Barefoot over winter?

[ClaireBear_nz]

I'm thinking about taking Sparky's shoes off over the winter, as she won't be working much, has arthritis and I thought it would be nice for her feet to have a rest.

If she does get ridden, it'll only be on sand at the beach, which would be very infrequent, or on soft ground at home. She has good hooves, and has never had problems with bruising etc, even when she didn't have shoes on. To be knowledge, she wasn't shod before I owned her, and for the first year or so I had her, she was unshod.

Would she be okay without boots? She's currently lame, and her feet are nowhere near needing a trim, so I'm holding off the farrier at the moment. Depending how she went, I'd like to leave her barefoot the whole time, however, I have no idea about qualified EP in New Zealand, so it would be a farrier trim.

[Bobbin]

I was under the illusion that winter would be a better time to be barefoot. I had a hellish winter, it was so wet and her feet were so soft that she was footy for months.

However if you aren't going to ride her much then you don't have much to lose, I was annoyed as I planned to carry on riding as normal.

[Yann]

It's a really good idea and horses would be much better off if it was more common, whoever was trimming. You can only see how you get on, if she's only going to be ridden on soft going then you may well be fine, just listen to her and work accordingly.

I decided to start doing this but then couldn't being myself to shoe again:D

[Vez]

I agree with Yann, I was going 2 suggest the same to my friend who sounds like shes in a simular situation. I think it is an excellant idea. :) My pony's a lot better barefoot.

[Dina]

My horses are usually all left barefoot over winter,Chunky is the only one shod at the moment as he gets ridden on the road.
But they are all fine,and I do ride them in the paddock and they have no problems with it.
I only shoe my horses when they need to be shod,and thats just when I am doing alot of riding on the road with them.They just get normal trims from the farrier as well.

[Gracie]

It's worth a try.
I leave Cherry barefoot in the winter, and shoe him in the summer.
And he gets along fine.

[Wally]

That's how we tend to work things here, barefoot over winter, and shoes on again in spring when the workload increases.

Works really well for us and the horses.

[ClaireBear_nz]

The ditzoid thing showed absolutly no sign of lameness today, when she charged around the paddock, complete with canter pirouettes, and a touch of passage. This would've been wonderful, but it set dear Tally (who I was on!) into a long stream of bucks, followed by a mad gallop around the arena.

Regardless of soundness, I think I will whip her shoes off for the winter. A lot of local horses are barefoot anyway!

Any comments on her feet? She hyas rather stumpy little legs, so pasterns etc are quite upright. The fact that she has what could be the worst conformation in the world doesn't seem to bother her!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v665/ClaireBear_nz/makeover010.jpg

[Wally]

Your farrier shoes very tight!

By that I mean the foot is right up to the shoe's edge and on the right back foot the hoof seems to be overhanging the shoe a tad at the heel.

I also don't like to shoe the toe so far forward. I leave a bit of toe overhangling so it takes breakover back and if the horse does over reach he strikes with hoof rather than shoe!

[ClaireBear_nz]

Your farrier shoes very tight!

By that I mean the foot is right up to the shoe's edge and on the right back foot the hoof seems to be overhanging the shoe a tad at the heel.

I also don't like to shoe the toe so far forward. I leave a bit of toe overhangling so it takes breakover back and if the horse does over reach he strikes with hoof rather than shoe!

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of him. Sparky hates him, and shes usually right about people (and that has to be the worst excuse for not liking someone!) but I'm horrified to say that he's the best around. I'd like to get her shoes off and see how her feet balance out.

Thank you very much for pointing this out to me! I've never noticed things like this before!!

Luckily, there isn't much chance of Sparky over reaching, as she has short strides and the longest back around.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v665/ClaireBear_nz/makeover002.jpg

Thank you for confirming to me that I really do want to try her barefoot!