What's with this whole "Barefoot" trend?

Trifein

Trifein

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So I've noticed a lot of people going barefoot with their horses on the forums recently. May I ask why? :)

Not that I have anything against it, only because all of mine are without shoes and have been for a very, very long time.
Just absolutely baffled to why it's a big trend all of a sudden?
 
Wasnt a trend for me.

My horse was in a full set when I bought her, and after a few months I asked my farrier if a full set was needed. He said no so the backs came off first and after a lot of research into barefoot, after the backs had been off a while I decided to give it a go completely bare..

Shes been bare for around 3 years no issues at all. She had much nicer feet now. It's whatever suits the horse but I didn't see why she needed a full set and turns out she didn't :). It cost my £30 a trim so it wasn't a money saving choice either.
 
Not sure why it's a "trend" as such, but mine is barefoot!

He came to me with fronts on, and after discovering he is a little monkey with the farrier (to the point he can't do more than 20 mins work on a good day) I said leave the shoes off.

He is a Welsh D, does the bare minimum of work (a 40 min hack in walk maybe 4/5 times a week with the odd schooling session) so he really does not need them.

I wouldn't shoe any horse regardless of breed unless totally necessary. IMO if everyone left horses barefoot in the first place we'd have less problems with sensitive hooves!
 
I think it's something that's been coming on for the last 10 years or so. My horse doesn't have shoes and never has had. People think I'm doing something fashionable as I ride bitless as well - it just kind of happened - I had no idea it was a trend!
 
I think labelling it as a trend would encourage people not to try it (and you wouldn't want that surely :) ) I think there is a shift in info from the media and more and more horse owners are using the internet and finding out about alternatives! You sound bitter that people might be catching on to something you have been doing for years!
 
Sorry guys! Just seen so many posts about it and seen some people experimenting which I can understand because it is a big money saver (Saves me £180 having a full set on all mine)

A lot of people on my yard have gone Barefoot too. I thought it may of been something in the horsey news if I'm being honest. Guess not :o


I don't mean to come across in that way Billie1007 and I apologise if I do!
 
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I think there's a general trend in society to do things "naturally" even if it isn't always better - take herbal alternatives to drugs for instance, being a vegetarian is often seen as natural - that sort of thing.
 
Mine came to me barefoot and hadn't done a great deal, but she was very footsie at the front - refused to walk over stoney ground so I got fronts on. The after half a dozen times on the road she was too low at the back and we got backs on her. Some are fine, others aren't.

Paula
 
Just to add I was doing a quick bit of research before I posted this and have seen a rise in articles on the matter and such so I was thinking that could be an influence too for people to try new things that are subjected in the horsey media? (For those who have sworn by shoes before).

My friend swore by shoes on her 16.2 Hanoverian X but since she's gone barefoot she'd had a lot more spare money and the horse seems a lot happier (He's a bit morbid for the Farrier to say the least)

Guess it's just trying new things :)
 
I think it's just simply people are more open to try things and change things a little more these days, especially with the Internet and info you can find to :)

Although I am pro barefoot I don't like the pushy brigade you find that try to force it on everyone :o
 
I think there is also more research going into how being BF helps what were previously fatal things like navicular or DSLD. Also into how the blood supply is affected by shoeing, how the wrong type throw all the joints and back further up out like us wearing heels.

Its not for some its for all - its how a horse is supposed to be before humans who think they know better interfered.
 
risky business said:
I think it's just simply people are more open to try things and change things a little more these days, especially with the Internet and info you can find to :)

Although I am pro barefoot I don't like the pushy brigade you find that try to force it on everyone :o
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Agree with you here (see the post just after yours....)
 
There's probably a trend because it's now 'labelled':D......

I wonder if it has also become more main-stream as people are perhaps choosing to purchase different breeds of horses - certainly I went back to the Welsh of my youth as I wanted to 'downsize' from big TBs as I have got older and crockier.

The mare has tough feet, has never worn shoes and does her work well so it's just not actually occurred to us to shoe her. ......then you start reading up on it......then people start to notice as you are out and about.........etc etc etc
 
TigerTail said:
I think there is also more research going into how being BF helps what were previously fatal things like navicular or DSLD. Also into how the blood supply is affected by shoeing, how the wrong type throw all the joints and back further up out like us wearing heels.
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Definitely agree with this. I think the research that's being carried out has only really come to light recently by the likes of Rockley Farm Blog (look it up, it's brilliant) and loads of other websites and magazines. It is also easier to find the benefits and drawbacks on a horse going barefoot and how to go about it, which helps people make a decision as to whether they want to give it a go.

Another key reason, like previously said, is that the cost of shoeing a horse is HUGE and is constantly increasing. I remember the days when I paid £45 for a full set only 5 years ago, the last time I paid for a full set (January) it cost £85 :O People are trying to reduce costs on things that they (or the horse) don't need.
 
My boy is barefoot for most of the time but has been wearing a full set for a few months in the summer as we have very stoney bridle paths around here and as he lives on damp, soft fields its not really fair to expect him to cope with the paths. I dont ride the paths in winter (too muddy) and he copes fine on tarmac, so his shoes come off, he can easily do 8 hours a week roadwork with no problems.
Have now finally found hoof boots which fit his funny shaped feet, so hope to never have to shoe again. His feet always deteriorate whilst in shoes, but they come right again quite quickly, thank goodness!
 
TigerTail said:
I think there is also more research going into how being BF helps what were previously fatal things like navicular or DSLD. Also into how the blood supply is affected by shoeing, how the wrong type throw all the joints and back further up out like us wearing heels.
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I seen an article in my research about affected blood supply by shoeing.
All seems very interesting I think.

catkin said:
I wonder if it has also become more main-stream as people are perhaps choosing to purchase different breeds of horses - certainly I went back to the Welsh of my youth as I wanted to 'downsize' from big TBs as I have got older and crockier.

The mare has tough feet, has never worn shoes and does her work well so it's just not actually occurred to us to shoe her. ......then you start reading up on it......then people start to notice as you are out and about.........etc etc etc
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I myself have 2 TB's and they luckily (touch wood) have very good feet and aren't blessed with the curse of awful Thoroughbred feet.
 
I got into barefoot almost by accident. I couldn't ride my boy tail end of last year, (bad hip) and decided to take his shoes off. Then I started to read on here, about barefoot so started to feed appropriately and never put shoes back on, he doesn't need them.

I never liked the idea of shoes being nailed on to hooves. I could never get my head round the fact that the shoes need replacing every six weeks as the feet grow and the shoes stayed the same shape. I hope the last bit makes sense.
 
Where does this whole bare foot thing come? from I was always brought up that Horses were SHOD or UN-SHOD not barefoot as the y have Hooves Not Feet?
 
its an americanism.. unfortunately they have a tendency to catch on :rolleyes: :p (that and I think barehooved doesnt really roll off the tongue ;) )

I don't think having shoes off has save me any money yet.. it has made my horse sound atm though which is worth a lot.

I'm not an all things natural fan, and would love for there to be more proper evidence for me but there is sufficient logic about allowing the foot to function more as it was designed to that I was happy to try it.
 
I would HOPE it's less a trend, but more that people feel comfortable to come and ask questions on HHO about going barefoot/unshod or even just improving hoof health without being bamboozled, patronised or shot down.

A few years ago, if you mentioned hooves on here, it would turn into a tribal bunfight :eek: It still does occasionally :( but it's no where near as bad as it used to be.
I don't know if it's that both 'sides' have settled down, agreed that we all want what's best for the horse and learnt to respect each other's opinions....or just that one side can't be bothered arguing with the other any more :o I hope it's the former :).

There may well also be a financial aspect to why people are trying barefoot now.
Any cuts we can make without compromising the horse's comfort or safety are always welcome :o
 
mine I tend to try to get barefoot if possible, money wise it works well, stops them cutting so easily in the field when they decide to boot one another :rolleyes: and for roadwork i find them much more grippy. Its also better for stopping concussion on their legs when trotting on roads and to be honest i just find it easier without losing shoes in the bloody field occasionally ! Im not too bothered though, one of my lads had fronts as he was 'footy' on gravel, another had a full set as he had quite flat feet, the rest of them are all good now though :)
 
Waffles said:
What's this "feet" thing anyway? "I'm getting his feet trimmed" They have hooves, not feet.
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In Hickman's Farriery they use the term feet :).

The general consensus is that texts and articles refer to the external structures as the hoof and the internal structures as the foot.
 
No idea! I've had two horses over 18 years, neither has ever been shod, not because of any science or research i've read or looked into, or because of a trend, they just never seemed to need it. Both sound and happy and moved well. I like knowing people are willing to look at what works best for their horse and are willing to talk about it.
 
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