Hunting barefoot horses.

[hellfire]

I’m looking to do some trail/drag hunting this season. I’ve not done it for years and never on my current boy Dakota.
My issue is he’s barefoot and has been for 5/6 years now.
He wears easy boot gloves on pleasure rides and hacking as he still doesn’t like stones due to his flat soles. Fine on softer ground though.
I don’t really want to shoe him just for winter hunting.
I’m not sure boots would hold up hunting though with the winter mud, jumping etc although he was fine with pleasure rides. They are a slower pace and less deep mud!
Does anyone hunt in boots or any ideas as to firm his soles up?
I’ve tried iodine and keratex but didn’t find it stopped him being footy on gravel or stony ground.
He’s turned out 24/7 and the field itself is quite firm and stony with no issues but he’s only pottering about not actively walking, trotting and cantering for long periods. Bar the usual play and grazing movement.

 

[Gloi]

Hoof armour

 

[ponyparty]

Whilst I’m pretty pro-barefoot, I think if you try it and he struggles, there’s nothing wrong with shoeing for few cycles to keep him comfy whilst out hunting, and then whipping the shoes off once season is over, so his feet recover.

 

[tyner]

You can also look into Vettec's Superfast and Sole Guard, they are epoxys.

Superfast has been used to make almost a rimmed shoe for show jumping used by the Swedish SJ teams. It's very interesting but not tried it.

Soleguard works well but if it's as wet there as it is here, you would be lucky to get about 3 weeks out of it.

 

[hellfire]

You can also look into Vettec's Superfast and Sole Guard, they are epoxys.

Superfast has been used to make almost a rimmed shoe for show jumping used by the Swedish SJ teams. It's very interesting but not tried it.

Soleguard works well but if it's as wet there as it is here, you would be lucky to get about 3 weeks out of it.

I’ll look into that thanks. Yes it’s very wet here sadly.

 

[hellfire]

Whilst I’m pretty pro-barefoot, I think if you try it and he struggles, there’s nothing wrong with shoeing for few cycles to keep him comfy whilst out hunting, and then whipping the shoes off once season is over, so his feet recover.

I am debating this just concerned about then transitioning him all over again to barefoot. It took him a while to be happy on softer ground. I guess with the boots back on it wouldn’t matter so much.

 

[tyner]

Here's the link on the Superfast https://hoofcare.blogspot.com/2021/...ned-swedish-barefoot.html_0275753620.html?m=1

 

[ester]

I’d say it’s poss worth finding out more about locations, all our hunting was within hackable distance so I knew it quite well. Only once we hit a stoney track he couldn’t cope with and we decided we could also use the field that the horse with a lost shoe was allowed to use . Mostly it was roads or fields or smooth forest tracks. It sounds like yours might be a bit more sensitive than F was (also flat soles but they were thick and hacked mostly without boots but would wear them where terrain was unknown as has his stone limit).

I’d def try with hoof armour I think

But also if I was going out a lot (not once a month) I’d prob shoe, carefully, for the season

 

[tyner]

Hoof Armour doesn't last so long in the winter wet for all it's charms.. and it's unfortunately hard to set when it everything is wet and cold.

 

[ponyparty]

I am debating this just concerned about then transitioning him all over again to barefoot. It took him a while to be happy on softer ground. I guess with the boots back on it wouldn’t matter so much.

When you transitioned before, had he been in shoes non-stop for a very long time? I think if it’s just for a few cycles, the changes to the hoof can be reversed more easily - before they become extreme.

 

[Gallop_Away]

Personally I'd pop a pair of front shoes on him. If it will make him more comfortable and put your mind at ease then it's worth it and you can take them off for the summer.

 

[hellfire]

When you transitioned before, had he been in shoes non-stop for a very long time? I think if it’s just for a few cycles, the changes to the hoof can be reversed more easily - before they become extreme.

I bought him as a 4 yr old and he had only been shod for a few cycles. He’s 10 now. He’s got quite flat feet and never been happy on stony ground to this day which is a pain. He wears boots due to it. My others a gravel cruncher. Both fed and kept the same.

 

[ponyparty]

I bought him as a 4 yr old and he had only been shod for a few cycles. He’s 10 now. He’s got quite flat feet and never been happy on stony ground to this day which is a pain. He wears boots due to it. My others a gravel cruncher. Both fed and kept the same.

Oh bless him. I think in your shoes (no pun intended ) I’d prob shoe temporarily, if I had my heart set on hunting. I too would be worried about boots coming off, or rubbing, due to ground conditions.

My friend took her unshod cob out on a ride out from a hunt yard… only a ride out, not hunting. I borrowed a horse on sales livery there. They hammered the horses up extremely stony bridleways (to the extent that one man riding out with us, who is hunt staff I believe, pulled his horse up into a field muttering about his horse’s legs!) and her cob’s poor feet had huge chunks missing by the end of the ride. Never had an issue before when sensibly hacking out. I swore then I’d not go out with them again, there was just no need for it whatsoever. If you think it’s going to be fast and furious and you won’t be able to pull up or separate from the rest to avoid challenging terrain, I’d just shoe.

 

[hellfire]

Oh bless him. I think in your shoes (no pun intended ) I’d prob shoe temporarily, if I had my heart set on hunting. I too would be worried about boots coming off, or rubbing, due to ground conditions.

My friend took her unshod cob out on a ride out from a hunt yard… only a ride out, not hunting. I borrowed a horse on sales livery there. They hammered the horses up extremely stony bridleways (to the extent that one man riding out with us, who is hunt staff I believe, pulled his horse up into a field muttering about his horse’s legs!) and her cob’s poor feet had huge chunks missing by the end of the ride. Never had an issue before when sensibly hacking out. I swore then I’d not go out with them again, there was just no need for it whatsoever. If you think it’s going to be fast and furious and you won’t be able to pull up or separate from the rest to avoid challenging terrain, I’d just shoe.

Poor horse. Some people have no consideration sadly.
He will pull up and separate from others while out on pleasure rides etc. Hunting is very different though and he’s never been. My old boy was brilliant and barefoot but didn’t have flat feet. Now it’s Dakota’s time I just want to make sure he’s comfortable and enjoys himself.
I’ve never hammered any of mine over stony ground as just not good practice. Even walking on stony ground he doesn’t like so I’m concerned if we hit stony ground and he’s there picking his way over tender. Don’t want him to then be tender and in pain for days after with stone bruises etc.
I think looking at the options shoeing until Feb is my only option with him.
Although boots have been fantastic with pleasure rides doing miles and miles of different terrain hunting’s different and hours with mud and boots I’d worry about rubbing and of course a boot flying off .
Pleasure rides have been a summer thing where the grounds drier and the pace is slower a lot of the time. He goes great in his boots at all paces and jumping.
Dartmoors pretty boggy in winter though and I know some of the hunt trails from when I used to go are stony terrain.

 

[expanding_horizon]

I think if your horse isnt happy hacking over varied terrain you cant fairly consider hunting him barefoot.

I do know of a long standing barefoot horse that hunted twice and got a flint embedded into sole of his foot (went in out of sight until the abscess appeared) and took a while to sort out.

 

[hellfire]

That’s my concern with him not happy on stony ground. Just wasn’t sure if there was any other new things about such as glue on boots that were better for hunting or a form of sole protection.
To be fair my friends horse who is shod had a bit of metal wire get embedded in the foot while out, shoes or not the sole is still exposed. Yes not contacting the ground as much but still a risk to any horse.
It was part of a metal fencing staple.

I think if your horse isnt happy hacking over varied terrain you cant fairly consider hunting him barefoot.

I do know of a long standing barefoot horse that hunted twice and got a flint embedded into sole of his foot (went in out of sight until the abscess appeared) and took a while to sort out.

 

[SpeedyPony]

That’s my concern with him not happy on stony ground. Just wasn’t sure if there was any other new things about such as glue on boots that were better for hunting or a form of sole protection.
To be fair my friends horse who is shod had a bit of metal wire get embedded in the foot while out, shoes or not the sole is still exposed. Yes not contacting the ground as much but still a risk to any horse.
It was part of a metal fencing staple.

I've never used or even seen these in the flesh (should that be plastic?) but it might be worth asking your farrier if he ever uses/recommends anything similar?

Imprint Sport – Imprint Equine Foot Care

Poynton is a leading supplier of remedial plastic horseshoes. The Imprint First shoe is widely used in the treatment of laminitis and many other painful and compromised hoof conditions. Imprint Sport is a maximum support shoe, designed for the performance horse, its a hard-wearing, flexible...

www.imprintshoes.co.uk

 

[Gloi]

Hoof Armour doesn't last so long in the winter wet for all it's charms.. and it's unfortunately hard to set when it everything is wet and cold.

I used a hairdryer last winter. Warm the tube with body heat then dry and warm the hoof with hairdryer and it worked okay.

 

[hellfire]

Well I’ve ordered some Durasole that someone recommended to try toughen up his soles.
Never heard of it before as American.
Not cheap but worth trying for a few weeks. I have 6 weeks until the first hunt I can get chance to go on,
so enough time to try this or shoe just before going. My farriers due out a few days before the hunt.
After looking at the suggestions no glue or covering is going to hold up or last long enough to warrant the cost compared to shoes.
So either his soles harden enough or ill shoe him.
Thanks so much for the advice everyone. Will let you know what happens.

 

[tyner]

I've never used or even seen these in the flesh (should that be plastic?) but it might be worth asking your farrier if he ever uses/recommends anything similar?

Imprint Sport – Imprint Equine Foot Care

Poynton is a leading supplier of remedial plastic horseshoes. The Imprint First shoe is widely used in the treatment of laminitis and many other painful and compromised hoof conditions. Imprint Sport is a maximum support shoe, designed for the performance horse, its a hard-wearing, flexible...

www.imprintshoes.co.uk

The folks at Imprint are really lovely and helpful if you want to reach out to them about more information.

I think they certify the farriers that use their shoes and not everyone has access to them. At least when I was inquiring last time, no one in this area could be bothered unfortunately.

 

[hellfire]

Update.
I’ve been using durasole for about 5 days and have noticed his soles felt much better.
I decided to see how he went at the hunt on Saturday. Oh wow what a difference!! The fact that he was completely fine for the short road work was one thing, but the yard itself was stony and he trotted on out with the rest of them like he had shoes on!
Regardless if there was other horses or not before he’d of been reluctant to do that and just picked his way over the stones. He lifted those legs and really had that amazing Welsh D action on stones which he’s never done other in boots!!
So pleased to say this stuff actually works.
I’d tried keratex in the past and there was no difference really.
Will be sticking with this.
Anyone thinking about trying it don’t let the price put you off. It does the job, goes a long way and will be cheaper and easier than shoes or boots.
The first day I did the 6x with the heat gun drying the soles. Nearly killed my back in the process and thought I’d never ride again . Second day I done 4x third 2x then a single treatment for two days. That’s what he had up until sat and wow!