Cost of barefoot v shod

[Hippona]

I trim for myself and I save £800 per horse per year. I keep a third from the money I save not shoeing the first two. I only used to be able to justify the cost of two.

Eh? If I trimmed my 3 rather than the farrier do it I'd only save £429.....must be blooming expensive trims round your way....

Ah...so you are acomparing farrier shoeing Vs you self trimming.

OK....recalculation coming up..... £1105 for all 3 ( 2 were fully shod, one fronts only).....still pricey round your way though.

 

[cptrayes]

Eh? If I trimmed my 3 rather than the farrier do it I'd only save £429.....must be blooming expensive trims round your way....

Ten sets of shoes per horse in an average year. £80 per set of shoes.

 

[Hippona]

Ten sets of shoes per horse in an average year. £80 per set of shoes.

Indeed more pricey than my neck of the woods.

 

[Oberon]

Indeed more pricey than my neck of the woods.

That's what turned me onto BF in the first place

.

 

[Cedars]

Trimming: £15
Shoeing: £55
Having a sound horse: Priceless.

 

[[59851]]

I pay £70 a set for my cob and my youngster just has a £20 trim as he doesn't need shoes. I don't feed him a "special" diet just Hoofkind chaff and hay. Farrier does both every 6 weeks. Most of the time the youngster just needs a shape and balance - he self trims hacking on roads!!

 

[amandaco2]

20 for trim every six weeks compared to 70 every five for shoes.
Fed hi fibre normal feed, very cheap to feed.

 

[Dressagebabe]

Interested to know what people think of the costs of going barefoot v costs of shoeing. Initially I would think that barefoot would be loads cheaper, but I guess trimmers aren't cheap either, plus most people feed supplements (which I don't think are too expensive). But if restricting grazing means more hay, I guess costs add up.

I would like to say that having read a lot of these replies 'true' barefoot is NOT just about trimming by anyone. Insurance companies are now refusing to insure or payout on horse owners that trim themselves or have a trimmer that does not hold the full qualifications of a true farrier. NFU are the first to update their policies and others are now following. If you want a horse to continue competing in any discipline or hack/hunt over any terrain you WILL need to change the diet and have a true barefoot specialised trimmer do your horses feet. Ask your farrier/trimmer if he/she can put in a mustang roll! If they look blank at you then they know nothing about trimming correctly for a barefoot horse. All my horses are and have been barefoot now for 2-12 yrs. Magnesium plays a huge part in their daily feed as does cutting out all sugar ie course mix es, mollichaf, carrots & apples, Mollassed licks etc. True barefoot trimming should cost around £35-£40 every 6 weeks plus around £20 per 6 weekly for the magnesium so it certainly isn't the cheaper option if done correctly.

 

[Littlelegs]

I'll explain to mine tomorrow they aren't able to manage without supplements or a barefoot trimmer.Sure they'll be as suprised as I am that they are struggling without a barefoot trimmer or supplements. Because they're not.
Seen as my aim is to have 100% sound horses, as I currently do with a farrier & a mainly grass/hay diet,I'll stick to that, couldn't give a stuff if that makes me a true barefooter or not. Not arguing some horses & people may need extras, but not about to start altering anything just so I can be considered to be doing it properly.

 

[smokey]

I'll explain to mine tomorrow they aren't able to manage without supplements or a barefoot trimmer.Sure they'll be as suprised as I am that they are struggling without a barefoot trimmer or supplements. Because they're not.
Seen as my aim is to have 100% sound horses, as I currently do with a farrier & a mainly grass/hay diet,I'll stick to that, couldn't give a stuff if that makes me a true barefooter or not. Not arguing some horses & people may need extras, but not about to start altering anything just so I can be considered to be doing it properly.

^^^^^^ this, I'm in total agreement with this. Farrier trim and tidy when required (varies with seasons and work load) 24 hour turnout and haylage in the winter. Horse is sound, happy and has 4 good strong feet. Is that not the aim? Oh, and I'm £30 a trim, was £75 for a set of shoes.

 

[dafthoss]

If you want a horse to continue competing in any discipline or hack/hunt over any terrain you WILL need to change the diet and have a true barefoot specialised trimmer do your horses feet. Ask your farrier/trimmer if he/she can put in a mustang roll! If they look blank at you then they know nothing about trimming correctly for a barefoot horse. All my horses are and have been barefoot now for 2-12 yrs. Magnesium plays a huge part in their daily feed as does cutting out all sugar ie course mix es, mollichaf, carrots & apples, Mollassed licks etc. True barefoot trimming should cost around £35-£40 every 6 weeks plus around £20 per 6 weekly for the magnesium so it certainly isn't the cheaper option if done correctly.

Erm well no one told mine that , he does every thing barefoot with no special supplements or a specialist trimmer. The farrier does him as and when he needs it normally gets looked at ever 12 weeks but nothing taken off and he is out 24/7 on good grass, has sugary things as a treat, mollased chaff and has never had magnesium added to his diet.

Shall I tell him he is now incapable and must be lame because of what some one on a forum thats never met him thinks

*toddles off to cancel his planned summer of eventing*

 

[amandaco2]

Eh?why do you have to pay a trimmer fifty quid?farrier costs twenty.horses all compete (up to inter II dressage.)

 

[mandwhy]

If you look at page 3 of this thread, I typed out my thoughts on this yesterday...
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=10671203#post10671203

Thank you Oberon I see what you mean now, I thought it would be something to do with mild inflammation due to the grass but had not thought about the contraction and expansion of the hoof being restricted and masking something that would otherwise be painful.

I wouldn't say I was overly into making everything natural and all that but this does make sense to me. I would much rather be able to read the signs and make changes to the cause not the symptoms. Also I like cheap, who doesn't?!

 

[Littlelegs]

I'm just wondering is it best to let mine know they can't cope before they trot down the gravel driveway, or after they've trotted back up it after a hack?
...toddles off after Dafthoss to buy supplements in order to fit in with random persons statement they are required.

 

[dafthoss]

I'm just wondering is it best to let mine know they can't cope before they trot down the gravel driveway, or after they've trotted back up it after a hack?
...toddles off after Dafthoss to buy supplements in order to fit in with random persons statement they are required.

I was going to tell mine after he had trotted round the gravel pits, what do you think will I get done for abuse .

Can we supplement with lickits? they are quite cheap and the pony will eat them quite happily dont even have to try disguise it in feed

 

[Littlelegs]

Lickits sound good, sure they'll do. Perhaps mustang roll is a good supplement we could try. Though mine normally prefer egg mayo rolls.
I think we should tell them after trotting across gravel, that way if they're disobedient, & forget to struggle over it we won't have to tell them off for stubbornly remaining sound.

 

[tallyho!]

Eh?why do you have to pay a trimmer fifty quid?farrier costs twenty.horses all compete (up to inter II dressage.)

Looks like farriers are missing a trick doesn't it

 

[Angua2]

£20 for magnesium..... oh no, I only pay £7 and that includes P & P! and the farrier rebalances every now and again.

 

[Goldenstar]

I would like to say that having read a lot of these replies 'true' barefoot is NOT just about trimming by anyone. Insurance companies are now refusing to insure or payout on horse owners that trim themselves or have a trimmer that does not hold the full qualifications of a true farrier. NFU are the first to update their policies and others are now following. If you want a horse to continue competing in any discipline or hack/hunt over any terrain you WILL need to change the diet and have a true barefoot specialised trimmer do your horses feet. Ask your farrier/trimmer if he/she can put in a mustang roll! If they look blank at you then they know nothing about trimming correctly for a barefoot horse. All my horses are and have been barefoot now for 2-12 yrs. Magnesium plays a huge part in their daily feed as does cutting out all sugar ie course mix es, mollichaf, carrots & apples, Mollassed licks etc. True barefoot trimming should cost around £35-£40 every 6 weeks plus around £20 per 6 weekly for the magnesium so it certainly isn't the cheaper option if done correctly.

I just don't know how you work it out that being BF is not cheaper.
There is no difference in the cost of feeding mine if anything I save on the BF diet.
I feed the same forage ( haylage ) but swopped to a one that "lite" because it's cut either last thing or first thing and grow used fertiliser that containers no phosphate.( slightly dearer by I save on coarse mix verses oats so it evens out )
I don't restrict grazing more than I used to because I always did so don't feed more forage.
Shoes every five weeks £80 plus vat plus travel trimmer £30 does not charge travel pair of boots where I think 120 with the pads. Boots will last years as I rarely need them.
Vet who was very anti at first is now more enaged and suggesting I go to learn trimming my self ( there is a very good farrier who trained BF and does owners courses in the area) think I might to tidy up between times but can't see me wanting to go it alone .so the cost of the course if I do it will be a one off cost to add on.
I dont understand what more I should do to be doing it properly but I am definatly saving money.
I did not go bare foot with cost saving in mind it was more curiousity but saving money is a great side effect.

 

[tallyho!]

Erm well no one told mine that , he does every thing barefoot with no special supplements or a specialist trimmer. The farrier does him as and when he needs it normally gets looked at ever 12 weeks but nothing taken off and he is out 24/7 on good grass, has sugary things as a treat, mollased chaff and has never had magnesium added to his diet.

Shall I tell him he is now incapable and must be lame because of what some one on a forum thats never met him thinks

*toddles off to cancel his planned summer of eventing*

I'm just wondering is it best to let mine know they can't cope before they trot down the gravel driveway, or after they've trotted back up it after a hack?
...toddles off after Dafthoss to buy supplements in order to fit in with random persons statement they are required.

I was going to tell mine after he had trotted round the gravel pits, what do you think will I get done for abuse .

Can we supplement with lickits? they are quite cheap and the pony will eat them quite happily dont even have to try disguise it in feed

Hey guys, I know where you are both coming from and it is easy to mock those who supplement with this and that, especially when you own a few that need no such things .

You have to remember that the the whole of england has different soil substrates, horses with varying upbringings, intolerances, deficiencies etc and come to unshod/barefoot mostly with a bagful of problems that need sorting out (like mine). Not everybody's horse can perform without shoes straight away.

Likewise, not every horse needs extra vits n mins, rather, the opposite. Not every horse needs a barefoot trimmer, where you have great farriers, there is no need for one. Sadly, not all farriers are created equal

At least there is choice and people can make their own decisions - informed ones I hope! I don't think it matters what people pay either. It sounds as if trims are between £15 - £50... I don't think the latter is too expensive if I am getting a sound horse at the end of it. Great if you can get a sound horse for £15. Lots of people think nothing of buying £200 rugs to keep a horse warm and dry, why should it be so contentious when paying to keep a horse on its feet? It's skilled work, backbreaking work at that, and you give £15... there's an imbalance of minerals if ever I saw one

 

[Miss L Toe]

I have changed the winter diet on to micronised linseed meal, non molassed sb pulp and Fast fibre and minerals from equimins, the cost of the feed has not really changed, but he does get a small feed every day even when out at grass.
If I can hack on tarmac he self trims, so all I bought was a file to round off the edges, which chipped intitially, and Feet First which way bible. His feet are easy to trim, they are checked by a farrier every time he is in the yard, and are "perfect"
I also use a magnesium based calmer at a low level, and have used magnox when he was on lush [cow pasture] type grass.
If anything, since riding barefoot, over a year, it has cost me about £100 extra in supplement costs, twenty pounds for a file, twenty five pounds for farrier. Savings [eight sets of shoes] £500.
I could now sell my emergency farrier tools which cost me £50.00

 

[Goldenstar]

Hey guys, I know where you are both coming from and it is easy to mock those who supplement with this and that, especially when you own a few that need no such things .

You have to remember that the the whole of england has different soil substrates, horses with varying upbringings, intolerances, deficiencies etc and come to unshod/barefoot mostly with a bagful of problems that need sorting out (like mine). Not everybody's horse can perform without shoes straight away.

Likewise, not every horse needs extra vits n mins, rather, the opposite. Not every horse needs a barefoot trimmer, where you have great farriers, there is no need for one. Sadly, not all farriers are created equal

At least there is choice and people can make their own decisions - informed ones I hope! I don't think it matters what people pay either. It sounds as if trims are between £15 - £50... I don't think the latter is too expensive if I am getting a sound horse at the end of it. Great if you can get a sound horse for £15. Lots of people think nothing of buying £200 rugs to keep a horse warm and dry, why should it be so contentious when paying to keep a horse on its feet? It's skilled work, backbreaking work at that, and you give £15... there's an imbalance of minerals if ever I saw one

50 for a trim sounds ok to me too but price is not always a indicator of how good something is if what you doing is working and 15 how lucky is that.
On the farrier verses trimmer I swopped to the trimmer because I wanted to learn and can bombard the trimmer with questions and of course he has seen horses that work BF so his is insight is invaluable where as my farriers experiance is only with small ponys.
Also the trimmer has access to advice from other trimmers and is up to speed all the time on new thinking etc.

 

[Littlelegs]

Tallyho- in no way am I mocking the use of supplements & trimmers when needed. If you read my first reply to dressagebabes post I actually said that already. But I will mock silly posts such as dressagebabes which say I have to.

 

[Chavhorse]

Farrier charges 22 to do a trim and comes every 5 weeks to the yard.....BUT he has checked my guy each time and has not had to trim him for 4 visits as he is self trimming quite happily.

Most he has done is file one rough edge at no charge.

So normally 22 GBP but for the last 4 visits nada.

Only suppliments I use is Micronized Linseed 34 GBP for 20 Kilos and he gets a mugfull a day and a joint supplement which is for his sidebones.

 

[cptrayes]

I would like to say that having read a lot of these replies 'true' barefoot is NOT just about trimming by anyone. Insurance companies are now refusing to insure or payout on horse owners that trim themselves or have a trimmer that does not hold the full qualifications of a true farrier. NFU are the first to update their policies and others are now following.

Just to be clear, NFU have restricted hoof care to farriers, no other qualification is recognised.

If you want a horse to continue competing in any discipline or hack/hunt over any terrain you WILL need to change the diet and have a true barefoot specialised trimmer do your horses feet.

This is not true, sorry. Plenty of farriers trim well as well as shoe. Plenty of people trim for themselves and have never had a "specialist" near their horses. Plenty of horses need no diet change whatsoever and do perfectly well on sugary diets. Plenty of shod horses are fed great diets and need no change if they go barefoot. Good feeding is not restricted to people who remove the shoes from their horses.

£20 per 6 weekly for the magnesium so it certainly isn't the cheaper option if done correctly.

Most horses will happily eat calmag. Available from farm supplies shops at £12-15 for 25 kilos - 1000 days/2.5 years for one big horse.

 

[elizabeth1]

What is the right dose of Calmag for a hunter weighing approx 600kilos?
I have just bought calmag[ from Attlees in Dorking for any one in Surrey] for approx £14 so it does offer good value and my horses are happy eating a tablespoon[45ml?] of it in their unmolassed sugar beet.

 

[cptrayes]

What is the right dose of Calmag for a hunter weighing approx 600kilos?
I have just bought calmag[ from Attlees in Dorking for any one in Surrey] for approx £14 so it does offer good value and my horses are happy eating a tablespoon[45ml?] of it in their unmolassed sugar beet.

I feed mine 25 g a day. The advice I have been given by a nutritionist is that any excess will be pee'd away, so you don't need to be too fussy about accuracy.

 

[floradora09]

£64/set every 4 weeks.. £768 a year.

Although I guess you could say minus £160 (so total of £608) as he's shoeless/only shod fronts in winter. You'd have to be trying hard to spend that much a year on supplements!

As an aside- does this mean NFU (or other insurance companies presumably...) won't cover for Rockley? Seems a shame as they've got lots of vet support, and have 'real' success compared to just managing a worsening condition...

 

[tallyho!]

Lets be fair.... we all know NFU are trying to get out of equestrian insurance. They don't advertise, renewals are sky-high, restrictions on every cough and sniffle... just find another insurer. It is not difficult.

Insurance is not mandatory like vehicle insurance. You don't have to have it.

 

[ester]

Horserider I must know you in real life! Carry it round saying 'check this mother ****er'
Mandwhy- i'm no expert so someone else can explain it better. But the basic thinking is that for some horses shoes can disguise mild laminitis so without them its just a case of it showing up easier so you can be aware of limiting the sugar intake.

a little late perhaps but