Barn owner thinks horse needs to be shod, I am not so sure

[PonyRiderMom]

After two months of drought, it’s been really rainy the last couple of weeks. Two Wednesdays ago (about eleven days), I was going to ride my daughter’s mare. I picked out her hooves and found a good sized rock in one. I got on her anyway but it was clear that she was lame in that foot, so I got right off again. Luckily the farrier was out that day, and he tested it and agreed that she was sore on the sole of her foot. So we just let her sit. My daughter rode her in a lesson that Sunday (eight days ago) and she was OK at a walk but not the trot. We decided to let her sit. We started applying Keratex to her sole and hoof, about three times a week. My daughter rode her very briefly a couple of days ago and she seemed OK. When we went for her lesson yesterday, we found the mare in a stall (she’s normally on pasture 24/7) and the barn owner saying that there had been too much excitement and she had been running around a lot and was lame. Barn owner believes that her foot will not heel unless she is on stall rest or in shoes. I asked about boots but she said shoes are better.

This same mare was also tender footed several months ago after rain, and after getting what was probably too close of a trim.

I am extremely hesitant to shoe this horse. She’s fifteen years old and has lived on pasture in this same type of environment (we’re in central Texas where the soil is very stony, and if we get heavy rains the water doesn’t always absorb into the ground, so sometimes it just sits there for days) all her life and never had shoes. She’s mostly been a ranch / trail horse but we’re transitioning her to trails and arena / flat work (w/t/c).

Barn owner says that the shoes can “just be temporary” while her hooves get stronger, but how is being in shoes going to make her hooves stronger? I’m also super concerned that transitioning back from shoes to bare feet would be a long and slow process. Basically I don’t understand why, just because this mare has had tender feet a couple of times, we now need to change things up so drastically. I am really worried that the shoes are just going to make her hooves worse, overall. My preference would be to just give her another week off, if needed, on pasture, with us applying keratex as needed, and maybe get boots if it comes to it. I am a pretty new horse owner, in case that isn’t apparent, so I generally take the barn owner’s word for things, but I’ve googled this and searched here on COTH, and what I’m seeing suggests that we’d be better off just doing the Keratex and boots if necessary. Am I wrong? I’m happy to hear that I am, just explain to me why.

Thanks!

[Chall]

My BO told me I had to add borium shoes to my horse when he was 23 and pasture sound. He needed the extra support, so we added them (to his hinds).
The BO saw my horse everyday and I did not, so I trusted her.

[amm2cd]

If you are in central Texas, we’ve been going from dry to wet and back again all summer. That is really hard on hooves.

Your barn owner may be right. From her POV (and mine as a trainer with eyes on everyone in my care all day), it is painful to watch a horse hobble around while they heal from a stone bruise or abscess. Lameness means that they hurt, and as their caretakers we need to do something for them when they hurt.

Sometimes our horses needs change as they age. Have you had a vet out to rule out laminitis, navicular changes, arthritis or the plethora of other maladies that can hit these horses? A simple front foot xray might be in order if your mare has been sore for weeks.

[TWH_Girl]

@PonyRiderMom

After two months of drought, it’s been really rainy the last couple of weeks. Two Wednesdays ago (about eleven days), I was going to ride my daughter’s mare. I picked out her hooves and found a good sized rock in one. I got on her anyway but it was clear that she was lame in that foot, so I got right off again. Luckily the farrier was out that day, and he tested it and agreed that she was sore on the sole of her foot. So we just let her sit. My daughter rode her in a lesson that Sunday (eight days ago) and she was OK at a walk but not the trot. We decided to let her sit. We started applying Keratex to her sole and hoof, about three times a week. My daughter rode her very briefly a couple of days ago and she seemed OK. When we went for her lesson yesterday, we found the mare in a stall (she’s normally on pasture 24/7) and the barn owner saying that there had been too much excitement and she had been running around a lot and was lame. Barn owner believes that her foot will not heel unless she is on stall rest or in shoes. I asked about boots but she said shoes are better.

This same mare was also tender footed several months ago after rain, and after getting what was probably too close of a trim.

I am extremely hesitant to shoe this horse. She’s fifteen years old and has lived on pasture in this same type of environment (we’re in central Texas where the soil is very stony, and if we get heavy rains the water doesn’t always absorb into the ground, so sometimes it just sits there for days) all her life and never had shoes. She’s mostly been a ranch / trail horse but we’re transitioning her to trails and arena / flat work (w/t/c).

Barn owner says that the shoes can “just be temporary” while her hooves get stronger, but how is being in shoes going to make her hooves stronger? I’m also super concerned that transitioning back from shoes to bare feet would be a long and slow process. Basically I don’t understand why, just because this mare has had tender feet a couple of times, we now need to change things up so drastically. I am really worried that the shoes are just going to make her hooves worse, overall. My preference would be to just give her another week off, if needed, on pasture, with us applying keratex as needed, and maybe get boots if it comes to it. I am a pretty new horse owner, in case that isn’t apparent, so I generally take the barn owner’s word for things, but I’ve googled this and searched here on COTH, and what I’m seeing suggests that we’d be better off just doing the Keratex and boots if necessary. Am I wrong? I’m happy to hear that I am, just explain to me why.

Thanks!

I agree the horse could benefit from shoes. Sure you can keep trying what you’re doing but if it hasn’t worked yet it likely won’t.

The purpose of shoes is not to strengthen the hoof but to protect it. Don’t google too much info either- if you really want to know what is right- ask your vet and farrier.

[fordtraktor]

For a long time the only horses here with shoes were the retirees. Your horse isn’t young, some start needing extra support as they age. Boots are notorious for rubbing and are a bandaid only.

why don’t you want the horse to have shoes?

[DunByMistake]

Add me as another who thinks your horse could benefit from shoes. She is getting older and you’ve changed the type of work she is doing. Working in a sand arena can be very hard on their feet. It can wear the hooves of a barefoot horse down quite quickly. Watching barefoot horses limp around is painful - especially when there is usually a pretty easy solution to that problem.

I would caution against doing too much online research on this issue. There are diehard opinions on either side. Best to discuss with your farrier - you may be able to get away with just front shoes.

[PonyRiderMom]

@amm2cd

If you are in central Texas, we’ve been going from dry to wet and back again all summer. That is really hard on hooves.

Your barn owner may be right. From her POV (and mine as a trainer with eyes on everyone in my care all day), it is painful to watch a horse hobble around while they heal from a stone bruise or abscess. Lameness means that they hurt, and as their caretakers we need to do something for them when they hurt.

Sometimes our horses needs change as they age. Have you had a vet out to rule out laminitis, navicular changes, arthritis or the plethora of other maladies that can hit these horses? A simple front foot xray might be in order if your mare has been sore for weeks.

That’s a fair point about the barn owner being out there more and seeing it more, but could we not just put boots on instead of shoes?

And yes, calling out the vet may be the next step.

Thanks!

[PrincessPonies]

Talk to a farrier or vet. If neither of them think shoes are needed then remember it’s your horse you make the choices. Boots can help. Since you’re newer at this it would really be best to have someone professional look at your horse.

[PonyRiderMom]

@DunByMistake

Add me as another who thinks your horse could benefit from shoes. She is getting older and you’ve changed the type of work she is doing. Working in a sand arena can be very hard on their feet. It can wear the hooves of a barefoot horse down quite quickly. Watching barefoot horses limp around is painful - especially when there is usually a pretty easy solution to that problem.

Thanks, I hadn’t thought about the sand being hard on her feet, but that’s a good point. My pony has been doing a lot more work out there, and for a longer time, with no problems, but he has much better feet than she does.

[PonyRiderMom]

@fordtraktor

For a long time the only horses here with shoes were the retirees. Your horse isn’t young, some start needing extra support as they age. Boots are notorious for rubbing and are a bandaid only.

why don’t you want the horse to have shoes?

I’m afraid that once we put her in shoes, she will never be able to go barefoot again. I’m afraid I will have made an irrevocable choice that might not be in her best interest. In general, I like to keep horses as natural as possible. And yes, I understand that modern horses don’t live “natural” lives and therefore can’t be expected to live without human help (farriers, vets, supplements when necessary), but I still like to try to keep as close to that as possible.

[PonyRiderMom]

Also, thanks for the opinions, everyone.

[Pocketpony]

I’m not against shoes, but I keep my WB/TB and pony barefoot. I think the only way to do it successfully is to have really good boots on hand and a really good farrier who does regular trims (4 weeks). I find that if the trims are too far apart the change is too much for the horse and they get sore. Another thing to watch for is thrush. I’ve found that this can make some horses really lame especially if it is in the central sulcus.

If you are truly committed to keeping the horse barefoot, I would invest in a good pair of boots such as Renegades and learn about feet as much as possible including what to feed, etc.

I don’t find the Renegade boots rub at all. I have used them for turnout as well as riding.

[TCA_Arabians]

Dry and rocky ground here. Horses that are worked and go on trail have shoes. No two ways about that. Horses that are living out their years as lounge lizards are barefoot. We use Pine Tar to protect their hooves. You can absolutely go back to barefoot. You do want to know if your horse had a short trim. That can lay them up a good while and it can cause a rotated coffin bone. The suggestion to check for thrush was a good idea since you’ve gone to sometimes wet ground. I was new once too. I still learn things on this site. It sounds like your BO is concerned and making a sensible recommendation.

[saultgirl]

You could always try boots and if they don’t work out for you, go ahead and put shoes on.

I also think x-rays might be helpful in making your decision.

[LovieBird]

I’d make sure there aren’t any abscesses in there before trying to harden it up. I use Durasole to toughen my horse’s soles up and it works pretty well. Maybe you just need to apply a hardening agent to the soles year round if you want to keep your horse barefoot. Of course, a good and timely trim is also important.

[TWH_Girl]

@PonyRiderMom

I’m afraid that once we put her in shoes, she will never be able to go barefoot again. I’m afraid I will have made an irrevocable choice that might not be in her best interest. In general, I like to keep horses as natural as possible. And yes, I understand that modern horses don’t live “natural” lives and therefore can’t be expected to live without human help (farriers, vets, supplements when necessary), but I still like to try to keep as close to that as possible.

But what is the point of a lame barefoot horse vs a sound, shod horse? It’s like not taking medicine for a medical condition. Wouldn’t you rather treat the condition and make the horse feel better? Just think about the horse’s needs vs your desire to have a barefoot horse when confirming what to do…

[Posting_Trot]

If the horse is lame because of a stone bruise on the sole, it’s not clear to me how shoes would have helped? Unless the horse had full pads as well. And of course pads can create other sorts of issues.

I’m not against shoes, but I also think that if the horse has been happy for most of its working life barefoot, it may be jumping the gun to rush to put shoes on her because of one stone bruise.

It probably would be worthwhile to get the vet and/or the farrier to assess how thick the horse’s soles are. If they’re thin, the hooves might benefit from shoes. If they’re of a good depth, then basically the horse got a stone bruise. It happens.

[TheHunterKid90]

Before you slap a pair of shoes on, go grab a bottle of durasole and apply exactly as it is labeled. Repeat every other day for a week and see the results. It puts keratex and any other hoof strengthenes to shame.

[NorthernHunter]

I would ask your farrier what he thinks. I value my farrier’s opinion, and if I’m interested in trying something different we always discuss and he gives me his honest opinion on pros/cons.

We’re always learning with horses, a good barn owner, farrier, vet, coach, etc are all great resources in horse ownership!

[Ainsley688]

I would keep an eye on the stone bruise, those can abscess! Shoes won’t prevent stone bruises, especially if the rock managed to get wedged in a barefoot hoof. Ish happens, barefoot of shod. I’d also look closely at diet, maybe try to tighten that up if hoof quality isn’t the best. Putting shoes on weak quality hooves won’t help, and potentially can cause more issues down the road, especially with all the crazy wet/dry weather going on!

Maybe also start looking into what actually constitutes a good trim, just in case there are issues going on that may be obvious to someone else, but normal to you. Welcome to the black hole of hoof care knowledge. LOL.