Farrierlady - 2013-11-23 12:30 PM WOW!!!  What a huge difference!!!  So happy to see nice feet on a horse for a change, congrats to you for listening and doing the right thing by your horse!   

raisinrox - 2013-11-23 6:12 PM Amen think of the thousands of horses out there that could be helped the same way.. There is a magazine for barefoot   called The Horses Hoof and they would LOVE to see those pics and that story!!! 

annemarea - 2013-11-24 7:38 AM This is my favorite comparison with his left front heel!  It really shows how that hairline went from a deep "V" to nearly ground level.  No wonder those heels were hurting so bad! 

luvinrunnin - 2013-11-24 8:33 AM Wow, can sure see why he had heel pain!!! Great job!!!!!!! I wish I had your farrier here...

raisinrox - 2013-11-23 6:12 PM Amen think of the thousands of horses out there that could be helped the same way.. There is a magazine for barefoot   called The Horses Hoof and they would LOVE to see those pics and that story!!! 

barrelracinbroke - 2013-11-25 9:04 PM His feet look so good! I cringe when I see the before pics!!



I shoe one of my horses in the hind only. Just because he slipped without shoes behind.  

grinandbareit - 2014-01-23 7:35 PM

Your horses feet look great! I have one suggestion for you if you are going to be running barrels... We need traction on different types of ground. I never trim my horses frog and I never take off any sole. The frog will shed by itself when it is suppose to. The more frog on the hoof, the better. I let the water line grow out and form a "rim", so to speak, to add traction. Also, your horses heels are fine like they are. He has a great angle to his hoof and I wouldn't change anything. Those heels are perfect. Congrats!

PS... This is just my opinion... After 20+ years of barefoot horses. ;-)



Edited to say... His heels will continue to spread over time. Just rasp them gently as they grow under.

annemarea - 2014-01-23 7:49 PM


I'm not back to running him, yet, but we became way more aggressive with those heels and toes about 6 months ago. I've been faithfully rasping heels and toes to try to bring them back more. This barefoot is pretty easy since I nor the trimmer ever take any frog or sole off. I barely trust myself with the rasp! LOL but I am hoping to allow more of a "rim" once we get the heels/toes backed up to where we want them. Both of his inside heels were more under-run that the outside heels. I sure do hope he doesn't need help for traction once I start running him! I've never run him without shoes, but he's more sound than he's ever been. So, you just keep the walls a little longer than the sole to give you that rim around the edges?

grinandbareit - 2014-01-23 8:18 PM Not really... You don't want the walls longer because it will cause them to pull away from the white line. It's the water-line that grows out. The clear line that you see on the bottom. You want the white line to be tight. My gelding has never been shod... His hoof grows big and round with very little sole from the point of frog to the toe. He has a natural arch if you look at his hoof from the side, and he doesn't have a lot of heel. And he can handle any kind of ground. I will take a pic of it when the weather warms up this weekend and post it. Here is a link to some great pics. http://www.barefoothorse.com/barefoot_HoofShape.html

txbredbr - 2014-01-24 12:53 PM Just wanted to thank you for taking the time to post these photos and updates for everyone else to see --- and congratulate you for the progress - awesome!



Wonder how close-up photos of your horses face/eyes would look along w/ the hoof change photos. There had to have been a wrinkle or two in the muzzle that disappeared or a glow in the eye that would have appeared in later photos!. 

Crowned Image - 2014-01-24 1:11 PM what pretty looking feet you've got there! has it just been farrier work that has helped your boy? or have you given any sort of supplement or anything to help with growth/hoof health?

realitycheck - 2014-01-25 2:57 PM  Thank you for sharing.  I am also starting a barefoot journey.  I will be attending a school from equine applied podiatry.  I don't know if my older horse will be able to go barefoot on the front, but I intend to go without on the hinds.  My younger horses won't be shod.  I just keep using a rasp and getting advice from my NB farrier.  Hoping the school will help me get better at it.  

There once was a time I was dead set against it, now I am all for it if the horse can do well without shoes.

annemarea - 2014-01-25 1:05 PM  That's awesome about the school! I'm still learning as much as I can! Before I tried barefoot on my OTTB I thought it was just a crock of crap and an all "natural" cult. Then I joined the cult! LOL 

rodeomom3 - 2014-01-25 3:44 PM They look great!  I wish mine could/would go bare foot.  I tried it for 6 months and they never quit acting like they were going to die, gave in and put the shoes back on.

annemarea - 2014-01-26 9:23 AM  Rodeomom-

I'd love to learn from your experience. I've only transitioned my 4.

Why do you think they had a hard time transitioning? What type of ground do you have at home? Did you have a barefoot trimmer or regular farrier working on them? Did you boot them? 

annemarea - 2013-11-24 6:58 AM Oh, it really makes me sick now....when I look at feet.  And when I hear of all these "navicular" diagnosed horses!  I think, wow, wonder what would happen if they just gave them some time to grow out those feet WITHOUT shoes and WITHOUT injections/surgeries.  But I know most are just like I was, and follow what their vets are telling them...."Oh NO WAY can we let him go without shoes!" Well, sure....if you don't boot them and help them along....it will be excrutiating for them...but boy, what a difference you can make in their lives  AND your pocketbook!!! LOL 

CowgirlLindz - 2014-01-29 10:51 AM Wow! Love seeing this! I'm new to barefoot riding/running and loving what I see! I was forced to race barefoot when leasing a horse for a few years his owner didn't want me to have him shod....best thing ever! My real turning point was when I was at a competition footing sucked and all the horses where slipping or falling. Everyone were getting really scared and so was I! Myself and one other rider didn't have any trouble....found out neither were shod!!! I just posted on a thread about navicular corrective shoeing and said try barefoot.....I hoped it might at least plant the seed in their minds but I also figure everyone may just roll their eyes and think I'm crazy ...but I really think its the best chance. I've read and seen some amazing turn arounds! Its been a hard road going barefoot ...no pun intended ...not the barefoot part but the closed mindedness! I don't know about any of you but I get a lot of "are you crazy....no shoes?" "You should really put shoes on him" "I take care of my horse". It makes it hard and at first you start to second guess yourself. Its so nice to see those Beautiful hooves

margoannrodeo - 2014-01-29 11:09 AM


My guy was diagnosed classic navicular...I did everything I could and surgery was unavoidale. He was barefoot for 2.5 years...

I am a HUGE barefoot proponent...been a barefoot trimmer for 12 years and have seen a huge transformation in many horses feet. Of course my horse has to be dificult and goes best in egg bars (much to my dismay).

Your guy looks great!!!

annemarea - 2014-02-15 5:48 AM

Beautiful feet, grinandbareit!!!

grinandbareit - 2014-02-14 6:30 PM

Here we go... OMGosh! How do I fix that??? I figured it out... :)

Only the one foot is done in this picture... That is what the other feet looked like prior to my trimming him... He was at about 6 weeks, because it's winter, and it's been really cold!

cheryl makofka - 2014-02-16 11:46 AM


Not going to pick your feet apart, but some people think this foot looks good.

I know you said this is before trimming.

If you look bottom left by the bars, there is some gravel in the white line, this can be the start of white line disease, or what some people call seedy toe. This horse doesn't have much thickness in hoof wall, this could be genetics, but I like to see a little more.

The other thing I notice is the black around the frog can be early onset thrush. I would also want to pare away half an inch around the frog, as this will help with the expansion and contraction of the foot.

cheryl makofka - 2014-02-16 11:46 AM Not going to pick your feet apart, but some people think this foot looks good. I know you said this is before trimming. If you look bottom left by the bars, there is some gravel in the white line, this can be the start of white line disease, or what some people call seedy toe. This horse doesn't have much thickness in hoof wall, this could be genetics, but I like to see a little more. The other thing I notice is the black around the frog can be early onset thrush. I would also want to pare away half an inch around the frog, as this will help with the expansion and contraction of the foot.

lindseylou2290 - 2014-05-23 1:39 PM


Forgive me ... but WHY???  If you pare more of the foot around the frog, aren't you removing the bars of the hoof that are needed for internal support??  I am not a barefoot guru nor am I a certified farrier but ... this doesn't make sense to my knowledge of equine anatomy at all.