I don't want to start a huge barefoot argument here. But.
But I want to respond to something Michell said: "If there's pathology, she may not be able to stay sound w/o shoes."
I just want to say that in my experience, it was when I took the shoes off my horse that his pathology was able to reverse itself. That's because it was the shoeing that had caused the pathology in the first place.
For example, my horse was flat footed and had underslung heels when he was shod (the shoes had pulled his feet out like pancakes.) Yes, he was ouchy on the rocks for a long time. So I had to condition him for nearly a year and I am adament about keeping his heels trimmed down (I trim them 2-3 times a week if necessary). Eventually the concavity built up and now he can ride over all kinds of rocks -- like he did today for three hours.
"Also if the hoof wall is trimmed really short and sole is scooped out, it sets the horse up for a stone bruise/abscess situation."
I understand this. Michelle has a good point. BUT. This is a generalization because when I don't trim the hoof wall and scoop the sole my horse gets bruises because too much sole builds up and his foot can't expand and contract because there isn't enough conacvity to do so.
It has taken us a long time -- more than a year -- for me to see what Vashka need with his feet and when he needs it. I personally believe that it's important to have a cofin bone that is paralell to the ground, or nearly so. That's why I keep the heels quite low. (High heels tip the cofin bone). But since we're in Oregon and we are traveling over a lot of stone nearly all the time, I scoop out only the dead sole and not the live sole. Sometimes, depending on the ground and the whether, there is more dead sole than other times.
Also, I have found that vets are the least helpful when it comes to shoeing/trimming because vets average 9 hours of school time in the study of hoofs. I have found my barefoot trimmer(s) to be the most helpful.
Just my experience. But it's hard-earned experience.
