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Original poster

Horse question - To barefoot or not to barefoot.

26 replies

pinkyporker · 31/12/2008 22:25

I have just bought a 4 year old gelding. Currently unshod and his feet are in beautiful condition. I am moving him to a yard where there will be no road riding but plenty of lunging/schooling on sand.

I know there is this new thing where many owners are choosing not to shoe their horses.
I am unexperienced in these things. I haven't owned a horse(except on loan) for 15 years and back then they were all shod.

Can someone give me the ins and outs abut this please.

OP posts:
snorris · 31/12/2008 23:20

My 12yo Fell pony is unshod and has been for at least 6 years. I am lucky that she naturally keeps her feet in good shape but she does everything including hacking out on roads (v. of no roadwork!) I even did a 12 mile sponsored ride in April-the organisers were very impressed that she did it all with no shoes . You are definately at an advantage with him not having shoes on at the mo, it can take them a while to adjust. Hopefully your farrier will work with you in keeping him barefoot, be very wary of some of these 'barefoot' trimmers etc,they haven't done half the training that registered farriers have to do and there have been cases where horses have suffered. Other than that I don't bother putting any oils etc on her hooves (only at shows).
Also have you looked at the Horse & Hound forums? They're usually good for advice.

BlueSapphire77 · 31/12/2008 23:26

Unshod and some roadwork is fine, his feet will be ok. Totally agree with everything snorris says, if you are worried or if he will be doing a lot of roadwork at any point, maybe get some of those new rubber shoe thingys (sorry haven't owned a horse in a while) that just go on for the duration...
Best of luck with one of the things that will possibly save you the most money ever lol

cazboldy · 31/12/2008 23:48

I think it will just be a case of wait and see..... What will the surface be in the school? as sand can wear their feet down even quicker......

We have 2 that just have shoes on their front feet as they grow much slower than their back ones.

hth

cazboldy · 31/12/2008 23:48

sorry you said sand didn't you

mysterymoniker · 31/12/2008 23:52

mine just has shoes on the front, have thought about going totally barefoot but I like the noise they make

mysterymoniker · 31/12/2008 23:52

oh and happy new year! what am I DOING here

cazboldy · 31/12/2008 23:53

lol MM

Pixel · 01/01/2009 00:18

Mine came to me barefoot and has shown no sign of needing shoes yet. If I start doing a lot more work with him I might have to think again but his feet are lovely so I'm making the most of it while I can! We haven't got a school but he goes on the roads a lot. He gets his feet checked regularly by a good farrier so I will take his advice about future shoeing needs.
I must say I'm finding it very relaxing. No more shoes hanging on fences or sucked off in the mud just when the farrier has taken his annual holiday .

Ronaldinhio · 01/01/2009 00:30

I'd love to say that you'll be fine without shoes but the sand will necessitate I'm afraid...well that has been my experience

BlueSapphire77 · 01/01/2009 01:00

Will the sand split the feet.. i have heard of this

LadyOfWaffle · 01/01/2009 02:42

Ask your farrier, he will asses the condition of his feet. Generally /usually it's mountain/moorland types that are unshod, guess feet are abit hardier? He will advise on how often to trim, whether all 4 are needed or just front 2.

elastamum · 01/01/2009 03:30

Just got in, happy new year. No reason to put shoes on at all unless you need them and it will save you a whole pile of cash an
d much better re over reaches etc in youngsters as they get their balance. Get his feet trimmed regularly and take the advice of your farrier, a good one wont shoe a youngster before they need them. My last horse I broke in had no shoes for the first year until I started doing lots of hacking and road work, but she is a big heavy 16.2hh. I have friends who just dont shoe at all anymore and hack all the time. Good luck with the new horse!!

Pixel · 01/01/2009 15:59

The only time the shetland ever got sore feet was when our field was exceptionally wet (we are on top of a hill and don't usually suffer too much). I was surprised because you expect hard ground to wear feet down, not soft. The farrier got me to rub some of the mud between my fingers and I could feel the bits of grit in it, which were acting as an abrasive much like sand, especially as the hoof was already softened by being wet. It's something I bear in mind and we've dumped a large amount of bark at the bottom of our field and around the shelter so that the horses don't stand in mud.
Also, we feed equilibra which seems to do a pretty good job of keeping hooves strong and healthy.

BlueSapphire77 · 01/01/2009 17:33

Your farrier sounds good
Bless him

Pixel · 01/01/2009 20:08

He's a nutcase, he makes us taste the grass as well to see how sweet it is so the ponies don't get laminitis, has a nice line in rude jokes and once when I broke a nail he gave me a pretty good manicure using his farriery tools. I couldn't bear to look, I was sure I would lose a finger .

Tickle · 01/01/2009 20:35

Hey Snorris - just got a 4yo Fell gelding Gorgeous in his sturdy blackness!

Congrats on your new horse Pinky, and let us know how his feet go on the sand - I'll be watching with interest as we live in a sandy area, and I'll be riding mostly on tracks and beach...

BlueSapphire77 · 01/01/2009 20:50

Pixel ... pmsfl ... you sure he isn't taking the piss

Imagine that down the pub..
"Yeah then i got them down on hands and knees tasting the grass"

He is probably one of those that knows bloody everything, i had a friend who only had to whisper something to a horse and it would go nuts/be calm as a baby..

His idea of breaking in a horse was to get it stood in deep water, get you on it, then let you and the horse get out.. bloody hell it did work, only one occasion exploded out of the water on a bucking bronco, the rest (80+) were brilliant, and quiet as babies.

Pixel · 01/01/2009 21:30

He likes to think he knows all the secrets of t'countryside and likes to 'educate' us mere mortals so we just go along with him .

Actually he is pretty good with the horses. Dhorse, being a three year old, likes to push his luck a bit but he just says "sort yourself out, I'm not your mother" and dhorse stands as good as gold!

BlueSapphire77 · 01/01/2009 21:58

I know..some people have the gift..
Where the rest of us mere mortals seem to struggle at every turn with naughty behaviour, resorting to all kinds of bits and bobs and gadgets lol

Is he like a character off all creatures great and small

Pixel · 01/01/2009 23:28

I wish! I used to love that programme. He has got a faithful labrador though, does that count?

snorris · 02/01/2009 00:05

Ooh, Tickle, tell me more about your Fell! What's his breeding? This is Rosie's www.allbreedpedigree.com/shilvinghampton+rosanna+may. Have you checked out Hamlet's House for all things Native?

Tickle · 02/01/2009 22:37

Hi Snorris..

We have just moved house so I can't find his paperwork anywhere... He's Drybarrows Henry, and his sire is Townend Rolo, but I would have to look up his dam. He's broken to drive, and rides well, but very untrained as yet, so I'm looking forward to getting to know him!

I've put a quick pic on my profile, but he is very woolly right now

Thanks for the link Rosie looks gorgeous! There are only about 70 Fells in Denmark, and one called Heltondale Rosie XI, built very like yours, is for sale at Stutteri Ellegaard, where I bought Henry.

snorris · 03/01/2009 17:15

He looks lovely . He shares some ancestry with my girl through his sire. The mare that's for sale is by the same sire as my Rosie-no wonder they look similar!

Original poster
pinkyporker · 03/01/2009 19:41

I never thought of the sand thing. Thanks for the great advice. I have been so lucky to find a great livery near us with vacancies. He even plays the horses music all day to keep them calm!!!

Lets hope its not def leppard or I'll have a rocking horse LOL get it??? rocking horse

OP posts:
FairLadyRantALot · 03/01/2009 19:57

pinky....I owed a horse years ago, and, unusually for a horse he was unshod.....and my farrior , at the time, told me that his hoofs were good and giving him shoes could possibly start problems. He said about him just being lucky, iykwim....my horse now....lol...me too, cos much cheaper!

We hacked on roads aswell as across country, etc....he never had a problem.....!

I suppose it is more unusual for horses to be barefoot than it is for ponies....anyway....your farrier should be able to advice you!

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