Hmmm I'm not sure I believe this?

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almrc

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So I have been looking into riding barefoot...its all new to me. My boy is 11 and has always been barefoot. Yes he has been in a field for a while and now started going riding again but not sure if I agree with this quote from a website?

"Whatever you like to call it, riding your horse without shoes is quite feasible provided certain basic rules are adhered to i.e no rough stony or rocky ground, no abrasive surfaces (roads) and most of all the animal is restricted to not very much work."

From this website:http://www.farrier-giles.co.uk/barefoot.htm

What are your thoughts? I dont think I agree with it, from what I have found anyway, but just shows what a minefield info on the net can be!
 
I can only assume, although he doesn't state it, that he means a newly barefoot horse?

Ours are all barefoot, bar one, and go everywhere and anywhere with no problems at all. However does he think feral or wild horses would cope?
 
personally I dont think you can generalise with horses - they are all so different. Baby has never in 4 yrs i have had her had shoes on. we have hacked out etc and she has great strong feet. Big lad can not go with out shoes. He has wide flat feet and when he looses shoe its painful. has bar shoes on to support heel though none on back feet. They are all so different
 
babymare said:
personally I dont think you can generalise with horses - they are all so different. Baby has never in 4 yrs i have had her had shoes on. we have hacked out etc and she has great strong feet. Big lad can not go with out shoes. He has wide flat feet and when he looses shoe its painful. has bar shoes on to support heel though none on back feet. They are all so different
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Totally agree. Ours are barefoot because it suits them, not because we are all religious or fanatical about it. The shod one has the sort of feet you describe; big, wide and flat and needs shoes.

The problems arise when owners refuse to shoe because they don't believe in it, or some such guff.
 
Ladyinred said:
Totally agree. Ours are barefoot because it suits them, not because we are all religious or fanatical about it. The shod one has the sort of feet you describe; big, wide and flat and needs shoes.

The problems arise when owners refuse to shoe because they don't believe in it, or some such guff.
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*At the risk of sounding evangelical...*

Its not guff if someone doesn't want to shoe their horse. There is increasing evidence that shoes prevent the horse's foot from functioning properly and being healthy. Hoof boots and better knowledge and such make it possible to work a horse without shoes on even tough surfaces.

Why do you think its "guff"?
 
Naturally said:
*At the risk of sounding evangelical...*

Its not guff if someone doesn't want to shoe their horse. There is increasing evidence that shoes prevent the horse's foot from functioning properly and being healthy. Hoof boots and better knowledge and such make it possible to work a horse without shoes on even tough surfaces.

Why do you think its "guff"?
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Sorry, that was me wording it badly. What I was trying to say is that the person who inflicts their personal beliefs on the horse as opposed to doing what is right for each horse as an individual is talking guff.

I am pro-barefoot, not anti, and would much prefer all of ours to be barefoot, however, we have one that cannot cope despite several years trying,so he is shod in front.

Is that any clearer, or am I confusing the issue even more (its getting late!)
 
Oh, Farrier Giles, he's funny.
"Whatever you like to call it, riding your horse without shoes is quite feasible provided certain basic rules are adhered to i.e no rough stony or rocky ground, no abrasive surfaces (roads) and most of all the animal is restricted to not very much work."
What a sweeping and inaccurate statement eh?
 
Farrier Giles is somewhat infamous in barefoot circles as he takes great delight in being anti barefoot. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions but his are often quite biased.
 
There seems to be a great deal of 'mystery' around going barefoot, which is a shame because many horses would benefit from losing the shoes.

Mine are all barefoot, and while no-one thinks twice about the ponies, when they realise my fast, fighting-fit Thoroughbred cross is barefoot I get treated as though I'm practising some sort of voodoo!

However I'm the first to agree that it wouldn't be suitable for a range of horses who, through their workload, conformation or genetics, could not be expected to function well without being shod.

Anyone doubting what can be done with a horse who is correctly maintained to be barefoot is welcome to come and meet Merlin, who is hacked out every other day, does 3-4 miles of roadwork (mostly trotting) every week, and does endurance over the summer over all terrains... all without boots!
He is a very forward going horse who charges over flints, gravel and tarmac alike and has only once shown any sign of being tender - when we had a sudden wet spell after a long period of dry weather. But he only felt it for a couple of days before his feet adjusted again and it was back to business as usual!
 
I have several without shoes, all hack over the flinty paths of the south downs and compete low all discliplines. No problems; if anything I believe long hacks over rocky paths are the ideal environment for the "barefoot" horse. Management counts for a lot.
 
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