Is your horse shod?

[Kaitlyn]

The title basically asks lol

Do you have your horse(s) shod? Why or why not? Who prefers barefoot vs. shoes?

Of course, I'll say that I prefer barefoot not only because it's cheaper but because I like that it's natural. Although I realize some horses do need shoes.

[WashingtonBay]

Bay's shod, always has been, always will be for any riding, I'm sure. It's not even that he has any serious flaws, he's got good feet. For awhile we treated him like he had Navicular, and maybe he was heading that way, but with better shoeing I don't think so any more. He's just been shod most of his life, and I think most horses of his vintage were and are shod for any significant amount of trail around here.

He went a short while last winter barefoot, and I may do that again this winter, but only when the ground is soft. I don't want to cause a moment of soreness on that horse that I can prevent. And I can tell the difference, in how freely he moves, in how much he plays. If he's better in shoes, he'll get shoes. I am not part of the 'natural is always better' crowd.


Cyn, my husband's Mustang Arab mare, is barefoot over any terrain. She's got BIG huge hard feet and has always been barefoot.


The pasture pony too, is barefoot. She's got happy feet 'as is' and no job, so....

[Peggy Sue]

Sassy all four shoes year around she has genetically bad feet...

Moosa has all four right now he is going barefoot over the winter then will have front put back on in the spring

Lazy was barefoot until she came up sore last time now she is in front shoes and will be barefoot as soon as it gets to cold to ride again

[Cat]

All of mine are barefoot. I prefer it for several reasons for the horse - and really if you get a good barefoot trimmer and trim as often as they recommend you won't be saving any money. Thankfully about 4 years ago I took the barefoot trimming class (actual certification, not just the weekend thingy) and am certified to do trims so take care of my own horse's feet. Unfortunately Toby yanked wrong and strained a muscle in my arm, so the other boys are about a week behind on their trim to give my arm time to heal. Thankfully they don't look bad yet.

[elleng]

Dutchess has shoes on her fronts only. She was barefoot for a bit over a year and then in July started getting quite sore so after much consternation I put shoes on her front hooves and things are better. She developed some pretty good cracks also and the front shoes have helped to stablize things. I would love to have her completely barefoot again but we shall see how things go.

[cloedoll]

Both of my horses are barefoot. The terrain they live on, ride on, etc. is soft and there wouldn't be need for shoes. I don't do anything or ride anywhere were shoes would benefit me, so barefoot it is.

[JetLagaside]

Fronts only but in another 5 weeks she's back to being barefoot for the winter and thru the spring.
We went to fronts as the rocky footing we where traveling over was making a mess of her feet and just a little tender. I'll have to see how it goes with her in work all this winter but I sure don't want to do "winter shoes"

[mtnmollie]

Do you have your horse(s) shod? Why or why not? Who prefers barefoot vs. shoes?

Barefoot. My vet told me to go barefoot.

It did not work until we put them on rock in our dirveway to get them out of spring mud.

Ten years we tried to go barefoot-
barefoot on rock works for me.

Hubby Gene and I both trim our own,
but if we keep them on rock enough- we dont have to trim.

[WP~Paint]

Barefoot...My friend where I keep my horse doesn't hardly ever do hers. I mainly ride him in the round pen, arena or on trails. And I'm careful to watch if we go over rocks a lot, I would get him done...but it's cheaper and healthier for him, so as long as I don't absolutely need them, he won't have them!

[vicklynn]

City has to be shod, all 4s, he is a tender foot, and our dry lot is small rock.
Myst, has her fronts done, farrier and I decided it was best for her. She is a heavy girl and there is alot of weight on her fronts. She gets ouchy on the fronts. Backs are fine, she is bare.

[FatSpottedAppy]

All of my horses used to be barefoot.

However, Tyke was starting to become tender so we asked both the et and farrier and they both suggested shoing. So he is shoed on all 4.

Raen gets tender on rocks which we ride on a lot, so her fronts are shoed and she's fine.

Melee I think will have to be shoed next year on his fronts. He gets tender on the rocks.


They're all getting their shoes off in November and their hooves are getting a break for the winter. ;)

[palomino]

Shoes- JUST KIDDING LOL! Mine are bare, I trim bare, but Im not obsessed with the 'natural movement'. I respect farriers as long as they know what they are doing. I do NOT think any horse should have shoes on all year though- every horses feet need a break!!

[Peggy Sue]

Normally I would agree Palomino BUT I have one that the minute we pull them she is lame in BOTH fronts and will not move she is the ONLY horse I have ever had that had to have them year round my checkbook woudl love the break...

[SedonaThunder]

All four of mine are barefoot... one is just a pasture ornament and three are ridden. One needs nothing on her hooves, one needs boots for small gravel and one needs boots with big pads on the fronts due to a lameness that shoes didn't seem to help. I trim my own so I do save some money but it's such hard work that if I could find someone good in my area I'd be willing to pay. I'd also LOVE the experience (and possible shoes) for my lame one but a good farrier with room on his schedule is VERY hard to find.

[Vegashorselady]

My three riding horses are all shod. They were shod and sound when I bought them and it just isn't worth it to me to pull their shoes and deal with abscesses and bruising to have a "natural" hoof. Scout had to have her shoes pulled for a couple of months while dealing with a bad abscess and her hoofs crumbled and cracked so that there was barely enough hoof left to nail the shoes to when we put them back on.

With my yearling, I'll wait until he starts getting ridden and then evaluate whether he needs shoes or not. If he stays sound and his feet are hard enough to hold up to the rocky terrain here then I'll leave him barefoot, if not, then he'll be shod.

[menagerie]

We went barefoot after my horse's hooves kept chipping off so bad he wouldn't hold a shoe. I thought... this can't be good so we started doing the barefoot thing and haven't changed since. Of course we don't really ride alot and when we do its mostly on easy terrain. If we rode on anything rough I would be getting them boots.

[Vibe]

I get Dolly's front hooves shod, the farrier says she has great back hooves. And her front left hoof is good but her front right isn't great(because of foundering issue's way back before I got her.) But she gets a break in the winter with no shoes.

[Arrow]

Arrow has soft feet, and I ride 4 or 5 times a week, so he needs to be shod on all 4 from April through November. He's barefoot in the winter. I've tried him barefoot, and he just wore his feet right off.

[Jump The Moon]

Billy's shod on all four feet - we do roadwork often and work on harder surfaces (when we're out hacking / trail-riding) and so he needs 'em for that, also, I find he doesn't slip about so much jumping or fast-work when he has all his shoes on. His feet don't do too well without shoes, so we keep 'em on - but £65 every 6 weeks, it's pricey !! Lol. :D

[sarhound]

My paint and Walker are barefoot; they seem to have hooves of iron and do well in all terrains. My Appy used to have decent feet, but the stay at our old (wet) place seems to have done his feet in- I'm having a cracking and chipping problem with him that I've never seen him have before. He may have to be shod to fix it. I'll see what the farrier says after his next trim.

Looks like my Belgian boy will have to go back into shoes, at least on the front. He's been out of them since he came off the streets in May so he could get some hoof growth going, but he pulled up lame yesterday. He's pointing a forefoot; I don't see or feel any leg or shoulder injury or see anything in the hoof, but he's definitely gimpy. I'll check him again today while feeding, then it's time to see about shoes. I had noticed that he was "tenderfooted" when I rode him about 3 weeks ago, even on dirt roads. I don't think he's ever been unshod for any length of time in his life. I know he has no soundness problems, since I've been his primary driver for the last 3 years. He's not been lame in all the time I've known him. My poor big baby boy...

[Mandzanita]

My three riding horses are all shod. They were shod and sound when I bought them and it just isn't worth it to me to pull their shoes and deal with abscesses and bruising to have a "natural" hoof.

This is my story...I'm kinda on the "If it aint broke, why fix it" mentality. Biggs came to me shod on all fours and has been going soundly and comfortably shod since. I have a great farrier that pays close attention to his foot health and does such a great job that I don't really want to change anything. Going through the transition to barefoot is not a proccess I want to go through unless I really have to.

[TLC97]

Well I think this is a question that varies from owner to owner and horse to horse. Jake just had his shoes pulled for the winter. It is getting cold here and I like them naked for the winter. He will have shoes put back on in the spring once "mud season" (real season here) is gone. Cane would have had the same thing done, but with his injury he spent the summer barefoot. I usually put shoes on sometime in April and take them off in November. The winters here are too snowy and icy to deal with shoes on and my guys are out almost everyday.

[ownedby7horses]

Depends what Im doing with my horses. The ground here can get pretty hard. My horse used to wear shoes for the summers. All my horses now are barefoot though. They seem to do fine with it, so why change what's working? If I ever needed to put shoes on though, I wouldn't hesitate to do it.
I have a great farrier who does awsome barefoot trimming though, so that helps. He pays close attention to what's going on & remembers little details about their feet.

[APPYT]

Mine are all barefoot, I have a great trimmer. If any show tenderness on rocks I use Boa boots.

[luv2show]

Tanner is currently barefoot. He has amazing feet and has never been sore or ouchy since I bought him.
However I might shoe him when we get into a lot of jumping this winter, we'll see :)

[Gliderider]

3 of mine are barefoot. Prize my new boy has front only on. He came home that way but I will be letting him go barefoot for winter. He never had shoes on the first time I owned him.

[medicine hat]

barefoot here! always has been. even through a bout with laminitis. and the farrier is impressed with how well his feet have been since. he's a Spanish Mustang, I wonder how much genetics play a part?

[Stellaluna]

I keep Stella shod on the fronts with Ground Control plastic shoes during the summer when I ride the most. They're off during the winter. I ride mainly on dirt roads and her hooves wear too short if I don't have something on. I can't afford boots right now, but will probably switch to those eventually.

Luna is a yearling and I'll do my best to keep her barefoot, but I plan to use her for driving which means lots of road work so we'll see.

I used to keep the pony shod with the plastic shoes, too, as he drives as well, but we left him barefoot this year. We also only took him out driving once or twice the whole year.

[FoxFireEMT]

I prefer barefoot & since discovering true barefoot I'm a big fan. I on the other hand would never push my beliefs on others. :) But I'm always up for learning more about barefoot trimmers & others opinions. During the time that the other forum was down I got a barefoot trimmer to come out & do legend & I have been nothing but thrilled since. He was a real nice gentleman & took the time to explain everything he did, why he did it and what he expected us to do as our part in our horses natural hoof growth!

[FoxFireEMT]

O yeah and its much cheaper!

[livaward]

All 3 of mine are bare.......if Steve ever shows concern and says shoes......shoes it will be.....but as of now we are just trying to fix Pearls hoofs........

[Dakota Sunrise]

Dakota is shod all the way around because I trail ride him on some fairly rough terrain, and because a conformation flaw (I think) makes him drag his back toes. If he wasn't shod he'd eventually wear his toes right off from dragging them on rocks and pavement, etc.
He is barefoot in the winter because I don't ride as much or as far and I like to give his hooves a change to grow out the nail holes, etc. He's also barefoot at the moment because he was laid off for six weeks and just hung out in the pasture, but the farrier comes out on Saturday to re-shoe him.:)

Beauty is barefoot. She has descent hooves and is fine in the arena, but on trails she can get ouchie. I would like to have front shoes on her for that reason, but since she's terrified of farriers, vets, etc that's not happening (long story- but my new farrier is awesome with her and I think over time she will improve). I recently bought her a pair of easyboot epics for when I take her out on the trails, and they're working out nicely so far.

[mtnmollie]

A barefoot horse needs time to build that hoof. Sunny got ouchie on rock. WE shod him for 3 days and then pulled his shoes after that ride. Next I let him be ouchie- next- he quit being ouchie.

When you build the hoof and leg for endurance- you stress them some but not to the breaking point to condition them. Stress to the breaking point is injuery.

[FredRock]

Nope, no shod horses here. I will shoe if the need arises, but right now they're pasture puffs with decent feet, so no need to have them. I usually take shoes off for winter anyways, to give a season for the hooves to re-grow.

[Country Girl 43]

Well all of my horses are barefoot right now, but if the vet and shoer say my Dreamer needs shoes then she will get them. I'm not a die hard in either direction. What ever will keep my horses comfortable and sound is what matters.

Ladybird has hooves of steel and can go anywhere barefoot.

Dallas gets ouchy sometimes on the longer trail rides, so I will just get him some boots. He has never had shoes on and if he doesn't need them, I'm not going to mess with it.

[Lakota's Pet]

We shoe, mainly because of police work that keeps us on pavement a lot. Most all of our horses are just in the front, except for the belgian. He has all 4 because of the way he walks, he will wear his feet right off without shoes on the backs. But we pull everyones except one for the winter to let them grow, and we get a ton of snow, so it's easier on them and us. No tippy-toeing on ice balls. We have one that because of his previous owners stupidity he has to have fronts year round. When we got him he was split so badly up the front he was leaving prints simliar to a cloven hoof, and bled with every step. If we take his shoes off for more than 6 weeks he starts to split again and goes lame.

[sugarsgirl]

I shoe Chrissy because when she is worked hard for a long period of time, like during show seaons, her feet don't hold up aswell. She had all last year off, and I've been riding her since June barefoot, and she has just gotten to the point of needing shoes last month, which is pretty good in my opinion for not needing to have them after haivng so much time off and being worked again. So in a couple of months when shes not being worked as much, I'll pull them off and then she'll get them back on when show season starts.

[westmanfarrier]

My horses were barefoot until last week. My wife said she was going to practice with the local drill team. She needed more traction and protection, so I put shoes on. When the need arises they get shoes otherwise they remain barefoot. Shoes are for protection, support, traction, or therapeutic reasons. If a horse needs them, I apply them. If they do not I suggest keeping them barefoot.

I have a question I have been pondering. Are you barefoot? You wear boots? Why? You weren't born with boots or shoes. If you go without shoes and stand on gravel every day, you will get a serious sole callous and it will not hurt... in time. Hmmm....

[medicine hat]

ha ha~good analogy! that reminds me~while growing up I was always barefoot & we had a very long, rock driveway that I could walk/run over easily without shoes~

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

Buck had shoes when I got him 1 year ago. He was ridden alot on some hard trails. But he was actually missing one shoe..I had them taken off. It took about 6 months for his feet not to be ouchie. He is barefoot now. I ride him only on easy trails.

Mira's feet was really dry and cracked when we got her. We took off her shoes..(only had them on her front feet) and tried that for awile..but now we have put them back on to hopefully help until her hooves get healthier.

[Blue]

I ride alot so Blue is shod all the way around. :)

[painthorse72]

mine are barefoot and get trimmed every 8 weeks like clockwork. Time before last we didnt set an appt just said first week in october well I had gotten a new phone plan that week and hadnt called my farrier he dropped by my house to make an appt. The 3month and 5month old babies got their first trims. I was worried we might have to put shoes on my daughters new mare (foundered) but with the regular trims shes doing really good.

[gaited07]

Both of my horses have shoes all around. Tried going with out on the hind end and wore the hoof to the nubbin.
I would like to go barefoot but I have no patience for the time needed for this. I love my trails and use them all the time.
Some of the trails that I've been on, I've been caught up in beds of lava rock that you have no choice but buckle down and proceed through. (a million X worse than gravel) I know some barefoot horses could handle this with no problem.
So to answer the question about preference, I'm for what is comfortable for horse and owners preference. I support BOTH!

[westmanfarrier]

If wear exceeds growth, as in your case gaited07, then shoes are called for.

Go barefoot in the off season to help condition them.

[gaited07]

If wear exceeds growth, as in your case gaited07, then shoes are called for.

Go barefoot in the off season to help condition them.



LOL, I don't know of a "OFF Season" I pretty much ride all year around.
In the summer months when it's hotter than the dickens, I will trailer up to the mountains.

[westmanfarrier]

Dang, I need to move.

We have a pretty clear off season. When the mud is deeper than the fetlock, it is time to take a break.;)

[Buckpoco]

Barefoot, but we ride in Cavallo boots. Our trimmer is having us work towards not needing the boots, but I don't care if I always need them. After having several horses that always lost shoes, it's such a pleasure not to have to worry about losing a shoe when I'm four hours out from home.
Also, I just think that barefoot is so much better for them in the long run, if you can make it work.

[starkitten]

My horse is barefoot, but obviously hasn't been all his life. He was one of the TWH 'victims' at one time. Long toes and all..... I don't ride him hard or in bad terrain though. The hardest thing he has to do very occasionally is take me around town for at the most 30 minutes hehehe

[gaited07]

Dang, I need to move.

We have a pretty clear off season. When the mud is deeper than the fetlock, it is time to take a break.;)


Outside Vegas is beautiful and thousands of miles to ride. Vegas (excuse me) SUCKS. It's getting so big and the roads can not handle the traffic. The people who built our roads must have been asleep. They just can't think past the 60's with our narrow roads and constantly working on improving them ????? Lots of pockets getting filled on this one.

[fire1]

Dang, I need to move.

We have a pretty clear off season. When the mud is deeper than the fetlock, it is time to take a break.;)

Pssst I live in washington too, western and ride year round. My horse has ground control on the front and steel on the rear. We condition for endurance rides year around so he doesn't get time off. If it ain't icey we ride anyway! So far knock on wood no snowball issues! He has great feet, but we were them faster than he can grow them! There are some great logging roads to ride on and they are hard!

[TacheteTreasures]

I trail ride, ride in parades, etc. so Schatze gets shod. Also, for horse camp they prefer it(idk why).

[Stellaluna]

My horse has ground control on the front

Yay! Someone else who uses Ground Control! :)

[luvs2ride1979]

Barefoot here! I do my own trim, a natural type trim that I learned from Pete Ramey's book and web site (I have my work checked every 6 months or so by an instructor). My horses do very well ;). My mare's feet are a bit ouchy on rocks, so I'm going to be bringing in some gravel for our pasture. I'm going to put it down under their shelter (which is at the gate) and in this one muddy area. I'm hoping the extra gravel will help toughen her feet up some.

I do agree that some horses need shoes, especially horses being stalled 12 hours or more a day, or in another non-ideal environment. But, I do think that most horses can go barefoot if you have the right living environment, the right diet, and are willing to take the time to go through the transition. That said, I do not think shoes are evil, just not "best" ;).

[cowpuncher]

I ride shod horses. Partly this is due to my proclivity for riding on rocky, tough, desert terrain, but mostly it's due to my training as a farrier.

I acknowledge that lots of horses get by barefoot, and do just fine, and that's okay. I'm not willing to risk dow-the-road issues from it. Accepting the fact that horses in the wild go without shoes is great, but horses in the wild do not pack a saddle and rider around either. I just happen to be a believer in shoeing.

As far as removing shoes in the winter, I don't buy into it either. If I spend the spring, summer, and fall getting my horse's feet the way they should be and shod nice, why would I spend the winter months letting all that work go to waste? I'll keep mine shod all the time, unless something drastic happens, and a vet not only tells me to pull them, but can give me a logical explanation for why I should pull them.

Using the humans in shoes analogy......Yes, with conditioning, you could run across any surface in bare feet, and not have too much problem. The Bushmen, and !Kung in Africa do it. The Native Americans ran around in thin leather moccasins. But.......every single culture in history that has carried large loads on their backs or heads for any kind of distance, has worn some sort of footwear........Soldiers ruckmarch in boots, backpackers wear boots, the porters of the ancient armies wore sandals.......Shoeing protects human feet and provides support and traction, whether its for a human or a horse.

[WashingtonBay]

My horse can go barefoot, but he's better shod. On any terrain and out playing in the pasture.

If I'd never seen him go otherwise, I'd think he was moving "fine". But I know how he moves shod, so I know "better". :)

[mypaintpony]

My mare goes barefoot as she has wonderful feet. She does get trimmed and I ride her on trails but I stay away from footing that is too hard or very rocky.

[westmanfarrier]

Using the humans in shoes analogy......Yes, with conditioning, you could run across any surface in bare feet, and not have too much problem. The Bushmen, and !Kung in Africa do it. The Native Americans ran around in thin leather moccasins. But.......every single culture in history that has carried large loads on their backs or heads for any kind of distance, has worn some sort of footwear........Soldiers ruckmarch in boots, backpackers wear boots, the porters of the ancient armies wore sandals.......Shoeing protects human feet and provides support and traction, whether its for a human or a horse.

Well said cowpuncher, exactly what I was getting at. Trying to make people think logically. It is true that horseshoes are a human invention. Ben Franklin I believe, said "Necessity is the mother of invention."

As for needing shoes to keep the hooves in shape, I am not on the same page with you unless there is a pathology or excessive wear that the shoes are compensating for. The shoe should be an extension of the hoof. A properly balanced hoof should stay the same shape with or without shoes.

[cowpuncher]

As for needing shoes to keep the hooves in shape, I am not on the same page with you unless there is a pathology or excessive wear that the shoes are compensating for. The shoe should be an extension of the hoof. A properly balanced hoof should stay the same shape with or without shoes.


It's more a matter, to me, of people that turn their horse, unshod, out on the desert for the winter with no trimming and no upkeep of the foot. If the horse is being kept in a soft stall, and regular maintenance is being done on the feet, then I have no problem with jerking shoes for the winter. I don't do it, cause every horse I've ever owned was turned out on rocky desert pasture all winter, if they weren't being ridden.

[palomino]

I think with shoes you are taking a bigger risk with down the road issues. Driving a nail through their hoof and having them live their lives out in iron is a heck of a lot more damaging than leaving it bare! Just my .02, not wishing to get into a bare vs shoes discussion, just seems like saying barefoot is risky is illogical. Im not crazy opposed to shoes either, if the shoe job is done right. Also, the farriers I have talked to has suggested a 'downtime' from shoes during the winter, or whatever.
So to clarify, what exactly are you risking in long term damage if you DONT shoe your horse?

[Lakota's Pet]

I would love to barefoot on my boys, but because of all the pavement work that we do. I would rather have the iron than wear the hooves down to nothing. But I have one that HAS to have shoes because of past neglect issues before we got him. Without shoes he splits to the coronet band and bleeds within a week. When we bought him he was split like that, and from the x-rays we had done about 10 years ago he has a section of scar tissue in each front hoof about an inch wide that can't handle being without shoes, no matter how he has been trimmed. Vet diagnosis, shoes all the time, reset every 6 weeks.

[WashingtonBay]

palomino.... I think the potential for harm in pulling the shoes is in the scenario cowpuncher mentions in pulling the shoes and just leaving them be all winter. If you'd spent the whole summer getting a foot in shape, bringing back underrun heels or long flared toes, you may undo all that by just leaving them untrimmed for 4 months or more 'turned out'.

I've never had footsore issues with shod horses on trail. I've never had a shod horse experience bruising or soreness indicated by short stepping or diving off to the side of gravel roads. I think that is the 'down the road issues' he speaks of. I've certainly seen barefoot horses do this. Shod, the horse is just a little better protected from these things, his feet are not the weak link in the chain.

Of course, a horse can always lose a shoe, and that's a potential down-the-road issue as well. But knock on wood, I've not had it happen with good and frequent shoeing.

Long term damage may just be that the horse is not considered as fit and sound as he could be with them. I've seen Bay barefoot. He doesn't limp. Anyone who didn't know him would say he is sound. But he's not at his 'best'. I've seen the difference in him and it says something about the stoic nature of horses that you sometimes don't see subtle sensitivity or soreness until you remove it. Barefoot in winter, he didn't run and play nearly as freely. He just got around. Barefoot in back only, he slipped a lot on wet grass, particularly at the canter. I've got his farrier appointment this week, and I'll talk to the farrier about whether there is any benefit at all in removing the shoes for winter. I'm still not sure.

[Mercury]

I just have back shoes on Mercury. The rest are bare for now, depends on how much riding we do next year. Mercury has cracking feet issues so I have shoes on him for now, but I'll likely switch back once the cracks are under control again.

[palomino]

Ok, gotcha.

[BalooEyes]

I have front shoes on Baloo. He has strong feet and all, but he is tender on rocks, and there are A LOT of rocks where I board.
I love barefoot (both for the price and I think its better for the horse), but he is too ouchy on the rocks and the front shoes really help. I am still careful to avoid rocks, gravel, and road if I can, but the fronts really help when we do come across these things.

[cowpuncher]

So to clarify, what exactly are you risking in long term damage if you DONT shoe your horse?


In my experience, (and acknowledging that, while I've done a lot of horses' feet, I'm not a full-time shoer, and don't want to be), any of the typical ailments and injuries of the foot are an overall greater risk in the long run. As WB said, a lot of it has to do with feet getting torn up on winter pasture, but......

When humans wear shoes, it's not just for protection of our sole. It's also in order to proved an external structure to support the foot, which is designed to be a shock absorber for the knees and hips and spine, etc.

The same thing applies to the horse's foot. Without a rider on, they are fine with bare feet, just like a !Kung tribesman is. When you put that load on though, especially for extended periods of time, if you don't provied the additional support for the foot, I feel that you are risking some damage to the knees, hocks, shoulders, and hips. These in turn can lead to chiropractic issues. Anyone that knows me realizes I am a Nazi about chiropractic.

All this being said, a lot of people get by just fine riding their horses barefoot. My ex-wife puts more miles on her horses, at fast paces, than anyone I've ever even heard of. She is a Natural Balance certified trimmer, and a huge advocate of it. I disagree with her on it (amongst a host of other issues:rolleyes:) but it works for her.

I don't personally care if someone wants shoes on their horse or not. I just tell my clients that I'll leave them barefoot until the horse starts feeling off. Then I'm shoeing them. If they're not okay with that, they can send their horse elsewhere.

[rocknK]

I ride year round, my horse works year round, I shoe my horse year round.

[westmanfarrier]

I believe the long term effects of nails are about 2-4 months, when the holes grow out depending on how high the nails were. When the holes are gone, the effects are gone. I do not understand that argument. Hoof grows from the coronary band towards the ground. The only hoof damaged by the nails is about an inch from the ground.

[medicine hat]

I understand using shoes for theraputic reasons, chronic problems and if the hoof gets worn faster than it can regrow, I witness that on the working trail horses where I board.
I am confused on the benefits of shoes as support for the hoof~doesn't the hoof structure itself flex with each step, helping to absorb shock, give support & encourage the blood to circulate through the hoof? and wouldn't a shoe constrict the hoof from this subtle flexing? does the frog need to come into contact with the ground to stimulate the circulation, and don't shoes keep the frog from doing this?
which is worse, adding weight to a horse & letting his body adjust & the hoof flex & support naturally, or adding weight & shoes that possibly hinder the way the hoof works? as long as the other issues for needing shoes don't come into play.
just wondering~ there is so much conflicting information!

[cowpuncher]

~doesn't the hoof structure itself flex with each step, helping to absorb shock, give support & encourage the blood to circulate through the hoof? and wouldn't a shoe constrict the hoof from this subtle flexing? does the frog need to come into contact with the ground to stimulate the circulation, and don't shoes keep the frog from doing this?


Yes, the hoof structure itself flexes with each step. Yes, it provides all the physiological benefits you mentioned.

If a horse is shod properly, it does not prevent the PROPER flexion. Walk around in a pair of sneakers if you have any (I don't own a pair). Even when laced snugly, like they should be, and providing support, they don't stop your feet from flexing. Granted, iron is a bit stiffer ;) than whatever Nike is using to build shoes these days, but it's also supporting a lot more weight.

The answer to the frog question goes back to being shod PROPERLY. There are a lot of shoers out there, and cowboy shoers are the worst, that take too much frog off. The ONLY time ANY frog should be taken off is if it's likely to get torn off in daily work, leading to traumatic tears of the frog. The frog SHOULD touch the ground, even shod, as you mentioned, because it acts like a bellows kind of, to keep blood pumping back up through the hoof.

So again, like the barefoot advocates, the soundness of showing really comes down to ensuring that it's done PROPERLY.

Does that clear some of the confusion for you?

[medicine hat]

yep :)

[HeartofSteel]

Niko is barefoot and probably always will be. He has really good strong feet and there isn't a need for shoes. I use a Natural Barefoot Trimmer and I have been very happy with it.

[MileHighOlli]

Well, I keep my boy Jake barefoot, but he seems to do better that way. He has wicked hard feet. Also since he is kept in pasture and has a knack for getting himself in trouble it seems to be a safer alternative for his pasture mates :rolleyes:

I have had horses in the past that did require shoes though. What ever keeps them sound and comfortable is fine by me, be that barefoot or shod.

[fire1]

Yay! Someone else who uses Ground Control! :)

A good portion of the horses at my barn are using ground control! Ilove them, so much better than steel for my boy. He has not been able to pull them off yet. He has great feet cause they allow them to flex too.

[Hobo]

nope not a single shod horse/mule on my place.

[Stellaluna]

Ilove them, so much better than steel for my boy. He has not been able to pull them off yet. He has great feet cause they allow them to flex too.

Yup, same goes for me. :)

[westmanfarrier]

Like Cowpuncher said, a properly applied shoe allows for expansion of the hoof. It is a basic guideline to not place a nail rear of the widest part of the hoof. The majority of motion on the hoof happens behind the widest point and at the toe. We do not place nails in these places unless necessary. Take a look at a shoe when it is pulled, you can see by the wear that the caudal portion of the hoof moves on the shoe.

[westmanfarrier]

If a shoe constricts blood flow wouldn't the hoof start dying? If the hoof wasn't getting the necessary requirements nutritionally wouldn't it cease to grow wall, sole, and frog? Heck, I would shoe my way out of a job.

I believe applying a pad without packing or not having a ground surface that packs into the hoof is not healthy. I believe blood flow (out of the hoof) comes from combination of ground pushing up against frog, bars and the other caudal hoof structures and the bones pushing down from the weight of the horse.