Rejoining Horsey Land after an absence of 25 years. When I rode most recently (in New Jersey, h/j with a slapdash of dressage), shoes were all four, all the time. MAYBE you ran into one horse in a show barn of 30-40 who went without fronts or rears, and often that was temporary. I don’t think I ever knew a full-on shoe-nekkid horse, other than a pasture ornament.
So what’s with the ads I’m seeing lately in this area for horses that are barefoot or front or back only, with assertions that they have no problems as such? I mean, my gosh, wouldn’t that be a dream?
Is it because hoof health is so much improved? Has there been widespread sentiment that historically we’ve shoed when it wasn’t necessary? Are horses running around in boots or such – something that is taking the place of shoes? Or is this no trend at all and I’ve simply been away for far too long?