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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 596
 
| Have a new gelding that has under run heels. The previous owner said they ran him barefoot for years, when they sold him new owners put 3drgree wedges on him. Was wondering about going to natural trim. |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
 
Location: North Dakota | As long as he doesn't have any underlying issues, I don't see why CORRECT barefoot trimming wouldn't be able to fix the under run heels.
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 596
| Do they get traction or slip a lot ? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| strawfly special - 2014-02-27 1:27 PM Do they get traction or slip a lot ?
My gelding has excellent hard, black feet, and he has no issues with traction what-so-ever when running barefoot. Honestly, if its been raining at all I feel he is more sure footed barefoot than he is with shoes. The only time I am concerned is when the run in to a rodeo arena, or warm up area is quite rocky... he has great feet, but I dont want to push my luck and have him abscess or something.
I should add- I dont use a "barefoot trimmer". We are really good friends with one of the best farriers around (corrective shoeing etc) and he just does what he thinks needs to be done and I trust him 110%. He prefers to put shoes on most horses, but he agrees that my horse is just fine without. |
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 I"m Jealous!
Posts: 1737
Location: Benton City, WA | strawfly special - 2014-02-27 11:42 AM Have a new gelding that has under run heels. The previous owner said they ran him barefoot for years, when they sold him new owners put 3drgree wedges on him. Was wondering about going to natural trim.
So which way did he perform better? Barefoot or with wedges?
Not every horse with underrun heels can be corrected with trimming. The risk you are taking on is, if the horse is severely underrun, when you take the wedges off, you are effectively dropping those heels back down and putting a lot of pressure back on all the structures on the back of the leg: suspensory ligament, tendons, etc. He may strain something, or just not perform as well because he's protecting himself.
Bottom line is, we really can't say what is best for the horse with out seeing his feet...Have you had a vet give you their opinion on him?
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 596
| We just got him last week. He is sound now but some previous owners said he was really good barefoot |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1096
| All my horses are barefoot. Over the last year we have trimmed so they have what they call the "Mustang Roll". Absolutely love it! Their is a bit of time involved but it is well worth it. Sound, no chipping, feel the ground excellent! That being said their are always exceptions to the rule so I would check out to see what is the best option for you and your horse. |
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Veteran
Posts: 159
Location: Central TX | These are my personal feelings on barefoot... maybe not everyone agrees but I've been pro rodeoing for about 13 years now and i've made multiple wpra circuit finals on a few different horses. I bought a pro rodeo horse probably 9 years ago that had ran barefoot almost all of her life, I became really into the whole "barefoot" idea because the mare's feet looked awesome and she ran great. And then something happened....still no idea what, but suddenly she went from perfectly sound to perfectly UNSOUND...all because of her feet. She got sore from running on different rodeo grounds and guess what? I had to retire a 100,000 dollar horse 2 years into ownership. I've had a lot of different horses that i thought would be great barefoot, and they ended up very sore eventually. Its also more maintenance...have to keep softrides on em at all times pretty much, have to be more careful about where you warm up, where you run...doesn't work for me. I know it works for a few girls but I've gone from thinking it was an awesome idea to very quickly thinking otherwise. Nobody wants to have to throw away 100k in cash because their horse became to hoof sore to work anymore. I assumed everything was fine but it wasnt and it made its self evident that it wasnt eventually. I won't keep anything i run barefoot now...just not a chance i'm willing to take. Better for the horses to have support. my two cents. |
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Expert
Posts: 1432
| brrlrcrtx44 - 2014-02-27 4:40 PM
These are my personal feelings on barefoot... maybe not everyone agrees but I've been pro rodeoing for about 13 years now and i've made multiple wpra circuit finals on a few different horses. I bought a pro rodeo horse probably 9 years ago that had ran barefoot almost all of her life, I became really into the whole "barefoot" idea because the mare's feet looked awesome and she ran great. And then something happened....still no idea what, but suddenly she went from perfectly sound to perfectly UNSOUND...all because of her feet. She got sore from running on different rodeo grounds and guess what? I had to retire a 100,000 dollar horse 2 years into ownership. I've had a lot of different horses that i thought would be great barefoot, and they ended up very sore eventually. Its also more maintenance...have to keep softrides on em at all times pretty much, have to be more careful about where you warm up, where you run...doesn't work for me. I know it works for a few girls but I've gone from thinking it was an awesome idea to very quickly thinking otherwise. Nobody wants to have to throw away 100k in cash because their horse became to hoof sore to work anymore. I assumed everything was fine but it wasnt and it made its self evident that it wasnt eventually. I won't keep anything i run barefoot now...just not a chance i'm willing to take. Better for the horses to have support. my two cents.
I totally agree...All my rodeo horses are shod. |
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Expert
Posts: 3147
| I've run barefoot for three years now. I don't rodeo, don't run over twice in one weekend and might average two weekends a month for a twelve month period. My mare has great feet, don't need ez ride boots for her nor does she have under slung heels. If I rodeoed or hauled more than I do I would probably put shoes on as rodeo ground can be nasty. Also, I think some horses just don't have the feet to go barefoot. |
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Expert
Posts: 2122
Location: The Great Northwest | brrlrcrtx44 - 2014-02-28 2:40 PM These are my personal feelings on barefoot... maybe not everyone agrees but I've been pro rodeoing for about 13 years now and i've made multiple wpra circuit finals on a few different horses. I bought a pro rodeo horse probably 9 years ago that had ran barefoot almost all of her life, I became really into the whole "barefoot" idea because the mare's feet looked awesome and she ran great. And then something happened....still no idea what, but suddenly she went from perfectly sound to perfectly UNSOUND...all because of her feet. She got sore from running on different rodeo grounds and guess what? I had to retire a 100,000 dollar horse 2 years into ownership. I've had a lot of different horses that i thought would be great barefoot, and they ended up very sore eventually. Its also more maintenance...have to keep softrides on em at all times pretty much, have to be more careful about where you warm up, where you run...doesn't work for me. I know it works for a few girls but I've gone from thinking it was an awesome idea to very quickly thinking otherwise. Nobody wants to have to throw away 100k in cash because their horse became to hoof sore to work anymore. I assumed everything was fine but it wasnt and it made its self evident that it wasnt eventually. I won't keep anything i run barefoot now...just not a chance i'm willing to take. Better for the horses to have support. my two cents.
I totally agree! Your horse can get accustomed to the ground he lives on but take the horse out of those conditions you may come up with a sore horse. The trim is so important too, but it is almost impossible to have them sound on all types of ground. |
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 Regular
Posts: 60
Location: Oklahoma | I just think it depends on the horse. My mare actually runs barefoot better and she always hated getting shoes put on. I will mostly shoe a horse if they are slipping a lot, or if I were to mostly run in bad ground. I havent had a horse yet that really NEEDED shoes, but Im sure I will one day. All horses are different. I also dont pro rodeo (hopefully someday) but Im sure that level of competing makes a difference |
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Veteran
Posts: 159
Location: Central TX | You guys also have to consider the types of "ground", (if you could even call it that) that ive warmed up on at pro rodeos...13 years and I've warmed up on everything from dirt packed as hard as street pavement, to uneven clay with rocks all in it, gravel, a sidewalk with a patch of grass on it...absolutely disastrous warm up areas. And thats what ALOT of pro rodeos and rodeos in general have... theres usually not a nice place to warm up unless they have a back field of grass. There has been times where i havent even been able to warm up my horse AT ALL before a run because theres nothing there but a paved parking lot. That is the reality at a large number rodeo grounds. Most big 4D barrel races ive been to always have a GREAT place to warm up and great accommodations for the horses...Rodeos- NOT THE CASE!! theres a HUGE difference between what a horse has to withstand at a rodeo vs a barrel race (for example BBR finals, D&D barrel classic, buckeye..etc) and whats the first thing all of that rough ground is going to affect? bingo...hooves! i feel like rodeo is so hard on a horse as it is that the least we could do is take a huge load off of them by putting shoes on. Also saves me tons of time, stress, and VET BILLS!! I've had horses that i thought ran better barefoot too (usually handle crappy ground better) but in the end, they need to be able to handle it with shoes on too because i'm not going to leave one barefoot for long. |
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  Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | I'm a HUGE fan of natural hoof care, the results I've gotton on my horses using this trim method are nothing but wonderful. When it comes to getting a foot healthy I don't think there is a better option. That said, the horse I haul for mounted shooting wears shoes during the competition season. Warm up area's SUCK at a lot of the shoots as does the arena conditions at some. I'm not willing to take a chance with hauling him barefoot knowing the conditions we see. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 349
| Up until recently I was all barefoot all the way. My mare is barefoot and always will be, but my gelding goes alright barefoot but probably going to put shoes back on. Currently working on his heels spreading back out and in that essence it has helped wonders. But I will probably put him back in shoes soon |
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| Depends on the horse and how much you run. I do run with front shoes and and if i am not running too much like big 4-d nbha world and some places with rocky ground.
My 1-d mare would turn so hard would move here shoes and i would frony shoe her until may when the ground was soft and then i would shoe al the way. Then in dec imwould take shoes off put them on 1st of march. I would not want to,take the chance of brusing the sole of the foot, or any of those little bones tendons if they step on something going 90 in the ring cause you cant pick up every sharp rock kn your arena.
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I run barefoot, always have. I use a corrective barefoot trimmer and boy has she really done a good job on all of my horses hooves.
My mare has tough hard black hooves, she doesn't slip |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | strawfly special - 2014-02-27 2:27 PM
Do they get traction or slip a lot ?
never had mine slip or have trouble with any ground. I love having mine barefoot and I love never having to worry about a pulled shoe, or any of that! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I don't rodeo, and I can see how a horse running at 3-4 rodeos a weekend can have problems barefoot, but it is still doable.
Marlene McRae told me that she tried running barefoot, had X-rays at the beginning of the season then a few months later re xrayed the results were the soles became very thin.
If I was going to rodeo hard and wanted to go barefoot, I would be using boots my preference is old macs to warm up, I would remove them right before my run and put them back on. I have done this at jackpots that had horrible warm up. This would reduce the wearing of the soles. |
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Itchy Boobs
Posts: 360
| I have a 7yo mare who has some tough feet , i had her shoed a few times but she does just as well barefoot so i just keep her trimmed. |
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