping he will be level headed enough for the dogs to tag along. Two birds, one stone...

Ive never used a muzzle and hope not to have to do so.
 
I always take young horses, some from a year and most from 2 out either led or on long reins partially to train them but in particular to start conditioning their feet to the surfaces they will ride on. So, for example, we have some longer tracks that are very stoney with large rocks. We long rein/lead up and down those and it conditions their feet so when they start to ride we are well on the way there. (that is barefoot not booted)
 
The only thing I do that's special with my cob is tidy up his feet regularly to maintain the bevel/mustang roll, remove any flappy frog. Aside from that he gets nothing special. All my horses get a low sugar forage based diet anyway and are fed hay all year round due to restricted grazing in the summer (we are on ex-dairy/sheep pasture).

Beware of doing it to save money, though. I do save, but only when I trim myself. I spend a lot on rasps, hoof knives, stand, decent gloves...If the farrier does it, the trim is minimum 4 weekly to keep them in good enough condition. Depends on your circumstances, of course (mine live out, so constant wet/mud in the winter).
 
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