I want to take shoes off- now what do I do?

[Kokopelli]

After doing a little bit of research I've made the decision to take shoes off. Louie has pretty decent feet and only has fronts on, his back feet are fab and I hope his fronts will do just as well.

He only had shoes on 2/3 years ago as he went footy so I want to avoid this.

Am I right in thinking I need to sort out his diet first before I take them off? If so he's currently fed graze on and build up cubes by d&h as he can be a skinny boy so needs a lot of protein but I worry that isn't the best diet for his feet although he does have pretty decent growth already.

Do I need a proper trimmer or can my farrier do his feet? He's an excellent farrier if that's any help. If this is a big no no then can anyone reccomend a decent trimmer around Gloucestershire?

If there is anything else I need to know? Really excited but nervous about transition period. Would have taken them off a while ago but my mum is very sceptical but I think I've finally managed to convince her.

 

[ImmyS]

After doing a little bit of research I've made the decision to take shoes off. Louie has pretty decent feet and only has fronts on, his back feet are fab and I hope his fronts will do just as well.

He only had shoes on 2/3 years ago as he went footy so I want to avoid this.

Am I right in thinking I need to sort out his diet first before I take them off? If so he's currently fed graze on and build up cubes by d&h as he can be a skinny boy so needs a lot of protein but I worry that isn't the best diet for his feet although he does have pretty decent growth already.

Do I need a proper trimmer or can my farrier do his feet? He's an excellent farrier if that's any help. If this is a big no no then can anyone reccomend a decent trimmer around Gloucestershire?

If there is anything else I need to know? Really excited but nervous about transition period. Would have taken them off a while ago but my mum is very sceptical but I think I've finally managed to convince her.

Its helpful to have the horse on a suitable diet for a couple of months before taking the shoes off, however I only changed my horses diet a few weeks before - I didn't want to leave her shoes on any longer as her feet were deteriorating so fast. It would be up to you but by setting up a good diet well in advance, you give yourself and your horse a head start.

Diet wise (my tb can be skinny as well) so I have her on speedibeet for its high calorie levels, fast fibre (because she won't eat the speedibeet without it!) then a good balancer like forage plus or probalance..and then micronized linseed meal for high protein/oil levels for condition. Obviously diets will have to be tweaked to each individual horse, especially when it comes to grass intake etc.. However I find this a good basic diet.

you can use your farrier if he trims appropriately and is supportive of going barefoot. I use and trust mine - I don't feel the need to use a barefoot trimmer. It is best to take the shoes off after 5/6 weeks of growth and don't trim them as soon as they come off, give them a few weeks first before the first trim. You will most probably need hoof boots, you should usually measure for these after the first trim... However my tb needed boots for turnout at first so I measured while she was still in shoes and found the Cavallos simples very forgiving in size!

prepare for lots of in hand barefoot walks on the roads and hacking in boots.