Still very confused about my barefoot horse! :-(

Troyseph said:
If I have my horse home we get back to square one of me barely being able to ride him because of his strength when being ridden, because he used to pull carts, hence why he's away for schooling. I appreciate every view and I'm still pondering on what to do!.. It's not an easy decision but I am not a barefoot extremist, nor a shod one, but merely someone that wants the best for their horse, and what works best for us, I will keep researching and let u know what I decide. Thank you x
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I suspect the decision will be taken away from you ultimately - as if your trainer feels it's detrimental to work the horse under the current conditions, they will stop - and send it home.
 
tallyho! said:
What about me? Thats basically what I said!!

Harrumph....................:(

:D:D:D
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I think a lot of people have been saying much the same, but with different words. So how about for everyone?

My feeling is that these sort of threads come down to priorities. I'm not fanatic about barefoot, but having had 3 barefoot and sound for years, I wouldn't shoe one just because they looked footy for a short spell and couldn't perform in some way I wanted them to. That's because my long-term priority is to keep the hooves they have without shoes, so I'd look hard at what was causing the problem and take the long view. In fact, I'm doing that now with my pony who always tends to get a tiny bit footy at this time of year. However, if the main priority is schooling, competition etc and the owner isn't bothered too much about shoes or not, then the quick and easy solution may be to put the metal back on.

I can understand why people get het up and start swearing at their screens (go on - confess - we know you do!), then type up heated posts about how they personally feel about barefoot or shod. That's all very interesting (possibly), but for the op I think it just comes down to her priorities.
 
Moomin1 said:
Nocturnal - many old horses end up with a degree of arthritis, which makes them unsound to various levels. Many owners make the stupid error of believing they should let their horse slow down or retire completely when they hit a certain age, despite whether the horse is fit and healthy and still fully able to work. I think this is where many old horses lose out and end up unsound, not because they have had shoes on.

FWIW - food for thought. I know someone who retired their horse in the early twenties (it was still perfectly capable of working, but they felt it should be retired because it was old). The horse was and always has been barefoot and on high fibre diet with no major issues previously. However, this horse is pretty much now crippled, is on maximum bute, and gets recurring foot abscesses and unexplained lameness. Horse is very grass/sugar limited and is muzzled all summer on strip grazing.
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I agree with you entirely, and it's one of the reasons it's impossible to get accurate figures about the effect of long term shoeing. Also, some barefoot horses have problems too - especially if they're not worked, as feet need work. It is still my opinion, though, that a horse is more likely to stay sound and healthy into old age if it is kept properly barefoot (diet, work and listen to the horse ;)).
 
OP I don't really have any advice apart from saying I know how difficult it is to decide what to do my boy about I think five months in to working without shoes has started showing some signs of footyness on the roads when we upped the work vet farrier and trimmer all agree that's wear not growth that is the issue the diet has been checked and was told nothing more I could change.
It's easier for me as mine is moving beauifully in the school and on grass it's just on the road I see it.
I have bought boots trimmer measured and got them for me showed me how to get them and more importantly off !He has suggested that try not to use them all the time and we will just play it by ear he has been so helpful and is going to call in and watch the horse work when I get back after being away next week.
I suspect that even if you got boots your trainer might still not be happy as they do seem to be a fiddle ( but perhaps once they have been used they get easier).
I know I not being much help but I do know how you feel .
 
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