It’s a perspective that Pete Ramey knows well. The Georgia-based author of Care and Rehabilitation of the Equine Foot and creator of a DVD series began as a farrier and is now a leading natural hoof-care practitioner in the United States, specializing in laminitis and caudal foot pain. “There was a time when I thought all riding horses should be shod. There was also a time when I thought all horses should be bare. As with most arguments, the truth lies somewhere in between. Generally speaking, metal shoes are very good at masking problems and can be somewhat effective for healing some problems. In contrast, barefoot trimming is not so good at masking problems, but vastly superior for healing them.”
Ramey believes horse owners should ignore extremists on both sides and consider what’s needed for the individual horse. “This starts with education and always asking ?why?’ If a horse needs shoes because he has long, flared toes and thin soles or is weak in the back of the foot, there are specific reasons for it. Occasionally, it’s because the feet are ?genetic garbage,’ but most of the time it’s because of diet, environment and back-to-back shoeing without barefoot periods. Most of the time it can be fixed.”
Ramey would like to see more attention paid to the early development of young horses. “Foals need space and incentive to move?constantly,” he says. “It’s critical for their body, mind and hooves to develop to their true potential. Hoof trimming on young horses needs to be done early and frequently, and nutritional decisions need to be scientific and adapted to the individual. If the young horse gets the right start, most hoof and body problems we see in adults can be eliminated.”
I don’t get the impression the OP is looking for hoof protection, which is why I said I don’t see how boots will help. If she is looking for hoof support that may lead to improved hock or stifle action, I don’t see how off the shelf boots would do that. Some horses move worse in boots than barefoot.
Generally glue ons are more expensive. But I think I agree with barnesthenoble-you can keep the farrier you like and try glue ons and see if shoes help. They may not make a difference or they may make things worse. If you are thinking about a farrier who can pad and wedge if needed as your last post indicated, that’s a whole nother ballgame and one i’d be cautious about playing.
If you did not x-ray hocks at that time, I would suggest that be your next step.
Yes, I understand you trust your vet and her recommendation, and that is good. But I’ve had a horse flex perfectly normal on very advanced hock fusion, so I’m pretty proactive about doing x-rays since then.
If you are just going to try this and that, why not start with regular shoes, see if there is a change?
I have seen time and again barefoot horses just getting plain shoes clearly walk off happier than they walked before.
Not all horses go better with shoes, not all horses need shoes, but generally, barefoot horse’s comfort is improved with shoes for so much we do with our horses.
It still may not help what may be going on there.
I do think that a more extensive vet workout, x-rays, etc. are a good first step, if nothing else, as reference for later if nothing is found this time around.
I have occasionally put front shoes, or a full set of shoes on a completely sound barefoot horse if I do a lot of riding on gravel roads in our area.
Any riding where I feel they could use the extra protection is a good enough reason for me. When my riding terrain changed the shoes were pulled and horse was as sound as before.
I had miserable luck with glue ons. They didn’t stay on, particularly in wet grass or mud. Yes I had a great farrier, , yes they were properly applied to a correctly trimmed hoof with the recommended product… No They did not stay on, always shucked at least one after 3-4 weeks on a 6 week cycle. Only reason to use them, IMO, is if you have nothing to nail to and it can’t stay barefoot or in hoof boots.
This was some years back but judging from the experience of friends recently, not been much progress if you want to keep one in steady work with turn out in an average climate with some rain.
That is interesting. Boots can definitely a bit finickier, I will grant that–but there are many options that have progressed WELL beyond the nasty old EZ boots. I currently use a few different brands–Scoot Boots are the most user friendly if they fit your horse well, followed closely by Equine Fusion, and I will also use Evo Boots and Easyboot Gloves with modifications, Easyboot Epics, and have been playing with the Easyboot Furies. The Easyboots tend to require heat fitting and other mods, and they are the best for high performance work when well fitted, BUT it does require a knowledgeable fitter. Scoots and Equine Fusion boots are pretty plug and play. What brand does your trimmer use? When I have properly fitted boots, I rarely, if ever, have to adjust them, even when out galloping over XC, doing a dressage lesson, or on a long and technical trail ride.
The glue ons I prefer are boot shells, essentially. Several brands make them, here are some examples:
The two Easyboot options are some of the most popular for glueing, as they can be heat fitted, modified, and otherwise manipulated for all kinds of shapes and sized feet. Easycare and several other brands also make more traditional shoes for gluing, made of plastic, rubber, or metal, and frequently a combination of the above. I have had the best luck with boot shells.
When applying, I trim, then frequently use a padding material–I like either Thinline hoof pads or a thin wool saddle pad–and an antibacterial clay such as Artimud or EvoThrush. The padding acts as an additional shock absorber that keeps the weight distributed over the foot as it grows out, and the clay keeps gunk from developing. I either use a Buffy or a rasp to lightly rough the wall, use a dremel to rough the inside of the boot (if it is rubber), and then apply glue to the boot cuff and apply. Set time varies from 1 minute to 10 or so depending on the material, the glue, and the temperature.
They come off by breaking the glue seal–it usually involves nippers between the boot cuff and the glue. Even in wet climates, glued on boots, when well applied, can be tough to get off. I have not had many issues with losing them before 6 weeks, and have had some sets stay on as long as 10 weeks (NOT recommended). The only ones I’ve lost can be seen pretty clearly why…the leather got saturated, the boot cuff was poorly prepared, etc. You can do whatever schedule you want. For my personal horses, I will use them in 3-4 week schedules. For friends and my mentor’s (I trim my own and a few friends, but do not do it on a business scale) clients, it can be done at whatever schedule you want–some people go 2 weeks, some use them for only a few days for a hard ride, many choose 6 to 8 weeks. When they do come off, they rarely take hoof with them, as the glue usually stays on the hoof and you buff it down to reapply. You shape them with heat if they need to be shaped, but usually a healthy barefoot hoof doesn’t require too much manipulation–but it is very possible if needed. If they pull a boot, come back out and reapply–it’s not too much of a big deal.
When I do it myself, materials for a full set of four run about $200 depending on what boots I use. My trimmer usually charges people $250/$300 to do a set of four, $135 to do just fronts, again depending on which boots. It’s not cheap, which is why I prefer to use removeable boots when I can, but for some horses it can be a godsend, and it is necessary for competing with the current rules.
I will acknowledge that it is fussier than the traditional farriery–but IMO, the results are better. But, this does ALL come with the caveat that the boots and glue ons are only as good as the person who fit and applied them.
If you are interested in exploring some of the cool stuff people do with glue ons, Wild Hearts Hoof Care on FB is a great resource. They trim and boot Shannon Peters’ dressage horses. David Landreville and On The Vertical on FB are also great resources that share interesting trimming and booting methods. Pete Ramey’s website hoofrehab.com is also a wonderful resource, with articles specifically related to glueing on boots, boot fitting, diet, and other aspects of hoofcare.
For the farrier I was using glue on shoes were much more expensive. We kept them on a good 10 weeks to allow them to grow out.
I hated boots and frankly don’t have the time or resources to play with hoof boots even ones that glue on.
Since you mentioned stifle conditioning I will put my plug in for estrone. It seems to help a lot for weak stifles but then you need consistent work to strengthen them while on Estrone
I hunt a Connemara cross pony with flint hard feet. We managed with just front shoes for most of our first season leading 2nd flight, and my farrier said while her hind feet were still ok, and she was sound, he thought she would benefit from a little help with the work load. She went so much better in the hind shoes I felt guilty not shoeing her behind much sooner. In our lessons she felt more confident to the jumps, willing to move up, and stronger off the ground. The shoes made a big difference to my sound pony’s comfort and ability to do her job.
Recently a new boarder asked why he wasn’t in shoes (hers is). My reply was “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” I would happily pay for shoes rather than lameness exams and treatments, but I have worked with 4 different trimmers/farriers (one moved away, one I gave up when I moved away, the third wasn’t doing what needed to be done, now happy with #4). Not a single one has thought my horse needed shoes (I asked). For reference he is doing low level dressage (starting 2nd level) and some trails, getting worked 4-5x per week, good footing in the arena, dry lot paddock in dry desert conditions.
When is the last time you had hoof xrays done? I’d be super curious to know how your sole depth is looking. Does he have a nice dimple in his frog or contracted heels leading to a deep fold? Any issues with flaring?
I think that a lot of people who have negative or suboptimal experiences going barefoot may just not be working with the best person for their horse. Good barefoot work is much like saddle fitting in that it is the balance of art and science.
