Questions on Transitioning to Barefoot

Barefoot eBook

I am working hard on the barefoot trimming eBook which when finished I hope will fill in some of the gaps on how to barefoot trim. The main part of the eBook is on how I actually trim, step by step and in simple, easy to understand language.

I also receive many many emails and questions on transitioning to barefoot. I have copied one of these email questions below and included my answers in italics……

The Questions

I have read all the info. on your fantastic website and decided to go for barefoot! My horse is 7 years old, has probably been shod for the last 4 years.

Hooves are in good condition at the moment…no cracks and just one tiny chip at the edge of one hoof. Farrier trimmed them after removing shoes but I rounded the edges a little with sandpaper to help avoid splits and chips appearing from the sharp edges.

Great, well done, the rounding is so important, keep it up, and if you sandpaper and keep a good mustang roll on the hoof you will already be helping the hoof tremendously.
If you do it weekly this will be much easier to keep on top of the hoof growth.

Living, Feeding Conditions

My horse is turned out 18/24 hours on old grazing which has not been fertilized or weedkiller treated. Ground in field is hard, chalky soil and very dry at the moment as no rain for over 2 weeks…although there is still grass on surface.
Giving him one small feed per day – unmolassed chaff, linseed oil, organic seaweed, fresh rosehips, Feedmark Settelex (he windsucks) and a small handful of cereal-free low-sugar hard feed.

All sounds good. Keep reading the page we wrote on Horse Nutriton, as this is still up to date and has worked very well for us.

I would just check out the ingredients on your ‘cereal free, hard feed’ to find out exactly what is in it….as the more manufactured a feed is the less good is in it, but in essence this sounds good, if the grazing becomes poor supplement it with ad-lib hay.

I coat his hooves once a day with Curnucrescine

.

You don’t need to do this – the hooves are much better off without this on, as the hooves need to breath, so one less thing to do…

Day 3 of No Shoes

Day 3 of being barefoot and he is quite footsore. Hate taking him up the path to his stable as it’s stoney and he struggles a bit and is obviously in pain.

The circulation is coming back… – it is like having frozen fingers and then the blood starts pumping back into the hooves, this and he is learning to feel his hooves. So all fine, far too early to start worrying, this is very normal in the first few days and is in fact exciting, you are giving him his health back…

In the field he is better but still a bit uncomfortable and stumbling. A grazing track is not really possible at the moment as he is in livery but I’m happy to do regular work on hard ground and other textures when it is
appropriate for him.

Great. The grazing track is also not necessarily necessary. We don’t have one anymore as the ground got far too trashed.

He is able to be turned out, that is a huge benefit in itself… .

Barefoot Trimmer, Barefoot Trimming

I would like to find a barefoot trimmer locally so I can have expert treatment, rather than a farrier who is used to shoeing horses.

I may be able to put you in touch with someone if you let me know where you live.

But you are absolutely correct, you need a barefoot trim not a pasture trim, and the two are very different.

I just really need reassurance that I’m doing everything right and doing the best that I can for my horse.

You are and you should feel really proud of yourself. You will need some help with the trimming or you will need to learn how to barefoot trim yourself. This is fine it is not as hard as it sounds. No doubt you will have questions and queries and maybe even a few hiccups but you have started which is more than most people will do…

When do I Start Exercising Him

I’m prepared to give this a few months as I know it’s not going to be easy or come right overnight. I haven’t done any work with my horse as I don’t want to hurt him anymore.

That is understandable, but each day that goes by his hooves will improve and there is no question that movement is what heals and stimulates the hoof.

So as soon as you are able to start walking him in hand, or in the school, or riding him, in walk or trot, whatever he offers, start doing this. The roads are fantastic for this and really help harden the hooves.

How long should I wait before walking him/hacking him out on hard ground?

Do I need to wait until he is coping better or should I start that now…bearing in mind people may think it cruel if he is already struggling a bit.

Forget other people at this stage, only take advice from barefoot horse experts, as how can a shod-horse owner, advise you on transitioning a horse to barefoot? The answer is, they can’t, but what they can do, is certainly un-nerve you.

His Grazing Time

And is 20 hours grazing okay for him or should I limit that and stable him for longer?

Its fine – if he gets too fat you will need to limit his grazing but he is far better being turned out than stalled.
All you need to do now is just either learn the trim – this would really help you as you would benefit from seeing and understanding the changes which will be occurring in his hooves now that the shoes have been removed.. Let me know where you are and I will see if I know a trimmer.

Regarding His Exercise

Regarding exercise – if you are able to walk him out and he is not lame, ie he may be footy in walk but that is quite different from being lame – just start walking him out. If he goes lame you will know it – then you hold back until he becomes sound. But footiness is very different from lameness.

Recognizing the Difference between Lameness and “Feeling their Hooves”

Also recognizing the difference in them feeling their hooves, as opposed to when they are shod and they can’t feel anything, they are numb, so they just plod on regardless. This is quite different and it is good to appreciate the difference. It is like us wearing shoes and not wearing shoes, especially outside.

If your horse becomes sore, you can use some Traumeel Gel around the coronet band and around his heel bulbs, this can really help. Traumeel Gel

Let me know if this makes sense and let us know how you get on. Well, well done – its a bit scary but each day that goes by it gets easier, you should feel really proud of yourself and what you are doing for your horse.

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