# Shoeing



## northgirl (Sep 3, 2007)

I am interested to find out how many people shoe their horses and if you do how often do you replace them? When I looked on the internet there seems to be a lot of differant reccomendations. Thanks!


----------



## rhaige9 (Oct 31, 2010)

My ponies go barefoot. We trim them about every two or three weeks for maintenance. I follow Pete Rameys teachings. http://www.hoofrehab.com/


----------



## CNCfamily (Sep 13, 2010)

My husband is a farrier, and most of his clients shoe every 6 weeks. But those are the ones that rodeo, or rope, or use their horse on a very regular basis. Basically, they're wearing shoes out that quick. 

A lot of other people will wait 8 weeks. It really depends on your horse though. If it grows fast, you'll have to get it shod more often. If it needs corrective, sometimes they need a re-set every 4 weeks.


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Mine are also barefoot. I trim them about every 4 weeks.


----------



## wintrrwolf (Sep 29, 2009)

Mine are barefoot right now. Will probable keep it that way unless I _have_ to shoe. Everything I have read and been told is that unless you have to shoe for competitions, corrective, ect... it is better / healthier to let them go barefoot and maintain the hoof. 
Though am curious does one have to or should shoe for trailridding?


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

northgirl, when it comes to hoof care, I really feel you have to look at each horse as an individual. If your horse has no special needs and does not require any corrective work and you aren't doing anything that would require extra traction or protection, they likely don't need shoes. If you were doing a considerable amount of trail riding and were worried about stone bruising, you might find it simpler to consider one of the many types of slip on boots available. It's always best to consult with your farrier about your specific needs.

I just noticed you're in BC and if you're in an area with snow, I would encourage you to not consider shoes in the winter because they tend to hold snow and you end up with a horse walking on huge ice balls.


----------



## rabbitpatch (Jan 14, 2008)

I keep mine barefoot unless I'm doing something where shoes are necessary to protect the feet. For instance, if I'm going to ride a trail that is extremely rocky, I might shoe just the fronts to help protect them from breaking on the rocks. I only put shoes on for a show if shoes are required...and since I only show in little backyard type shows, shoes are rarely necessary.

If a horse needs shoes on a regular basis, the recommendation is that the shoes be reset every 6-8 weeks depending on the growth-rate of the horse's hoof and the wear on the shoes themselves. Resets are needed more often if shoes are for corrective purposes, and in those cases you just have to follow what the vet/farrier recommend.

Barefoot, they can usually go long periods of time with just weekly rasping to take off flares and keep the correct shape. I trim my own horses' feet, when they need it. My quarter horse's hooves don't grow fast and I can get away with trimming them once every 12 weeks or so, and just rasp frequently in between. My gaited horse needs his trimmed slightly more often. Once or twice a year I usually have a professional out to trim them for me, just because it gives ME more confidence so that I know I'm trimming them correctly. The farrier usually tells me their feet look good. :clap:


----------



## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

I agree that shoeing is very individual to the horse; a farrier will be able to tell from the condition and angles of your horse's hooves how often to TRIM him, and then he can tell from YOU what you'll be asking of your horse. As was stated, a trail horse going on soft ground may not need shoes ever, but a horse that travels very rocky or abrasive terrain _might_ need them.

Horse's hooves are similar to our fingernails; some of us are blessed with thick, resilient nails that never break or chip, and some of us have brittle, chippy nails that grow funny.....


----------



## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

wr, you ever use those self-emptying pads for snow? I'm told they are the bee's knees.


----------



## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

wr said:


> northgirl, when it comes to hoof care, I really feel you have to look at each horse as an individual. If your horse has no special needs and does not require any corrective work and you aren't doing anything that would require extra traction or protection, they likely don't need shoes. If you were doing a considerable amount of trail riding and were worried about stone bruising, you might find it simpler to consider one of the many types of slip on boots available. It's always best to consult with your farrier about your specific needs.
> 
> I just noticed you're in BC and if you're in an area with snow, I would encourage you to not consider shoes in the winter because they tend to hold snow and you end up with a horse walking on huge ice balls.


Do you have any experience with those strap on boots? My daughter's horse is super tender footed and we're fortunate to live where they pour limestone down on the roads and believe me when I say a horse can tip toe and I wondered how those boots hold up. Locally I've seen them for about $70 a boot! :shocked: That wouldn't be too bad if they last for a really really long time, but with the way these rocks tear up tires, I didn't know if those booties would last much longer.


----------



## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

I have never shod my mules, donkeys, horses. They've never needed it. The rocky land keeps the hooves nicely trimmed. Looks like they've been tended with an emory board. Smooth, no cracks, no splits, no abscesses. Shoes are not common here with those I ride with.


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

jennigrey, no, I haven't used them but will check them out. We normally don't have a problem as long as we don't use shoes in the winter and to be quite honest, there is no need for shoes because it tends to be too cold and icy to ride.

6e, I don't use the boots but if I'm not mistaken, we have a few members that do and a few in house farriers that might be able to comment. Anybody I know that has used them seem to be quite happy.


----------



## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== My daughter's horse is super tender footed === 


Folks here cure that problem by applying turpentine once a day for 3 days to just the BOTTOM of the hoof. That's all that's needed. Toughens the hooves up. Only has to be done for the 3 days. Do not do this on freshly trimmed hooves; wait a few days.


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Rogo, years ago I had a farrier tell me that he always suggested turpentine to clients.


----------



## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

wr, when I was building my broodmare band, I brought in a couple of mares who had been raised on sand for years. It didn't take long for the gals to be ouchy on my rocky land where all my stock roamed free on the 40 acres. They also had mountains to climb. It was a friend who was a shoer who told me about the turpentine. Those mares, who put out some fantastic Bask mules, never had another bad hoof day. 

All my other broodmares came in with good hooves. Like the rest of my stock, none of my mares wore shoes. 

Since then, I've heard a lot of folks talk about the simple and quick turpentine cure.


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

6e said:


> Do you have any experience with those strap on boots? My daughter's horse is super tender footed and we're fortunate to live where they pour limestone down on the roads and believe me when I say a horse can tip toe and I wondered how those boots hold up. Locally I've seen them for about $70 a boot! :shocked: That wouldn't be too bad if they last for a really really long time, but with the way these rocks tear up tires, I didn't know if those booties would last much longer.


The boots do last a long time depending on how much you ride. That's the good thing, they don't wear unless your are riding your horse. The rest of the time the horse gets to go au naturale. With some horses they can be more difficult to get fitted right. Once you have them fitted right they stay on good. 

There are many reasons a horse may be tender footed. Flat feet, impacted bars, lack of digital cushion development and frog infection are some big ones.


----------



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Shoes are also fairly uncommon with our friends and neighbors too. Or, rather, with the working cowboys we know, they're uncommon. 
With "horse people" they're more so. :shrug:

_We've_ never shoed our horses, but we have a mare who we think we're going to start shoeing on the front. 
She's always splitting her front, off foot.


----------



## cc (Jun 4, 2006)

Our gang stays barefoot unless we are going on a serious trail ride that will be on rock or pavement. Since they stay barefoot our farrier says that their feet are "nice and tuff". I would always defer to my farrier or vet for recommendations if I had any questions about shoes. Our girls are trimmed about every 8 weeks but the gelding gets his done about every 4 weeks. He is a rescue and he feet are still growing out to a whole new hoof, he feet were really in bad shape when we got him. Then it took a couple of visits from our farrier to get Flash to trust him and know that Jeff wasn't going to hurt him. Jeff said last time he was here that it the new hoof should be all grown in within a couple of months and then we would determine a trimming schedule and decide if Flash will require some corrective shoes for awhile.


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

ErinP, check you pm's.,


----------



## malinda (May 12, 2002)

Out of our two horses who are regularly ridden, one is shod on all four during the summer, and barefoot in the winter. She wears her shoes in half within 6 weeks, and her hoof could never stand up to that amount of wear if she were barefoot. My 5yo gelding has been barefoot so far, but may be getting shoes next year if I plan to do some 3-day Horse Trials with him. Our other horses who are barefoot are a two year old filly who won't be ridden until next year, a stallion who is not rideable due to an old injury, and my 21 year old mare who I ride occasionally, but not enough to warrant shoes.

Whether you shoe or not depends on your individual horse, where you ride, and how much you ride. Shoes are used when a horse needs protection, traction, or correction and are usually reset at 6-8 weeks. You don't want to go much longer than 8 weeks because the foot still needs to be trimmed, even if the shoes aren't worn all that much. The rim snow pads and the full snow pads with the "bubble" work great to prevent iceballs.

I've had a few clients who use hoof boots occasionally - maybe a few times a year when needed. The boots can come off during riding, and if you lose one on the trail, they aren't cheap to replace. Most of my clients opt for shoes if they are going to be riding a lot.

The best thing is to talk to your farrier, and let him know how much and where you plan to ride and see what he recommends. A really good website regarding horses' feet/shoeing/trimming/lameness/hoofcare/and anything regarding farriery is: www.horseshoes.com


----------



## lamoncha lover (Mar 1, 2009)

firsttime riding I lost 2 boots. Thats like 140.00$. I won't be wasting my money on them again.. My horses go barefoot. I got the boots for the one trail I ride that is very sharp rock in areas. We just won't go there anymore.


----------



## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

We shoe when horses are jumping or like this past summer when Windsong was showing and we needed to be sure she was ready for all kinds of footing. Other than that we only shoe if a horse needs it for a particular reason.
We definitely pull shoes for winter.


----------



## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Mine are on a six week cycle, and I book my farrier a year in advance. He just knows that every sixth Monday he's going to be in my driveway.

I have five. My Friesians and my pony have tough feet and go barefoot. I did shoe my mare for her keuring. It's traditional to do so, but I pulled them that winter and she hasn't had them back on since. My hunter has brittle feet due to allergies, which affect the amount of sulfur in his body. The tubules of the horn are held together with sulfur bonds, and his ability to generate that is impaired. He's shod 365 days a year. I have a QH that wears shoes too; without them he wears off his heels to the degree that he's very sore and has awfully low angles. So he's kept shod too, to limit wear.

I'm not a fan of keeping horses shod all the time as a rule; but he's a gifted farrier who's a master at the forge, and we've never had problems as a result. When he leaves, the horses always feel better and move better than before he arrived. And that's what matters, isn't it?


----------



## kabri (May 14, 2002)

6e said:


> Do you have any experience with those strap on boots? My daughter's horse is super tender footed and we're fortunate to live where they pour limestone down on the roads and believe me when I say a horse can tip toe and I wondered how those boots hold up. Locally I've seen them for about $70 a boot! :shocked: That wouldn't be too bad if they last for a really really long time, but with the way these rocks tear up tires, I didn't know if those booties would last much longer.


 I use Old Mac boots for my mare in winter when she is barefoot. They work extremely well! She really seems to like them because she can plow though any rocky ground without worrying about a bruise. I've ridden a lot of miles with the boots. My biggest problem with them is they are a bit of a pain to put on, and it's hard on my back to do it. They do last a long time, they are pretty tough! Also, I've never had one come off during a ride, even after going through some pretty nasty mud! Took awhile to clean the boots out after the ride!


----------



## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== firsttime riding I lost 2 boots. Thats like 140.00$. I won't be wasting my money on them again.. My horses go barefoot. I got the boots for the one trail I ride that is very sharp rock in areas. We just won't go there anymore. ===


A hundred years ago (or so it seems!) when I got my first mount, I was told to always carry an EZ boot when riding in case a hoof got cut or some such thing. I got 2 of them. At that time they came with an ankle strap (for lack of a better word), so if the boot came off, you didn't lose it. Think the boot at that time was around $15.

Still have those 2 boots and they still look new 'cause the only time I used them was to try them on and see if they stayed on for our rocky trails and riding/swimming through the lakes. They did.

We do tough mountain riding. Sliding down lava rock while descending steep mountains. Climbing over boulders, etc. Riding on pavement to get where we want to go. Some parades are on pavement. My horses, mules, donkeys have always done well with no shoes. And they don't slip/fall on wet pavement like those who are shod. (Wrecks seen at parades after a rain.)

I've been asked if my steer needed shoes. They do have metal shoes to nail on for cattle. But mine never needed them.

Do what your critter needs, but don't do just because you're told they HAVE to be shod. And if you do shoe, watch for contracted hooves. The shoes will have to be removed to get back to their natural hoof.


----------



## spinandslide (Jun 6, 2008)

For those with shoes..6-8 weeks approx

I only shoe the hinds..with slideplates.


----------



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

LisaInN.Idaho said:


> Windsong


Lisa, pardon me if I'm an idiot, but do/did you hang out at Acme/Stableminds??


----------



## 6e (Sep 10, 2005)

One more question. 
If the horse is tender footed on rocks, will shoes on just the front help since he seems to be more tender on the front than the rear?


----------



## Lisa in WA (Oct 11, 2004)

ErinP said:


> Lisa, pardon me if I'm an idiot, but do/did you hang out at Acme/Stableminds??


You're not an idiot..but no. I've never been there.


----------



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

In that case, there is another Windsong who lives in Idaho.


----------



## northgirl (Sep 3, 2007)

Thanks everyone for the replies!! I always thought that horses should go barefoot unless there is a problem. The thing is that most horse owners in my area shoe and I believe it may be because they use the horses for roping and show.


----------



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

No, you're right. 

I've always thought of shoes like glasses. 
Some kids genuinely need them, but to just put them on, "just because" is usually going to _cause_ more problems than it cures.

There had better be a genuine _need_ before I ever consider tearing apart my horses' natural hoof structure!


----------



## horselogger (Jan 9, 2004)

6e said:


> Do you have any experience with those strap on boots? My daughter's horse is super tender footed and we're fortunate to live where they pour limestone down on the roads and believe me when I say a horse can tip toe and I wondered how those boots hold up. Locally I've seen them for about $70 a boot! :shocked: That wouldn't be too bad if they last for a really really long time, but with the way these rocks tear up tires, I didn't know if those booties would last much longer.


if the horses feet are kept trimmed...figure 400 to 600 miles on a set of easy boot "epics"...the key is to keep them properly trimmed so they aren't edxcessively hitting the toe or heel.I run...in an average year,2500 miles,loaded ,on pavement...and will go through 2 sets per horse.


----------



## cnvh (Jun 11, 2008)

Most of the boarders at my barn are barefoot-- we're lucky to have very nice footing in the arenas and pastures. But when we trail-ride off-property, most of us use boots, and all but one boarder uses Cavallo Simple Boots. They are extremely easy to put on (one of our boarders is in her 70's and has arthritis; she can put the Cavallos on with no problems), and more importantly, they STAY PUT, no matter what kind of terrain you ride through. 

A bunch of us went on a trail ride at Gettysburg recently-- the terrain is really rocky in spots, with some VERY deep mud. The rider with the Easyboots had lost both of hers by the middle of the ride (one we saw come off; the other vanished), but the four of us using Cavallos had no problems whatsoever. 

Yes, the boots are expensive-- I think my pair of Cavallos cost about $130-- but they've alreay paid for themselves. My farrier charges $90 for a trim and fronts, vs. just $40 for a trim-only, so at a savings of $50/farrier visit, the boots are a GREAT investment. And for as often as I use them, I expect they will last at least 4-5 years.


----------



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

> but they've alreay paid for themselves. My farrier charges $90 for a trim and fronts, vs. just $40 for a trim-only, so at a savings of $50/farrier visit


This begs the question: 
Who here does their own trimming/shoeing?


----------



## Wintersong Farm (Aug 22, 2007)

We ride mostly on sandy trails in summer (barefoot) and county roads in winter (shoes). Farrier visits are every 8 weeks. It really depends on the individual horse and how hard the hooves are, and how fast they grow. On one of my horses, 30 miles of road riding is equivalent to twelve weeks of hoof growth. Your mileage WILL vary.


----------



## springvalley (Jun 23, 2009)

alot depends on your horse, they are all differant, I leave mine barefoot most of the time. But I have had them shod before, and every six to seven weeks is common with a reset. > Thanks Marc


----------



## Bret4207 (May 31, 2008)

I never shoe unless there's a reason to shoe. Logging, lots of road work, something like that. A barefoot horse seems to give less trouble.


----------



## bergere (May 11, 2002)

When DH was stationed in San Diego, my Arabs had to have shoes on. The heavy duties ones would get worn down to paper thin in 6 weeks time.. rode a lot back then.

NH.. had to have borum on the shoes because of all the Ice.

Here.. I just have clay and grass and it is safer not to have shoes on the horses.
I do use EasyBoots Gloves with the thin 6mm gel inserts for the rescue mare, if I take her for hand walks down the road.

Really depends on each horse and what kind of ground you ride on and how much riding you do. 
Clear as mud "A".. ;O)


----------



## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

ErinP said:


> This begs the question:
> Who here does their own trimming/shoeing?


I have. I still own my tools, anvil, torch, etc. But I came to a fork in the road about fifteen years ago where I realized I could shoe, or I could ride. My back wouldn't let me do both. I chose to ride.

I still can replace the occasional thrown shoe or tighten clinches or get rid of a big chip. But I don't do a set of four anymore. I have a terrific farrier and I let him earn his dough. If anybody knows the value of those dollars earned, both coming and going, it's me.


----------



## rabbitpatch (Jan 14, 2008)

I trim my own, but don't do shoes. If mine need shoes for any reason, I hire the farrier. After my back surgery, I just can't handle bending over for very long. Even with trimming my own, I have to do one foot at a time and rest. Sometimes I do 2 feet one day and the other 2 the next.


----------



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Well it's easy for me to talk as I'm not the one doing the work!! DH is our trimmer. And he's been doing feet since sometime in his early teens. 

When we started talking about shoes on the front feet of our mare, a couple of the guys he works with started showing him how to do shoes, too. 
Everyone I know does their own work, or one of the better DIYers will hire out now and again for older folks and others "in need."


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

I have done my own for over four years now. I keep them barefoot and boot if needed for riding.


----------



## northgirl (Sep 3, 2007)

I am hoping to eventually learn how to trim from a farrier but I admit it sounds like tricky business!


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Northgirl, Pete Ramey's "Making Natural Hoof Care Work for You" is a good start. Then read the articles on his website. Then join giddyupflix.com and rent the under the horse series. You will know feet inside out before it's done! If you get into it and it's not interesting, then I wouldn't do it myself because you just aren't going to learn it well enough to do it right.


----------



## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== I am hoping to eventually learn how to trim from a farrier but I admit it sounds like tricky business! ===


Many good shoers have apprentices with them as they go through their day. If you have a good shoer, ask about it. You'll see what it takes, see many different kinds of hooves, and it'll help you to decide.

I've seen some shoers in their 60's and have asked about their back lasting so long! Most, as they age, limit the amount of horses they do per day.


----------



## northgirl (Sep 3, 2007)

I definitely have an interest and have been examining some horses here with problem feet. In a perfect world I will eventually find someone to show me the ropes and in a few years if I have enough learning and skill then take it to the next step! I think my biggest concern is how accurate you must be when trimming so as not to cause leg/joint stress.


----------



## katybug (Aug 11, 2010)

My pony goes barefoot because he's got great pony feet, but I wouldn't rule out shoeing him if he was wearing his them down. I've known a lot of people to only shoe in the front, but again it just depends on your horse's feet and what you're doing with them. A lot of people pull their shoes in the winter, especially if the horse is out on a pasture where it gets muddy because that mud can suck the shoes right off. If your horse doesn't really need the shoes, I say keep 'em barefoot!!

ETA: I feel very luck to have an Amish farrier who does excellent barefoot shoeing, but I know that some farriers have a harder time with it.


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

It's pretty rare to actually wear feet down too much. Usually it's more about thin soles or thrush or poor hoof development in the back of the foot (lateral cartilages and digital cushion) that causes sensitivity.


----------



## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== It's pretty rare to actually wear feet down too much. Usually it's more about thin soles or thrush or poor hoof development in the back of the foot (lateral cartilages and digital cushion) that causes sensitivity. ===


Unless you're working cattle in the mountains/rocks! With these conditions you HAVE to shoe!


----------



## Phantomfyre (Jul 1, 2004)

While I know everyone's situation/horse is different, I personally can not see myself ever putting metal shoes on any horse of mine ever again. A healthy barefoot hoof is a remarkable thing, and if protection is needed, I'll use boots.

My experience with barefoot boots has been amazingly positive. I got a pair of Renegades for my mare for a week-long ride in the Black Hills this year, and those suckers performed beautifully. I got the sport orange ones, thinking they'd be easy to find if one came off, but that didn't happen. They never budged. Didn't rub. Stood up very well in the pretty much all-rock terrain out there, on all-day rides. (Out in the AM, racing nightfall back to camp!) And right from the get-go, my mare was comfortable and sure-footed in them. No stumbles or slips. And we did some HARD riding.



ErinP said:


> This begs the question:
> Who here does their own trimming/shoeing?


I've been doing my own for 6 years. (Wow, has it been that long?) Natural barefoot trim. I LOVE it. I started because I couldn't find a farrier and was desperate, but now I'm an outright hoof junkie.

Northgirl, I second Southerngurl's suggestion to look at Pete Ramey's information and courses. There is a lot to learn, but if you love it, it's fascinating and you'll have to force yourself to stop reading just so you can get chores done. If you happen upon information that directs you to trim sole, run away. That's rule #1: do NOT trim live, healthy sole. (Which is not the same as flaking, exfoliating sole.)

If you're interested, I'd say go for it. It's really interesting and satisfying. And a GREAT workout!


----------



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Rogo said:


> === It's pretty rare to actually wear feet down too much. Usually it's more about thin soles or thrush or poor hoof development in the back of the foot (lateral cartilages and digital cushion) that causes sensitivity. ===
> 
> 
> Unless you're working cattle in the mountains/rocks! With these conditions you HAVE to shoe!


No you don't. Unless your horse specifically requires it, that is. 

My DH's family all lives/ranches up around the Black Hills area. Almost everyone's horses are barefoot. A good friend of ours works on a mountain ranch near Walden, CO. Again, almost every horse he has is barefoot. (Though he has been known to put ice-shoes on, but that's a whole different purpose) :shrug:


----------



## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

=== No you don't. Unless your horse specifically requires it, that is. 

My DH's family all lives/ranches up around the Black Hills area. Almost everyone's horses are barefoot. A good friend of ours works on a mountain ranch near Walden, CO. Again, almost every horse he has is barefoot. (Though he has been known to put ice-shoes on, but that's a whole different purpose) === 


Working hard in the rocks on a daily basis does wear the hooves down quicker no matter how healthy the hooves. If the hooves don't have time to re-grow, problems can arise.

I help friends now and then with their cattle, but not often enough to have to shoe.

I think after the world was built, all the excess rocks were placed here!


----------



## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Rogo said:


> === No you don't. Unless your horse specifically requires it, that is.
> 
> My DH's family all lives/ranches up around the Black Hills area. Almost everyone's horses are barefoot. A good friend of ours works on a mountain ranch near Walden, CO. Again, almost every horse he has is barefoot. (Though he has been known to put ice-shoes on, but that's a whole different purpose) ===
> 
> ...


The interesting thing about horse hooves is they pump blood with every step. They more steps a horse takes, the more nutrtion runs through the hoof and the faster it grows. Other ways the horse keeps up with abrasion: 

The more steps a horse takes, the more the keratin compacts and callouses, becoming harder.

A horse with correct movement (heel first) takes the brunt in the rear of hte foot. A healthy foot with a strong frog will benefit from the rubbery nature of the frog. If you take a rasp to a horse's frog you can see how well it resists abrasion. On a well used foot, the frog will become quite large and do much of the work of the hoof. 

Of course horse feet have their limits, but a healthy hoof that is acclimated to it's terrain and job can go about as far as the horses muscles can.

Here is an example of hooves from a rocky terrain. You can see how tough they became! These are front feet.


----------



## EasyDay (Aug 28, 2004)

Barefoot, here. Have wondered about the boots for riding in rockier terrain... but the price held me back. So, our trips on rocks are short and infrequent.

Seems we all recognize that barefoot promotes healthier hooves, but would like to add that it also promotes an overall healthier horse. The flexing of the natural hoof aids in "pushing" the blood back up the long legs, resulting in better overall circulation, better heart health and, therefore, a longer lifespan for the horse. It's not just about feet.

I, personally, would like to see all horses that are not employed or competing remain barefoot... but thats me.


----------



## malinda (May 12, 2002)

It is possible for a horse to wear their feet faster than they can grow them. I've seen it dozens of times in my career - not just thin soles (though they get worn too thin by that time) - but I'm talking about healthy feet that just have an excessive amount of wear on very abrasive surfaces.

Nobody is saying ALL horses need shoes, but the reality is that SOME do, depending on their job and their foot conformation.


----------



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Rogo said:


> Working hard in the rocks on a daily basis does wear the hooves down quicker no matter how healthy the hooves. If the hooves don't have time to re-grow, problems can arise.


I guess it hadn't occurred to me that someone would be working the same horse, hard, day after day. 
Anyone I know who works a horse hard, day after day, rotates between at least two different horses. And not because of feet. :shrug:


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

ErinP, I have a friend who is head of our city police mounted division and for the first few years, they had a very difficult time, first with hooves wearing down faster than they grow and then in finding a shoe that would last between resets.


----------



## malinda (May 12, 2002)

wr said:


> ErinP, I have a friend who is head of our city police mounted division and for the first few years, they had a very difficult time, first with hooves wearing down faster than they grow and then in finding a shoe that would last between resets.


Asphalt and concrete are very abrasive - I think more so than any rocks/gravel/sand combination.

What kind of shoes did they eventually go with? I would think plain steel would be too slick for the times when the horses need the traction and maneuverability on hard surfaces. Years ago there was an article in a farrier's magazine featuring the police horses of NYC. I believe they used steel shoes with drill-tek (not borium). They had tried rubber shoes, but found them too slick on grass.


----------



## northgirl (Sep 3, 2007)

All of you are just loaded with info!!I really appreciate all of the opinions and am glad to see that it is a concensus to go barefoot. I always thought that one shouldn't mess with things unless there is a good reason. I also feel like my interest in learning more has increased after reading all of your replies!


----------



## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

malinda, I'm sure they settled on a steel shoe but for the life of me, I can't remember the details.


----------



## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

> Asphalt and concrete are very abrasive - I think more so than any rocks/gravel/sand combination.


I think so, too!


----------



## EasyDay (Aug 28, 2004)

northgirl said:


> All of you are just loaded with info!!I really appreciate all of the opinions and am glad to see that it is a concensus to go barefoot. I always thought that one shouldn't mess with things unless there is a good reason. I also feel like my interest in learning more has increased after reading all of your replies!


Right? These folks in the critter forums are awesome!


----------

