Extreme Barefoot

It is a myth that bare footers do not use protection for hooves if required. It's the type of protection that is the point. If a horse has trained on different surfaces it may well need protection.
 
I've looked at a few vids of the TC (not competed in it myself :p) and the vetting seems similar to normal endurance vettings. An unsound, tired, rubbed or sore horse would not be allowed to continue.

It is a myth that bare footers do not use protection for hooves if required.
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^ This. :)
 
well given the sort of terrain they are covering I would imagine that actually the horses get more protection from wearing easyboots than they would shoes, I thought the title of your post odd too tbh so if you would like to enlighten us on the point you are trying to make that would be great.
 
Great to hear that boots can be used so successfully! Being able to do such extreme riding and not have to have metal shoes nailed on continuously is fantastic.
 
Faracat said:
As stated above - it's a misconception that barefooters don't use protection/hoof boots if needed.
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well yes and I do too but he is then, for the time he wears them, booted not barefoot. Extreme use of easyboots might have been more accurate, although I have read they lost a few ;)
 
I suppose the fault lies in the fact that we use the term barefoot for horses that are not shod. Now we have got ourselves in the position where the unenlightened seem to think it is in someway cheating to use the term barefoot yet use hoof protection in the form of hoof boots.

The barefoot movement isn't about not protecting the horses feet. That is really the be all and end all of the movement. The horse's hooves are made stronger through the correct diet and appropreate exercise. The constant weakening effect of shoes and farriers trimming to fit shoes is removed, as well as a diet detrimental to the horse as a whole and their feet specifically.

Hoof boots are used as part of keeping horses barefoot and the fact that they are used is in no way some sort of cheat or failure.

The term 'barefoot' is now well established, and in honesty I prefer it to terms like 'unshod' or 'shoeless' even if it does give rise to some folk being pedantic and thinking that using hoof boots isn't truely barefoot.
 
well I guess I must be one of those random enlightened ones who still think it rather an inaccurate description ;)
 
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