Hoof Sore Horse--boots vs shoes

[kande04]

@candyappy

@Texarkana With all due respect right back at you it has been months and the horse is still sore. If nothing else being on pasture is usually the most comfortable for the transition, but by op’s admission he is hurting and they gave plenty of info.

If he were mine I would say enough is enough already. Sometimes there is nothing you can do to change the genetic flaw of bad feet.

Problem is that we don’t know what’s going on, and for all we know the pasture is dry and hard, or the horse is being chased or ridden on hard ground, or …? Without knowing why he hasn’t been able to develop an adequate bare hoof we just can’t say that it’s time to put shoes on.

The problem with shoes is that they’re so often just a temporary solution, because the longer the shoes are on the weaker the hoof gets. And then by the time the hoof gets so weak that the shoes have to be abandoned because they can no longer be kept on, the horse is then forced to transition with a much weaker hoof than he would have if the shoes had never been put on.

I think that most, if not all, horses can be transitioned to barefoot, but it does often take a lot more time and effort to accomplish than to just nail shoes on.

[Highflyer]

I find that many horses get chipped up and tender this time of year as the ground gets harder and the bugs get bad. The majority of mine have needed shoes to be really comfortable in work in the summer. Some of them maybe could have been managed with boots but I can’t compete in them and it’s nice to have the protection of shows 24/7.

[Guilherme]

@kande04

Problem is that we don’t know what’s going on, and for all we know the pasture is dry and hard, or the horse is being chased or ridden on hard ground, or …? Without knowing why he hasn’t been able to develop an adequate bare hoof we just can’t say that it’s time to put shoes on.

Knowing facts and circumstances is a Good Thing.

The problem with shoes is that they’re so often just a temporary solution, because the longer the shoes are on the weaker the hoof gets. And then by the time the hoof gets so weak that the shoes have to be abandoned because they can no longer be kept on, the horse is then forced to transition with a much weaker hoof than he would have if the shoes had never been put on.

Balderdash. This NO proof for the assertions of the first sentence. The second sentence is based upon the completely false first one.

I think that most, if not all, horses can be transitioned to barefoot, but it does often take a lot more time and effort to accomplish than to just nail shoes on.

Again, not true. If the horse has a genetically weak hoof, for any reason or no reason, that CANNOT be changed. It can only be accommodated. If the hoof is weak due to poor husbandry then THAT can be addressed and it ought to be if the rider wants the best performance from the animal.

Some horses need shoes, some don’t. No one has EVER proven this assertion as false.

”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹G.

[candyappy]

@kande04

Problem is that we don’t know what’s going on, and for all we know the pasture is dry and hard, or the horse is being chased or ridden on hard ground, or …? Without knowing why he hasn’t been able to develop an adequate bare hoof we just can’t say that it’s time to put shoes on.

The problem with shoes is that they’re so often just a temporary solution, because the longer the shoes are on the weaker the hoof gets. And then by the time the hoof gets so weak that the shoes have to be abandoned because they can no longer be kept on, the horse is then forced to transition with a much weaker hoof than he would have if the shoes had never been put on.

I think that most, if not all, horses can be transitioned to barefoot, but it does often take a lot more time and effort to accomplish than to just nail shoes on.

Did you read the OP?

She says ( i quote) " He’s always had crappy tender hooves for his whole life." ( quote).

I had 2 geldings who could not be comfortable barefoot. They had no problems keeping on shoes and I have never had a horse’s foot compromised because they were shod.

A good foot is a good foot, makes no difference if shoes are put on or not. A good foot can be ruined by a bad farrier, but not by being shod.

I pulled the shoes for winter and they did ok on my pasture/ dry lot, but I wasn’t riding them.

All that to say I stick by my opinion that it shouldn’t take months to make a horse comfortable without shoes. If it does the horse should be wearing shoes.

[Wanderosa]

@JB

The biggest mistake I see people making trying to get their horses barefoot, is starting by taking shoes off. That’s not where you start.

You start with getting a healthy foot IN the shoes first, when at all possible. Of course there are some situations where you can do both - take shoes off the crappy foot and still keep him comfortable when the footing and diet, and judicious use of boots, allow that to happen.

What you don’t do (and I don’t mean this to sound harsh, but it might come across that way) is take a horse who has a history of laminitis, doing well/better while barefoot on a dry lot with hay, and throw him out on to 40 acres of pasture.

I don’t know how in the world your farrier has determined that his feet aren’t sore due to laminitis, especially in the face of him also saying “he’s growing good sole”. What does he say the soreness IS related to?

I agree that we really need good pictures to offer more helpful advice from that perspective.

But from the management perspective, I think it’s a must that you assume his soreness is 100% laminitis, get him off that grass until he’s no longer sore, and then re-think how much grass time he is able to have. Maybe none, maybe all day with a muzzle, maybe less with a muzzle, maybe a few hours a day without a muzzle.

Putting shoes on now is not giving up on barefoot. Way, way too many people get too attached to keeping shoes off, that they aren’t focused (enough) on what it takes to get the horse the most comfortable, the fastest. Often, the fastest way to a comfortable barefoot life IS to work through the issues with shoes on, and then transition at a time of year when the ground is more conducive to allowing the foot to adapt.

Read through this link to see how to take pictures good enough for critiquing feet
Good Hoof Photos - How to take Good Hoof Photos

Yeeeess! Further, I’ve never understood the tunnel vision some folks seem to have with keeping their horses barefoot. Yes, it’s “natural” and it’s cheaper. And yes, given the complexity of a horse’s foot, sometimes simple is the way to go.

However, For better or worse, we have spent a millenium breeding these animals to suit our needs. And that’s created a domestic horse that’s quite different from his wild cousins. It’s not a crazy leap of logic that our domestic horses will have care needs beyond those of wild horses. And wild horses have hoof problems, too. They just die from them.

[S1969]

@Wanderosa

It’s not a crazy leap of logic that our domestic horses will have care needs beyond those of wild horses. And wild horses have hoof problems, too. They just die from them.

Yep. My farrier has a BLM cadaver hoof with the coffin bone protruding through the sole. If I recall correctly, the estimated age of the horse was about 7.