March 25, 2011

Going Barefoot

The Natural Horse: Foundations for Natural HorsemanshipWe started reading about natural hoof care and "barefoot" riding several years ago.  One of our first sources was The Natural Horse: Foundations for Natural Horsemanship by Jaime Jackson. Jackson's theory is that mustangs go barefoot over incredibly rocky territory in the mountain west, and they seem to do fine.  In fact, when their hooves are studied (usually after death, because nobody's picking up the feet of a range mustang!), the hoof walls are beautifully self-trimmed. This Wikipedia article  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Jackson  talks about Jaime Jackson, a man who researched wild mustangs in the Great Basin (where we live) and found that they have far less hoof problems (navicular syndrome and laminitis) than domestic horses.  He started a movement toward natural hoof care that is growing in popularity. 
Horse Owners Guide to Natural Hoof CareAt first we were skeptical that horses could be ridden safely over rocks without shoes, but we did more reading on how to trim the hooves correctly.  The correct trim, as illustrated  in Horse Owners Guide to Natural Hoof Care, again by Jaime Jackson,  is shorter than the usual trim for shoeing, and with a "mustang roll" around the outer hoof wall to prevent chipping. 
Making Natural Hoof Care Work for YouThrough reading Jackson's work, and also Making Natural Hoof Care Work for You by Pete Ramey, which has a lot of "work in progress" photos of trimming techniques, we learned to do our own hoof care.  As we spent more and more time riding barefoot, we found that the soles toughen up, the hoof walls strengthen, and the horses seem comfortable going over all kinds of rocks.
At the beginning of the spring riding season, our horses are long in the toe, but we trim them back as work over rocks causes the sole to scoop out into its concave natural shape.  After a few weeks of steady riding and trimming, the hoofs look better and better.
The more the horses are ridden over rocks, the tougher their feet become. Because the hoof naturally flexes (and shoes prevent the flexing), we've come to believe that barefoot is generally better for them and provides safer footing over rough terrain.
We do have front hoof boots (EasyBoot Bare are the ones we've found work best) that we use for multi day rides carrying overnight equipment over very rocky mountain terrain. We used to use them on all 4 feet whenever there were any rocks, but we've found that is unnecessary.  In fact, the hoofs do better if we use boots as little as possible.  However, we do have the hoof boots handy in case the horses show any sign of getting sore feet.
For horses ridden infrequently without adequate time to toughen up, no doubt using protection (iron shoes or rubber boots) is the best bet. Or, for horses ridden more than the 50-70 miles per week that our horses usually go, protection might be necessary to prevent the hooves being worn down too much and cause them to be tender for that reason. 
We're amateurs at this and still learning, but so far going barefoot (with those rare exceptions when we need boots for extreme rocks) seems to be working out very well.

22 comments:

  1. I was just talking to a friend about this Exact thing! I completely agree...I think Horse Feet were created to be free:)
    Horses used to get along without humans and "their shoes" just fine once upon a time;)

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  2. So interesting, Janie! Look at that rocky trail the horses navigate barefoot. Makes sense that it would work, but I just never knew you didn't wear shoes on them. Happy Trails!

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  3. I have never heard of this either! Wow...going natural is usually great in all aspects of life. :)

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  4. Makes sense....seems like going back to natural works best if you take the time to get back to nature.

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  5. Sounds good to me, Janie... Going 'natural' in most everything in life is really the right way to do things --but we humans always think something else is better....

    That's one reason I love the area where you all live. It's so natural!!!!!!
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  6. Just seems like the natural thing to do. Before humans horses didn't wear shoes.

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  7. This is very interesting. All of the horses I grew up around were shod, so I didn't even consider barefoot as a possibility. It sounds as if it is much better for the horses in many situations.

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  8. I didn't know that....that is cool...I like to be barefoot myself..

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  9. Thanks Janie, I really enjoyed reading your post. What great information for horse owners (and even those of us who don't)

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  10. Very interesting. I know nothing about horses let hoofs but I grew up around people who had them and had the impression that horseshoes were an absolute necessity. What I couldn't figure out and people would look at me strange when I asked is what did horses do before there were shoes? The answer sounds like they did just fine.

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  11. Fascinating! I'm glad that someone noticed what happens in nature and was willing to experiment (I hope carefully). I'm glad barefoot is working for you.

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  12. That's really interesting. It sounds like you've done your homework on it, and more than that, put it to practice. Sort of makes sense: my feet are soft as a baby's behind because I am always wearing shoes!

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  13. Great post Janie. We have to deal with more flaring here in the East in general because of moisture softening the feet but most of the time the horses' feet are fine.

    I have considered starting a blog about my horses. The whole subject has been a hot spot for me because of all of the bad farrier work I've seen here.

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  14. I'm reasonably certain the same principle would apply to humans over and extended period. Well maybe not in sub zerod artic conditions though. :)

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  15. I'm reasonably certain the same principle would apply to humans over and extended period. Well maybe not in sub zerod artic conditions though. :)

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  16. I'm sure barefooting is much kinder to the horses... Over here, Icelandic horses often go without shoes.

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  17. As long as they are content & safe is all that matters ... I so love these beautiful creataures.

    Have a beautiful day, my friend ~
    TTFN ~
    Marydon

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  18. Very possibly yet another area in which we have to re-learn to trust nature, eh? Glad it's working out so well!

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  19. my boss converted all her horses to barefoot last spring. we usually put the easyboot gloves on them when we do longer rides, though for the shorter ones we leave them bare. they all had a trim a week ago, and riding Jose yesterday he was tender... back to boots on the training rides for him till the feet toughen up again. I leave front shoes on my navicular horse. when he loses a shoe (rare) or when i've tried barefoot with him he's in quite a lot of pain, and I'm just not willing to keep him in pain till he 'toughens up' - and not sure he will.
    - The Equestrian Vagabond

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  20. We have kept our horses barefoot for over 20 years. It works and is the most healthy option. We do use easy boots when we go on unusually rocky trails for many miles.
    Paula Lenz

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  21. Paula,
    I'm glad to learn of other barefoot trail riders. How many miles do you ride per year and per average ride? Have you taken photos of your horses hooves once they're in shape for the year? I'd be very interested in seeing one. We've done a lot of studying on the subject, but we're still newbies at this compared to your 20 years of experience!

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  22. Hi Janie,
    I have taken some photos but none recently. We found a lion kill carcass of a mustang and cut off the hooves as examples of "the perfect natural hoof." They are smooth and rounded all over just like the photos in the natural hoof books. My current Peruvian paso was shod until age 11 when I got him two years ago. At first he was tender barefoot. He got gradually better but even after a year I needed to put boots on in the front to get the best ride over rocky trails. But this spring, and at the two year mark for being barefoot, he travels over even rocky terrain off trail without any hesitation or indication of soreness. I am delighed that his feet are beginning to look like those mustang hooves we collected and he seems as happy as a mustang with them, too. So, my new information is that the barefoot horse will continue to improve even after the entire hoof has grown out. It may have taken longer for this horse because he had a bad case of "mud fever" or "scratches" the winter before I bought him. In any case, every horse we have switched to barefoot has improved in soundness and comfort after the initial conditioning. (That has been about 10-12 horses.) I promoted the barefoot horse when I wrote for "The Trailrider" about ten years ago.
    Best wishes! You will see in another post that my husband and I are travelling to Utah to ride in May. Happy trails to you! Paula

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