Shoes off today!!!!!

A

Archie73

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Just a bit nervous. Hope he is not too uncomfortable.

Does anyone have any stories for me (good ones preferably)

I was not expecting this for 3 more weeks but he threw one shoe and I can't see the point of putting it back on!
 
Hi, no claims to be an expert but all my 4 horses are shoeless. The range from my 30 year old who is retired to my daughters horse who is in a club. He has done competitions, including cross country, 4 day hacks, and is ridden regularly. These two were unshod when I got them. The other two are ex riding school horses who have made the transition from shoes with us. One is ridden occasionally, the other is retired. We get a lot of snow here and it means the can be turned out whatever, no rugs either :eek: Good luck
 
Taliban says...Stay calm.

Ask questions when you have them.

Trust the horse to know what's best and try to help him and keep him comfortable while he's growing a new hoof.

Don't panic or get in his way :)

He won't come to any harm if you let him guide you - even if that means putting the shoes back on after a few month's break.
 
None of my three appeared to notice when their shoes came off. I've had to work a bit harder since moving - our hacking is now stony forest tracks - but boots have helped with that over time.
 
One thing to beware of is your perception and reaction to him being shoeless.
I have worked at a schooling yard that specializes in the transition to barefoot and we found that alot of people who are worried and expecting their horse to be sore seem to encourage their horse to be sore.
So,on the ground lead him just like you did when he had shoes. Don't look at him,just march on confidently. In the saddle take the same attitude,stay relaxed and make him work correctly from behind. I don't mean go for a 3 hour blast and expect him to just cope,but build up gradually and expect him to cope!

A shoeless horse does feel different to ride. They do adjust their footing on, rather than stomping over stones.When you feel this,just be encouraging.

A horse's foot without shoes is not like our feet without shoes. Even a horse with weak feet and thin soles could be compared to you walking around in a pair of cheap jodhpur boots;you might feel the stones,but the stones will not hurt.With a horse of course,walking on stones will stimulate better hoof growth!:D

Good luck.It may take a while,but speaking from experience,you may find you have a more comfortable,sure footed ride and will wonder why so many people still have shoes:cool:
 
I was going to say I thought those weeks had passed quick.. got a bit worried there about time flying.. phew!

Frank's came off 6 days ago (just off no trimming), so far so good, striding out well enough on his walks and seems comfy enough on all but the big stones in the yard. His pea gravel has also been delivered today apparently (am yet to see it!). Playing the wait and see game really though.

amymay I know you don't particularly like them but it is through info garnered on this forum over the last couple of years that F is not being retired just yet. It means that I have more knowledge of an alternative option and how to try and do it in the best way possible (ie best ingredients to have in place) when it looked like we wouldn't get him properly sound in shoes/medical treatments. It is at least nice to have another option to try when the three other legs want to keep going! :)
 
ester said:
amymay I know you don't particularly like them but it is through info garnered on this forum over the last couple of years that F is not being retired just yet. It is at least nice to have another option to try when the three other legs want to keep going! :)
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amymay never said otherwise :confused: Some of the pro-barefooters use the term barefoot taliban to describe themselves, I don't feel amymay meant it in a derogatory way at all (correct me if I'm wrong ;) ). They are a source of useful information, whether you choose to have your horses shod or not :)
 
amymay I know you don't particularly like them but it is through info garnered on this forum over the last couple of years that F is not being retired just yet.
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I used the term Taliban with affection, actually - sorry if it came across as otherwise. And they do refer to themselves as that too ;):D

I too have learn't an awful lot from them - and find some of the discussions (especially regarding diet) really very interesting. I don't agree with some of the claims made by some - but hey, if it works for them, who am I to argue - unless ridiculous claims are made (which sometimes are), and those I will always challenge.

The OP will get an awful lot of useful help from most of the barefoot 'crew' on here. And as Oberon has said, as long as they listen to the horse, they won't go far wrong, I'm sure.
 
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ester, don't fret, amymay is just being affectionate.

Brucea coined the phrase 'Barefoot Taliban' originally and I found it so funny, I have used it ever since.

It's an affectionate and slightly self depreciating term for us, and better than some of the other names we have been called over the years
lol.gif
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Good luck OP - mine has been shoeless now for about five months after being written off by the vets and basically advised she would be a field ornament, brood mare or PTS with a number of lameness issues. I started long reining her out a month ago in hoof boots on her fronts and I'm hoping to get back on board soon - I've taken a lot of advice from the forum especially from Oberon and Cptrayes. If you need to, do use hoof boots for hacking - they look odd until you get used to the look of them - they are fabulous pieces of equipment - I can get mine on in seconds now and my horse is really happy in them. In fact her feet have progressed so much in the last month that I think I might end up having to buy a bigger size soon as they're getting a bit snug! She's a TB (with crap feet apparently ;) )
 
I have a SF gelding who had vrap feet the whole time he was shod, got fed up of having to replace shoes every other week and decided to take them
Off for for few weeks to let his feet grow- now been off for a year and won't be going back on unless he needed them. No longer slips on the roads and feet are hard as nails - just persevere... After two weeks I nearly caved as he was a bit footy but very glad I didn't now ... And saves me £80 every six weeks... Now has the occasional 'tidy up' every 4 months ... Happy days :-)
 
Thanks ester, Oberon and Holly hocks and Oakley earth along with the rest of you.
My boy is a SF and has navicular. He was shod in what I previously called 1 inch wedges but were actually platforms with a 6mm approx heal raise. Silly owner fooled by naievity and optical illusion.
He has been out today for a couple of hours barefoot and I Know it's to early to judge anything but when I bought him in he was at least walking correctly if carefully. Previously he twisted and dragged his off hind slightly! So an improvement already which will hopefully last.
My farrier excepted my copy of feet first as payment and is wanting to use my boy as a case study, he is so inside its fab. The lameness vet is not but the other vet is.
Not much to report now other then as he is currently sound I an going to give him a week off with just 3 mins in hand concrete work in the evening depending on his comfort after a hard day in the field which is quite varied terrain.
To say I am very excited and positive is an understatement.!!!
 
I'm sure you won't regret it, but do be aware that after a couple of weeks the horse may go footy for a while as it starts to "feel" more (at least mine did!)
Mine also has navicular as well as bilateral spavin, arthritis of the fetlock and hind PSLD. My vet wasn't keen on the whole unshod approach, but when he saw her last week again he was pleased with her progress and fascinated by the hoof boots. I still think he'd prefer to see her shod, but it's something we'll agree to disagree on.
It sounds like you've got a fantastic farrier who is keen to learn - good luck.
 
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