Barefoot and confidence levels

[Montana]

I came across an interesting theory I came across on another horse
forum.

It was about horses going barefoot, then becoming less spooky....Well, Monty's been a joy to work with for the last 3-4 months. And guess how
long he's been barefoot?!

Sounds a bit out there, but the reasoning was that some horses,(I think possibly those with extremely strong survival instinct/slightly feral horse tendencies),find it easier to manage their fear while barefoot, because they can feel the ground/understand their footing better.

Now I don't doubt that the work I've been doing, during the same period, has been massively better planned and more consistent than in the past. But - it's a bit of a chicken and egg scenario I think.

What if his extra security/change of mindset started with the feet,
then I was finally able to use that frame of mind to take things
forward in such big steps, in a way I haven't been able to do previously? There's no doubt in my mind that he's a much, much more secure horse even than 2 months ago. Things like opening gates - he literally used to slam around at them, wouldn't listen, just panicked and tried to haul the reins out of my hands.

Completely, totally different to how he's dealing with it now - softly lining himself up in the right spot, without me touching a rein. He's a lot more careful with the way he moves too - could be that having to slow down and think about what terrain he actually wants to go on, the best for
feel, has switched his brain on to actually thinking about how he
moves, instead of just moving. His separation anxiety has drastically
reduced. He's just totally happy to head off the yard by himself, which would have been unheard of even 5 months ago.

Now I know, I've worked on all this stuff a lot.
I've also got a much better mindset myself. All of that will make a massive difference. I just got to thinking what if the shoes coming off was the catalyst finally for the changes which I've been looking for years for?

Any thoughts? Has anyone else encountered a similar thing?

[Yann]

It's an interesting idea and there's lots of anecdotal evidence regarding changes in behaviour and attitude to work when shoes are pulled. It may hold water, I don't know, but I can't help wondering whether the horses sometimes just feel better physically if the feet were previously in less than optimum shape with knock ons elsewhere in the body, or things like more attention to diet and regime play their part too.

I know Rio could be a real nappy pants at times in the past but now has a lovely attitude to work, perhaps there is something in it:D Tess on the other hand loves work anyway, but has been mainly ridden in boots since having her shoes pulled, so that would sink that particular theory :)

[Montana]

Mont gets ridden in front boots if we're going any distance/uneven ground too, but he's out of boots/shoes for 23 hours a day mostly at least. So even when he's in boots, I think his improved confidence levels overall could still play a part in his behaviour.

He may well be feeling a bit better physically with the shoes off though. That could play a part too.

[MelanieD]

Interesting!

There was a big improvement in Roxy after getting rid of the shoes as well. She used to spin and tank off home when there was an imaginary horse eating monster. Last few rides before she went barefoot we had an argument over speed and madam dumped me and was generally an argumentative brat. At the same time her behaviour while being shod was seriously going downhill!

She'll still try to spin and trot away from something genuinely scary but she doesn't do the 'fake spook' and go full speed home trick anymore, and she's generally a much nicer horse to ride. She'll still pratt about if she thinks the passanger can handle it but isn't anywhere near as argumentative and actually makes an effort not to drop people now.

Its not been an overnight miracle change and we've still had to have a lot of discussions, but there was a definite change in attitude around the time she went barefoot. Her feet were horrible in shoes and were still horrible for a while bare but I think the change was more around the time the shoes came off than the time her feet started to look vaguely like proper feet again. I suspect all the walking in hand we had to do did help. She did have one little horse eating monster incident that demonstrated quite well that she didn't stop it because her feet were too sore to be able to, but she was much more willing to discuss things. The lack of shoes also helped my confidence in dealing with her because I'm not worried about her slipping when she decides to pratt about on the road so deal with some situations differently.

[Tatooed Lady]

some of it COULD be related to general discomfort from having the feet constricted by shoes all the time. If I were wearing shoes that were uncomfortable all the time, I'd be FAR less likely to be nice than if my feet are comfortable...and barefoot, a horse's hoof can spread and flex the way nature intended....so maybe there IS a bit of something behind the theory, at least in some cases.
Either way, congratulations on having found a better horse under all the brattiness!

[Roofio]

we'll let you know i ever get back on board!!

[Kari2]

How interesting! I have had my mare barefoot since October as I don't ride in the winter anymore due to lack of facilities. She has had no problems but has only been in and out of the field and up and down a small road to the field. I would like to keep her barefoot coming into Spring as I feel she has relaxed so much since and her hooves have changed shape and become alot wider which makes me think of how constricting having the shoes on were:eek:

Imagine wearing really tight shoes all the time and then finally getting them off........

I really don't want to put them back on!!

[KarinUS]

Wow. That is interesting!

[perkypinky]

my freind told me that she kept her very spooky highly strung youngster barefoot and slightly foot sore as she was much more ridable and not so spooky without shoes. As soon as she put shoes on her and she felt more comfortable she was a very challenging ride.
So thats maybe the other side of the coin so to speak.

[Yann]

That's not on :(

[perkypinky]

That's not on :(

i agree totally - i would never keep a horse iin even slight pain to help my needs!:mad: - but i just thought i would share the thought :o

[Roofio]

From the limited amount of work we have done since his shoes of come off, he is definitely more aware of where he's putting his feet and you can see him choosing where he wants to walk (and this is not always the most seemingly 'comfortable' surface)

Keeping a horse barefoot so it'll be uncomfortable and therefore more easily controllable is something that is happening to J's next door neighbour, not nice at all :o:o

[SmokinPRanch]

There's an interesting training technique...soring a horse. Imagine the poor folks that maybe buy that horse someday and let him heal up.

[Tatooed Lady]

we bought a Siberian Husky a year or so ago, and the 'owner' had said that if he started to dig up our yard to just trim his nails a 'bit' too short, and that would keep him from digging. Same idea. And I'd wondered WHY he was so touchy about my trimming his nails! :rolleyes: Sheesh....No, I do NOT keep my dogs or my horse lame to make things "more convenient" for myself. I want them in good health, and comfortable, just as I want myslef.
Some people just annoy me no end. :mad:

[Montana]

my freind told me that she kept her very spooky highly strung youngster barefoot and slightly foot sore as she was much more ridable and not so spooky without shoes. As soon as she put shoes on her and she felt more comfortable she was a very challenging ride.
So thats maybe the other side of the coin so to speak.

That's just a terrible way to think:eek: From the moment his shoes came off, all of my efforts, and my EP's efforts have been cenrtred around keeping Monty comfortable. It meant hours of gradual hand walking, conditioning, building up tolerance of difference surfaces, and all that in hand before I even dreamed of riding him:rolleyes:. Now he's ridden in front boots, unless we're just in the arena, because his fronts aren't quite as developed as his back yet. And we're still on 30 - 40 minute rides maximum, over good terrain. To think that someone might take shoes off to slow their horse down - well, the mind boggles. I actually think Monty's more comfortable now than he ever was in shoes - the last time he was shod, my farrier actually deliberately put on a shoe which was too small, because he had no hoof left to attach to:((had missed yet another appointment, and Monty had lost yet another shoe.....)

From the limited amount of work we have done since his shoes of come off, he is definitely more aware of where he's putting his feet and you can see him choosing where he wants to walk (and this is not always the most seemingly 'comfortable' surface)


Monty does the same:D I carefully walk along the grass verges out to his field, he tramps down the centre of the gravel track, refusing my requests to join me:D