Many people ask can my horse go barefoot, and for many horses this is perfectly possible. Some horses however will always need shoes either because their hooves are not strong enough, or shoes are recommended to help rectify conformational issues.
Many horses are shod simply because ‘that’s what everyone does.’ Not all horses need shoes, and many benefit from being left barefoot. Cobs and native breeds are often left unshod as they have strong, healthy feet that do not wear down as fast as others. Competition event horses may need shoes so that studs can be used during the eventing phase.
If you’re interested in your horse going barefoot then read on to find out if it’s the right thing for your horse.
What Are The Benefits Of Going Barefoot
Horse foot without shoes and horse feet without shoes is known as going barefoot, or being unshod.
Going barefoot can have a number of advantages for both the horse and owner.
- Losing a shoe: This invariably happens just before a big outing. If your horse isn’t shod this can’t happen and he’ll always be ready to go.
- Getting caught: Catching a shoe in a haynet or fence can lead to injury for your horse. With unshod horses you can be free of this worry.
- Natural: Many owners want to ensure that their horse lives as natural a life as possible. This means dispensing with shoes and moving to barefoot, with boots when necessary.
- Cost: The price of shoeing is always increasing. Although this is also true of trimming, the cost of trimming is far lower and allows the extra monies to be spend on more treats for you and your horse.
- Slipping: Shod horses are prone to slipping, especially on wet roads. Barefoot horses are very often more sure-footed and therefore can feel safer to ride.
- Improved circulation: It has been documented that circulation improves in a barefoot horse.
- Improved heart-rate recovery: Odd though it sounds, going barefoot has been shown to potentially improve recovery rates after exercise.
- Concussive injury: When a horse is barefoot, the shock-absorbing properties of the hoof are allowed to act as nature intended. In the shod horse, the metal shoes do not allow this process to work as well, and therefore the shod horse is more prone to concussive injuries than the barefoot horse.
The benefits of better hoof health too can not be discounted. The saying, ‘No hoof, No horse,’ should always be borne in mind.
Source 1
5 Tips For Transitioning To Barefoot
If you’re considering transitioning to barefoot, take a look at these top 10 tips:
- Feed for the hoof: Before thinking of removing your horses shoes, take a step back, and look at the feed you are giving your horse. Try adding biotin if this isn’t already included in your horse’s diet. If your horse suffers with mallanders or sallanders keep an eye that this addition isn’t having negative effects with this condition. Zinc and calcium are also important, so make sure that your horse has a balanced diet and consult an equine nutritionist if your are able to.
- Barefoot trimmer: Ensure that you have a farrier who is trained in barefoot trimming and take their advice when considering removing their shoes.
- Ground: Your horse may experience footiness at the outset before their soles harden up. If you are able to give your horse an area of ground that isn’t stoney to roam around on, and limit trails/hacks to non-stoney paths, it will limit the likelihood of your horse going footsore at the outset.
- Boots: If you go on long trails/hacks, and especially if you do lots of roadwork, then using boots to help your horse may be a good choice. There are many different types and styles of boots to choose from, but getting a fit that doesn’t rub is the most important thing when making your choice.
- Hoof condition: Make sure that you keep on top of hoof care. Condition when hooves are dry, and keep your horses hooves out of excessive moisture when the weather turns wet.
There are several reasons why horses are shod, from needing studs for jumping and gripping ground, to attempting to rectify a conformational defect to keep the horse sound enough to work. Hoof protection for barefoot horses can come in the form of boots and pads, and are always worth bearing in mind if your horse doesn’t appear to be faring as well as you’d like when he transitions to barefoot.
Helping your horse go barefoot should start with consulting the barefoot trimmers list (natural barefoot trimming for horses register) and is a sensible choice as unlike farriers, barefoot trimmers do not need to have much in the way of formal qualifications and registrations.
Do barefoot horses have a hoof capsule? is sometimes asked. Just like shod horses, barefoot horses do have a hoof capsule. This capsule works as an effective shock absorber (source 2).
If asked is bare foot hoof better than a booted hoof or a shod hoof, then you’ll get a million different answers depending upon a person’s experiences of horses and farriers.
Transitioning your horse to barefoot can be a slow process, but those who have done so are often pleased with the improvements in hoof health and way of going that their horse shows.
Conclusion
Should my horse go barefoot and Can my horse go barefoot are often asked by owners who want the best for their horse, but have only ever known horses to be shod. Keeping a horse barefoot, or transitioning your horse to being unshod can be a long process, but one that can lead to many positives. For some horses it won’t be the answer, but if stronger, healthier hooves, with fewer outgoings, and readiness to do all jobs is what you’re looking for, then going barefoot could be the way forward for you and your horse.
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