Just wanted to say - there's me and my herd still in the early days of barefoot (since June), now experiencing varying degrees of barefoot level but in the main still experiencing the grass verges where necessary and pones micro-managing stony surfaces.
SarahH came over the other day to trim Flicka and as we had an afternoon she brought over her truly gorgeous Boy for a ride out in my neck of the woods. What a fantastic pone for starters. But then we hit the very sharp stony track mid-ride where my lot all tiptoe over it to find the grass verge. Boy didn't bat an eyelid, but more like didn't even recognise he was on different ground - lovely big confident rhythmic strides. Then Sarah said 'watch this!' Canter! On stony track!
I was jaw-droppingly blown away. I wouldn't have been able to canter my pones on that track with shoes ON! To see the real thing in action, actually in the flesh, was brilliant. It completely reinforced my vision of what it will truly be like. I don't know if there are other newbie-barefooters out there who haven't seen the real thing in action, but if you're anything like me, I've only had my own imagination of what it would be like with the help of UTube. But this was inspirational, and simply reinforced my determination to get my pones there, come what may in challenging times. I want some of that! (Thanks Sarah!)
micki
I'm new to riding barefoot, my horse has been barefoot for 7 years but not been ridden. It's great to hear that i should be able to ride as i would with shoes on when she is used to it. Hopefully my youngster will never see shoes
cptrayes
Oh no Much better than with shoes on! No slipping on the road, and no more "thin soles" that make even shod horses footie on sharp stones.
I've got a rock cruncher too and we have just finished hunting for the day.
C
Chris Thompson
micki wrote:
It's great to hear that i should be able to ride as i would with shoes on when she is used to it.
Very unlikely.
On a barefoot horse you can:
Climb the concrete banks of a flood channel,
Go up rock trails where angels fear to tread and mountain goats have second thoughts,
Totally ignore fresh SMA covered roads, and
Your horse can go in stealth mode and sneak up behind people in pub card park and steal their beer.
Try any of these on a shod horse and you will come to grief
So, riding a barefoot horse will not be the same as riding a shod horse.
Oh, and do not forget, in deep mud you will not have any shoes to loose, but you may tread on a lost horseshoe from a shod horse, they always seem to be nails uppermost, and you horse will get a sore hoof
micki
It sounds like she will be better without the shoes then .
stormybracken
When I first had Storm's shoes taken off I hadn't intended to keep him unshod/barefoot until I went to visit Simon Earle's racing yard - fantastic. I wish he was still there, because I would understand all the facilities they had far more than I did then. I would also have asked numerous questions about diet and exercise, rather then just concentrating on the horsmanship side which was also sooooo inspirational. Seeing him running round the school on foot jumoing jumps with his racehorse following him, and then getting on and jumping him brideless was brilliant.
Sadly I know of a 5 year old who has just come out of that yard with feet so poor the farrier couldn't even put shoes on - he's now thinking about how to help the owner turn the horse performance barefoot! Maybe good news after all.
Chris Thompson
stormybracken wrote:
Sadly I know of a 5 year old who has just come out of that yard with feet so poor the farrier couldn't even put shoes on - he's now thinking about how to help the owner turn the horse performance barefoot! Maybe good news after all.
Assuming the farrier is not already a member, why don't you suggest that the farrier read Nic and Sarah's book - You could tell him it may help him having to re-invent the wheel, as there are lots of good ideas in there. Also he may be interested in joining the forum. OK I know I am on thin ice suggesting it, but if he is really truying ot turn it into a performance barefoot horse there is a wealth on information on here that could be of interest.
stormybracken
Ssssh, I'm doing a softly softly approach, he was quite resistant at first believing it was all a "clever marketing ploy"!!!
As we know, barefoot trimmers have had a terrifically bad reputation in farrier and veterinary press. He has got a number of barefoot clients, but as they know what they're doing he hasn't been involved in the whole diet side of things, and of course anyone who doesn't (like me) and has problems he can advise shoeing. My problems with the vet, who flatly refused to follow-up any information I gave to both of them, and the resulting improvement to Storm's health by implementing my own changes are possibly beginning to show him that all horses can go barefoot if the management is correct.
It is difficult when such farriers work closely with vets who want remedial farriery, box rest, and bute, and the horse world in general accepts that "some horses' feet are just like that". They don't come across a successful (which we're not yet) rehab. case which involves diet and exercise and trimming. Fortunately he has been Storm's farrier since he was 2yrs, so has shod him and trimmed him, and can now, as I am, look back and see the deterioration in hoof health and behaviour and relate it to the dietary changes I implemented. I think he'll find his way, if he wants to.
Much better than with shoes on! No slipping on the road, and no more "thin soles" that make even shod horses footie on sharp stones.
