What is the difference between 'barefoot' and 'unshod'

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Happy H

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As title really - please educate the uneducated!!

When I worked at one particlar yard, we had 100 horses mostly working an hour or two a day. Approx. 60 of them were unshod, 20 shod in front and 20 shod all round.

Basically, shoes were put on the horses who's feet could not cope with the level of work they were doing without shoes on. Started with fronts only, then hinds if they were wearing too quickly or getting footy.

As would be expected - all the native types were the ones that did not need shoes and the TB/Warmbloods all needed some type of shoeing to keep them comfortable.

So... how would a barefoot trimmer deal with the TB/Warmblood types - or panzies as I like to call them ;) This could be a real moneysaver for large yards if it works!
 
ok i think the general opinion is that an unshod horse will have shoes put back on when work load requires where as if someone says there horse is barefoot it means it will be kept like that when in work.
 
in theory any horse whether shetland or thoroughbred is capable of working without shoes given that it has the correct diet, enough stimulation ie exercise and a good trim when needed. Problems arise when these needs aren't or cant be met and the horse then needs shoes.
 
Politics mostly.

I have a WB X TB that was fully shod until aged 13. She's now unshod and working better than ever on all surfaces. However, the wet summer and equally wet winter has posed challenges even for my cob with rock hard feet.
I don't think breed stops a horse from ditching the shoes but not using shoes does make me more aware of maintaining hoof condition and all round health.

Though equally, having a shod horse requires attention to ensure the hoof can hold a shoe.
 
I think it's a perfectly good question and even if its been asked before posts are easily missed. As for searching and finding replies in old threads the same could be said for 50% of questions asked here I'd imagine.
Back to the q- what's the difference between a barefoot trimmer and my farrier who's recently removed my horses shoes and trimmed as usual?
 
Short answer (IMHO)

Barefoot: Horse/pony is dealt with by a trimmer and also has diet tailored to assist, may sometimes wear hoofboots for rough terrain on occasions.

Unshod: Horse/Pony is dealt with by farrier.

Hope this helps? :)

(Taken from the National Farrier training site)
A farrier is a skilled craftsperson who has a sound knowledge of both the theory and practice of the craft, capable of shoeing all types of feet, whether normal or defective, making shoes to suit all types of animal and working conditions and of devising corrective measures that will help to compensate for faulty limb action. A 'farrier' should not be confused with a 'blacksmith'. Farriers and blacksmiths both work with metal but only a farrier is permitted to fit shoes to horses.

A Barefoot Trimmer is someone who trims feet & has no officially recognised qualifications.


TFF, who has answered the same before & has been shot at dawn so many times, she must be the biggest re-incarnation ever...... :o :D
 
Ok, my thinking non this is simple (lol). Unshod/shoeless implies shoes are the norm and barefoot is a deviation from the norm. I start with the thinking that barefoot is the norm and shoes are a deviation/intervention.

In the end it's semantics.
 
Thanks for all the replies - to be honest I am none the wiser, even after googling it!

I understand how diet plays an important part in the quality of the hoof, but the same goes for all horses whether shod, unshod or barefoot. The natives are fed the same diet as the TB/Warmbloods who just seem to naturally have less tolerance to being unshod - either more sinsitive, or poorer quality hooves.

I shall remain in the dark for the time being :)
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
Short answer (IMHO)

Barefoot: Horse/pony is dealt with by a trimmer and also has diet tailored to assist, may sometimes wear hoofboots for rough terrain on occasions.

Unshod: Horse/Pony is dealt with by farrier.

Hope this helps? :)

(Taken from the National Farrier training site)
A farrier is a skilled craftsperson who has a sound knowledge of both the theory and practice of the craft, capable of shoeing all types of feet, whether normal or defective, making shoes to suit all types of animal and working conditions and of devising corrective measures that will help to compensate for faulty limb action. A 'farrier' should not be confused with a 'blacksmith'. Farriers and blacksmiths both work with metal but only a farrier is permitted to fit shoes to horses.

A Barefoot Trimmer is someone who trims feet & has no officially recognised qualifications.


TFF, who has answered the same before & has been shot at dawn so many times, she must be the biggest re-incarnation ever...... :o :D
Click to expand...

Gosh, what a fascinating quote :-) So someone who knew nothing about horses, on reading the above, would assume that farriers do not trim feet, they only make and affix shoes :D

The natives are fed the same diet as the TB/Warmbloods who just seem to naturally have less tolerance to being unshod
Click to expand...

Or who have naturally less tolerance to that diet :-)
 
All I know is my pony is massively sounder and more comfortable on all surfaces after 3 visits from a good UKHCNP trimmer than she ever was with the one size fits all 5 minute trim the farrier gave her.

Farriers are more highly qualified and you have to be extremely careful when choosing a trimmer, to the extent that if I didn't have a good one, my pony would probably be shod. But some farriers DO trim hooves in a way which is only suitable as a preparation for shoeing or for turning away in a field and not for a life of work on hard surfaces without shoes.

So I would say unshod horses are those with naturally very good feet or those whose work is on a limited range of surfaces and who are fed a diet that doesn't challenge them, enabling them to cope with a simple trim.

Barefoot would be those whose hooves are trimmed perhaps more in tune with dietary attention and conditioning to enable them to perform on all surfaces on a permanent basis.
 
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