Posted 2014-05-13 2:11 PM Subject: Well....I did it!!
Elite Veteran
Posts: 667
Last night my farrier pulled my gelding shoes and we are attempting going barefoot. I know some of yall have seen my post about him being navicular and having all kinds of struggles with him
I had his bursa injected about 4 weeks ago because he has navicular cyst and it has helped trememdously. Now I am going to go all natural on his feet to see if this helps stimulate the blood flow.
I rode him last night and he was 100% sound. No head bobbing or anything. I know that he will be tender for a while since he has had shoes on forever.... but so far so good.
My question is this.. is there anything that I can do to keep his feet from "fraying" until they get tougher? He untied himself and tried to come find me and the other horses last night and ran down the gravel and it chipped a few pieces of his hoof. His pasture is soft and rock free so this should not be an issure in the future.
How long does it generally take them to adapt?
Posted 2014-05-13 3:01 PM Subject: RE: Well....I did it!!
Ms. Marine
Posts: 4641 Location: Texas
Just like the previous poster said, have your farrier round the edges of the hoof. My horses are barefoot 24/7 365 and I always round their hooves off. Don't have a problem with chipping.
Posted 2014-05-13 4:10 PM Subject: RE: Well....I did it!!
Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992 Location: Kansas
Southtxponygirl - 2014-05-13 2:18 PM I would have your farrier roll/round the edges of his hoofs more so that they dont chip up so much. Good luck on your gelding
Agreed, and maybe square up the toe a bit for better break over since he will be bare.
I absolutely love my farrier, shes a natural barefoot trimmer who has been trimming my horses for 5 years.....I will never run in shoes again
Posted 2014-05-13 6:37 PM Subject: RE: Well....I did it!!
Member
Posts: 43
Another barefoot racer over here! Every horse is different in how long it takes them to transition, but my mare was good to go almost right away. I got boots for my gelding, but of course he was pretty much fine as soon as I got them :P. I wouldn't worry too much about little chips. They do have little hand held files you can get to maintain the edge between trimmings though! I don't have one yet but I would like to for situations like you are describing. I don't plan on ever having mine shod again either. I have been looking to buy another horse lately and it is so hard to look at horses with high heels and messed up feet leading to messed up legs. :/ Especially when they would be a really nice horse otherwise. I love my horses barefoot! Good luck!!
Posted 2014-05-13 8:07 PM Subject: RE: Well....I did it!!
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1118 Location: The South
Congratulations!! I took the plunge in January and both of my horses' feet look 1000% better already...I can't wait to see how much they improve over time. The one that has seen the most improvement is my 20 year old gelding that I've been told is navicular (one vet said yes, another said no, so who really knows lol).
I got Renegade hoof boots just in case we're parked on gravel at a show or we decide to go on a trail ride with rocky terrain but they are both fine to ride at home without anything on their feet. Good luck!!
Posted 2014-05-13 9:41 PM Subject: RE: Well....I did it!!
Elite Veteran
Posts: 920
I'd get those edges beveled. You can take turpentine and paint it on the bottom to help "harden" them up. But I think you dilute it with some other things. I've never done it personally. Also there is a formaldehyde paint you can mix up also. Mine are bare and it took one no time to get over it and the other is tenderfooted and took at least 6 months before we got completely over the ouchyness anywhere.
Well....I did it!!
