Is barefoot a better choice for your horse?
The following needs to be taken into account when deciding to transition to barefoot:
- What you want to do with your horse
- How much time you spend riding on abrasive surfaces, such as stoney bridleway paths and tarmac roads
- Ways to manage barefoot hooves on a daily basis, including hoof picking and regular farriery checks, to ensure hooves stay in good condition.
How is barefoot hoof care different?
According to Emma, caring for a barefoot horse shouldn’t be much different to caring for a shod horse. “A healthy horse creates a healthy hoof, so your equine podiatrist will ensure that your horse’s care doesn’t end at the coronary band,” she says.
“One of the things podiatrists look at prior to a transition to barefoot is that the horse is eating a suitable diet for optimal gut health and therefore optimal hoof health. This should be high in fibre and low in sugar and starch, with access to good quality forage,” continues Emma. “If your horse is sensitive to grass sugars it may be suggested that their access to grass is restricted at certain times of the year, such as in spring, but this isn’t something that necessarily applies across the board. The majority of barefoot horses can be turned out and managed as normal.”
Most barefoot horses are trimmed every six to eight weeks, but this timescale varies from horse to horse.
“Those who do a lot of work on more abrasive surfaces, such as sand or tarmac, may not need trimming quite so regularly,” reasons Emma. “Most barefoot horses can continue to work as usual, whether that be schooling, hacking, roadwork, jumping or whatever you enjoy doing.
