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Shock absorption: When a horse has shoes on, the shock that is meant to be absorbed in the hooves is instead forced upon the horse’s joints. This is because the shoe prevents the hoof from flexing as it was meant to. Imagine how your body would feel if you had to live for just a few days with iron-soled shoes!
Increased circulation: The frog was meant to have light contact with the ground, because the frog acts like a pump in the hoof, pumping blood through the hoof with every step. By raising the frog up off of the ground, we decrease circulation. This factor is vitally important, especially with horses that are experience soundness problems such as founder or navicular.
Helps eliminate chipping, flaring, thrush: Just because a horse is barefoot does not mean that the horse is getting good hoof care. With traditional trims, the hoof is usually cut on a flat plane, just like it was being prepared for a shoe. Some farriers might round off the edges a bit, but that’s about it. A barefoot trim follows the contours of the hoof, often having a spot or two that’s a bit shorter than the rest of the hoof. The heels are brought down to the level of the frog, and yet, as you can see on the hoof to the right, this does not create long toes. Any flaring is corrected, and the hoof is finished with a “mustang roll”. This, essentially, is a very dramatic role to the hoof wall. This roll helps prevent chipping and flaring, and also helps to bring the toes back. As for eliminating thrush, shod hooves are an invitation for thrush to thrive, because there is all that space between the hoof and the shoe where fresh air cannot get in and clean it out.
Can your horse go barefoot? Yes! Any horse can go barefoot. Many people think that only sound horses, or horses with extremely strong, healthy hooves can go barefoot. But being barefoot, along with diet and movement, is the key to growing healthy, strong hooves! There is also a lot of talk of “corrective” shoeing; Instead, I talk about “corrective de-shoeing.”
Some horses will be a bit sore and tender for a while after being de-shod, but this is not unusual. After all, hooves have to be conditioned. To make this transition easier, and to enable the owner to keep riding without any downtime, we use hoof boots. Hoof boots enable us to give the extra support that some hooves need, while still allowing the hoof to flex and move as it was intended. I will not be so bold as to say there is never a case there shoes are needed, but if there is, I have never seen it or heard of it.
Are there any other things that are address with barefoot hoof care? There are four main areas that we focus on with barefoot hoof care:
- Trim: It is important for the horse to be on a regular trimming schedule with a good barefoot trimmer. Most horses need to be trimmed every four to six weeks, although there are exceptions where the trims need to be closer together or further apart.
- Diet: Diet does affect the hooves! It is essential for a healthy horse, and healthy hooves, for the horse to be on a diet that is low in sugar and starch. This can help you avoid many problems, including founder.
- Lifestyle/Living Arrangements: Many people are limited as to their horse’s living arrangements, especially those who board their horses out. But the best terrain for horses provides lots of space to move, fellow horses to bond with, different types of ground for the horse to travel over, and a variety of dry and wet grounds for the hooves to be exposed to.
- Movement: This is such a critical area, especially for horses who are recovering from founder and laminitis. Movement is so important because it stimulates the hoof to grow faster, become stronger, and heal itself quicker. Horses were made to be moving, and moving makes a huge difference in their health and their feet.
Well, now you have an introduction to the world of natural hoof care. I realize that every situation is different, and none of us is able to create the perfect environment for our horses, but we’ve just got to do the best with what we’ve got.
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