Is there anything i can do to help a horse recently gone barefoot

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LauraL23

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Question in title really, horse has recently gone barefoot (unshod for those that don't like the word!) after being fully shod for th e best part of 10 years and i am somewhat concerned if i'm honest :o

So is there anything i can do/need to do? Or just carry on as normal?
 
Hi Laura, why has your horse gone bf?

That is a very hard question as each horse is different, some just carry on as normal, some need either diet and/or trim tweaking slightly. :)

Mine needed a lot of tweaking as he was a navicular case who also had lami. Another has been straightforward take shoes off, give a bit of time in the field and yard to help build up foot structures and voila, a barefoot horse. Oh and diet changed a bit. No more high sugar foods. A bit of extra mins, but largely, very simples.
 
She is now semi retired and does not do a great deal of road work, seems to have good feet so thought i would take the plunge! She has a relatively low sugar diet anyway, has no cereals/hard feed etc and is on restricted grass and soaked hay.
 
You could post photos and someone helpful will let you know if you need to do anything. But to be honest, if he was shod, he is likely to need his frogs and back part of his hooves to develop. It should do in a relatively short space of time.

I went down the turn out and let nature do its thing route. Nature did a blinking good job! Have you read Feet First by Nic Barker? I fully recommend it if you have just taken the plunge.

Www.pheonixhorse.myfastforums.org is full of barefooters and you will find many topics to help you.

When farrier trims, ask him to roll the edges of the wall to help reduce chips and cracks although this will be normal where the nail holes have been. Ask him not to remove frog except for flappy bit that are ready to come off anyway. I just pull these off with fingers anyway when I am picking feet out. My filly doesn't seem to do flappy bits and her frogs are rock hard! He should allow the sole to grow. Some farriers like to carve into them but there is no need to. Barefoot horses need as much sole as they can lay down.
 
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Some years ago I tried to keep my TB retired mare unshod. It didn't work out. She was never comfortable. After long talks with vet and farrier we re-shod her, and never had a problem again in the 5 remaining years till she died. It really is horses for courses, and whatever people say, for some horses it is NOT the answer. And while unshod, apart from being very footsore, she was suffering from tendon trouble. This ceased when she was re-shod.

Noty very helpful, I'm afraid, and I know it's a huge money saving, but put your horse's comfort first.
 
Rose Folly said:
Some years ago I tried to keep my TB retired mare unshod. It didn't work out. She was never comfortable. After long talks with vet and farrier we re-shod her, and never had a problem again in the 5 remaining years till she died. It really is horses for courses, and whatever people say, for some horses it is NOT the answer. And while unshod, apart from being very footsore, she was suffering from tendon trouble. This ceased when she was re-shod.

Noty very helpful, I'm afraid, and I know it's a huge money saving, but put your horse's comfort first.
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Did I miss OP saying her horse was uncomfortable ?
just because your horse is unable to manage without shoes it does not mean OP's semi retired horse cannot.
OP keep an eye on her I am unsure from your post if you are riding your horse if you are I also recommend you buy Feet First .
What's your eventual aim to have her in work BF or retired at grass BF.
 
Why are you concerned OP? Dont overthink things or panic because of scaremongering :) Just let the horse do what nature intended and grow the hoof nature intended without being interfered with! :)
 
Goldenstar, I got the feeling from OP that she is concerned, and indeed as in the title. There are some horses - and I have had them, that can go unshod, no supplements, no boots, no messing. This horse doesn't sound to me to be quite in that category. I may be wrong. My point was really that it's very natural with a semi-retired horse (as hers is and mine was) to think horse will be fine without shoes, and save a bit of money into the bargain. It doesn't always work that way. Hence the remark about the horse's comfort - which in my mare's case improved dramatically when she was re-shod, including her tendonitis and arthritis.
 
I think RF has a good point, it is horses for courses.

Altho with the proviso that horses which have been shod for umpteen years will often need a reasonable period to transition before owners should expect them to be as they were shod, simply because the hoof needs time to grow and strengthen, before a fair comparison of whether it is working can be made.
 
Sorry i don't know what gave you the impression my horse was having problems!? She does not appear to have noticed in any way shape or form, it is me as a neurotic mother that had more trouble adjusting! Obviously if she was having difficulties the shoes would be back on in a heartbeat, i was just wondering if there were any little things i could do that would help her adjust, such as hoof treatments, supplements etc.
 
Goldenstar said:
Did I miss OP saying her horse was uncomfortable ?
just because your horse is unable to manage without shoes it does not mean OP's semi retired horse cannot.
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I don't think that Rose was suggesting that OP's horse was uncomfortable, she was merely sharing her own experience of going barefoot and possibly hoping to provide a rough idea of what to do if OP's horse does become uncomfortable during the process.
I personally don't see the need for such a sharp reply, now I know why you it is reffered to as the barefoot taliban :rolleyes:

LauraL23 said:
Sorry i don't know what gave you the impression my horse was having problems!? She does not appear to have noticed in any way shape or form, it is me as a neurotic mother that had more trouble adjusting! Obviously if she was having difficulties the shoes would be back on in a heartbeat, i was just wondering if there were any little things i could do that would help her adjust, such as hoof treatments, supplements etc.
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OP, don't worry. I am pretty sure that Rose wasn't suggesting that your horse is uncomfortable and there is no need to feel defensive about your management of her. None of us doubt for a second that if you thought that she was struggling then you would get it sorted :D
 
Anyway my Tb tranistioned quite easily despite being in a bad condition (weight wise and feet wise) when I got him. Make sure you have a good trimmer who balances the feet correctly (obviously it will take some time for them to adjust and form and function correctly) but a balanced foot should not crack etc. Regular trims are a must as well.

My guy hunts, events, SJ and dressages with no issues, happily rides out on the road.
I have got boots and use them occassionally but he tends not to need them even after being turned out for winter.

I will however boot if doing a lot of riding over gravel. Oh and he is Strasser trimmed with a NZ slant :)

No he has never been sore after a trim.
 
Three points: diet diet diet
500gms Fast fibre
50gms micronised linseed
Scoop of Benefit advance/Eqimins or pro hoof or other
magnesium
brewers yeast
some salt
Photos would be a good thing, frontal from ground, plus soles and also side from ground. Is horse in pain in any way?
 
The key is a BALANCED diet for your horse and its situation.

Work out if you are meeting key requirements (do as feed calculations or use a program like www.feedxl.com) and feed what your horse needs and make sure it is balanced, its no point upping one vits/min if you do not balance it against the others it interacts with, you will create other deficiencys.

You need to know what you are feeding and why and not rely on recomenedations from people who have not taken this into consideration for your situation or copying trends marketing hype etc.
 
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