| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Holly |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 2:19:35 PM
Hi there
Im looking to keep my horses completely barefoot and have been looking a various websites for information.
I live at the most Southern point of Cornwall and the nearest barefoot trimmer I could locate is Devon. Are there any in Cornwall?
Ive used the same farrier for 15 years and hes really good so is there any way that he could just carry on with a normal trim rather than getting a barefoot trimmer?
What is the process of starting up bear foot? I ride my mare in a full set of shoes in the summer but just in fronts over the winter as we do less work. Although I am close to mooorland and the beach I mainly ride on the road . My farrier is due out at the end of this month so should i get him to take her front shoes off and start lightly hacking over the winter? Should i be feeding her a hoof supplement when her shoes come off?
Thanks
Holly |
| 22 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 12 Nov 2009 : 10:17:24 PM
If you can make it work and be patient during the transition it is lovely
Cinny has just got her upgrade to open today for endurance - she does it mostly bare (a couple of rides have been booted) - she did 2 days of Novice competitive rides at Barbury Castle - 72k completely bare and was fine.
Good luck |
| suzes |
Posted - 12 Nov 2009 : 9:15:43 PM
Something to bear in mind when you go to barefoot from shod in the winter is that if the horses are standing in mud/water, this will soften the hooves and you may get a certain amount of flair to start with.
When I first started my boy on barefoot, my trimmer said to work in the school on a soft surface for 3 months and then progress to walking on tarmac for 10 mins to start to harden up the hooves. The reason I went from shoes to barefooot is that the frogs on the front feet had narrowed considerably and had no heel. Also my boy had been hot shod and the inner part of his hoof had grown more than the outer part which were the feet that were shod. His hinds which weren't shod were pretty good so decided to go the whole hog and take off the front shoes.
I've never looked back since I made this decision. |
| MinHe |
Posted - 08 Nov 2009 : 5:09:12 PM
None of mine have worn shoes, and my farrier has always done a good job with them - this is going back 20-odd years before 'barefoot' became fashionable!
Keren |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 07 Nov 2009 : 8:59:44 PM
Agree with Loosefur, make sure whether you use a farrier or a barefoot trimmer, that they are trained in barefoot trimming.
We use Renegades and you can buy them singly. We mostly ride completely bare, though sometimes use boots, especially when the spring grass comes through. With the Renegades feel safe to trot, canter gallop and jump.
Alot of people like Easyboot Gloves, though they didn't work for us - but they have a 30 day money back guarantee so if you don't get on with them you can send them back. |
| loosefur |
Posted - 07 Nov 2009 : 8:21:58 PM
Originally posted by Cinnypony
Also 24/7 turnout or at least as much as possible is good.
Actually it really depends. 24/7 turnout on grass can be a very bad thing for barefoot horses as grass can make many footy. Depends on the horse - some tolerate grass fine but others can't have any grass at all.
Equally being stabled for long hours isn't great for barefoot horses either - as movement is essential for developing and maintaining a strong hoof.
The ideal is to have an all weather type turnout - with varying surfaces... sand, pea gravel, soil etc - with no grass and forage supplied by hay or haylage.
However for most people on livery yards this just isn't possible so you have to find the best compromise between number of hours of turnout 'v' too much grass.
There is a difference between a pasture trim, a trim to prepare the hoof for a shoe and a performance barefoot trim. I'd always rather have someone who has done the training than one who hasn't - I don't mind whether it's a farrier who's studied barefoot trimming (and more and more of them are doing it) or a suitably trained trimmer (of which there are a growing number around the UK). I wouldn't want a farrier who hadn't studied barefoot trimming to do my horses. |
| Holly |
Posted - 07 Nov 2009 : 7:47:05 PM
Great...thanks for everyones stories. I will deffinitly be converting my mare to barefeet over the winter. Her shoes will be coming off at the end of the month although i wont be riding for at least 5/6 weeks anyway as i have dislocated my knee.
Hopefully her feet take to it...It will save me a lot of money that can go towards something else. |
| birdof1977 |
Posted - 07 Nov 2009 : 11:24:22 AM
My lad had his front shoes off yesterday. He has always been barefoot at the back. I spoke to two farriers yesterday (one was shoeing another horse, but is a friend of a friend), and they both looked at his hooves and said go for it. One of them has also done barefoot training, as his horses are barefoot!!?? Odd I know.
They both checked the wall of his hooves to see if he'd had any cracks etc in the past, and both said he was a perfect candidate for barefoot. He does have to walk up a mud path to his field, which does have a few stones up it, but although a bit ginger has so far coped with it very well. I also have the benefit of a lovely soft indoor sand school at my yard, so hopefully I will be able to continue to ride/lunge him in here for a while, until his feet harden up a bit.
I am looking into a pair of boots for him. I will have to buy them singularly though, as he has one hoof a whole size different from the other!
Can anyone reccommend a set of good boots that tends to fit the arabs shaped feet, without breaking the bank?
 |
| moatside |
Posted - 07 Nov 2009 : 06:12:38 AM
My girls are all barefoot and always have been.
My farrier trims them and the 2 Welsh ones are in full work, inc roadwork. I have used Keratax to help harden the feet off on occasion. |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 06 Nov 2009 : 11:05:13 PM
I only know about trimming for performance as my girl has been ridden horse since I had her.
I have been told that if horse barefoot to be a field ornament can just have something called a pasture trim but don't know what difference is.
Road work never an issue - her hooves grow so fast that we rebalance every fortnight, and have KC La Pierre trimmer in at longer intervals, to check up.
When we first moved her to New Forest all the stone tracks were a bit of an issue so we rode out sometimes bare, sometimes booted until she was comfortable.
Good things re bare - she never slides down roads; if she accidently treads on my foot she takes hoof off as soon as she comes into contact (before weight squishes).
Bad things re barefoot - a bit slippy on mud
If you want to go for it and if worried re flints go for boots, but be aware that barefoot is like a lifestyle choice and you have to consider feed, environment, etc - siuts some peeps and their horses and not others.
Good luck
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| debs |
Posted - 06 Nov 2009 : 10:15:09 PM
Interesting thread.... have read before that barefoot trimming is completely different to 'just trimming'. Is that right?? My farrier is great, used him with Giz from a baby, no probs, he was shod. He has been to Ali, 2yo, feet not growing evenly. Did mention wanted to be barefoot ideally.... he mentioned he wouldn't be retiring soon! We are in a very flinty area, and all rides accesed by quite a bit of roadwork..... |
| Cinnypony |
Posted - 06 Nov 2009 : 9:11:33 PM
My girl is now 10yrs and as far as I know have never been shod - her feet are fab and we are just upgrading from novice to open for endurance.
If you want to go barefoot and ride you need to make sure your trimmer does a performance trim, rather than just take off the shoes.
With Cinny I make sure that her diet is low in sugar as tends to make them more footie - so things like unmolassed sugarbeet and alfa a lte, other people use things like copra to feed.
Also 24/7 turnout or at least as much as possible is good.
Hoof boots are good for transitioning them, whilst you condition the hooves.
I've found that barefoot is a lifestyle thing for my pone for the work load she does.
On the good side they don't slip and slide down roads  |
| BeckyBoodle |
Posted - 05 Nov 2009 : 3:57:13 PM
i have a rising four year old and I don't intend to shoe unless I have to. My girl has fab feet and will quite happily walk across any surface and at times even seems to seek out walking over stones. Obviously not every horse has great feet for one reason or another, or they need the shoe to support the bone structure. But shoing does come with a compromise to circulation etc so I would rather not. I also was so amazed by how well she did last year in the ice when all the others were slipping all over the place coming in and out the yard.
If you are changing over you need to give your horse time to adapt. This can be helped by hand walking for increasing amounts of time and over different surfaces. Depending on the foot's condition from having shoes on this can take time for the frog to come alive again etc.
I am fascinated by how the hoof works and will hopefully find out more by attending a KC La Pierre course at the end of the month which will be looking at this in depth. I am not intending to trim my horse - I have a trimmer who I use and the yard's farrier trims very hard and often leaves those without shoes a bit foot sore for a couple of days.
There are similar courses in the Devon/Dorset area and they do a five day one which would teach you how to trim if that is what you wanted. PM me if you want the url of the website.
B |
| Quarabian |
Posted - 05 Nov 2009 : 3:13:27 PM
I am watching this topic as my mare keeps breaking her feet when she pulls her shoes off. I would like to go barefoot with her so I am going to try boots for riding and turn her out barefoot until her feet are stronger. I have two others who are ridden barefoot and they are fine. My farrier trims them, but not as often as the shod ones. On my farm there is a lot of sheep fencing. With shoes they can get their foot caught in the wire (between the shoe and the hoof) no tragedies so far but I feel safer when they dont have shoes on for turnout. |
| mazey |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 7:57:17 PM
Hi Holly, I am in Penzance area and have a four year old who was backed in spring. I was going to have him shod in the summer but my farrier (Dan Harding)said not to bother as he doesn't like shoeing youngsters,thinks it is better to leave them unshod as long as possible. He did advise me to feed limestone flour.
I think any farrier should be able to advise you, they all know how to trim horses hooves. If your horse isn't happy barefoot she will let you know.
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| Mrs DJ |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 7:29:42 PM
Mines been barefoot for the last 5/6 yrs. Don't use hoof supplements, or paint anything on them either. I have to do a fair bit of roadwork, and she copes with gravelly/stoney ground just as well as having shoes on. Only time she has problems with very stoney ground is when it's been really wet, and her feet have softened up.
Her feet are like bricks in summer/dry weather, but seem better like that, so I don't add moisturising stuff.
I don't use a barefoot trimmer - quite happy with my farrier. Although he says if they were all like me he would be using a BMX to do his rounds instead of the van. LOL
When she's doing plenty of work she doesn't always need trimming either, as she wears them down herself, and I just keep them tidy with a rasp. Saves me a fortune!
When you first take the shoes off, it will take a while for the feet to adjust and the soles to thicken up, so I would take it slow. It takes quite a while for the nail holes to grow out too, so watch for any splitting.
I wouldn't go back to having shoes on mine - I think being barefoot allows the foot to expand and contract as it is meant to, and improves the circulation. But, listen to your horse and your farrier. I have known people who have tried to go barefoot, but the horse was never comfortable with it, so they went back to shoes.
Forgot to add - whenever I've been riding I always check her feet for any small stones & bits of gravel that have got embedded and use a nail to get them out. It prevents the stones from getting pushed further up into the hoof.
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| birdof1977 |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 4:54:54 PM
Oooo I was going to ask this question. So will be interested to hear the replies.
Sorry for the slight post hi-jack. My lad is only shod at the front all year round, but since I have changed his feed, (Baileys local), his feet have started growing really quickly, and his unshod ones are in fantastic condition. He's due the farrier on Friday, so I'm going to ask him what he thinks, but as it was only 6 weeks since he last came, and apart from being too long (to the point he has started tripping over!), his hooves are in good condition, I'm hoping he will say he is ok to go barefoot. Especially as winter is coming and the road work will be down to a minimum soon:) |
| joanna_piana |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 4:46:10 PM
Hi
I also use a farrier and I feed seaweed which apparently is good for hoofs but whether if helps I have no idea! |
| Montikka |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 4:24:57 PM
Hi Holly,
Same as RAFA and Kash, I just use my (excellent) farrier whether I require shoeing or just trimming. Like you, mine are often only shod in front.
If I decide to go barefoot (as I often do, it gives the hoof wall a break) I just get the farrier to take the shoes off, turn them out to get used to it, and then carry on as usual (if the ground isn't too hard).
I do use a biotin supplement, because their feet were brittle this summer - but that's probably a complete waste of money as they have a good diet anyway! |
| Kazzy |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 2:42:08 PM
Has long as you feed a balanced diet with a good Vitamin and Mineral supplement to make up for the shortcomings you wont need a hoof supplement, unless your horse has problem feet then i would stay away from hoof supplements specially designed for the feet.
I would stay with your farrier he knows best |
| Kash |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 2:36:40 PM
Hi Holly,
Not sure if its any help but I use a farrier (he is great, however!) to trim my mare's feet. She's never been shod and couldn't have better feet
Good luck with whatever you choose.
Lauren |
| Holly |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 2:32:37 PM
Well id like to carry on using my farrier as like you say hes done your horses feet for years and knows them. My farrier said that my horses dont need hoof supplements for their kind of feet but on the barefoot website it said how important nutrition is so just wondered. I have a full leg cast on at the moment as i dislocated my knee so i wont be back in the saddle for at least another 5 weeks and when i do i will have to take it easy. I tend to only ride at weekends over the winter so think i will give it ago barefoot and see how she goes.
Cristle is only 5(6 in feb) and haS been wearing shoes since she was 31/2 so hopefully the transition will be easy.
Thanks for your reply |
| Kazzy |
Posted - 03 Nov 2009 : 2:26:56 PM
Well my Kazzy has been barefoot all summer!! and my farrier recommended that he went barefoot due to him keep pulling his shoes off and ruining his feet.
He was a touch sore the first month if he went on stones but he is fine now
Saying that I havent done much if anything with him only take him out for small walks in hand this summer (yes, I know I shold do more with him)
It depends on your horses feet really about supplements, Kazzy's feet are fine and he doesnt need anything, even though I did put him on Forumula4feet last summer and his feet grew like mad!
personelly, I wouldnt have a barefoot trimmer I will always use my farrier ( and I dont want to get into a trimmer?farrier arguement either) but Darren my farrier has done him for 7 years now and knows his feet like the back of his hand.
Kazzy is now 14 years old and has had shoes on since he was 5 years old.
Janet
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