Also, in the recent snow and ice, I was able to hack out when all of the shod horses at nearby yards were confined to barracks. Often asked by farriers or horse owners. 50. Shod on all 4 feet … Hey Friends! You Don't Put Shoes on Your Horse!? I'm very proud of how far he's come with my help. Loss of concussion absorption . However horse/pony owners can make a big difference for our equine friends. It’s all because of Gracie! However, when a horse starts competing at higher levels, the work becomes physically more demanding, so much greater is the impact of incorrect bio-mechanics and lameness is the inevitable outcome. The answers to these questions will help you make an educated decision on which hoof care choice is best for your horse. As some of you know, I spent 5 months trying barefoot with the beast last year. Now the horses are barefoot. Dr. James Rooney, author of The Lame Horse, clarified the problem and treatment in 1975 and yet 36 years later horses are being put in bar shoes, being wedged every 6 weeks, having their nerves cut and eventually euthanized. One key piece of advice I like to give is, keep it simple. Allow me to introduce you to a different option for your horse: barefoot. Barefoot horses with ridden high mileage will always grow better hooves than horses with unmounted high mileage. Whether or not barefoot is best is up to you and your horse. it's summer over here. Sometimes it feels more like a test, than a question they really want the answer to. A bruised sole can be protected by shoeing with a pad and a flat concave shoe. 2. Barefoot problem possibly solved. You will almost certainly notice an improvement with horses showing signs of arthritic joints. So, ride your horse! :-) 104. The actual cyst is probably NOT going to be the horse's biggest problem in the long run. Keeping things interesting to keep your horse healthy. No more shoeing. Recent Posts. Many domestic horses live in small paddocks on their own (effectively locked in solitary confinement) and are only ridden sporadically. 4. Follow Rajat Rehab on Social Media. What I’ve noticed over 10+ years of having barefoot horses is that the barefoot horse never lies. #horse #hoof #thrush #trimming #biomechanics #farrier #tendon #ligament #injury #contractedhoof #cheval #fourchette #pourriture #traitement #réhabilitation. Ongoing wear of the hoof often dictates a need for protection with either horseshoes or hoof boots. I gave up because he was sore and boots didnt fit due to his odd hoof shape. I strongly believe they have a far better grip than a shod horse. Joined 27 October 2016 Messages 6,685. River gets her feet trimmed every 4-6 weeks. As such, they may then conclude that shoes are bad. Barefoot enthusiasts point to shoeing as the cause of many problems, and, indeed, poor shoeing can do more harm than good. When they are working at low levels of athletic effort, they seem to be able to get along okay and the symptoms remain humble. My horse is eight years old (bay mare named River) and has been barefoot the last 3 1/2 years. Featured Posts . A barefoot horse with the correct environment, nutritional and exercise regimes will appear happier, healthier and more relaxed, and should enjoy a longer working life as there is far less strain and concussion on joints and have much better traction on most surfaces than with a shod horse. Equine biosecurity: how we can keep your horses safe. Howdy Friends, Trimming your own barefoot horse is easy to do, and I encourage folks to learn how. Hoof problems in horses can occur for a number of different reasons. The main problem that I have observed is that we get instant feedback about how fit, well and sound our horses are. If your horse has good sound feet and soles, the chances are he could transition into a barefoot horse very easily and with little problem, given an appropriate amount of time. Your horse may have to wear hoof boots for rocky ground. While you mull that over, we talked to a slew of farriers who laid out the pros and cons of going barefoot or shod, and vice versa. But shoeing also has many benefits. Most of the horse’s health problems encountered today are caused by not respecting and catering for the horse’s physical and emotional needs. Our horses would hear the car drive in and come down for a visit! But all horses who transition to barefoot from shoes are at risk of getting foot abscesses as their foot heals because the shoeing has caused poor hoof health ranging from holes (yep those nail holes are a wonderful entry point for pathogens), cracks from contraction, and hiding all the other pathology which is due to dietary problems that were not that obvious when the horse was shod. Not all horses need horseshoes and not all horses can go barefoot. Knowing that some oats are the reward for coming down the hill means we rarely have to go looking for them when we want to find them. I’ve found this simple but powerful by-product of a barefoot horse to be a wonderful benefit.” Most think the opposite and believe that equine soundness issues happen overnight – but that’s not always the case. Every single one of the problems above ... Over our 27 issues so far, The Barefoot Horse Magazine has kept on facing these problems head on, in an attempt to bring them to the forefront and help educate and encourage horse owners with real life stories and facts. This is not to say that if your shod horse has hoof problems you shouldn’t try going barefoot – many would say that the fact that your horse has hoof problems is the very reason you should try barefoot. However, many other people aspire to making their horses barefoot because the hooves have visibly deteriorated after years of nailing. I believe that once we begin to see some adult horses, raised barefoot, we will realize what we've been missing in our athlete friends. However, horses walking on hard surfaces may have tender hooves for a day or so due to a sole bruise. Photo courtesy of V&T equine services. I also greatly prefer the feel of riding a barefoot horse, as there is a real difference in how barefoot horses sense and respond to the ground. The horse that stays barefoot will be more confident because, as it learns to do its job, it is able to feel the ground and know where its legs are. Barefoot horses should be trimmed so they walk on the hoof wall. The problem, of course, is that traditional metal shoes not only limit the expansion and the contraction of the hoof, they also raise the frog and heel off the ground. :-) #thenaturalhorse #aanhcp #paddockparadise #isnhcp #lessonsfromthewild #thefourpillarsofnhc #nhc #naturalhorsecare #thenaturaltrim ##naturalhoofcare . Horses & Stress – Eliminating the Root Cause of Most Health, Hoof, and Behavior Problems; Why Relationship First Works; Beginning Ground Work; Why Our Horses Are Barefoot; Horses Were Born to be on Grass; Horses Without Grass ; DOG STORIES – Everything You Need To Know About Life Is Right There At Your Feet; The Soul a Horse Blogged; The Benji Method – Teach Your Dog To Do … “Barefoot trimming” advocates may also say – quite correctly – that, in some horses, shoes can cause horses pain and/or lameness. On the other hand, it is a gross lack of meaningful movement that is the weakest link in the equine chain. No more feet problems caused by shoeing. Your horse cannot wear studs although this is usually only a problem for the owner or certain ground conditions. What are you committing to when you switch to barefoot? The fact that shoes can sometimes cause horses problems is also a bit obvious, at least to anyone that has been around horses and paying attention for, oh, say, a couple of weeks. By maintaining my horses in this way, I find I have far fewer hoof problems and lameness issues than I see in comparable shod horses. Many domestic horses, and especially ones who are shod, have a weak back-of-foot. My horses will now transition to being barefoot. Barefoot Horse Disadvantages. Sole bruises rarely cause lameness unless they are severe. Where do these diseases come from? Horses and ponies suffer from colic, lameness issues, hoof problems, sore backs, laminitis, founder, injuries etc. If your horse has compromised or seriously distorted feet, the transition to barefoot will likely take longer than it would for a horse whose feet are relatively healthy. The most common cause of hoof problems is direct trauma to the coronary band. Barefoot people are not against hoof protection.Rather they are in favour of doing the right thing by the horse and if that involves protection (which it often does) then seeking protection which maximise the normal hoof function. 18 October 2020 #1. And what are their biggest health problems? Why Barefoot Cont’d – Problems of Shoeing. Most farriers are very good at their jobs, but mistakes do happen. Finally, all horses can slip on the roads, but I find it's extremely rare with a barefoot horse. Hooves that are trimmed too short are easily bruised on any ground. Its movement is glorious to behold. Regularly. The Truth About Barefoot Horses by Daundra Becker Horses need shoes, right? she has dry flaky feet, almost like scales on the outside, and cracking off on the sole. This is Gigec's first trim ever. WHY am I going Barefoot with My Horses. my thoroughbred mare, who is 12 years old, and an ex polo pony, who has been shod most of her life, i bought her about 4 months ago, and she was getting a paddock trim at the time, but since i got her, she has been getting a barefoot performance trim with a mustang roll etc. Hoof problems are a very common headache for horse owners and while good hoof trimming is essential, the importance of sound nutrition is often overlooked. The motto above may not be an easy motto to live by, but it is the truth. Thread starter A mule in a manger; Start date 18 October 2020; 18 October 2020 #1. But what if I told you that your horse's shoes actually do more harm to your hoofed friend than good? … What are the disadvantages of keeping ridden horses barefoot? The ability of a horse to withstand being barefoot depends on its breed, genetics, level of exercise, type of footing and terrain over which exercised, and the extent of hoof substance and strength. A horse raised barefoot is graceful. Can All Horses Go Barefoot?The question as to whether a horse can go barefoot is a common one. There seems to be a lot of conversation out there making a simple thing complicated. A mule in a manger Well-Known Member. After years of frustration with hoof problems that farriers haven’t been able to fix. It's a bit of a jumble of ethics and practicality, idealism and realism.I’m not anti-shoes. It's not asking about a specific horse, but more generally about all horses. Improperly trimmed hooves can also cause your horse to experience hoof problems. Bowker says today that the difference between wearing shoes and going barefoot is like the difference between working in high heels and wearing sneakers. Horses with navicular have incorrect bio-mechanics. 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