Can my TB go to barefoot?

[Karen/Folly]

Question in the title really, being mulling the topic over in my head recently.... Or should I go along with, if it isnt broke, dont fix it???

I like natural to a point, i.e she is on a high fibre, diet, out as much as poss - 24/7 in summer, 12 hrs a day in the winter etc...

But can a TB really do it, without messing around with boots to be ridden etc....

She is having a very chilled out, restful winter, so I thought now would be a good time to do, if am brave enough? Ridden maybe 3 times a week, fairly gently, a bit of showjumping, nothing too exciting tho!!!

She competes roughly once a week and is ridden 5 days out of 7 during the summer. She does, everything, x-country, showjumping, showing, dressage, hacking.

Do you think it will be too much stress on her little feet? She is currently on the newmarket hoof supplement, which has worked wonders.

Is there any good books I can research the subject on?

Thanks xxx

[No_Angel]

My tb ex racer is barefoot. I had a nightmare with boots this summer and they kept falling off, so i just didint bother, and just did work she was capable of, shes fine on soft ground, so dressage, xc ,showjumping and showing wouldnt be a problem for her, but we were doing endurance/pleasure rides, so lots of stones and different terrain, and we didi ok.
Shes been barefoot for just over a year now (fronts came off last november) and my farrier told me yesterdya that the horses feet look fantastic, and he is now advertising as doing barefoot trimming aswell.

[Ross]

I'd think it depends on the horse and what she's doing. My Anglo couldn't manage to walk across the yard when he had his shoes off for a while due to a chipped pedal bone - so he certainly wouldn't have been ok - but if your horse has decent feet it could be a completely different story.

Ross

[Yann]

Yes, but it's likely that it'll take longer than it would for a sturdy native, however it's certainly the only surefire way to sort out typical 'crap Tb feet'. Hoof boots aren't actually that bad these days :)

[mayoguinness]

Yeah defanatly! There are a few tbs at my livery yard and they are very happy barefoot!

[KarinUS]

Yes, but it's likely that it'll take longer than it would for a sturdy native, however it's certainly the only surefire way to sort out typical 'crap Tb feet'. Hoof boots aren't actually that bad these days :)

Yes, I definitely agree with everything Yann said in his post.
I really hate it when people say your horse has to have good feet to go barefoot. I think especially if your horse has bad feet you should consider barefoot to make it better.

IMO there's a difference between unshod and barefoot. Unshod means your horse has feet so healthy and resilient you could put on shoes, wooden clogs, nothing ... it wouldn't matter. Barefoot means you are making an effort to mimic natural hoof wear with an effort to make/keep the hoof as healthy and functioning as possible. Unshod is convenient and cheap. Barefoot not necessarily. If you are not willing to put the effort in (time, money, etc.) then your horse may be better off shod.

I had an OTTB with crap feet. For years I paid good money to get him special shoes to help with his underslung and contracted heels. His hoof was 'in front' of him (foot forward syndrom) and he compensated by being over-at-the-knee. He stumbled frequently. When he lost a shoe his hoof wall would crumble so fast that the farrier had to apply acrylic to his hoof to shape a new artificial wall to drive the nails in. Of course he was lame from the time the shoe fell off until the new one was back on.

He was not a candidate for unshod but he was a perfect candidate for barefoot. ;)

We went barefoot almost 2 years ago. Yes, we do use Boa Boots, especially during transition. We used those boots (with the gaitors) in deep sand and mud and they always stayed on. He now canters on a gravel road barefoot with no problems, His hoof wall doesn't crumble anymore. His heels are no longer underslung and contracted. His hoof is where it is supposed to be and he no longer needs to compensate. He stands straight and no longer stumbles.

I have recently taken a baby break so I havent' been very active lately but you can find plenty of good examples online: the horses on the Houston police force are barefoot working on pavement up to 18 hours a day during the hurricane evacuations; TB Saucey Night won barefoot (steeplechasing); etc.

As far as links go, try The Horse's Hoof (http://www.thehorseshoof.com)

[Karen/Folly]

Thanks so much for your helpful responses!!

Am feeling a transition coming!!! At the very least, theres no harm in giving it a good bash, especially over the winter when I am doing less with her anyway - give her feet more a chance?

Am going to buy a book to research properly - any suggestions or website with good information?

Thanks again as usual!!! :D

[helenc]

It totally depends on the horse.

One of my ex-racers is barefoot & he's fine, got really strong feet & we ride on roads when we have to (but prefer grass verges) - we don't use hoof boots but we are on really sandy soil that doesn't have too many stones.

My other ex-racer couldn't manage it! His feet are OK if trimmed & reshod every 6 weeks without fail but if he loses a shoe, he is lame as a duck - his feet are quite sensitive & my farrier has to make sure there are no stones around when he takes the shoes off as sylvester gets footsore just standing still! We also compete a lot (SJ) & although I've heard that once the feet take shape, they don't need studs, I'm not sure I would want to compete without them!

Both live out & they have 24/7 access to their stables that have rubber matting so it's not like they're stood around on a concrete floor all of the time.

Have a word with your farrier or get a barefoot trimmer out & ask what they think. They are the experts.

[Shadowlark]

I would recoment Peter Ramey's book myself, everyone will have a differnt one tho I am sure!

www.barefoothorse.com
www.hoofrehab.com

Are 2 places to start at least they may give you an idea what methodology to follow. Then you want find some trimmers in your area. Call up a few ask some questions get a fell for thm and go from there!

The TB's on my place have been bare thier entire lives - and I used to Event Arabs barefoot and did quite well :)

[puzzles]

there is absaloutely no rerason why your mare acnnot go barefoot (Harry does) - i know many who have gone barefoot, successfully.
exracers seem to go well barefoot (why?)
as the foot adapts the hoof wall hardens (especially when used on hard surfaces such as roads gradually and in walk only at first), and the hoof becomes more flexible - this allows it to absorb shock better than a shoe, naturally (it does this in the wild). athe hoof also grows at a faster rate (though this isn't always noticeable).
i would ask your farrier's advice and apply a hoof hardener such as keratex or camrosa, when prescribed to help your mare's hooves as much as possible.

[mayoguinness]

Some of Jaime Jacksons stuff has helpful info on barefoot too!!

[Grace O'Malley]

But can a TB really do it, without messing around with boots to be ridden etc....



Mine does! :) She's a former polo pony and was always shod for play. When I bought her, she'd been turned out for awhile and only had front shoes. I had the fronts pulled, and she's been totally fine. It took awhile for her "footiness" to go away on gravel paths (though she was always fine in the sand school), but she toughened up quite nicely.

I looked at hoof boots, and probably will get some eventually, but so far haven't found any that fit properly.

[Hero]

It depends on what your doing, and what the horses feet are like.:D

:pLove Jayd Boo & Crew:p

[MelanieD]

TBs can go barefoot. One of mine is a TBx and is barefoot and has lovely feet, her mother was full TB and had nice little wild horse-like feet, she used to have horrible feet a few years before when she was shod. If they have 'typical TB' feet in shoes then it can take a while and some faffing about with boots and pads to get healthy feet.

[Iron Maiden]

Simon Earle's race horses seem to manage!

[puzzles]

and endurance horses!

[Lgd]

Yes they can! Peri (my 7/8 TB mare is barefoot, she originally went barefoot for maternity leave and has done so well that my farrier has said to leave her barefoot. She is not confined to the arena either, she hacks out on rough tracks and roads no bother and never a crack or chip to be seen even during the dry summer weather. She is just getting back to her competition career in the dressage arena, moving better than ever and all being well will stay barefoot. OTOH my wimpy WB mare is completely pathetic without shoes :rolleyes:

[puzzles]

woohoo!! tell us how you get on and what you decide to do!
:-D

[Lili & Morgan]

Well can you have your horse barefoot?

Barefoot fails when the owner does not understand the pre-requisite.

So are you ready of

- not riding your mare for uncertain period of time?
- to spend into boots pads and whatever?
- To change your way of using your horse?
- to treat absesses?

That is really the questions to ask yourself. Any horse ( except extreme cases) can be barefoot, it is the owner, who CANNOT cope.

TBH, I prefer a happy shod horse, rather than a barefoot sore lame horse because the owner does not put enough effort!!!

I would ask a professional to assess your horse AND your environment. I am partial top KC LaPierre's EPs because they really assess well the situation.

So look around who can give you a honest, assessment.

Good luck!

In the long term it is better for the horse !

[MelanieD]

- not riding your mare for uncertain period of time?

Unless it's a horse with bad hoof problems then it should be rideable very quickly if not straight away though may need boots at first.

- to treat absesses?

Assuming it's not barefoot of the Strasser variety barefoot horses don't really get more abcesses than shod ones. There is the problem that it's easier to get a bruise/abcess from overdoing it with problem feet and no shoes but healthy bare feet don't have abcess problems any more than shod feet do and many horses go barefoot without any abcess problems.

[Lili & Morgan]

Yes it is true!

I own two barefoot horses. My mare has NEVER worn a pair of boots, and was fine from day one. My gelding wears boots in the summer, but more for my own tranquility rather his needs. And only when hacking on mix ground, gravel road, tarmac. He is fine on dry hard clay, grass and sand!

However, it can happen!!!

So people MUST know what they are going for ...

I have seen what a barefoot experiment did at my yard. Owners were fed BS and at the end of the day, it is the horse, who suffers.

So ask a pro to assess your horse and your environment!