Barefoot or shod?
There is always a large debate wherever you go as to whether it is better for your horse to be barefoot or shod. It is important to remember that every horse is an individual and should be treated as such. I personally have turned my horses away for the winter and under guidance from the farrier I have removed my horses shoes to give them a rest. For my mare with SDFT tendon scarring and associated compensatory issues, we would like her frog to recede a little which will help improve the haemodynamics of the foot and promote circulation, thus providing the distal limb with more blood flow.
I was worried about my mare becoming a little “footy” with her shoes off, this has sparked my further research into how I can help this. Research has shown that different surfaces in a field can help horses with proprioceptive feedback. Often people will find their horse is sound in the soft field however as soon as the horse is brought out of the field onto the stony track, the horse is lame. How do we combat this? If you add in different surfaces to your horses field this can actually ‘harden’ the feet. Track systems are becoming ever more popular and these do often incorporate areas of soft, hard, gravel and other surfaces for this reason. It can also help improve your horses proprioception to go over different surfaces within the paddock or during exercises. It is also important if your horse comperes over different surfaces to expose the horse to these surfaces at home. Is your horse doing endurance riding? Hunting? Eventing? Just a few examples of where the horse is expected to change between surfaces. If you only exercise your horse in the menage on one surface, this is all they will physically become accustomed to. This accounts for horses shod or un-shod. It has been scientifically proven that horses hooves will also generally slide further when they are barefoot, therefore this is something to consider when competing the horse on grass where it can be slippy. Shod horses can have studs fitted into their shoes to help provide more traction and prevent slipping. This is especially important for jumping horses so that they have the stability to jump as comfortably as possible.
Barefoot boots can also be beneficial when your horse is becoming accustomed to different surfaces. There are many different types on the market however the most important thing to consider is that the boot fits correctly and does not cause your horse more harm. Many farriers can help and suggest how to fit barefoot boots, especially if they have advised your horse to be barefoot.
If your horse is transitioning to barefoot it is important to have the horses on a 4-5 week trimming cycle to start and If you notice cracks and flares then the horses should be trimmed when these are spotted rather than wait until the next farrier visit, even if this is just after the horse has been shod. Hooves are designed to expand and contract and change with the different loads going through the limb. This happens in both barefoot and shod horses. In shod horses the hoof is less able to flare and expand which can be beneficial, especially if you are trying to change the angulation off the hoof due to an injury or compensatory pattern.
If you notice consistent change in the hoof and your farrier is brilliant then this may mean your horse is due for a musculoskeletal check in. There may be something niggling away further up the system which is surfacing through the hoof.
