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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
  
| I have a gelding, came to me barefoot, positive to hoof testers in vet check, clean x-rays, vet said put shoes on him. I kept shoes on for 6 months, he was always pulling them, loves to get in the pond, plays hard, etc, the only way to keep them on was to keep him in a pen so I went back to barefoot. He is working good, not positive to testers but when you trot him on concrete he is stingy and shortens his stride, ouchy over rocks, but on dirt he is good. Vet said to put shoes back on. |
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| Does he have thin soles? If so, you could try Durasole to toughen them up. It may be that his thin soles are making him ouchy on uneven or rough/hard ground when he's barefoot.
If he is more comfortable with shoes on than going barefoot, but pulls them all the time, then I would make sure I have my farrier on speed dial and keep him shod, as inconvenient as that could be.
If it is thin soles and you get that taken care of, he might be able to go back to being barefoot.
Some horses aren't meant to go barefoot, and some horses never need shoes  |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Thank you, I am using durasole and he is in soft rides when hauling but I guess I will quit fighting putting shoes on him. |
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| Soft Rides are amazing! Too bad they can't just wear them all the time  hopefully the Durasole helps toughen his feet up, so maybe someday (hopefully soon!) he can go without shoes! 
Edited by madredepeanut 2017-11-19 1:41 PM
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
 
| Got pictures?
We jumped in with keeping all of ours barefoot last fall. Had a few issues this summer but figured them out and consequently I’m learning to trim ours now and our trimmer comes every 3-4 months to check up on my work for now. I try to get to each one every 2-3 weeks and do maintenance before a big event. Most of our soreness issues this summer were due to shedding sole, frog, or bars laying over, it’s rewarding to be able to identify the issue and fix it. Also, not every farrier is a qualified barefoot trimmer. |
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | Another thing to check is to make sure he doesn't have thrush So many farriers miss this! Im dealing with this now. Sometimes it looks like you don't have thrush but you can. Good luck and it does take quite a long time for them to toughen up if they been in shoes. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Why not just go with easy boots when you need them? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
| Could you avoid riding on concrete or hard stony ground? I have a mare that was always pulling shoes and had thin Shelly feet....amazing how just taking the darn things off has saved me so much grief and frustration! And I can finally compete again. It does take some carefulness at shows, I always have to boot her up if the ground is bad getting to the arena and then take them off before we run and the boot her back up to the trailer...but so far 2 yrs and only one abscess and no worries about pulled shoes, sometimes less is more! (I was advised to use pour in pads with shoes by vet a few yrs ago) and seems so many other issues I had with her got resolved as well after we pulled the shoes.... |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Nita - 2017-11-19 10:12 PM Why not just go with easy boots when you need them?
I use soft rides in the trailer and easy boots over rocky ground and take them off to warm up and run ( don’t want to leaver my soft rides sitting around). He is getting a nice cup so I hate to put shoes on and go backwards. I have a great farrier who thinks he will be ok staying barefoot. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| rodeomom3 - 2017-11-20 6:10 AM
Nita - 2017-11-19 10:12 PM Why not just go with easy boots when you need them?
 I use soft rides in the trailer and easy boots over rocky ground and take them off to warm up and run ( don’t want to leaver my soft rides sitting around).  He is getting a nice cup so I hate to put shoes on and go backwards.  I have a great farrier who thinks he will be ok staying barefoot.Â
How long had he been barefoot when you got him? Could still just be working through the transition.
I think you’re on the right track with booting when needed. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| OhMax - 2017-11-20 6:20 AM rodeomom3 - 2017-11-20 6:10 AM Nita - 2017-11-19 10:12 PM Why not just go with easy boots when you need them? I use soft rides in the trailer and easy boots over rocky ground and take them off to warm up and run ( don’t want to leaver my soft rides sitting around). He is getting a nice cup so I hate to put shoes on and go backwards. I have a great farrier who thinks he will be ok staying barefoot. How long had he been barefoot when you got him? Could still just be working through the transition. I think you’re on the right track with booting when needed.
He was barefoot til 5 when I bought him but he was positive to hoof testers, hence the shoes. His previous home was rock hard ground, very little grass, he has been barefoot again about 6 - 8 months now. |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | Are you using a good barefoot farrier? If not, find you a GOOD one and they should be able to help. I keep them barefoot as much as possible. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | No I wouldn't put shoes on. You are close to this horse being comfortable barefoot and putting shoes on will make this process have to start back over. I would just do you best to keep him comfortable and look into your diet to be sure you are keeping the gut healthy and his feet have the best chance they can. |
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Expert
Posts: 1409
Location: Oklahoma | Have you seen the post from Outlaw Equine called forma??? I cant remember the whole name. I'm gonna call sometime to check on it. Wonder if anyone on here has tried it yet? |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| MidWest1452 - 2017-11-20 3:28 PM No I wouldn't put shoes on. You are close to this horse being comfortable barefoot and putting shoes on will make this process have to start back over. I would just do you best to keep him comfortable and look into your diet to be sure you are keeping the gut healthy and his feet have the best chance they can.
He is on a good diet, or what I consider good-Renew Gold, alfalfa, Kombat boots, and and iron free mineral supplement, turnout 24/7 except for weather, great farrier |
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 Porta Potty Pants
Posts: 2600
| My navicular horse is doing much much better without shoes! He was terrible to shoe and when he was diagnosed, the vet recommended shoeing changes and we discovered he has a thin wall toward the back of the hoof. He got a hot nail, then couldn't keep his shoe on ... we finally decided to just pull them, turn him out and wait and see. Now several months and two osphos shots later, the farrier (a different one) couldn't make him flinch with hoof testers. I've just started exercising him and he's shown no issues thus far. So we will leave him barefoot for now. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| rodeomom3 - 2017-11-21 7:00 AM
MidWest1452 - 2017-11-20 3:28 PM No I wouldn't put shoes on. You are close to this horse being comfortable barefoot and putting shoes on will make this process have to start back over. I would just do you best to keep him comfortable and look into your diet to be sure you are keeping the gut healthy and his feet have the best chance they can.
 He is on a good diet, or what I consider good-Renew Gold, alfalfa, Kombat boots, and and iron free mineral supplement, turnout 24/7 except for weather, great farrierÂ
May I ask what iron free mineral you are using? I am in South Texas and so, like you, I need an iron free mineral. My barefoot trimmer thinks that may be why my horse has cracks at his toes and has some separation that just came on. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| GLP - 2017-11-21 11:08 AM rodeomom3 - 2017-11-21 7:00 AM MidWest1452 - 2017-11-20 3:28 PM No I wouldn't put shoes on. You are close to this horse being comfortable barefoot and putting shoes on will make this process have to start back over. I would just do you best to keep him comfortable and look into your diet to be sure you are keeping the gut healthy and his feet have the best chance they can. He is on a good diet, or what I consider good-Renew Gold, alfalfa, Kombat boots, and and iron free mineral supplement, turnout 24/7 except for weather, great farrier May I ask what iron free mineral you are using? I am in South Texas and so, like you, I need an iron free mineral. My barefoot trimmer thinks that may be why my horse has cracks at his toes and has some separation that just came on.
https://horsetech.com/equine-supplements/daily-vitamins-minerals/high-point-alfalfa |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| rodeomom3 - 2017-11-21 11:46 AM
GLP - 2017-11-21 11:08 AM rodeomom3 - 2017-11-21 7:00 AM MidWest1452 - 2017-11-20 3:28 PM No I wouldn't put shoes on. You are close to this horse being comfortable barefoot and putting shoes on will make this process have to start back over. I would just do you best to keep him comfortable and look into your diet to be sure you are keeping the gut healthy and his feet have the best chance they can.  He is on a good diet, or what I consider good-Renew Gold, alfalfa, Kombat boots, and and iron free mineral supplement, turnout 24/7 except for weather, great farrier May I ask what iron free mineral you are using? I am in South Texas and so, like you, I need an iron free mineral. My barefoot trimmer thinks that may be why my horse has cracks at his toes and has some separation that just came on.
Thank You! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 595
Location: North Dakota | rodeomom3 - 2017-11-21 7:00 AM
MidWest1452 - 2017-11-20 3:28 PM No I wouldn't put shoes on. You are close to this horse being comfortable barefoot and putting shoes on will make this process have to start back over. I would just do you best to keep him comfortable and look into your diet to be sure you are keeping the gut healthy and his feet have the best chance they can.
 He is on a good diet, or what I consider good-Renew Gold, alfalfa, Kombat boots, and and iron free mineral supplement, turnout 24/7 except for weather, great farrierÂ
Sounds like you are doing it right. I used tuff stuff during my mares transition to barefoot. I also took hind shoes off first to let her back feet toughen up first then 6 months later I removed the front shoes but that isn’t doable in your case but just an idea for others who are looking to transition. It helped her out a lot.
I think you are doing all you can and in the end you will be happier with those feet being barefoot.  |
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