I know it's been covered . . . Can any horse go barefoot?

[tallyho!]

I would be 99% certain mine cant. Has a whopping great big crack up one hoof, caused by an injury done years ago. Probably will never heal up properly, although has got "neater" with regular shoeing and hoof dressing. Would I take the shoe off this horse - no way whilst she is in work. If she was ever off work/on box rest, it may be worth a try, however, as she is, she is better with shoes on. It helps to keeo the crack "together", and I would not want the bottom of the crack coming into contact with the ground and chipping away.

Forgive me wench but I don't see it that this is the way to heal cracks. Injury or no. I have seen a similar injury which has healed. The horse got it when barefoot and it grew down. It has a groove in it and there is a slight wave on the coronet but the horn there is the same quality as the rest of the horn. It's been there for nearly 10 years.

Just pointing out that shoes are not the only way to deal with coronet injury.

Also, cracks that appear in the hoof not due to injury are nearly always balance related and horn quality related and are easily restored. Sometimes it's best to let nature sort things out.

We have to accept that it isn't possible in this country for all horses to go barefoot for many reasons.

If we lived in an ideal environment e.g. Spain where it's dry and forage is of the right type then unless there is a serious pathological reason, then all horses could go barefoot. Many horses do spend their lives unshod over there anyway on some really tough terrain. I think they thrive because they are allowed to roam and have a natural diet and are unsupplemented with grains and rich foods. They find what they need from the land.

Of course, not ideal to keep a hobby horse like this. It would take you all day to fetch it to go out!

So, it's the way we keep them that determines whether or not they can go barefoot. Not the horse.

 

[Oberon]

I would be 99% certain mine cant. Has a whopping great big crack up one hoof, caused by an injury done years ago. Probably will never heal up properly, although has got "neater" with regular shoeing and hoof dressing. Would I take the shoe off this horse - no way whilst she is in work. If she was ever off work/on box rest, it may be worth a try, however, as she is, she is better with shoes on. It helps to keeo the crack "together", and I would not want the bottom of the crack coming into contact with the ground and chipping away.

I often wonder at this mainstream logic of 'holding a crack together' with a shoe.

It may look that way - but when you think about it....

An unshod hoof will share the load between the wall, sole, frog and heel. It will also have a short and strong wall. The wearing of the hoof on the ground stimulates more horn production from the coronet and you have increased circulation.

A shod hoof loads peripherally on the wall (which it wasn't designed to do full time) with a longer, weaker wall and with nail holes making the structure less strong.

You see some lovely, chronic cracks grow out quickly once the horse stops loading that weakness peripherally.

Obviously if shoeing works for you and your horse - then that's the right thing for you both. You won't grow out a coronet scar.....but I've never known one cause a problem to a barefoot horse, so if you find yourself needing to pull shoes at any point - don't let the scar worry you .

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Well my oldie is having a holiday til spring to let him transition to being BF then hopefully when I bring him back into work in the spring his feet will deal with it

I have to do roadwork to get anywhere and I find on tarmac twice a week he is sounder than some of the rougher forest paths

Everything however is soaking up here including his field and the only hard ground I get on is the track the yard and the roads so not ideal for a BF at all but we have to do the best with what we have to work with. He has been shod for pretty much the whole time I have had him (11 years) and he's slowing down now so I thought keep costs down and try BF as we don't compete or hunt so no real need for shoes IMO

I don't think ANY horse can go BF without owners willing to give up things or if your short on time etc as putting boots on does take time and if your competiting and need studs etc. But maybe more would cope better than some people think