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Fwd: [RC] Shoe or not..long post - Dave Smith

--- Begin Message --- I guess I will put my two cents in. LOL I have been quiet about this topic and keeping low key. All of our horses are barefoot. We have found that the horses we foaled out and raised barefoot are better than the horses that needed to be converted over. However, they can still be converted over. However, I still feel they will never be quite as good barefoot as those that grow up running over gravel since birth.

We started with 1/4 of the paddock covered in pea stone but kept mixing in until we got up to 1/2" stone. The horses are turned out in groups of 2 or 3 on 1/2 acre dry lots with rocky soil. Most people pick the rocks out of their paddocks but we throw them in!!! We put the gravel near their stalls/overhang so they have to constantly walk threw it. Start walking on roads from weaning on a couple of times a week. Now, all of our horses gallop across the gravel and do sliding stops without blinking an eye! Will happily trot up roads too.

I'm starting conditioning with my 5 year old to do CTR and endurance rides. She has always been barefoot. Got worried from reading the posts here how it's hard to go barefoot and do endurance. Thus, I bought some easy boots (epics). Figured, what do I know as a newbie.

I live in rocky new england where it is just rocks, hills, and rocks! Rode her saturday 2 1/2 hours marking trails and did a ride on sunday. 5 minutes into ride and at second huge mud hole, easy boot got sucked right off! Boy, was that interesting! I had the thing super tight too! Only had them on her fronts. Forgot leatherman so couldn't take off other boot. Thus, remember to carry a leather man if you use easyboots! *grin* Walked back to trailer and took other boot off and finished our ride barefoot. She happily trotted and cantered across rocks much to the amazement of the riders I was with! It was to my amazement too as I had lost my confidence from reading posts. 100% sound. Today 100% sound. No heat or filling anywhere either. Not ouchy.

You will find that barefoot horses seem to "take a funny step" or "feel off for a split second" a little more often. However, I figured out that it was just her sensing pressure under her foot and letting off. You can feel her shift her weight but it might shock you at first because you''ll think, "oh my Gosh, my horse is lame!!" LOL Shod horses can't sense the pressure so they tend to get more abscesses. Thus, if you are use to riding horses with shoes this feeling might be weird at first.

Also, now that I am riding her a lot more we discovered that her toes need to be a little longer than ideal. All horses are trimmed with the jaime jackson barefoot trim. However, once you start riding heavily you might find, like we did, that you need to leave more hoof wall than you would before. My mare does much better with a little more hoof wall being barefoot and in training. Not, overly long but long enough to make you think, "hmm, her toes seem a tad long." When she is trimmed normal she seems ouchy. However, every horse is different. I am going to leave her barefoot and see how it goes!!! :-)

If you want to go the shoe route I have a suggestion. We tried to do the barefoot thing with our TB racehorse. He didn't have a prayer because we got him at 2 (easier to influence at a younger age) and had flat feet with thin soles (revealed on x-rays). He has been in Sigafoos shoes and they are AMAZING!!!! They are glue on but with a concussion pad. They attach to the hoof wall via a cloth and not the sole so the hoof can expand. They are pricey but worth it. Hope any of this helps!

Take care,

Sara




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