can having your horse barefoot have an affect on its confidence when competing

[toni ox]

hi im doing an essay on does keeping your riding horse barefoot compromise its welfare and wondered if anyone had any views on the welfare at competitions,for example slipping, confidence or safety of the rider? thanks

 

[Meowy Catkin]

No, in fact on some surfaces unshod hooves have greater grip than shod hooves. Don't forget that you can boot BF horses if need be. You can get studded boots, so you don't have to shoe to be able to use studs. Many endurance horses compete unshod and many of those are unbooted.

Look into the Tevis Cup it's far tougher than pretty much any other equine competition and the surfaces are varied and challenging. Booted BF horses have completed it and remember they have Vet checks on route, so any unsoundness and the horse is out of the competition.

http://www.renegadehoofboots.com/tevis-09.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyvzHjKBWvA

There are members on here who Hunt, do Dressage and Event BF.

 

[Diddleydoo]

I hate to discredit your theory but I actually find my mare to be more confident barefoot than she ever was shod. She moves more freely too

 

[Lancelot]

I hate to discredit your theory but I actually find my mare to be more confident barefoot than she ever was shod. She moves more freely too

I find this too, most especially on road hills. Mine would slip and slide all the way down but barefoot he doesn't slip one little bit. He's also tons more foot sure on uneven ground

 

[LucyPriory]

Likewise - having ridden many very foot sure barefooters I now find it terrifying to ride a shod horse. They never seem to know where their feet are, they slip all over the place and have much more trouble on the road esp downhill.

 

[cptrayes]

I hope that your study is also looking at any balancing welfare benefits? And that you really do understand what a barefoot horse is capable of, and aren't going to be quoting any silly farriers who say that horses which do road work need shoes?

Now, to answer your question. One problem is that being without shoes, and particularly studs, sometimes affects the confidence of the RIDER. And that lack of confidence on the part of the rider feeds through to the horse.

The second problem is that shoes and studs allow riders to ask more of their horses than they are naturally capable of achieving at their level of training. So on a young horse, or an untrained one, it is sometimes necessary barefoot to take a corner slower than you would studded, and to have the skill to balance the horse properly for the corner. Funnily enough, this affect seemed to me to have more impact in a dry grass dressage arena than any other time.

If you are going to mention studs you need also to mention the PhD done by a farrier in 2011 which came to the conclusion that prevention of slipping with shoes and studs was detrimental to the joints of the horse.

Barefoot horses are far more surefooted on the road, in my experience, and no less surefooted on showjump courses up to 1m 15, cross country courses of up to 1m 20 and hunt jumps of up to 6 feet. In all possible ground conditions. Sorry about the change of measures I can't comment on other situations as I have not done them.

 

[suzied]

I competed in a showing class on very wet grass. All the other horses were slipping and sliding but my barefoot boy didn't slip once even though our individual show included lateral work, gallop to collected canter, canter to halt and walk to canter transitions. The judge commented on his sure footedness.

 

[EstherYoung]

Horses for courses really. We boot so slightly different, but the only thing we've found slippy is short wet grass with sheep poo. So if we come across that, we just ride a bit more carefully, and we make up for it because he can go that much faster and more confidently over hard surfaces with the boots on than he could shod.

You ride to the strengths and weaknesses of what the horse does or doesn't have on its feet.

A footsore horse will lose confidence but as will a horse who is sore anywhere else.

 

[mandwhy]

My horse is quite clumsy but much better when unshod. Sadly can't maintain it round here so have fronts on, but would prefer it for grip and footsureness.

 

[Clava]

My barefooters are better on roads (a lot less slipping than if shod), but my barefoot TB slips all over the place on short grass on hard ground, with fronts on she has far better grip and moves better. As I keep her bare I have just become very aware of the surfaces we are on and ride as necessary.

 

[Queenbee]

I hate to discredit your theory but I actually find my mare to be more confident barefoot than she ever was shod. She moves more freely too

Can't comment on my boy as he has never had shoes on but my mare certainly was more confident without and slipped all over the place when I put some shoes back on... So i took them off again.

 

[Joanna710]

Given that a horse in it's "natural" state would not wear shoes, I'm not sure I would say that being barefoot would affect that animal's welfare. My horse has never had shoes on, and although he is bred as a driving horse, he is one of the most nimble, sure-footed horses I have ever ridden. We show jump, ponce and have recently had a shot at xc (all at baby levels, he's only 5)

 

[Joanna710]

Oops, stupid phone! Anyway, as I was saying.... From personal experience I feel a lot more confident riding a barefoot horse on any terrain than riding a shod horse... Even if the only reason is that I can go for a gallop up a hill and not be concerned about him throwing a shoe As the horse has never had shoes, I can't speak for his confidence but he strides out happily on all surfaces and is yet to slip or trip whilst ridden (I've had him just a smidge over one year) x