Barefoot Thoroughbreds

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hatters

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Anyone got their thoroughbreds barefoot? My lad came to me with just fronts on, and fairly good (but small) feet. He keeps pulling off his shoes in the field, so tonight I have ridden him around the fields with just one front on, and he was fine. Anyone gone barefoot with thoroughbreds and its worked? He is only 3.5, so is going to have some time off in the winter which he will have shoes off and time to chill. Any other ideas for keeping shoes on? I put on overreach boots but he pulls them off!
 
can't help you hatters I'm afraid.....my TB is about to go barefoot, probably October if I can get another set on him....if not next weeK


There is loads of help and advice on here tho, try searching some of the older posts, I know I have asked for advice in the last few weeks and had some really useful advice (which I can't remember already woops)
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I have a full, 3/4 and 1/2 TB who are all barefoot and working/competing. The transition didn't bother them and all their feet have improved in shape since I took shoes off.
 
Hey,

My thoroughbred was barefoot for over a year when he was barely in work because his feet were so terrible. They are brilliant now and I put this down to being barefoot and pink powder. When he was brought back into full work, I got him shod again and now his feet are strong enough to handle shoes without them coming off daily
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my tb mare is barefoot. She has terrible feet, and can't keep shoes on.
Although she's barefoot, we still manage to hack out, xc etc etc with very few problems, but I am really careful about how much I do with her at any one time, and take alot of consideration into the ground conditions
 
Friend has a barefoot TB. 3.5 years old.

He has one properly mangled foot from a previous very bad, untreated abcess (before she got him) but the other three feet are looking amazing. You'd never guess he was a TB from his feet.

I have my suspicions that much of TB's 'terrible feet' come from being shod far too early (most racing TB's have shoes on at 18months) which destroys their feet - the foot should still be growing but never gets a chance to develop. Add a poor diet (many Tb's are feed far too much grain and concentrates, which gives them low grade laminitis) and it's no woder they've got a poor reputation!

Taking his shoes off and doing a little 'conditioning' work (as much walking on hard ground as possible) would do his feet the world of good and set them up for life. He's still young enough to develop good feet easily and quickly and hopefully he's not had shoes on long enough to have damaged them yet. And he'll have feet small enough to fit into most brands of hoof boots, if they're required.
 
My tb is barefoot and has been for the last 5 years, she is retired now but trust me she was a proper prima donna and when i had her shoes removed when we had foot and mouth she lasted a week and i had to have them put back on! I then got some keratex and i found it fab you paint it on and it really does work and a bottle lasts for ages, it can be used whilst shoeing paint it on around the clenches when they have just been put in. I used this when i had my mare shoes taken off and now never have any problems.
 
TBs have no more problem than other breeds, in my experience. I've had two, one straight off the track and the other seven years old. Neither had any problem adapting.
 
Thanks everyone. He came out of racing with plates on all 4, then just had fronts on, so his backs have hardened up nicely (have done road work with no problem). I am hoping the fronts will do the same! He has never been foot sore after pulling the shoes off either. I am using Cornucrescine which I will continue with too, and stick to riding in the school or fields for now.
 
I have a tb x ID, he is barefoot and has never been shod. He is trotted on roads and rides over stones and has never had any foot soreness problems. In fact the farrier has complimented how strong and healthy is feet are.
 
We kept Echo without shoes for about a year and a half and she was in full work, riding on both grass and a sand surface and she coped really well. We did have to put shoes on her in the end as she got a sand crack but would have kept her without if that hadn't started causing problems
 
My 21 year old thoroughbred has been bare foot for best part of 5 years and has never been sounder!
Admittedly his feet are good for a tb, but he used to be a bit sore after being shod.
He is still in full work, hacking and competing. Won't even dream of going back to shoeing him.
I just make sure he's trimmed every 5/6 weeks, keep off stoney tracks and only compete on good going. Plus I alter between different hoof oils depending on the condition of his feet, i.e. summer, extra moisture so they don't crack.
 
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