Does your horse/pony like soft going?

[newforest]

My chap is less forward with softer going and is barefoot.

So wondered who else had horse/pony that doesn't like soft going and are they barefoot?

 

[shockblue]

How come he doesn't like the soft?

Maya goes the same on both hard and soft (no random stones though on the hard, they catch her out)

 

[ericandern]

I've noticed that my girl always chooses to walk on the road rather than the grass verge and she is barefoot

 

[newforest]

No idea why he doesn't. Only really just discoved this as my yard has gallops. With all the rain we've had he is less forward cantering on them then when they were dry.
The verges now they are wet and damp he stays off of. He lives out and i think he'd rather be in, after i've got all year round livery turnout, i have a pony who would rather have welly boots on!

 

[Yann]

Depends how soft the ground is - think running on a dry sandy beach, half the energy you expend on going forward gets absorbed by the sand, so it might be harder work for him.

If it's at all slippery he may be adjusting for that too?

 

[xJenniferx]

Tyler will always choose the soft ground over hard ground and I tend to let him unless it is going to cause problems. He has always been shod on all four feet since I bought him.

Jen
x

 

[ToG]

When Biggles was barefoot he preferred verges over the road

I've had his front feet shod for jumping purposes now & he tanks everywhere! Hard or soft going nothing phases him. Definitely the right choice for this boy even though i wanted him to stay barefoot

 

[Daisy_Roots]

I voted 'yes and I'm shod', but we only have front shoes on.
If she can, she'll always walk on the verge as opposed to the road.

 

[kturner]

He likes it as his feet dont get sore, but I feel he may slip if it is too soft and so I worry more about him and me getting injured. So which is best?

 

[popularfurball]

Silver will walk on grass verges where we are as it is very stoney, but she won't walk through boggy ground. She will walk through puddles if encouraged, but she really hates boggy ground - but our boggy isnt just slippy mud - its the shin deep sucked in lost your welly job!

 

[ericandern]

mine doesn't like going off the tarmac in case she gets her feet dirty! She doesn't do mud

 

[LindaAd]

Hebe's only shod in front, but she gets really spooked by soft going. She's much happier on the roads But we're working on it.

 

[newforest]

Trimmer just been out and his feet are in good condition and hard.

So it's just a personal thing of his.