Do you shoe your Natives???

spogface

spogface

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Just interested really???? I have a Highland Pony and a PB New Forest (with appaloosa). Both are shod all round. I have a lot of people tell me not to waste my money and go without shoes. This would not suit either of them. Just wondering what everybody else does????
 
No.

Two highlands, one traditional cob, none shod. Cob and older highland hacking on all terrains for reasonable periods in all gaits without issue, older highland in decent amount of work and reasonably fit. Younger highland led out over tarmac and gravel/stone semi-regularly without being footsore or damaging hooves.

If they needed shoes, they would have them though.
 
I have a 15yo NF x Exmoor mare who has never had shoes on in her life. She's got good feet and never had any problems at all :) I have 7 ponies altogether, all either pure or part bred natives, only one is shod. He has fronts because he has had a lot of problems with his feet and shoes help to keep him sound.
 
Yup welsh x dales has shoes on, no arena so all fittening done out on the roads, shes were just a necessity :)

My older horse wont have shoes on when he comes back as he will be occasional hacking only so will be fine without shoes :)
 
Yes, my cob is shod all round - driven and hacked (on roads) more than in school so feel necessary and he is footy if a shoe is lost.
 
Its not really a case of them being native. The decision to be barefoot should be made baring in mind the quality and condition of the feet, the work the horse does and whether the horse suits being bare foot.

TB's with good feet can be barefoot dartmoors with c**p feet can't.

Also tend to find bare foot trends in different areas. Foot quality has alot to do with diet and if un supplemented the soil type in the area the horse is grazed in plays a huge part in the quality of its hoof.
 
Nope he doesnt need them so I dont waste the money on them. He hacks on all terrains and does every thing with out a single sign that he needs shoes so I dont bother, farrier is also more than happy with his feet.
 
spogface said:
Just interested really???? I have a Highland Pony and a PB New Forest (with appaloosa). Both are shod all round. I have a lot of people tell me not to waste my money and go without shoes. This would not suit either of them. Just wondering what everybody else does????
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Why do you say it would not suit either of them, my boy is non native and is barefoot, I had a NF and it was never shod, highlands generally have good feet. In my experience most people are so used to horses being shod that they assume that it is the best way or the only way.
 
BAILEY67 said:
Yes, my cob is shod all round - driven and hacked (on roads) more than in school so feel necessary and he is footy if a shoe is lost.
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Footy if a shoe is lost is symptomatic of a horse which has been shod, not of a horse which HAS to be shod. I had my boy doing an hour of roadwork last winter, his feet were never better. He was self trimming, as the feet grow in response to work, obviously one cannot expect to take off the shoes and then drive for an hour at the trot, but one can build up to it.
I do not feed cereals, or molasses/sugars, but do make sure he has minerals and vitamins and is fed these every day.
The farrier does not prepare his feet in the same way as he would if he was going to put shoes on. I do not manage him as though he is shod.
 
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No - the boy has never had shoes on. He's trimmed by a farrier every 12/13 weeks, and in between then, every week I use my riders rasp to balance his feet. He is on a barefoot diet too.

We ride every day, hacking, schooling and jumping, and no problems at all. :)
 
No, I have a NF pony who does every thing and isn't shod. He is fine although cos he has white hooves, they do chip a little but don't cause him problems.

He was shod but I took them off as it was extra cost and he is better without tbh :)
 
I haven't got a native, an arab, an arab x and an Irish x all barefoot, my friend has several at her yard including a TB and 2 x NF, a quarter horse and a cob they are all barefoot.
 
All mine are barefoot including the Arab who used to be shod, but is very much better without. Trimmed when they need it (which isnt often) no special diets and farrier happy with all their feet
 
I used to shoe my Welsh B, but that's because I done a lot of roadwork with him and his feet would wear down to nothing! He's now a happy barefoot boy as he's rarely ridden at the minute and when he is, its in the sand school ;)
 
No, plenty of work on varying sufaces and lots of roadwork means mine self trims, and providing I monitor diet properly she's never footy.
 
Fronts only on my NF roads are fine it is just most of the bridleways are very flinty and stoney and hilly and he is quite on big fronted and naturally on the forehand.

I do think about removing the fronts too sometimes.
 
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