What IS a good barefoot diet?

[Spanish Eyes]

As all my horses are barefoot I am always interested to read barefoot threads, and the same comments about the importance of diet come up time and time again. I'm sure it's been done before, but it would be really good to know what actually is the best diet for barefooters (and shod horses for that matter)

Thanks guys.

 

[cptrayes]

There is no such thing.

There is a good diet for a horse and other diets that are not so good. What is good for barefoot horses is good for all horses. All it is, is a return to good old-fashioned high fibre/low carb feeding and balancing minerals and vitamins.

 

[tallyho!]

There is no such thing as a "barefoot diet" although I am beginning to think i should bag up some chaff and micronised linseed and sell as so

Brand names are irrelevant.

Lots of people who feed a low sugar/starch hi-fibre diet use alfalfa but some horses don't tolerate it.

Lots of barefoot horses can compete just on good quality hay and grazing and a mineral lick.

It's a misnomer.

ETA: the only other thing barefooters do in addition to this magic diet is balance minerals and vitamins. Now that really is an obsession and can mean soundness or not for some horses. This involves forage testing and an A level in chemistry