Shod To Barefoot - Your Story

[pryme_thyme]

Pardon me if this has been spoken about to death, but I couldn’t find much on the topic as far as personal experiences.

I am currently transitioning my new to me gelding from shod all around to barefoot at the recommendation of my farrier. Nothing against shod but frequency of trimming to correct angles just makes the most sense to ditch the shoes for awhile.

No major soundness problems yet with geldings hooves other than crushed heels and it appears he was shod with too small of a shoe. (And a little sensitive on stones or hard footing when barefoot).

Working now to bring back toe and increase the heel and better frog support for long term soundness. Light trim every 3 weeks for the next 4-5 months per farrier.

Curious about how long the process took for others until they were happy with results?
Any hiccups along the way?

He moved great with shoes and now getting better as time passes by barefoot though I am constantly tempted to just keep shoes on

[Scribbler]

@pryme_thyme

Pardon me if this has been spoken about to death, but I couldn’t find much on the topic as far as personal experiences.

I am currently transitioning my new to me gelding from shod all around to barefoot at the recommendation of my farrier. Nothing against shod but frequency of trimming to correct angles just makes the most sense to ditch the shoes for awhile.

No major soundness problems yet with geldings hooves other than crushed heels and it appears he was shod with too small of a shoe. (And a little sensitive on stones or hard footing when barefoot).

Working now to bring back toe and increase the heel and better frog support for long term soundness. Light trim every 3 weeks for the next 4-5 months per farrier.

Curious about how long the process took for others until they were happy with results?
Any hiccups along the way?

He moved great with shoes and now getting better as time passes by barefoot though I am constantly tempted to just keep shoes on

Get hoof boots. I like Scoots, have also used Renegades.

A horse kept on pasture or soft footing may not be able to toughen up enough to be totally comfortable on gravel trails. Or may be more comfortable later in the trim cycle.

Get a rasp and learn to rasp between trims if needed. Read a lot of barefoot resources and enjoy learning how the hoof changes and grows. A barefoot hoof can look different almost every day as it grows and wears

Make sure your trimmer takes back the heels. You can get crushed heels barefoot too.

[Warmblood1]

@pryme_thyme

Curious about how long the process took for others until they were happy with results?
Any hiccups along the way?

At times I was never happy with these results, even with the best farrier work and adequate nutrition. IMO, the genetic predisposition of hooves is going to be the key factor in whether or not the horse will be successful barefoot. I’ve had everything from a excellent results to it being impossible to leave the horse unshod due to unsoundness. I personally believe it is cruel to leave certain horses barefoot (unlike the rhetoric some barefoot people push saying barefoot is best). It really just depends on the horse. I have waited a year to see if a horse would improve beyond 6 months. In my experience, you see approximately what the horse will be like in 6 months will minimal improvements evolving afterwards. In horses with genetically crappy feet, I will see chronically thin soles, hoof walls that are weak, chip or do not grow sufficiently, chronic bruising, lameness, and so on. In good cases, a horse will be sore for the first few weeks and then continue to improve. Sound over various terrains at 6 months under saddle.

[Scribbler]

I think almost all barefoot horses need hoof boots at least sometimes. The exception would be if they live on the same terrain you ride like if they have a big stony field 24/7 and you ride on similar. Otherwise they will appreciate hoof boots on trails.

It’s still way cheaper than shoes. And lets you tweak trims for rehab.

My criteria for comfortable on trails is strides out as big as in the arena. A short stride is discomfort even if it’s not actual limp or ouch steps. Obviously you don’t necessarily school true extended trot on hard packed surfaces but horse should move out easily at the gaits you do use.

[candyappy]

No way do I ever want to mess with boots. My horses can either be comfortable barefoot or they get shoes. This approach has always been successful for me and my horses.

There can sometimes be a few days of adjustment after the shoes come off if you might have what I would call " rough footing" in their living situation but mine are on grass so they pretty much just walk off as normal if shoes are removed for Winter.

I just put my 4 year old in front shoes even though he was fine barefoot and has good feet. I just wanted more protection for him due to the fact we don’t have a groomed arena to ride in. I can see/ feel he is happier.

[pryme_thyme]

Super replies!! Thank you so much. I’m happy if he needs shoes but boots sound like a great option for the interim. I’m not sure why I never thought of that…

I’m in the boat of trusting the expert but at the same time it seems like such a long process where you notice little difference along the way.

I agree with 6months, thank you. Should be enough to grow a better foot and see if it helped.

[JB]

@pryme_thyme

Working now to bring back toe and increase the heel and better frog support for long term soundness. Light trim every 3 weeks for the next 4-5 months per farrier.

Did your farrier show you how to do any rasping yourself? If there’s any way for you to take a few swipes of the heels, refresh the rolling of the outer wall, you can likely make faster progress than even trimming every 3 weeks. Crushed heels easily continue to follow that growth angle, so if there’s a way to swipe them even twice a week, you will likely make faster progress.

@pryme_thyme

Curious about how long the process took for others until they were happy with results?

So much depends on the skill of the farrier, frequency of trimming (see above) and how comfortable the feet are. The more the horse moves, the better the growth rate, which means more of the old “wrong” foot can be trimmed each time. Going 3 weeks will make faster progress than 4+, so that’s a definite plus.

If the diet isn’t supportive of optimal growth, I’d address that. What’s he eating?

@pryme_thyme

Any hiccups along the way?

It depends on how unhealthy the feet were to start. The less healthy, the most likely you’ll run into an abscess here and there, or at least some bruising. I WOULD have boots on hand just in case, as you don’t want a sudden dry spell making really hard ground and getting him sore to the point he’s not using himself well, which can then start causing body issues.

@pryme_thyme

He moved great with shoes and now getting better as time passes by barefoot

this speaks volumes about the progress so far, and the basic health of the feet to begin with.

@pryme_thyme

I’m happy if he needs shoes but boots sound like a great option for the interim.

I am very pro-barefoot, but not at all anti-shoe. More horses CAN be barefoot than owners are willing to do, because some don’t want to deal with boots, ever, even though some boots are so safe and secure and easy to use for many situations. But not all disciplines allow boots, so sometimes that’s a driver

@pryme_thyme

I’m in the boat of trusting the expert but at the same time it seems like such a long process where you notice little difference along the way.

In this area, owners need to become as educated as they can on what healthy feet look like, because unfortunately, there are a WHOLE lot of incompetent hoof care “professionals” (HPCs). They can talk a good talk, or at least sound like they know what they’re doing, but can’t (or won’t) trim properly. In this area (any area really) it’s always good to learn as much as you can yourself, so at least you can have more intelligent conversations to try to see when they’re BSing you.

@pryme_thyme

I agree with 6months, thank you. Should be enough to grow a better foot and see if it helped.

Yes and no Yes, in that you should most definitely see improvements in his level of comfort. It may not be a straight line, there are some adjustments, but the general trend should definitely be upwards. Feet grow at roughly 1/4" a month, and most front feet are grown out in 9-12 months, hinds a little shorter (they tend to grow faster). So in that 6-12 month range you can still have old hoof wall starting to hit the ground, and if it’s not quality wall, still see some cracks and breaks especially towards the end of a cycle. But he shouldn’t be more sore, or even AS sore as he was in the beginning, by 6 months, not by a long shot. It should be clearly evident by 6 months that things are improving

One caveat is that most of the next 6 months are Summer ,and depending on where you are, is a land of hard ground and flies. For this reason, it’s more optimal to pull shoes in the Fall, going into (usually) a rainy season with softer ground, well ahead of Winter frozen ground. It’s your specific location that matters most, so just know if the ground suddenly gets hard, and he seems a bit sore, more boot time, or put shoes in for 1-2 cycles to get past that, or otherwise help him out, just don’t assume barefoot in general isn’t working for him.

[OzarksRider]

My horse was barefoot when I got him, and I don’t know if he was ever shod before that. He had a laminitis episode (from being a pig on green grass) 8 years ago, and he was shod for about a year while he recovered from that. When we (farrier, vet, and I) decided to let him go barefoot again he was completely sound from the very beginning. He lives barefoot in pasture, but he wears hoof boots when I’m riding off the property because he’s traveling over gravel roads and rocky trails.

Like others have said, a lot depends on your horse’s genetics and the ground he’ll be living on. IIWM, I’d definitely put on boots to ride, but if he’s comfortable where he’s turned out you might not need them then. I use Scoots, but I have also used Cavallo Treks and I like both of them for different reasons. Scoots are lighter and easier to clean, but Cavallo Treks are easier to take on and off. I also think that Scoots are harder to get the right fit. Your horse will tell you what works for him.

ETA. . . ooops, I meant to reply to pryme_thyme, not Scribbler

[Horsecrazy3]

Transitioned 3 shod horses to barefoot successfully. Diet, proper trimming every 4 weeks, using hoof boots that fit your horse’s hoof shape (love renegades) to protect the sole/frog when riding until hoof has been grown out with new hoof material(6 to 12 months), ability to move 24/7 (stall attached to paddock), using pea gravel in paddocks initially to help support the sole and frog then used stone dust areas and gravel areas. Your horse needs to be living on the ground that you want to ride on.

[Foxglove]

Before I bought my last two horses, I had my farrier look at their hooves. He said neither one needed shoes and that was one reason I bought them. The amount I save on shoes is profound. I did shoe the older gelding for two weeks when I rode him 250 miles in 14 days over ground I had never seen- shoer said not necessary but did anyway. Only time he was ever shod in 25 years. Neither horse has been lame or sore and I ride them pretty much daily.

[Texarkana]

I’ve transitioned every horse I have owned in the last 20 years to barefoot, including thoroughbreds and some “omg this horse can never go barefoot” types. Growing up, everything of mine was in shoes. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20s did I realize it didn’t have to be that way.

Almost any horse can do it. What’s far more common than horses who can’t go barefoot are horses living in circumstances that prevent them from going barefoot.

I think genetics get over-hyped. Genetics are a factor, but nutrition, lifestyle, and quality of the hoof care are even more important.

Most horses are functionally comfortable by the 1st or 2nd trim cycle after removing shoes. They still might need boots in certain situations, but they can live their life. But it might take up to a year for them to be really really comfortable where they don’t need boots.

The most common hiccup IMO is summer: hard ground and stomping at flies can really set a horse back. Boots are your friend. But also, fly boots make a HUGE difference. They have been a game changer for me.

[anon68314200]

Did you get radiographs ?

[StormyDay]

I’ve transitioned 5 horses from shod to barefoot. 3/5 of those had zero tenderness after the shoes were off, and happily walk over gravel. In one of my current mares, I pulled her shoes, trimmed her, and rode her the next day.

Horse #1 who didn’t transition as well took a whole growth cycle before he was 100% comfortable (about a year) on sharper surfaces, and to this day he still is ouchy on large angular gravel. I gave him about 2 weeks off after his shoes were pulled for his feet to harden and then started riding again and he was totally fine in the arena. Personally I think he just didn’t get the hard hoof gene.

Horse #2 who didn’t transition as well is an older OTTB who has been in shoes most of his life. He just had a TON of shelling after the shoes were off. Very poor hoof quality. We are just now starting to see improvement (a year later).

[pryme_thyme]

Yes

[pryme_thyme]

Super helpful information thank you everyone!

I always appreciate hearing others situations, I’m definitely in a ‘all shod type’ area where it is very rare to see barefoot.

He is getting a small amount of Purina Excel HD, large scoop of super fibre plus, equalizer and scoop of mad barn omneity supplement. Free choice hay during turnout and 6-9 flakes a night depending on when he is out during night checks.

Three of his hooves are doing fantastically well, though right front broke off pretty decent on the inside from nail holes. One or two days after a trim he isn’t a fan of gravel or hard footing. Not lame just not the same big mover.

He did have rads yes, other than hocks where there is minor arthritic changes after many years doing big fences nothing unusual came up. I expect some maintenance going into double digits.

I believe I have a great farrier. Everyone raves about him though, you never know until well… you know! From my research I understand his idea on corrections so I feel he is fabulous and I have used him for 10+ years. He does come
Weekly so a rasp each week wouldn’t be out of the question.

[rulex]

Sounds like you are lucky to have a great farrier.

It’s not unusual for horses to be tender on gravel after pulling shoes. Boots help. But you should mention this to your farrier and they should be able to advise you. Diet and environment can also play an important part.

If you haven’t already, take some good photos from all they key angles of your horses feet now that the shoes just came off to compare the progress in 6 months. It’s very educational.

I just happened to come across photos from when I first pulled shoes 18 months ago and the difference in the shape of the foot is eye opening. Like I don’t know if I can bring myself to put shoes back on seeing how unhealthy they looked then compared to now. It’s one of those things that once you see you can’t unsee.

I wish I had better photos, the photos I do have were just the solar view for measurements for boots. But even then the difference is significant.

[Texarkana]

@rulex

just happened to come across photos from when I first pulled shoes 18 months ago and the difference in the shape of the foot is eye opening. Like I don’t know if I can bring myself to put shoes back on seeing how unhealthy they looked then compared to now. It’s one of those things that once you see you can’t unsee.

I wish I was better about taking photos because this is so true.

There is a great quote from a talk by podiatrist Dr. Debra Taylor that most people can’t identify what a pathologic hoof looks like. She was referring to vets. I’d take it a step farther to include some farriers.

[Feathered_Feet]

If your horse has decent quality hooves it’s not so bad. Good you’re doing it now before the flies get really bad and your horse is stomping all damn day. I alternated packing mine with magic cushion at night, Venice turpentine, and the other stuff that I think starts with an F (has some variation of formalin). Within a few weeks she was totally content barefoot (though she was convalescing so not in work beyond hand walking and turnout). Something worth trying

[NancyM]

The environment will also play a role in your success with this plan. If it is wet, humid environment, you may not have success with this, because the quality of the horn is always soft. Dry environment, low humidity makes a huge difference in horn quality. That, and lots of movement, not stall bound. This makes it difficult for many horses to be barefoot, if they are not kept in an environment that is condusive to good horn quality. In a wet environment, the horn is always soft. If a horse must spend hours in a stall, they don’t get the constant motion that is necessary for good hoof health.
If you want a healthy sound horse, they need to be kept in conditions that are “horse country”, dry environment, and not confined for half the day (or longer) without the ability to move at will. Because those situations are not “natural” for a horse. Hundred of thousands of years of evolution are behind the structure of the horse, and the horse’s hoof. Take that into consideration when keeping horses. Swamp dwelling or stalled living isn’t what they are designed to deal with. That’s why so many horses must be shod to be functional for what we want them to do for us.
LOL we sold our farm in a high humidity, high rainfall area, and now live in semi arid country, and did not build stalls (other than a couple that are rarely used for other than accidents or illness) and horses live outdoors year round now. Hoof quality is outstanding here. I no longer have to shoe anybody. Walls and soles are thick and strong, on TB horses. No impaction colics. No navicular issues. Few equine stresses. No employees needed to help to clean stalls. No sawdust needed, no manure removal service charges. Game changer.

[lenapesadie]

All of my horses have been barefoot. Except one.

My current riding horse has been barefoot his whole life. He’s sound trotting on large, angular gravel even though I live in one of the wettest, most humid climates in NA.

My other current horse is the one I couldn’t get happy barefoot. I got him at age 20. At that point he had been shod continuously since he entered race training as a youngster. Despite my best efforts with an excellent barefoot trimmer combined with boots and top notch nutrition, he just wasn’t sound. He went better in front shoes immediately. Long story short, horse has a plethora of health issues in his front hooves and certain shoe packages offer him more comfort than the boots we’ve used (Renegades and edited: Soft Rides). YMMV.