Going barefoot?

[treacle_beastie]

I know this has been discussed recently but I would just like some experiences from those that have managed to go from shod to barefoot, good and bad experience please.

My horse was barefoot when I got her as she wasn't really doing any work but I shod her within the first couple of weeks. She had very flat feet with low heels. I removed her back shoes about 6 a year ago and they are looking great. I need to discuss it with my farrier but I am not sure her front feet will ever cope with being barefoot again but I would lover her to be barefoot in front too.

We hack loads on a mixture of roads, fields and sometimes stony ground. Our school is sand.

So...
1) do you think I should go for it?
2) How long will it take to transition- shes is sometimes a bit slow over very stony ground with her back feet but they have improved lots in the last few months
3) when would be a good time - I'm guessing now with the frozen ground would be bad but spring would also be rubbish due to the sugar in the grass?
4) would I need hoof boots?

 

[china]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=423302
This is a thread i made the other day.
My boy is a 12 year old tb with shocking feet. He was foot sore for around 10 days and is now fine on the roads and concrete but is very sore on stoney ground so he has hoof boots.
He has struggled on this frozen ground and has quite bruised feet but hes getting by. He has been off work now since october so by the time he comes back in proper ridden work he should be sound.
Im glad i made the choice to do it but i havnt found it easy, more because i knew he would be sore. But iv been determined to keep it up. The new diet is working well or him also, he looks fab on it.
good luck!

 

[treacle_beastie]

Thanks China, your horses feet look lots better for it!

 

[pines of rome]

my ex race horse is barefoot, took hinds off fist, no problems,decided to use an EP to do the fronts the next day he looked crippled in the field, i panicked called EP he came and put perfect hoof wear on which are like glue on bandages which protect and stimulate the hooves,after two months of these he was fine being yurned out on hard summer ground. i have boots for riding out. this horse was diagnosed with navicular in may and virtually written off by vet,farrier said his feet were crap never go without fronts, this horse yesterday was galloping round his frozen field feet not bothering at all. my EP says his feet have recovered so well that i probably wont even need boots on him out by the spring

 

[Orangehorse]

Get hold of a copy of "Feet First" that will give you lots of experience.

I have just taken the shoes off mine, although he was barefoot for about 18 months, and then he had shoes on for the summer and off again for a couple of months in the winter. She he has had shoes on since last February.

I put him on a molasses free diet, and I can see the difference in his feet - good in other words. The farrier just took the shoes off and tidied up, he didn't touch his sole or take any length from his feet. On the first day he was fine on concrete but found the frozen lumpy field a bit of a problem. I didn't want him ending up with bruises so the second day I put some cotton wool under vet wrap. I knew it wouldn't last long but the the forcast was for a thaw and after a week of thundering round a muddy field he has been 100% and he is galloping round the snowy field. I am much happier that he is out barefoot rather than in shoes, as he was definitely finding it hard to stay upright on the frozen fields in shoes. I bring him in at night so his feet dry off.

Apart from doing research and there are loads of websites, the things I would adddress are

1. diet NO molasses
2 hoof infections - even if you are sure that your horse does not have any, give him a course of treatment as if he has. If there are any untreated infections it will stop a good hoof growing

 

[laura_nash]

Mines been barefoot 4 months after 2 years in shoes (when I got him he was out of work but shod in front). I have "feet first" and go on the UKNHCP forum and read the Rockley Farm blog which have both been helpful. He was already on a strictly controlled diet and I had been dithering for ages when he lost a shoe in front in a lesson and carried on quite happily, so I decided and had the shoes off instead of the missing one back on.

I needed boots on the front on the road for the first few months, I hired them at first until I was happy about sizing etc. My hacking is about 90% on road, most of which are country roads with lots of gravel and dirt. Having a sand school is great, mine was fine in the field, stable and sand school from the first day. I've stuck with my farrier and had no probs, but depends on how open-minded yours is and if you're happy to sort diet etc out yourself. My farrier wasn't prepared to say that he would be ok barefoot though, I wouldn't necessarily wait for 100% support from your farrier. I wanted the best possible start so did all mine's feet with CleanTrax after the shoes came off - expensive and time-consuming but worth it. I'd heard the "transition" horror stories, but I've not had any abscesses, bruising etc. Having a good farrier helps as I think his feet had improved in the time I had him even in the shoes. I maintain the roll etc myself between farrier visits and remove any ragged bits. I was obsessive at first - kept the white line clear of small stones, cleaned the bottom of the feet each evening (wire brush for dry mud or washed and dried for wet), used plenty of Red Horse products (especially the Arti-mud filler). No idea if it was all necessary.

He is still a little careful on the really stony stuff on one particular track, but it was definately a good decision for me. The extra grip when your riding barefoot on the roads is great, and no more worries about a lost shoe. His feet are much better and I also think his paces have improved, especially the freedom in the shoulder.

 

[treacle_beastie]

all sounds good so far, I will do some more reading. My main worry is her feet are quite flat still in front but the back ones were like that and since being barefoot behind they have become more concave so I am hoping the same will happen infront.

 

[LaurenM]

I bought mine barefoot and had fronts put on him. He had the fronts off around Oct and has coped fine although was a bit footsore initially. In regards to stoney paths etc, I get off and lead - our stones look like chipped rock surface mind so are quite large.

 

[thinlizzy]

I have just had my shoes removed from my tb x and cob totally unrideable were i am in this weather so icy they both seem t be able to grip better in the weather unshod , i watched for signs of soreness next day as fields are like concrete with the ice both are doing well unfortuanatly we do have stony tracks and lots of them were i am so we will see how we go but even if they have a few months break will be great for the hoof

 

[tallyho!]

If there are genuine reasons not to then don't. But if you have done enough research and genuinely feel it will help your horse, find either a good farrier or a qualified trimmer (despite the arguments, there are such things) and be prepared to look at your horse in a very different way.

 

[Ali2]

I think preparation is the key - make sure you've got the diet right and be prepared to exercise at a level and on surfaces the horse is comfortable with while you are transitioning.

We've just had the front shoes off my share horse. His feet are in pretty good condition already with decent thickness of walls and soles, good concavity and little infection, his frogs are weedy but they will improve pretty quickly. The shoes came off and, apart from being better able to prance on the packed snow, he didn't really seem to notice. With him there seems to be very little need for a transition period, we are carrying on as normal and so far so good.

Good luck