Barefoot vs unshod

webble

webble

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What is the difference?

Merry has no shoes on as she doesnt need them, my traditional farrier comes and tidies them every 6-8 weeks although she never needs very much off them. We do mostly hacking some road work which she copes with fine although she is careful over stoney ground. Is she barefoot or just unshod? Or does it depend who I ask? Sorry If I have opened a can of worms here!
 
I'm a bowl of petunias.

Oh no, not again.

:(



She is whatever you want to call her. But you might like to try and investigate why she is careful over stony ground if she has been working without shoes on for a long time.
 
*tin hat firmly donned*

For me there is no real difference; if a horse doesn't have shoes on, it doesn't have shoes on :p

However... you will find people whose horses are "barefoot" as they have their horses trimmed by someone from one of the "hoof specialist" schools rather than a farrier (who may or may not also train with a "hoof specialist").

We don't really do "barefoot" in France, it's either shoes on or off... so I'm not up to date with all of the different schools in the UK now ;)
 
webble said:
No I hadnt either which is why I was asking but obviously a rookie mistake
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Don't worry about it ;) Barefoot arguments, er debates, have been going on of YEARS as it is a pretty emotive subject (still :rolleyes: )

However if you aren't aware of the history etc, then you don't know... you might get ribbed a bit on here (and other places), but it is (mostly) harmless and in good nature.
 
Do petunias come in bowls? Surely a vase is more practical?

ETA: just googled it! I'm sure I've read H2G2, but can't remember that bit :confused:.
 
Casey76 said:
*tin hat firmly donned*


However... you will find people whose horses are "barefoot" as they have their horses trimmed by someone from one of the "hoof specialist" schools rather than a farrier (who may or may not also train with a "hoof specialist").
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Nonsense. There are plenty of barefooters whose horses are trimmed by farriers.

The terms are synonymous unless you are referring to a horse which is never intended to work without shoes and will be shod when it is put in work.
 
TwoStroke said:
Do petunias come in bowls? Surely a vase is more practical?

ETA: just googled it! I'm sure I've read H2G2, but can't remember that bit :confused:.
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It's somewhere before or after his incarnation as a whale when they have landed on the planet where Earth was built with all those nice crinkly bits in Scandinavia by Slarty Bartfast :D
 
I can only quote my farrier who has done the bare foot trimming course as well because, to quote, he 'Wanted to know what all the fuss was about'.He says there is very little difference between a barefoot trim and the way he trims as a farrier if he is not going to put a shoe on.
 
Two missiles are turned into a bowl of petunias and a sperm whale by the infinite improbability drive. The bowl of petunias have been many, many things/beings before the petunias, all of which have been killed by Arthur Dent, hence the "oh no, not again!".

As you were...:D
 
Beausmate said:
Two missiles are turned into a bowl of petunias and a sperm whale by the infinite improbability drive. The bowl of petunias have been many, many things/beings before the petunias, all of which have been killed by Arthur Dent, hence the "oh no, not again!".

As you were...:D
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And of course Arthur had his towel with him, so he was OK ;)
 
Barefoot dictates you spend a fortune on fancy feeds from dodgy internet sellers which contain dust.

And you must employ a fanatical hippy who has done a 3 day course on trimming (any more than 3 days and they are not suitable for barefoot owners). They must charge approximately double the going rate of the local farriers and do 50% less trimming while taking 50% longer.

Barefoot horses are also not meant to be ridden as it ruins the pretty hooves.

Owners prefer to take pictures of the hooves and share them on the internet, in lieu of ridden competitions ;).
 
cptrayes said:
But you missed the angle grinder :mad: Tut tut.
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Apologies - I've just got out of bed after finishing nights. I'm a bit frazzzled. It took me a few minutes to get the petunia reference :o

OP, you may also employ a trimmer who uses an angle grinder instead of a rasp.

The lameness following such a trim affords you the opportunity to purchase a set of hoof boots. This does mean you cannot go any faster than trot - BUT you can glue vajazzle style bling to the boots so that you can spot them easily when they fall off during a hack :)
 
Oberon said:
Apologies - I've just got out of bed after finishing nights. I'm a bit frazzzled. It took me a few minutes to get the petunia reference :o

OP, you may also employ a trimmer who uses an angle grinder instead of a rasp.

The lameness following such a trim affords you the opportunity to purchase a set of hoof boots. This does mean you cannot go any faster than trot - BUT you can glue vajazzle style bling to the boots so that you can spot them easily when they fall off during a hack :)
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Well with your endorsements I think I will HAVE to be barefoot rather than unshod :lol:

Seriously though sorry for stirring up such a storm I didnt realise it was so emotive the only other horse forum I have been on is a small local one
 
You were unlucky Webble - thanks for keeping your sense of humour :D It's a fair question for a newby to barefoot/shoeless, but on this particular forum it's been used as the excuse for some incredible attacks on those of us who choose to use the term "barefoot" instead of "shoeless". There really is no difference if the horse is working, and plenty of farriers do a great barefoot trim. There are also a few barefoot trimmers who do a terrible barefoot trim! No profession is perfect.

The only real difference, for me, is that if a horse has no shoes on, but it is intended to put shoes on as soon as the horse starts serious work, then that horse, by my definition is shoeless, not barefoot. Barefoot, for me, implies an intention to keep the horse in full work without shoes.
 
cptrayes said:
You were unlucky Webble - thanks for keeping your sense of humour :D It's a fair question for a newby to barefoot/shoeless, but on this particular forum it's been used as the excuse for some incredible attacks on those of us who choose to use the term "barefoot" instead of "shoeless". There really is no difference if the horse is working, and plenty of farriers do a great barefoot trim. There are also a few barefoot trimmers who do a terrible barefoot trim! No profession is perfect.

The only real difference, for me, is that if a horse has no shoes on, but it is intended to put shoes on as soon as the horse starts serious work, then that horse, by my definition is shoeless, not barefoot. Barefoot, for me, implies an intention to keep the horse in full work without shoes.
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Well in that case she is barefoot because she isnt going to be having shoes on.

Diet wise she has adlib haylage, 2 scoops of molichaff calm a day with some magnesium supplement too and does well like that
 
Good, but if she does feel stones, especially in spring, then you could try adding yeast to that, it really helps the digestion which helps the feet. Brewers yeast or Yea-sacc both do the job well.
 
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