"Goes barefoot"

[Wirt]

[QUOTE=LarkspurCO;7261425]
Interesting, yes.

My horses would be thankful I did not follow this narrow-minded thinking. Especially my mare when she was suffering from founder. I will never forget the day she staggered painfully out of her stall to the barn aisle to have clogs applied (nailed on – GASP!) to her hooves, then afterward walked out of the cross-ties SOUND. She had several shoeing changes and radiographs afterward and 10 months later her shoes were pulled and she went back to barefoot, where she has remained sound for more than four years now.[/QUOTE]

Yeah for shoes!

(I know, I’m intolerable)

[kande04]

[QUOTE=Wirt;7260440]
[B]
People should keep in mind that shoers have no control over the environment and conditions the horses live in between visits.[/QUOTE]

If the “know-how-but-can’t-do-its” could only hear themselves from the perspective of the person who is actually underneath the horse!

Sometimes I so tempted to suggest that they demonstrate exactly how they think it should be done.

[camilouwho]

Wow, I haven’t checked this thread in a while…last time I was here I think it was three pages. Honestly, I didn’t read every single post because, well, I just don’t have that much time right now (will do later). BUT I have done a little more research and taken pictures of my girl’s feet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/109034603@N02/10920178433/

Hope you guys can see that (sorry I know it’s harder to see when they’re pressing into the ground but we ride in my backyard as of right now). Anyway, I have tried to talking to her old owner but she was a 12 year old girl who doesn’t seem to know much about what was going on. The BM just reiterated that she “went barefoot.” They didn’t ever hack out so she never really experienced anything other than ring work. Before that the poor girl was on a mud lot for about a year and before that she was a broodmare.

I think I am going to see what the next couple months bring, read up a little more, and talk to my farrier and vet to see what they suggest and see what will work for us. That all feels a little anti-climatic after all the discussion that went on here…but just thought I should update… :uhoh:

[ToN_Farm]

OP, that hoof photo showing the vertical toe crack looks like seedy toe. Check that out well, because it could be worse than it looks and require debridment.

[camilouwho]

[QUOTE=ToN Farm;7264920]
OP, that hoof photo showing the vertical toe crack looks like seedy toe. Check that out well, because it could be worse than it looks and require debridment.[/QUOTE]

I researched that and saw I should look for a black paste or grey/white crumbly gunk. Anything else I should look for? My farrier is coming out Tuesday so I will also have him take a closer look.

[ToN_Farm]

[QUOTE=camilouwho;7265128]
I researched that and saw I should look for a black paste or grey/white crumbly gunk. Anything else I should look for? My farrier is coming out Tuesday so I will also have him take a closer look.[/QUOTE]
Depending on how bad it is, there may not be much gunk. The white stuff looks like cottage cheese. The black stuff would probably look like what comes from an abscess, although I’ve not seen that in seedy toe I have. You will need to get in that crack with a farrier nail or something like it and pick out the gunk. Farrier may need to help provide you an opening to do that. Then, you need to treat with something to kill it, and that product would depend on what your farrier/vet prescribes. My horse just acquired it, and the my knowledge is limited to what I’ve read and what my vet/farrier tells me. I’ve owned horses for 40 years and this is the first time I’ve had a horse with it.

[camilouwho]

Thank you for pointing it out! If that’s what it is I definitely want to catch it quick.

[alto]

[QUOTE=camilouwho;7265128]
I researched that and saw I should look for a black paste or grey/white crumbly gunk. Anything else I should look for? My farrier is coming out Tuesday so I will also have him take a closer look.[/QUOTE]

How did the farrier visit go?
If that hoof is typical of her feet, I’d want to do some rigorous hoof care; if farrier just brushed it off, I’d look for a second opinion …

[RedMare1967]

Get a good barefoot trimmer…not farrier…

In my experience, many farriers do not know how to perform a proper barefoot trim. I’m sure there are exceptions though. But when I purchased my mare a couple of years ago, she was barefoot and had been most of her life. But her feet were flat she moved with a somewhat choppy, short gait. I found out she had been trimmed by the farrier who was putting shoes on their other horses.

After a few cycles with a good barefoot trimmer, her movement drastically improved. He trimmed her feet into what is known as a “mustang roll” that mimics the natural shape of a wild mustang. Her feet looked totally different than when I first purchased her.

I also know that a barefoot horse will only have feet as hard as the surface they are on each day. So…like another poster said, if they are on soft grass or in a soft stall all day, they will not be able to handle a trail ride on hard terrain for several hours without boots.

My best advice would be to seek out a good barefoot trimmer.

Good luck!!

[Kyrabee]

Not bad hooves…she just needs a lot better trim. They are too long hence the cracks and flares. The length is leveraging hoof wall away from the white line.

What a lot of people don’t understand is that if you are going to keep them barefoot and WORKING…you need to do frequent trims. You can’t let them get to the flaring and cracking stage…they need to be done before that. My BF mare is done every 4-5 weeks in the summer and 5-6 weeks in the winter. Yes, I do use boots in the summer…just too rocky (yes, even the arena) and hard around here for the work we are doing so if you want to say she isn’t truly BF, fine.

Good luck with your mare.

Susan

[kande04]

[QUOTE=Kyrabee;7305491]

What a lot of people don’t understand is that if you are going to keep them barefoot and WORKING…you need to do frequent trims. [/QUOTE]

I’ve had a lot better luck with true barefoot by not trimming so often, because as it turns out mine actually needed a lot of the hoof that was being trimmed off.

It depends so much on each individual horse, his stabling, where and how he’s ridden, etc… that one trim or trim schedule just simply isn’t going to fit all.

[dkcbr]

[QUOTE=RedMare1967;7304934]
In my experience, many farriers do not know how to perform a proper barefoot trim. I’m sure there are exceptions though. But when I purchased my mare a couple of years ago, she was barefoot and had been most of her life. But her feet were flat she moved with a somewhat choppy, short gait. I found out she had been trimmed by the farrier who was putting shoes on their other horses.

After a few cycles with a good barefoot trimmer, her movement drastically improved. He trimmed her feet into what is known as a “mustang roll” that mimics the natural shape of a wild mustang. Her feet looked totally different than when I first purchased her.

I also know that a barefoot horse will only have feet as hard as the surface they are on each day. So…like another poster said, if they are on soft grass or in a soft stall all day, they will not be able to handle a trail ride on hard terrain for several hours without boots.

My best advice would be to seek out a good barefoot trimmer.

Good luck!![/QUOTE]

On the other hand, I’ve had two horses successfully transition from shoes to barefoot and then maintained that way…with traditional farriers. So it can be done in some cases!

[Emilia]

[QUOTE=kande04;7305664]
I’ve had a lot better luck with true barefoot by not trimming so often, because as it turns out mine actually needed a lot of the hoof that was being trimmed off.

It depends so much on each individual horse, his stabling, where and how he’s ridden, etc… that one trim or trim schedule just simply isn’t going to fit all.[/QUOTE]

Maybe, what Kyrabee meant was that hooves just need to be rounded more frequently?

I say it, because it is so in our case. I have to maintain the roll. The trimming is approximately every 6 weeks, but our guys grow like grass! :sadsmile:

[netg]

[QUOTE=kande04;7305664]
I’ve had a lot better luck with true barefoot by not trimming so often, because as it turns out mine actually needed a lot of the hoof that was being trimmed off.

It depends so much on each individual horse, his stabling, where and how he’s ridden, etc… that one trim or trim schedule just simply isn’t going to fit all.[/QUOTE]

Certainly each trim had to leave enough hoof, but for my horse frequent very minor trims were a critical part of the transition to barefoot. His hooves are now a completely different shape 10 or 11 months later, and his soles are finally solid enough I can’t push them in with my fingers. My trimmer believes allowing a bit more length on the hoof wall encourages that thickness developing in the sole, but I have no idea if it’s that or the theories people have about shoe vs no shoe which really make the difference. I’ll say it again - I hope someone has a scientific study one way or another!

(And also, the boot options out there to keep horses comfortable until they can go without are key!)

[paulaedwina]

Fella is now shod in front. At age 18 he was chronically abscessing and my vet and farrier recommended fronts and pads.

[skydy]

Thread from 2013. Just a heads up so no one tries to helpfully respond to the OP.

[paulaedwina]

That was an update from me as I was one who replied back in 2013.

[skydy]

I know @paulaedwina , and the thread is worth reading. I just thought I’d give a heads up so people wouldn’t start giving advice to the OP.

Glad to hear Fella is still with you.