horse boots instead of shoeing

J

jules9671

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hi, i work offshore so cant ride for nearly 2 1/2 wks, my farriers said it might be better and more economical to get the boots that you use instead of shoes, they do seem quite dear and what happens if my horse does not like them, he also has sensitive soles so he does need protection any advice please
 
Doesn't add up to me? keep shoeing besides you work offshore you should be minted
grin.gif
 
really does not answer my question, green is my fav colour i might add, my horse does not get worked for nearly 3wks, and he had colic surgery 4mths ago, in the past ive had him shod, when he does not do much road work, i would like opinions from people who have used alternatives to metal shoeing, my farrier said a lot of horse owners get their horses shod when they do little road work, i tend to agree.therfore looking for less invsasive alternatives.
as for the offshore jib after childcare, horsecare etc the only plus side is time off and not so much the money
 
I've got two barefoot horses who are both fine to ride on pretty much all surfaces now, other than really stoney tracks. You can buy pads to walk your horse out in hand in, to condition the bottom of their feet. The pads help to increase the thickness of the horse's sole, stimulate heel growth etc and help the internal structures of the horse's hoof. If somebody could walk your horse out in these for you initially for 10 mins a day building up to 20 mins a day there will be a huge difference really quickly.

And you can still ride in hoof boots. I use the Easyboot Bares as they have been found to be the ones which most resemble the contraction and expansion of a horse's foot.

If you have a look on a website called (I think) easycare inc they have sizing guides and templates for lots of different makes of boots, including Old Mac, Easyboot Bares, Boas etc. And you can hire boots from The Saddlery Shop which is online before you buy. They are based in Oxon I believe.
 
ISH_Mad-i have just had a horses shoes taken off and he has really thin soles and is very footie at the moment, how long do you think it takes for their soles to toughen up? I am not surprised he is sore at the moment as he has been shod since a 3 year old and he is 14 now, but i want them to toughen up and i am hoping they will. maybe i should use something like these boots in the mean time, but i dont want it to stop his soles from improving...
 
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ISH_Mad-i have just had a horses shoes taken off and he has really thin soles and is very footie at the moment, how long do you think it takes for their soles to toughen up? I am not surprised he is sore at the moment as he has been shod since a 3 year old and he is 14 now, but i want them to toughen up and i am hoping they will. maybe i should use something like these boots in the mean time, but i dont want it to stop his soles from improving...

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To be honest all horses are different. Some can stomp over stones etc almost from day one, others are footy even on concrete. We use a barefoot trimmer (known as an EP, short for equine podiatrist) and they give you a score of each of your horse's feet individually and then combine them for an overall total. This gives you what they call a "spectrum of useability" - i.e. if the score comes to 4 then you do the same amount of work with your horse as you would with a 4 year old and so on.

The most important part of going barefoot is the conditioning work with pads to stimulate the sole, heels etc. The pads are high density foam which give support to the foot. This is separate to riding in hoof boots and the like. Using the conditioning pads really does make a difference, and can really speed up the process.

You can get them from www.equinepodiatrysupplies.co.uk. There are some good websites too about keeping your horse barefoot too, which might be useful.

Taking horse's shoes off isn't for the faint hearted as for them to transition properly involves a lot of time, hard work and commitment on the part of the owner. And it doesn't work for every horse and every horse/owner. But IMHO it is well well worth it,
 
all my horses are barefoot now. I had problems with my mare Ebi for years. Shes been on and off lame for 4 years and now she is 100% osun since going barefoot. She has always had thin soles and always gone footy when she threw a shoe. Shes now hardening her feet up herself and her soles are lifting to a true natural barefoot.

I have a lammi pony who has very thin soles, huge sandcrack caused by injury and damaged white line. We had her shoes taken off 7weeks ago. She was turned out in the field with nothing on and exercised in Boa boots. We have been advised that it will take up to 9 months for her feet to come good and be a good set of natural feet but untill that time we will carry on using the Boa boots and trying to exercise her on softer surfaces without them to start with till her feet are hard enough for us not to need them and she can be ridden on all types of surface.

They are expensive but you can pick up a decent 2nd hand pair of Ebay. they last years. Weve been riding ours out in the boots nearly every day for the 7 weeks and there is hardly any wear on them.
If your horse finds it hard to get used to the boots then you can use mouse mats to give them a bit extra padding. Cut to the size/shape you need then put them in the boots, till they harden up then you can remove them
 
the only problem is that some horses hooves can break up if they do not have shoes on I believe shoes help their feet. Although a lot of people are returning to the old fashioned natural way of going barefoot.
 
if their diet is correct and their feet are looked after correctly with regular trimming they should be ok. Initially after removing their shoes the feet will break up because of the nail holes (mainly at the quarters), but once these have grown out the wall isnt (or shouldnt) be weak. 2 of my horses had their shoes of in march and the nail holes are nearly out, ive not had any major problems with the breking of the foot but am not saying there hasnt been any.
her front feet 2 weeks after her first barefoot trim


her hind feet that have been unshod/hardly been touched for 18months

 
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the only problem is that some horses hooves can break up if they do not have shoes on I believe shoes help their feet. Although a lot of people are returning to the old fashioned natural way of going barefoot.

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Properly conditioned bare feet are as tough as nails! Shoes stop feet naturally contracting and expanding and also reduce circulation. They can also cause concussion too. But as I have said before, barefoot isn't for everyone.

I didn't take my horses barefoot to go back to some "old fashioned" way, but for their health, wellbeing and movement. They have never moved so well, been so balanced and thankfully no more ripped off shoes and lost wall.
 
I took my mare's shoes off last year, and they did get harder and the condition got better, but we have very flinty ground around us and she was never happy hacking out. Seeing as that is what we do most of, I bought her a pair of Boa boots, but although they fitted well and were fine most of the time, she still lost her footing on the flinty slopes. So I have gone back to shoes for this summer as she is being exercised a lot more, and will probably take them off again over the winter (her feet do crack easily and she has fused hocks so the farrier said she needed either wedge shoes, which are a nightmare to keep on, or barefoot). So hopefully on over the summer and off for the winter will suit her ok.
E.x
 
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