Should I take shoes off?

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Darraxi

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Hello, I’m away to take on an ex-racer thoroughbred; he’s being delivered tomorrow and will be on 10 days stabled quarantine, then on 24/7 turnout in a well-drained field.

When raced, he was shod on all 4’s. He then developed a problem with his wind and has been out in a field for the last year, for which the back 2 were taken off and he’s adjusted very well. So he will be arriving to me with two fronts and fairly overdue on a farrier appointment; I have not yet seen the condition of his feet but he has clearly very easily made the transition on the back, but for his own comfort (and my wallet!) I would like him to eventually go barefoot, especially as he won’t be in very much work. I’m not some 100% barefoot advocate, don’t worry, but there’s just no real need for him to be shod if he’s only going to be doing groundwork and hacking.

My question is, should I take the fronts off once he gets here, since he’ll just be in a stable, then wait and see what the farrier advises? He would then have a good 10 or so day headstart to begin hardening his feet up in the confines of a stable. Or should I just wait and see what the farrier advises? Could he go out in the field with no shoes and without a trim, if the quarantine were to end before the farrier were available?

Thanks :)
 
I had an ex racehorse here in full work barefoot, he came in to box rest following an injury, his feet were dreadful and probably contributed to him breaking down but after a bit of careful conditioning, a few decent trims and loads of steady roadwork once he came back into work he ended up with really strong, well balanced feet that coped with everything he did including pleasure rides, xc, sj and dressage as well as plenty of hacking, so I would say get them off while he is in, walk out in hand to start them conditioning and see how he goes, no need to trim before going out, with the ground so soft they won't break back too much.
 
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I would probably wait and see how he settles and what they look like before removing front shoes (and I'm a barefoot fan). There is not point in taking them off to find he is upset by the move and runs the field and makes himself sore (for instance). And if they aren't great then you can improve them in shoes to make the transition easier when you get there. See what you've got and decide then.
 
Unshod horses is nothing new and yes, when I was growing up shoes were for those posh people in the "rich bit of the village". The rest of us all trundled off on adventures on unshod ponies all summer without really a thought and hacked past the blacksmiths who would not only rasp their hooves but their teeth too.

Now, barefoot, emerged some 20 years ago I suppose and is probably a little bit different. It's more holistic and thought out and there's plenty for an owner to think and read about. It can get quite cerebral if you're so inclined! I suppose yes, your wallet may be heavier in your pocket.

I would talk to your farrier and ask him how many barefoot/unshod horses he has on his books and how they all fare. The last person you want is someone who would shoe a rocking horse if he could. This one may not be the supportive type you're going to want. There are also highly qualified EP's you could get second opinions from.

Some horses do great bf with little changes whatsoever. Some need a lot less sugar and starch to be comfortable - diet is probably the main change. Don't gauge the front feet on the back feet as ime back feet almost always do well with no shoes but the fronts, which carry more weight most of the time, almost always are more sensitive. Most people I know (and I know more bf people than shod nowadays!) buy a pair of hoofboots for the fronts which last an incredibly long time... I still have my fusions from 3 years ago! Depends on wear and I only need mine in spring when the feet are soft coming out of winter.

For me, a shod proponent until about 10 years ago, bf has been a great journey and my horses feet have amazed me. I always said I would shoe if I needed to again and so far, I haven't.

The only thing for me in your post is: "10 days hardening his feet up in a stable" - I probably would not advise this as movement is what makes a strong hoof so it may just be best to turn the horse out and walk in hand/ridden on tarmac starting with short journeys and making it longer each time - literally THE best surface for transitioning barefoot hooves.

Good luck :)
 
ester said:
I would probably wait and see how he settles and what they look like before removing front shoes (and I'm a barefoot fan). There is not point in taking them off to find he is upset by the move and runs the field and makes himself sore (for instance). And if they aren't great then you can improve them in shoes to make the transition easier when you get there. See what you've got and decide then.
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this is a sensible idea, no point making him sore straight away, i assume you will want to ride quite quickly so better to keep him as he is until you know how he is..most horses adapt to having no shoes on the hinds very easily, not always the same with the fronts...good luck with him..
 
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