Shoeing a barefoot horse

[Pocketpony]

We often discuss going barefoot, but what about horses who need shoes as they age. I’m trying to sort out my boy’s hind hoof issues but am also trying to stay open minded about the possibility of hind shoes being the solution.

I had him in 4 shoes for 12 months a couple years ago. During that year his heels became contracted with deep sulcus thrush and it took a long time to get his feet to recover.

Now in addition to the hind hooves abscessing every winter, he seems tender on his front feet when the riding ring gets harder in the dry months. His hooves look good and the trimmer I use does a great job, however he is dead against putting shoes on my horse and loves his feet. He suggests hoof boots for riding. Toes are not long, heels are not under run, nice big open frogs on the front feet. Hind frogs took a beating with the wet winter and the abscesses.

During the first few months of having shoes on he really beat up his legs with his feet, especially the hinds. He had cuts and scrapes from hitting himself with the shod feet despite wearing 4 bell boots 24/7. It was a huge pain maintenance wise. He was sound in shoes until the thrush started he went lame.

Lots of info here, but basically I want to know how you transition a horse into shoes who has been barefoot all but one of his 15 years. Also what to look for in a potential farrier. I’m super worried about messing up his angles, etc that took so long to get right.

[MsM]

My horse had been barefoot his whole life. His feet looked great, but it turned out there were issues inside. After a lameness we put him in front shoes and pads at the vet’s direction.

Your horse is not lame but I would suggest working with your vet to get radiographs to guide shoeing. Your vet may also suggest a shoer they work well with. Generally a properly shod horse isn’t going to tear up his legs.

[mlb722]

Are boots not an option? My horses are bare and are performance horses. I use boots as needed (not needed for showing or perfect footing). I find it to be a great alternative to shoes. You need to find the right fit, though, for good performance.

[goodhors]

I would find a different Farrier to shoe him if you go that way. He absolutely shouldn’t be banging his legs up, nor getting contracted heels while shod. Maybe shoes were too heavy, fatigue caused more motion he could not control. Horses legs get sloppy moving when fatigued, perhaps causing the cuts and lumps. Does horse have larger hooves in front than rear? He may need two different size shoes to be comfortable when doing all 4 hooves.

If I had to choose which pair to shoe, hinds are more important if horse really uses his body well, driving from behind. They will wear off faster if he is used a lot.

I don’t use boots, strictly a shoe person. Some folks say they never have boot problems, but there are always MANY lost boots found on any trail ride I attended.

Might be time to educate yourself on what a good shoe job looks like. How a properly fitted shoe sits on the hoof, with good length of toe and heels in proper proportions, not trimmed to the soft tissue.

[Nezzy]

Ask your vet to recommend a good farrier, and be willing to pay for it. I have never had my horses heels get contracted bc of shoes. I would say that is not a hoof issue but a farrier issue.

ETA- I used boots on my horse for a year. They were a real Pita to keep clean, you need to keep them clean to put them back on, and my horse eventually needed shoes again, as per my vet.

[Pocketpony]

@goodhors

I would find a different Farrier to shoe him if you go that way. He absolutely shouldn’t be banging his legs up, nor getting contracted heels while shod. Maybe shoes were too heavy, fatigue caused more motion he could not control. Horses legs get sloppy moving when fatigued, perhaps causing the cuts and lumps. Does horse have larger hooves in front than rear? He may need two different size shoes to be comfortable when doing all 4 hooves.

If I had to choose which pair to shoe, hinds are more important if horse really uses his body well, driving from behind. They will wear off faster if he is used a lot.

I don’t use boots, strictly a shoe person. Some folks say they never have boot problems, but there are always MANY lost boots found on any trail ride I attended.

Might be time to educate yourself on what a good shoe job looks like. How a properly fitted shoe sits on the hoof, with good length of toe and heels in proper proportions, not trimmed to the soft tissue.

Yes his feet in front are much bigger. We struggle with boots. I bought 4 renegades after trying a bunch of different brands. His movement is way better with boots on but he clips the fronts with the backs so I don’t love the setup for dressage.

[Pocketpony]

I would love an education on what a good shod foot looks like, back and front. Anyone have time to give me a crash course?

[IPEsq]

@goodhors

I would find a different Farrier to shoe him if you go that way. He absolutely shouldn’t be banging his legs up, nor getting contracted heels while shod.

THIS! If he’s not banging his legs barefoot, he shouldn’t do it shod. If trimmed properly and shod full enough, heels should not get contracted. Something was wrong the first time around.

[IPEsq]

@Pocketpony

I would love an education on what a good shod foot looks like, back and front. Anyone have time to give me a crash course?

https://practicalhorsemanmag.com/health-archive/shoe-soundness-performance-30286

[Pocketpony]

@IPEsq

THIS! If he’s not banging his legs barefoot, he shouldn’t do it shod. If trimmed properly and shod full enough, heels should not get contracted. Something was wrong the first time around.

Agreed, that is probably why I’m so gun shy to shoe now.

[walkinthewalk]

I had an Arab that could ride the rough trails (or trail-less “trails”, barefoot his entire life. I still have a Tennessee Walker with hooves like a goat and only wore shoes a few times in his 25 years when I wasn’t sure of the terrain we would be in – and he has a Less-Than-Grade-1 inherent club hoof.

the rest of my horses have all worn shoes for the kind of trail riding I did.

one of those trail horses developed IR and severely foundered in 2012. I kept him barefoot and in boots with pads , during turnout, for a few years. He reached a point where barefoot and boots was no longer working.

he went into corrective shoes with liquid EquiPak CS for 15 weeks. We stopped using the liquid pack and he is now in Natural Balance shoes – good chance he may stay shod on the front for the rest of his life (he is 24).

my point to all that is: PLEASE get a vet involved, including x-Rays. If the horse needs shoes then shoe him. If the vet feels he will do fine in boots and some type of pads (there’s a plethora of pad styles out there), then do that.

What works for one horse may not work for another so you may have to take all the suggestions on this thread and file them away for future reference, plus think outside the box and come up with your own:)

i wish you the very best in solving your dilemma. For my part, I am happy I still have hair on my head, even if it is my horse’s fault a lot of it is gray:)

[jonem004]

There are a ton more “alternative” shoeing options available now than ever before. You really can have the best of both worlds! There are glue on, nail on, and even velcro on shoes that will protect your horses sole and frog but still allow the contraction and expansion of the hoof that is so important to proper blood flow. It’s a road your farrier (or another farrier) has to be willing to go down with you, but you have options.

I’ve had great success with hood boots for rehabbing thin soles and sore heels, but honestly they are a PITA. I wouldn’t want to have to use them for every day riding. Same goes for if you don’t want to try a bunch of different shoes and glues. If it’s too much to take on, call another farrier and get some steel slapped on! It may not be ideal or the most natural, but horses have been wearing shoes for 1000 years (maybe longer? IDK) and doing harder jobs than our pet horses will ever take on.

[S1969]

@Pocketpony

We often discuss going barefoot, but what about horses who need shoes as they age. I’m trying to sort out my boy’s hind hoof issues but am also trying to stay open minded about the possibility of hind shoes being the solution.

I had him in 4 shoes for 12 months a couple years ago. During that year his heels became contracted with deep sulcus thrush and it took a long time to get his feet to recover.

Now in addition to the hind hooves abscessing every winter, he seems tender on his front feet when the riding ring gets harder in the dry months. His hooves look good and the trimmer I use does a great job, however he is dead against putting shoes on my horse and loves his feet. He suggests hoof boots for riding. Toes are not long, heels are not under run, nice big open frogs on the front feet. Hind frogs took a beating with the wet winter and the abscesses.

During the first few months of having shoes on he really beat up his legs with his feet, especially the hinds. He had cuts and scrapes from hitting himself with the shod feet despite wearing 4 bell boots 24/7. It was a huge pain maintenance wise. He was sound in shoes until the thrush started he went lame.

Lots of info here, but basically I want to know how you transition a horse into shoes who has been barefoot all but one of his 15 years. Also what to look for in a potential farrier. I’m super worried about messing up his angles, etc that took so long to get right.

’
Ask around for who people recommend. A good farrier will shoe if the horse needs it, and not recommend it if they don’t. Ask your vet. Ask other riders or trainers.

Your horse is tender on fronts in hard terrain, but trimmer is dead set against putting shoes on. That’s silly. It sounds to me that they don’t know how to shoe properly, then.

Sure, boots can be a solution for many horses, but they have their own issues with regard to fit, rubs, moisture retention, and needing to be cleaned and dried and give feet time without them.

That said - shoes should not cause the horse to interfere and hit their own legs. If they do, there is an issue somewhere with the trim and/or shoe application. And shoes don’t cause thrush either. That again is a trim issue.

I wouldn’t recommend going back to the farrier that shod your horse the last time.

[kande04]

@Pocketpony

Yes his feet in front are much bigger. We struggle with boots. I bought 4 renegades after trying a bunch of different brands. His movement is way better with boots on but he clips the fronts with the backs so I don’t love the setup for dressage.

You shouldn’t need boots for dressage because dressage arenas have such good footing. If he has to cross more challenging footing to get to the arena either put the boots on and then take them off, or get off and lead him across and help him choose his footing.

If the hooves are well conditioned for barefoot they’ll hold up well on just about any footing for short distances, and only need boots for more extended work on rough footing.

I think the “trick” with shoes is to not leave them on for too long. In the past I kept horses shod for decades and eventually had to pull the shoes because the hooves just got so soft and weak that they weren’t healthy, anymore. And then it took a long time for the hoof to recover and develop sufficiently so that they could manage any kind of challenging footing barefoot.

I keep mine barefoot now, although I do nail winter shoes with snowball pads on a couple of them in the winter. When I level the hoof for the shoe I am careful not to pare out the toe callus though, and continue to preserve it when I reset. And then I get the shoes off in the spring as soon as I possibly can, to give the hoof a chance to reshape and recondition before the ground firms up.

I just pulled the shoes on my mule (didn’t trim him because the sole was flush with the wall) and rode him barefoot last weekend on the gravel roads, and he was sound on the sharp stones that had been dumped in the mud pits. So that was a success (12 weeks in shoes).

I’m not as hopeful for my dh’s horse though, because we had a farrier shoe him and the farrier took out a lot of sole at the toe, so the horse will probably need boots until he can develop new toe calluses.

So the moral of this novella is that there’s a lot to shod vs barefoot, and at least some of it depends on how much effort one is willing to put into making one or the other work.

[S1969]

@kande04

I think the “trick” with shoes is to not leave them on for too long. In the past I kept horses shod for decades and eventually had to pull the shoes because the hooves just got so soft and weak that they weren’t healthy, anymore.

You’ve said this before but many people do not have the same experience. Shoes do not cause the hoof to become soft. And keeping them barefoot does not necessarily result in the hoof being stronger or harder.

If it was that simple, no one would need to shoe any horse except for traction.

[Nezzy]

@S1969

You’ve said this before but many people do not have the same experience. Shoes do not cause the hoof to become soft. And keeping them barefoot does not necessarily result in the hoof being stronger or harder.

If it was that simple, no one would need to shoe any horse except for traction.

Agree. my old guy that passed away last year had to have all 4 shoes every day of his life. His feet were that bad. But the shoes did not cause his problems. They were his solution.

[Guilherme]

@Nezzy

Agree. my old guy that passed away last year had to have all 4 shoes every day of his life. His feet were that bad. But the shoes did not cause his problems. They were his solution.

Thank you. This small bit of wisdom is often lost in charge/counter-charge of “barefoot discussions.”

G.

[goodhors]

@kande04

You shouldn’t need boots for dressage because dressage arenas have such good footing. If he has to cross more challenging footing to get to the arena either put the boots on and then take them off, or get off and lead him across and help him choose his footing.

If the hooves are well conditioned for barefoot they’ll hold up well on just about any footing for short distances, and only need boots for more extended work on rough footing.

I think the “trick” with shoes is to not leave them on for too long. In the past I kept horses shod for decades and eventually had to pull the shoes because the hooves just got so soft and weak that they weren’t healthy, anymore. And then it took a long time for the hoof to recover and develop sufficiently so that they could manage any kind of challenging footing barefoot.

I keep mine barefoot now, although I do nail winter shoes with snowball pads on a couple of them in the winter. When I level the hoof for the shoe I am careful not to pare out the toe callus though, and continue to preserve it when I reset. And then I get the shoes off in the spring as soon as I possibly can, to give the hoof a chance to reshape and recondition before the ground firms up.

I just pulled the shoes on my mule (didn’t trim him because the sole was flush with the wall) and rode him barefoot last weekend on the gravel roads, and he was sound on the sharp stones that had been dumped in the mud pits. So that was a success (12 weeks in shoes).

I’m not as hopeful for my dh’s horse though, because we had a farrier shoe him and the farrier took out a lot of sole at the toe, so the horse will probably need boots until he can develop new toe calluses.

So the moral of this novella is that there’s a lot to shod vs barefoot, and at least some of it depends on how much effort one is willing to put into making one or the other work.

Have to disagree with much of this. Hooves do not get soft from wearing shoes, short or long term. We have had some horses shod for years, used constantly, who have always had hard, tough feet. They don’t lose shoes. Other horses swap between shod and bare, depending if they were being used or not, all have hard hooves all the time. There is “no recovery time” spent adjusting from shod to bare hooves. I can ride them right now, shod or bare, as quick as the Farrier steps away. No toe callus to be found on any of them, at any time.

With soft hooves I look at where horses are being kept, with wet ground, wet fields or muddy paddock as the reason. Sometimes it can be a feed problem, but more often the hooves never get a chance to ever dry out fully.

I don’t believe in “toe callus” in hooves. Never was heard of before barefoot trimming became popular. No drawings or pictures of a toe callus in old Farrier books. I would not trim to leave extra sole touching the ground on a horse. Sole needs a little relief by not being equal to the wall, when horse is moving. You do not need to pare much sole, just enough to relieve ground pressure. Horse is made to travel on hoof walls with a concave sole area. Not a flat sole equal to the wall. They shed sole to get it concave. Concave gives better takeoff each stride, any gait, allowing horse to “push-off” against the soil. Concave design aids hoof in self emptying that dirt loading in the hoof. Not all horses have well built hooves or the sole depth needed to go barefoot happily.

[candyappy]

@Pocketpony

We often discuss going barefoot, but what about horses who need shoes as they age. I’m trying to sort out my boy’s hind hoof issues but am also trying to stay open minded about the possibility of hind shoes being the solution.

I had him in 4 shoes for 12 months a couple years ago. During that year his heels became contracted with deep sulcus thrush and it took a long time to get his feet to recover.

Now in addition to the hind hooves abscessing every winter, he seems tender on his front feet when the riding ring gets harder in the dry months. His hooves look good and the trimmer I use does a great job, however he is dead against putting shoes on my horse and loves his feet. He suggests hoof boots for riding. Toes are not long, heels are not under run, nice big open frogs on the front feet. Hind frogs took a beating with the wet winter and the abscesses.

During the first few months of having shoes on he really beat up his legs with his feet, especially the hinds. He had cuts and scrapes from hitting himself with the shod feet despite wearing 4 bell boots 24/7. It was a huge pain maintenance wise. He was sound in shoes until the thrush started he went lame.

Lots of info here, but basically I want to know how you transition a horse into shoes who has been barefoot all but one of his 15 years. Also what to look for in a potential farrier. I’m super worried about messing up his angles, etc that took so long to get right.

There is no transition time needed from barefoot to shod ( in my experience). If your horse was " beating up his legs" then I would have a competent farrier putting shoes on next time.

If the trimmer is so against shoeing a horse that needs it, maybe you should look for a professional who can meet all your needs.

[Klaus_Karbaumer]

Just as a reminder, a horse generally carries most of his weight in front, that’s why front shoes are often necessary when hind feet still can do without. Farriers that are not so great often trim away too much of the frog and the bars, and this can result in more concussion when the foot hits the ground. A good farrier also does not nail on shoes but observes the horse moving and adjusts the shoes accordingly.