Posted by J. Walters on June 03, 2004 at 17:00:09:
In Reply to: Re: barefoot horses posted by Phil Armitage on November 21, 2003 at 23:07:22:
: : : I've read so many positive response from horse owners who have gone barefoot. I'd like to know what farriers think of this trend.
: : It all depends on the hoof quality and how the horse is used. I have many customers that have their horses trimmed on a two month schedule and have no problems at all. I have a 5 year old mare that I will probably never shoe due to great feet and the moderate riding. If you have a good farrier with integrity he or she would be the best to advise you on your situation. Hooves, useage, and terrain.
: : JB
: Barefoot is not a new trend, there are thousands of horse owners who keep there horses barefoot for various reasons and this has been common for hundreds of years. Right now there seems to be a new fad among horse owners on going barefoot and that shoes are bad. Some people think it is a good idea and that it will work on all horses, no matter what they do with there horses. This is ignorance and foolish, a horse owner needs to talk to a farrier before they decide what to do with there horses feet. I can't tell you how many horses that I have put shoes back on that have gone lame from riding and working them barefoot. Sometimes the lameness is perminant, because of the sole pressure and damage to P3. I have to laugh when I get a big pat on the back when a horse is instantly sound when all I did was put a pair of shoes on, this tells me how little people know about horses feet. All of my customers know that if there horse or horses can go barefoot I would be the first to tell them and it depends on what they are doing with there horses, the owner always has the last word but I will give my 2 cents worth. I beleive if you are going to work your horse by training or rideing then you should protect there feet just like you would use a saddle to protect there backs. The other thing to consider is protecting the rider especially a child who may get thrown and injured because a horse stumbles from pressure or pain on the bottom of there feet. When someone tells me that horses do fine in the wild without shoes, I remind them that they are also doing it without the added weight of a person on there back, they are not kept in stalls and and paddocks where there feet will not self maintain. In the wild horses self mantain there feet by constantly being on the move, the ones that go lame become food. Domestic horses have to be kept in stalls and paddocks for us to be able to manage there care and protect them, unless you don't mind them running away or having high vet bills from injurys. Learn all you can about horses and how to properly care for them and use common sense. You do not have to reinvent the wheel, there is plenty of good horsemen and women and books available out there that have already figured it out for us. The next time you step on a rock while you are barefoot, that is probably how it feels to the sole area of your horses feet when you are trail riding, but a 100 time worse.
: Phil
Actually the reason barefoot horses go sound after you put shoes on them is that the shoes cut off blood circulation to the hoof so therefore the horse can't feel any pain. To find out more information about barefoot horsekeeping, check out www.thehorseshoof.com or www.zenequine.com