Why do people have their horses barefoot?

martlin said:
Because they don't need shoes.
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Yep :)

One is 2 so doesn't wear them obviously, other is 5 and has feet like iron and is only in light work at the moment so also doesn't wear them. When he needs them, if ever, he will get them but right now I am enjoying saving all that money!
 
my loan dosn't and has never had shoes(he's only 5) He's got really good,strong feet-never seems footsore even on harsher surfaces so he just dosn't need them. :D
 
Why did I go barefoot? Because I was worried about the state of my old horse's feet and after I tried 10 farriers in 3 years I thought maybe taking off his shoes and letting an EP take over his hoofcare would be worth a bash. One of the best things I ever did :)

Why is my horse still barefoot? If it ain't broke, don't fix it ;)
 
To turn the question on its head I think that lots of people are now considering what is best for their horse, rather than just shoeing - or going barefoot - because it is what everyone around them is doing.

As far as I understand, if you want to go barefoot the things to consider are:-

-How good the feet are (ie how thick and solid its hoof walls are)
-Whether it might improve a horse with problems
-What you feed you horse & whether you can adapt diet if necessary
-What advice/support you can get from farrier/barefoot trimmer
-What activities you want to do with your horse
- Where/how you keep your horse

If you search on here you will get lots of advice.
 
Because my hunter doesn't need them and my eventers didn't need them.
Because my navicular rehab was unsound after a year of drugs and remedial farriery and sound within 3 months barefoot.
Because weak feet get stronger with the shoes off.
Because seeing the horse build for itself a foot which is perfectly adapted to the body above it is a complete joy.
Because most tripping horses stop very quickly when the shoes are removed.
Because some bad tempered horses become pleasant characters when the shoes are removed.
Because there is evidence that shoes reduce the blood supply to the foot and surely that can't be good?
Because there is evidence that the lateral cartilages in unshod horses are much thicker than in shod feet and have a blood supply in them that is not there in shod feet and that feels like a good thing to have.
Because shoes cost £80 a set around here and a trim is £25 from a trained local trimmer.
Because riding on the roads barefoot is a pleasure.
Because there is now a fantastic selection of boots available even if you can't get your horse completely happy on stones.

I think at some stage in the future we will be wondering why ponies, solid cobs, weekend happy hackers and any horse working only in arenas were ever shod in the first place. It baffles me that I see so many horses who clearly don't need shoes wearing them. A horse I sold two years ago, who was rock stomping all summer on 24/7 grazing, who evented barefoot and features on the front cover of the book "Feet First" has been shod. WHY?


The black one in this photo is a barefoot hunter:

http://www.photoboxgallery.com/canphotos/photo?photo_id=849091932&vendor_id=3024219
 
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Because it's hard to get a good farrier. Or if you do, to get them to come out at a time that suits. Or find a farrier who is actually INTERESTED in feet or is willing to discuss what, when and whys.

Becasue everyday I see horses with sad, shoe-sick feet (but their owns are perfectly happy because the horse appears to be sound)

Becasue shoes are bloody expensive and a pain the ass when they loose one.

Because horses don't need them and I know how to manage them in a way to make it so.

Becasue, after watching "well-shod" (apparently) feet change so dramatically after having the shoes off, I know how damaging they are to feet.

Because the odd times they have had shoes on (for studs) they become clumsy and less footsure.

And last but not least - because (after working with barefoot horses for so long) big bits of metal hammered to the bottom of their feet looks so odd, unnatural and uncomfortable!!!
 
Some horses do need shoes but I prefer barefoot where possible. Lily was barefoot and fine, for long rides I put boots on her fronts, she coped very well unshod and her feet were strong and healthy. It wasn't much cheaper than a farrier but they guy I used when I had Lily taught be a hell of a lot about feet as we went along and helped me know how to keep her feet in tip top condition! I went back to a farrier to do her trim once as cheaper but he didnt like me asking any questions!

Tigger is 5 now and always been barefoot and hopefully he will stay that way, if I felt a shoe was needed he'd have them but I'd try barefoot and boot route first every time.

There are so manyhorses hooves out there in a complete mess because of poor shoeing and they can't even hold a shoe on!

My short answer is because why damage a a hoof if there is no need to!
 
I would love my horse to go barefoot. But she has awful feet, always cracking & breaking.

She gets footsore within minutes of being on concrete. Very strange as i know she was barefoot up intill 6 playing polo & then while she was being retrained to be an allrounder.

I dnt know whether to have a bash at the barefoot thing, incase the reason for the cracking is because of pressure of the shoes & nails in her feet!
 
ilvpippa said:
I would love my horse to go barefoot. But she has awful feet, always cracking & breaking.

She gets footsore within minutes of being on concrete. Very strange as i know she was barefoot up intill 6 playing polo & then while she was being retrained to be an allrounder.

I dnt know whether to have a bash at the barefoot thing, incase the reason for the cracking is because of pressure of the shoes & nails in her feet!
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It's always such a tough decision deciding whether to go for it or not and it's not something that happens overnight it can take months and months to eventually see the benefits which makes it very easy to give up too soon.

If you do it you need someone very supportive to do the trimming and to be available on the phone for each panic to see you through it! .
 
ilvpippa said:
I would love my horse to go barefoot. But she has awful feet, always cracking & breaking.

She gets footsore within minutes of being on concrete. Very strange as i know she was barefoot up intill 6 playing polo & then while she was being retrained to be an allrounder.

I dnt know whether to have a bash at the barefoot thing, incase the reason for the cracking is because of pressure of the shoes & nails in her feet!
Click to expand...

check out this blog post. http://barefoothorseblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/heel-buttresses-do-they-need-support.html

horse is fine and working - cracks dissappeared when shoes came off..................
 
Spinal Tap said:
Why did I go barefoot? Because I was worried about the state of my old horse's feet and after I tried 10 farriers in 3 years I thought maybe taking off his shoes and letting an EP take over his hoofcare would be worth a bash. One of the best things I ever did :)

Why is my horse still barefoot? If it ain't broke, don't fix it ;)
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oo, sounds like my story... have you got my horse???? :D:D:D

I'm pro barefoot, the way we use horses has changed dramatically over the last century yet the way we look after them hasn't changed a jot largely. Many don't work the roads all day anymore pulling carriages or carrying people as transport from county to county so shouldn't require shoes to protect the wear.

But then, farriers will say a horse needs shoes because that's their livelihood but some are being clever and retraining as EP's. I think more farriers should diversify and embrace barefoot!
 
I have always had my horses shod until about 18 months ago when my farrier convinced me to take of my old boys back shoes he wanted his fronts off as well but i didn't want his fronts off, after having his shoes of his feet did improve loads.my other is barefoot because she is a mini shetland but think she could do with shoes really as she is footy on stoney uneven ground, she is fine on grass, in the school and on the road.
 
Mine went barefoot when he started pulling a shoe a week and the farrier suggested we take the backs off for a trial.

2 days after the backs came off the little sod pulled both fronts off too and he's been barefoot ever since - that's 2 years now.
 
Because my hunter doesn't need them and my eventers didn't need them.
Because my navicular rehab was unsound after a year of drugs and remedial farriery and sound within 3 months barefoot.
Because weak feet get stronger with the shoes off.
Because seeing the horse build for itself a foot which is perfectly adapted to the body above it is a complete joy.
Because most tripping horses stop very quickly when the shoes are removed.
Because some bad tempered horses become pleasant characters when the shoes are removed.
Because there is evidence that shoes reduce the blood supply to the foot and surely that can't be good?
Because there is evidence that the lateral cartilages in unshod horses are much thicker than in shod feet and have a blood supply in them that is not there in shod feet and that feels like a good thing to have.
Because shoes cost £80 a set around here and a trim is £25 from a trained local trimmer.
Because riding on the roads barefoot is a pleasure.
Because there is now a fantastic selection of boots available even if you can't get your horse completely happy on stones.

I think at some stage in the future we will be wondering why ponies, solid cobs, weekend happy hackers and any horse working only in arenas were ever shod in the first place. It baffles me that I see so many horses who clearly don't need shoes wearing them. A horse I sold two years ago, who was rock stomping all summer on 24/7 grazing, who evented barefoot and features on the front cover of the book "Feet First" has been shod. WHY?

ALL OF THIS.
FANTASTIC ANSWER
TOTALLY AGREE
 
One of my horses is 15, never had shoes in his whole life. He will never have shoes either. He's not bothered by different surfaces- stones, slate etc. If i'm doing a lot of road work without building up he gets boots on front feet as they aren't as hard as back feet. His back feet hardly show any wear from 3miles and never gone further for different reasons.
Other horse is 33, its not fair on her joints to be hammering on her hoof- had shoes on for 3months or so about 3 or 4 years ago... She's happier without and she is fine over stones.
Boots on are equivalent to 2 or 3 shoeings but you get I whole lot of extra use as they aren't pulled off in the field from mud and only used when needed..
 
martlin said:
Because they don't need shoes.
Click to expand...

Out of my 3 horses, only one of them has a front set.

My previous horse needed shoes as he was very footy without.

I'm not a barefoot evangelist or anything- I really don't mind. Its whatever the horse needs and /or what my (excellent) farrier recommends.

The bonus is.....its cheaper for a trim/balance than a full set:D
 
I was a complete shoe-aholic - thought barefoot people were all a bit crazy and when mustang roll was mentioned i rolled on the floor laughing - bloomin' nutters that barefoot lot!!

However, at the same time I also wasn't happy with the job my farrier was doing - the feet were flared, very long with tight shoes on - particularly with one of my TB's who quite often lost 2/3 shoes in a 5 week shoeing cycle.

Then I decided to go to Oz for 6 months overt the winter as you do - left dad in charge (bless him) of 6 TB's and 2 ponies. All shoes were pulled and they were roughed off and chucked out in the field. I think the farrier came twice while I was away to trim and upon my return I didn't recognise their feet. They could even walk up the hardcore cow track sound! I was amazed!

I was also very skint when I got back and just wanted to get riding but didnt have the money to put shoes back on them all so I got a KC trained trimmer out. I was very naive - told they all had infections in their feet, I needed to pad walk them daily, and dont ride under any circumstances and paid £40 per trim for the pleasure!! By the time I had bought all these pads, cleantrax and trims I may have well shod them, but anyway, I did as I was told and started looking into it myself.

I bought a rasp and a book - The Chosen Road. And some pioneer soap for getting rid of infections and had a go on the ponies - figured the feet looked ok and i didn't make them lame... read a bit more... and then booked on my first KC course to do it myself.

The rest is history really. I continued to do more courses and what they cost me I have saved over and over again on farrier/trimmers bills. I now have clients of my own.

None of my horses need shoes and mine are mainly TB's, a WB and a couple of ponies. All had 'crap' TB feet when in shoes - all hack out on roads for up to 3 hours on their barefeet, so if mine can do it, I think the majority of working horses can provided the owner has a dedication and belief in it.
 
Laura1812 said:
I was very naive - told they all had infections in their feet, I needed to pad walk them daily, and dont ride under any circumstances and paid £40 per trim for the pleasure!! By the time I had bought all these pads, cleantrax and trims I may have well shod them, but anyway, I did as I was told and started looking into it myself.
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so was all that stuff necessary do you think?

I have my boys backs off - its been about 8 weeks now, he is a bit footy on stones but seems to be getting better. My farrier will trim his feet, he is very open minded about shoe less horses.
 
Serephin said:
so was all that stuff necessary do you think?

I have my boys backs off - its been about 8 weeks now, he is a bit footy on stones but seems to be getting better. My farrier will trim his feet, he is very open minded about shoe less horses.
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Yes it was necessary to get rid of the infections and to condition the feet, but there are cheaper products and different ways to go about things. Pads are good, but so is handwalking on smooth tarmac and working in a sand school is better than both with fresly deshod feet as it supports and stimulates all the structures.

With the correct surfaces and not too horrifc feet I think you can also continue to ride and exercise your horse
 
The one of ours who is unshod is retired with serious internal foot problems.
He's unshod because:
Shoeing didn't make a blind bit of difference to keeping him sound
He's more sound without shoes than he was with all the remedial farriery money could buy
He can be a bossy sod with other horses so is less likely to damage them or himself without shoes
Its cheaper
It allows the farrier to balance his foot to take into account the total mess his foot is in internally not to make the shoe fit
Hes happy and just being a horse - seeing him hoon around the field you'd never know he's living on borrowed time. Its wonderful and at the same time heartbreaking to see
 
poodle20 said:
Because my hunter doesn't need them and my eventers didn't need them.
Because my navicular rehab was unsound after a year of drugs and remedial farriery and sound within 3 months barefoot.
Because weak feet get stronger with the shoes off.
Because seeing the horse build for itself a foot which is perfectly adapted to the body above it is a complete joy.
Because most tripping horses stop very quickly when the shoes are removed.
Because some bad tempered horses become pleasant characters when the shoes are removed.
Because there is evidence that shoes reduce the blood supply to the foot and surely that can't be good?
Because there is evidence that the lateral cartilages in unshod horses are much thicker than in shod feet and have a blood supply in them that is not there in shod feet and that feels like a good thing to have.
Because shoes cost £80 a set around here and a trim is £25 from a trained local trimmer.
Because riding on the roads barefoot is a pleasure.
Because there is now a fantastic selection of boots available even if you can't get your horse completely happy on stones.

I think at some stage in the future we will be wondering why ponies, solid cobs, weekend happy hackers and any horse working only in arenas were ever shod in the first place. It baffles me that I see so many horses who clearly don't need shoes wearing them. A horse I sold two years ago, who was rock stomping all summer on 24/7 grazing, who evented barefoot and features on the front cover of the book "Feet First" has been shod. WHY?

ALL OF THIS.
FANTASTIC ANSWER
TOTALLY AGREE
Click to expand...

All of the above and because my perfect perfect dream horse was ruined by a farrier, he wanted to put shoes and pads on a two year old and the 'replacement' farrier smacks horses in the face.

Never again
 
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