Going Barefoot

tonitot

tonitot

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My mare is shod in front and barefoot behind. She had her back shoes taken off the day I got her as wasn't keen on turning her out with her two new friends (one being an elderly mare) with back shoes on when the others were completely barefoot as I knew she could be a bit of a madam. At first her feet cracked a bit and bits broke off, but nothing too major and she walked down the road to her new home (even over a few stones) with no problem and has never been lame because of her shoes being taken off. I am now wondering if I should take the fronts off, as she doesn't do a lot, we occasionally go for a hack and a bit of lunging but the way to the fields is stone free, the school is sand and the roads we hack on are smooth, not gravely or stoney. I'm a bit worried she'll be sore and possibly go lame in front as she has had shoes on for so long and she can't stay in for a few days as there is only her and one other horse on the yard and they go out together and aren't happy when seperated. Basically what I'm asking you is would you take them off or keep them on? I'll speak to my farrier about it, but wanted to ask on here first to see if there was much point in asking him or if it would be wiser just to keep them on.

Thank you :D
 
Going barefoot, is I'd say different to having an unshod horse. The reason I say this is that the OP has mentioned that they do not intend to do a lot. To be truely barefoot, is doing everything that you would do with the horse when it was shod. To this end as has been said on many threads here, the key to success is diet, exercise and lastly trimming.

Therefore, if the horse is not going to get enough work, then it will not really be barefoot to the extent that its hooves will be capable of coping with any surface.

I see nothing wrong though, with taking the shoes off a horse and using boots to protect the hooves when hacking etc., provided correct diet and trimming are in place.
 
As long as your farrier thinks it's a goer I would try. The big horse is barefoot and hacks, schools etc just fine (he is WBxTB)

Nitty (TB)is barefoot because she is only 2 but I have no intentions of putting shoes on her when she starts work unless she really needs it.

I'm sure if you go for it loads of people on here will be able to help with the transition re diet etc. I've picked up loads of stuff I didn't know as I don't have shoes for no other reason than I never got round to putting them on and then he seemed ok without. It was never a concious, informed decision. Just turned out that way.
 
Thanks guys, I think I'll discuss it with my farrier and see what he thinks :)

Regarding diet, what type of diet do they need to be on and would I have to change from the one she has now (I'd rather not as this diet is working really well at keeping weight on her) She has:
1 scoop Alfa A Oil
1 scoop Recoup
1 scoop wet Speedi-Beet

(Scoop is a large round one) She gets this twice a day with ad-lib hay, is this an okay diet for a barefoot horse? In case it's any help she is a 3yr old TB and she will soon be in light work, and I will keep her barefoot if I chose to take the shoes off, so long as me and my farrier feel she's happy barefoot :)
 
I believe, though I am most definitely not the expert, that the knack to it is to cut out as much sugar as possible. I don't know enough about alpha a with oil or recoup to know really.
Speedi beet is definitely unmollased though which is good.
 
Thanks jess, you always seem to stalk my posts ;) although I will let you as you give me advice on near enough all of my numpty posts :p
 
tonitot said:
Thanks jess, you always seem to stalk my posts ;) although I will let you as you give me advice on near enough all of my numpty posts :p
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I don't do it on purpose I promise. I am also stalking Vallin tonight as well. Also not on purpose. Seeing as I am stalking you already now, hows your leg?
 
jesstickle said:
I don't do it on purpose I promise. I am also stalking Vallin tonight as well. Also not on purpose. Seeing as I am stalking you already now, hows your leg?
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Haha, fair enough :) My leg has gotten a lot better, can bend my knee now and there's just a tiny bit of scab to come off, gonna have a lovely scar :D Not riding yet though, not sure enough that it won't hurt :p
 
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