To Shoe or Not to Shoe???

As barefoot trimming begins to become more popular in the horse world, I get many clients asking me whether or not I think they should make the switch to barefoot. Several months ago, my answer probably would have always been “Yes”. But now it is my belief that you need to do whatever works best for you and your horse - shoes have their time & place as well.

My own horse used to have shoes (and as far as I know, he was shod for most of his life). Several months ago after speaking with a number of very knowledgeable certified barefoot trimmers, I made the decision to pull off his shoes and give the barefoot thing a go. Six months later he has developed a good enough foot to go barefoot.

However, several times I considered putting shoes back on him. Although I don't doubt the benefits of having your horse go barefoot, not many people really have the luxury of being able to give their horse six months to a year off while they adjust, and watching your horse go through some of the more difficult/painful stages can be pretty tough.

Allowing your horse to go barefoot provides better traction, better movement, better circulation and improved shock absorption. Shoes on the other hand can constrict your horse's foot and cause unwanted changes in the shape of the foot, but can also aid in correcting certain situations. And then there are those hoof boots (EasyBoots, Old Macs etc) that can come in handy if your horse is pretty good barefoot but has trouble with rocky terrain etc (I certainly wouldn't recommend them for 24/7 use though).

So, what should you do?

•  Educate yourself. Research the options for your horse. Speak to several farriers/trimmers and ask LOTS of questions. Observe them working on some horses and ask some of their clients about their results.

•  Consider your horse's environment and how it will affect your horse – is the ground rough, dry, sandy or muddy? Horses in soft ground will need more traction. Is your horse stalled at night or out 24/7?? Shavings can dry out the feet, stalls that have not been picked out completely clean can degrade the feet (from the horse standing in urine). How much does your horse move around in a day (affects growth rate & circulation in feet)??

•  How much is your horse in work each week and what type of work does your horse do?? Will you be able to give your horse 6-12 months off (or in lighter work) if he has difficulty adjusting to going barefoot??

•  Do some research on how your horse's diet could improve his feet. Things like Cushings, insulin resistance and laminitis are on the rise. Diets high in sugar result in chronic fungus in the feet, abcesses and laminitis. A compromised immune system (and we all know the immune system starts in the gut) results in poor feet. What goes in grows out. With people we can do a hair/nail analysis and see what chemicals are in their system – it is the same with your horse's hooves. Whatever they take in grows out through the feet – this includes wormers, medications, chemicals from vaccines, preservatives from their feed/supplements, insecticides from their feed/hay and so on. A proper diet will greatly improve the condition of your horse's feet.

•  Take into consideration the condition of your individual horse's feet & discuss with a couple of different farriers what your options are & what changes your horses could handle. Remember the number one rule: Do No Harm.

Combine all of this information to make an informed decision on what is best for your horse. While I do believe that all horses can indeed go barefoot, I also now know that some horses can take many months (even years) to adjust to a barefoot trim. Making them comfortable during this time can be hard, and it is difficult to watch your best friend hobble around the pasture. We had one horse who went barefoot for over a year and her feet still did not show improvement – the minute the farrier put shoes back on her she gave a huge sigh of relief and was thrilled that she could comfortably gallop around the pasture again. My horse on the other hand is much happier without shoes and his movement has improved quite a bit without shoes.

So > do whatever is best for you and your horse.