Going barefoot

dwi

dwi

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I've decided to try and see if Daisy will make the transition to barefoot this winter. She's already barefoot on the back and her back feet have always seemed much better. If it doesn't work then she can have them back on but I'd like to try it.

Does anyone have any tips for helping her make the adjustment? I'd rather not buy hoof boots because it would seem to defeat the purpose somewhat. She isn't ridden on roads that much at the moment, mostly schooling and hacking round the farm with the limited daylight that we have at the moment.

The only thing that I had thought of so far was that some cornucresine on the wall and sole might help them toughen up but I wans't sure.

Anyt thoughts or experiences gratefully received
 
Perhaps start to feed biotin? And give it time to work.. listen to Daisy as to how much she is happy to do. She may adapt very quickly or she may take a bit longer. Good Luck! also, if you use an EP - don't be afraid to say if you don't think theyre doing a good job! Some aren't all theyre cracked up to be
 
My plan is to keep using a farrier. I had a quick look on the EP website and there isn't one even vaguely near me. I was a little put off as well by how zealous some people seem to be about EP over farriers. Her back feet have been trimmed by a farrier for the last eighteen months and I've been happy with the job he's done so far
 
When working at a riding school one of the IDs lost a shoe the day after the farrier went on holiday, he was barefoot behind but had always been shod in front. I removed the other front shoe and we used keratex once a day for a week and then every couple of days until the bottle ran out. This seemed to help with the transition period where they are usually a little sore and have crumbly/split feet. Bear this transition period in mind when you initially remove the shoes and make sure your horse isn't stood in wet soiled bedding for long periods of time as it breaks down the foot.
I've seen great things happen with barefoot horses but good on you for saying if it doesn't work he'll be re-shod. Some horses do not cope with it.
Hope this helps.
 
Thing is, if you use a regular farrier then it won't be an actual "barefoot" trim as such. 2 of mine done by a barefoot trimmer and they're feet are done totally differently to the way my regular farrier trims (which is in preperation for a shoe even if a shoe doesn't go on). Yours will just be shoe-less. Ponies can still be fine with a farrier trim though but now Ive had a proper barefoot trimmer to my ponies for the past year, I have to say that Ive definately noticed the difference. Their hooves have never looked better and they even seem less stiff (they're veterans).

I believe you can put pea-gravel down which is meant to really help harden up and condition their hooves. Most people put it down in the field shelter or round water troughs. And I was told to try to work mine over varying terrain (difficult as one doesn't get ridden and the other is pretty much retired).

Mine did go "footy" for 2 - 3 months. I was beginning to regret having them barefoot! However, the ponies came right and now they are better than before! They do seem to take a while to adjust, well mine did. I did buy Boa boots to put on when one of mine was feeling particularily sore. Not all the time, but just the odd day when he was struggling. Made a huge difference.

To improve the condition of the hoof - Id highly recommend Farriers Formula. Nothing else beats in IMO! Otherwise, for outside Keratex is good.
 
Farriers spend the first year of their apprenticeship trimming feet. They learn to prepare a foot for a shoe, do a pasture trim and a working trim.

They do this all day and every day and don't charge a fortune for the trim either.

Talk to you farrier, explain that you would like a working trim, chances are that if you are happy with the back feey then the fronts will be ok too.

Listen to what the horse tells you but give her chance to make the transition. look at the terrain you are using and try to avoid particularly stony bits. Smooth tarmac on th eroads is great for hardening the feet as long as not used to excess.

The feet will probably chip and crack for a while as the nail holes are growing out. Feed a good quality hoof supplement and let nature do it's job. I'm not a fan of painting stuff on the feet as it interferes with the way the hoof naturally works.
 
Four of our animals are used for our Business - Carriage Hire, so they all do a lot of roadwork. Only one is shod, the other three are unshod. My farrier does a working trim and they have fantastic feet. I personaly see no reason to increase my hoof-care bills by 400% by using an EP - not that there are any near us anyhow!! Each to his own, I respect everybody's choice.
 
I agree with others that roadwork on nice smooth surfaces is great for helping feet cope without shoes. It stimulates the walls of the foot and helps generate more growth. Stoney tracks are the only real problem areas most horses who have their shoes off struggle with. We walk ours out in hand with pads on initially and then over time walk them out without pads on, gradually building up the distance. For riding over stoney tracks we use hoof boots until they are fully transitioned, but only on their front feet.
 
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