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View Full Version : Barefoot virgin - help!!

Sarah-B
22nd Oct 2005, 04:04 PM
The Clydie X I am considering is currently unshod and has had his shoes off about 3 months as the owner hasn't been riding. He has feet literally the size of dinnerplates!!

If hope to ride 3 times per week for 1-2hrs (I'm a happy hacker) and there will be quite a few roads to go on.

How do go about trying him barefoot? Do I just ride him and see? What sort of hiccups/problems do we need to look out for?

Is there a website with info you could direct me to?
Pink's lady
22nd Oct 2005, 04:53 PM
Pink's a shire X (possibly :rolleyes: ) and has the biggest feet. She's always been bare foot but the one time I have fronts put on (were going to do a lot of road for for a few weeks) it cost me £60 just for the front :eek: Clysdale shoeing is extortionaly expensive :rolleyes:

He should be fiine, if he's not sore now. Lucky for you you've already had the start of a transitional period. Now you'll just need to take it slowly.

Look out for excesive/uneven wearing and being foot sore. Being a little footy is to be expected, but hobbling along isn't right. The feet will look cracked and chipped to begin with, but as long as it's just consmetic (i.e not deep or cracks right the way up), regular trimming will solve it.

For you're bank-balances point of veiw, you definitly want him barefooted ;)
virtuallyhorses
22nd Oct 2005, 08:27 PM
Ditto to the last advice. Roadwork should also be fine based on the amount of work you have outlined. Most barefoot horses actually really like roads - they're nice and flat and have a bit of spring in them from the asphalt - and they are good surfaces to keep feet worn.
ponylover88
22nd Oct 2005, 09:17 PM
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Pink's lady
22nd Oct 2005, 10:13 PM
my farrier costs £12.50 per shoe (except bar shoes and specially made ones), doesnt matter what size feet the horse has got. :D great for dinner plated Bertha! :D

Yep, so does mine, but have you seen the size of true clysedale feet? ;) My farrier charges about that per shoe, but he has to specially hand-make Pink's front feet shoes are they're just so big. And the police horses shoes are HUGE and sooooooo heavy :eek: