Would you be put off buying an 'unshod', barefoot horse?

I think it's the ultimate reflection of health IMHO. Shoes mask so many things, however, I can spot a well shod horse vs a dismally shod horse and many are shod badly. Really badly.

I'm so used to having barefoot/unshod horses, the first thing I look at is the hooves. I'd rather buy a horse that is sound on it's own feet. Very different to 10 years ago!
 
I've 2 competition horses neither of which are shod and both work at high levels. I'm not anti shoeing but if they work sound without shoes why put lumps of steel on their feet? Weird that ppl would worry about an unshod horse these days.
 
Why and who on earth said she needs to be shod to be sold OP? I've never heard anything so ridiculous! I'd see it as a massive benefit! I hate that some people just shoe purely because they think all horses should be, its crazy. I would only ever shoe if I feel I need to - I have 4, 3 are barefoot trimmed and 1 was but got shod 2 months ago purely because she was slipping a bit on grass competing, but I'll remove the shoes next month after her last BE event of the year. Some horses can do both. I used to shoe most of my horses through the summer (if needed) for eventing and then have them barefoot the rest of the year and their hooves were always really good and I had no issues (never fed anything specific like the "barefoot diet" either).
 
I'm not a dealer or desperate to sell at all costs, so I wouldn't sell to someone just for the sake of selling. If I were selling, and had a prospective buyer who refused to entertain an unshod horse, then I would consider the buyer unsuitable, because to me this would imply a certain hide-bound closed-mindedness. Then again, I come from a place where unshod horses are far more normal.
 
MagicMelon said:
Why and who on earth said she needs to be shod to be sold OP? I've never heard anything so ridiculous! I'd see it as a massive benefit! I hate that some people just shoe purely because they think all horses should be, its crazy. I would only ever shoe if I feel I need to - I have 4, 3 are barefoot trimmed and 1 was but got shod 2 months ago purely because she was slipping a bit on grass competing, but I'll remove the shoes next month after her last BE event of the year. Some horses can do both. I used to shoe most of my horses through the summer (if needed) for eventing and then have them barefoot the rest of the year and their hooves were always really good and I had no issues (never fed anything specific like the "barefoot diet" either).
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Yep, had the "Why haven't you got it shod yet" and very implications that I am scrimping, and tbh there have been a few comments on here of not 'doing things properly' etc. If pony was struggling then fair enough.

spookypony said:
I'm not a dealer or desperate to sell at all costs, so I wouldn't sell to someone just for the sake of selling. If I were selling, and had a prospective buyer who refused to entertain an unshod horse, then I would consider the buyer unsuitable, because to me this would imply a certain hide-bound closed-mindedness. Then again, I come from a place where unshod horses are far more normal.
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I am teaching, training and selling etc as a job!
Once people have come to see pony and see it is happy without shoes but chilled enough to pop shoes on then that's fine. However its a bit like getting people to come into a shop. Once some people hear its unshod they might not come to look at her however, if HHO is to go off then it wouldn't put people off.
 
I would be more put off by a four year old that was shod. I have seen some appalling shod feet. If the pony' feet are well trimmed and tidy and in good shape I would be very happy. Unshod doesnt mean unkempt and cheap it means carefully balanced feet and usually means they have been handled well. It is easy to see if they will stand to be shod just stand it next to one that is being done. and inform the farrier it could be its first time. Most farriers are good enough to be very careful and to ease their way I dont shoe mine and they are working all the time on all surfaces
 
When I moved my horse to a new yard a few years back the first thing an older lady asked me was- so why don't you ride your horse is she still young?

Me- who had ridden several times already in school and out- ?????

Lady- Just I noticed she has no shoes

Me- Yeah she's ridden every day and hacked out or schooled. She's never had shoes.

Lady- Oh....

*Confusion reigns and crickets chirp*

:)
 
I dislike the annoyance of lost shoes and farrier drama where they turn up when they like and such troubles, so unshod and currently working is a big bonus for me when I buy.
 
I bought my boy unshod. Didn't put me off at all. Few weeks later I got shoes on him. It certainly wouldn't out me off buying a horse, if it's the right horse!
 
If the feet are properly trimmed and feet are hard you don't need shoes especially in natives! Much easier without and no lost shoes to deal with! However it does depend on the pony. Some of mine are shod in front when working others are not and managed well. My stallion has really hard feet but does get shod when jumping on grass in summer so that I can decide whether to use studs if the ground is very wet/slippery which it seems to be a lot of the time. The shoes always come off for the winter when he is more likely to be ridden on a surface. He hacks out without any problems on roads and tracks. Its really a matter of education - it can take time to build up feet that have been shod for years and years though. I've have done 25 mile rides on an unshod native - there was someone at the vet gate checking on the 'unshod' pony who completed the ride without incident. It would have done far more harm to shoe specially for the ride than leave the shoes off - its also considerably cheaper!!
 
Not read all posts but I just bought a five yr old WB barefoot. Had front shoes put on in the first week (as she was a bit footy over stones, I've known her a while so knew she would need fronts), not a problem at all. Hoping to just keep her with fronts, ideally I would have liked her to stay barefoot (previously all horses I've had have been shod all round). So for me not a problem at all.
 
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