Spoke to the farrier at a vet hospital today and it was a very interesting conversation. He said they need 3 months out of shoes or you are wasting your time taking them off. He also said he uses equilibrium shoes almost as standard now and he grinds part of the toe out of them so the horse doesn't wreck its joints doing that itself. It was a fantastic conversation indeed the only farrier convo I've enjoyed having (and I used to be married to one lol). He talked about making sure the heel was there by not chopping it off as most farriers do, he only trimmed the toe and focused on break over.
What he was saying to me really echoed all the ethos of BF, just with a shoe on. I don't expect he would agree with my summation (as he did tell me my horses hinds are far too bare but I really don't think they are lol) but it did make me realise that there are farriers and farriers and to find one like that, is golden. Oh and he suggested I got him boots for the hinds which I thought was interesting
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Noooo what! He looks like a dude.. keep him
Just because tbs have notoriously bad feet, it has nothing to do with genetics, in fact the best rehabs I've seen were tb, it's to do with how early the shoeing cycle started to how stunted the feet become.
You'll be amazed how feet "spring back" to what they need to be when the restrictions of a shoe are removed. The winter might be all that's needed to breath life back into collapsed heels and beef up a withered frog. Just because tbs have notoriously bad feet, it has nothing to do with genetics, in fact the best rehabs I've seen were tb, it's to do with how early the shoeing cycle started to how stunted the feet become.
With decent highly bioavailable nutrients, a good source of amino acids and space for the horse to grow the foot it needs, you will be looking at different hoof shapes come the spring.
I think sometimes when you don't have the voices of support you need, it's hard to make a leap into the "unknown"... believe me and the many here, who say it is not unknown! It is WELL known, it's just that some people choose not to know it and hard to find those that do. Especially in "traditional" circles who seem to think people who leave horses unshod are part of some sort of shamanic tribe
Yes the worst to get right in shoes.... of course - it's true! It could be done with very short shoeing cycles over a few years... but the digital cushion would still be weak. A horse could do it itself, with no shoes on in a matter of months.
I have no idea why farriers and vets won't let themselves look at the evidence - there's a real misconstrued belief it'll cost them in the end. The reality is also be that it doesn't suit all horses and all owners and that is a fact. So I understand the caution. Personally, if I were a farrier, I would be embracing the whole thing and making sure I was ahead of the game. If I were a vet I would be pioneering such a non-invasive technique that promotes self-healing rather than prescribing Bute ad steroid injections. I could make more profit selling boots and pads! I dunno - the world is just constantly looking for enemies rather than friends. Don't be disheartened though.... there ARE vets who are open minded and confident, farriers who ARE clever and care. Theres more qualified trimmers in UK. The who "barefoot thing" was "started" by vets and farriers in the US but in the early days, mistakes were made so I guess people hold on to those things.
If you want inspiration, we are here! Have a look on Rockley Rehab, look up EPAUK and check out the websites of the UK professional trimmers and what kind of performance the horses they trim/look after.
p.s. just so you know I was definitely a "shoe it" kind of person 10 years ago - look at me now
I've read this with interest and just wondered whether you think any horse could cope barefoot? And if so, how you transition them without turning them away for a period of time? My boy is 20yo, he has naturally quite crumbly, poor feet, but they're looking ok at the moment with his TopSpec balancer (although still not as strong as I'd like). He has been diagnosed with arthritis and I'd like him to be moving as naturally as possible - but I don't want to turn him away in the fear that he'd become stiffer and not be able to be ridden when I try to bring him back. The vet has advised that I ride him as often as I can to keep him mobile, but I mostly walk him on long slow hacks. Sorry to hijack, but it's been a really interesting read and has got me thinking!
). I'm pleased he is bare now as he is a bit athriticy. You don't need to turn away but you do need to keep them to a level they can cope with/boot. They can get a bit stiffer muscularly while transitioning so regular physio/bodywork is generally a must.