|
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 433
 
Location: The Lone Star State | I had to give my mare 10 yo a long break so i pulled her shoes 5 months ago. I am now legging her back up and she is doing fine w/o shoes but i have not run her, so i am wondering why not try her barefoot? She has all black feet and they are like concrete. The only issue is she has a front foot that has a scar that runs the length of her foot that i have to get injected because of a small spur. What do you think pros and cons? |
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| I have run all of mine barefoot for the past three years, I honestly haven't had any problems with slipping, or hoof wall breakdown.
The only thing you can do is try, she may be still a little ouchy on gravel, so I would focus on trying to harden up the sole a little more. You can always put shoes back on, but I suggest trying the entire rest of the season before making the decision to continue barefoot, or to put shoes back on. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 507
Location: Lost in the corn of Iowa. | Have you had any issues with bruising? I have been thinking about running my mare barefoot because she keeps losing the same shoe over and over again. The only thing I worry about is getting to an arena with a lot of rocks and such and giving her bruises. A lot of the arenas around here you come in and out of on rock. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 412
Location: In Husker Land | Used to have shoes on my mare, never stayed on and she wouldn't run very well with them..have never looked back and she I think runs and handles ground better than most with shoes. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 547
Location: Millington, TN | I run all of mine barefoot. IMO, I think they all have better footing. Just one example, I was at a rodeo with about five foot of mud. My horse was the only (that I know of) that did not slip or have trouble with the mud. Just try it. Like others have said, they may be ouchy on gravel but that just takes time for them to get used to it. |
|
| |
|
 Veteran
Posts: 268
| I run both my mares barefoot.  |
|
| |
|
Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | 2 out of my 3 horses have never been shod in their life, and I intend to keep them that way unless they start having issues that would require shoes. Mine is on hoof supplements and gets daily topical hoof conditioner because he has pathetic "thoroughbred type" hooves. I also have booties for riding on hard/rocky ground. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 383
| I have 1 that I run barefoot he used to have shoes he handles the ground much better now than he ever did with shoes ( and I run in crappy rodeo ground) I keep a set of cavello boots for his feet if im gonna be on gravel very much- it was kind of a pain at first when he was tender but hes not tender any more but I still use the boots if theres big chunks of gravel just to be safe |
|
| |
|
  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4641
Location: Texas | I run both of my mares barefoot and have never had a problem. One is a little ouchy on gravel though. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Ticktock - 2014-08-12 9:07 AM I had to give my mare 10 yo a long break so i pulled her shoes 5 months ago. I am now legging her back up and she is doing fine w/o shoes but i have not run her, so i am wondering why not try her barefoot? She has all black feet and they are like concrete. The only issue is she has a front foot that has a scar that runs the length of her foot that i have to get injected because of a small spur. What do you think pros and cons?
I assume you mean top to bottom and not front to back?? Was there an injury to the coronet band that causes this scar? Such a scar is a weakness in the hoof wall that is predisposed to cracking and is best dealt with using clips to help support it. It might not open up while a horse is laid off in a pasture just being a horse, but when brought back to work and compete it might undergo more stress and split open. (Just a thought) |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1096
| Run all mine barefoot. mine have the "mustang roll" so it's barefoot but a bit different than a simple trim. It takes tiime to build up the callous on the bottom. I love it and won't go back. |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1561
| be careful, you dont want to jam your toes on a barrel.... |
|
| |
Folks on-line