|
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 433
 
Location: The Lone Star State | My entire horse life I have run my horses with shoes from the moment its time for them to start getting hauled. However my mare has been barefoot for the last year and half due to having time off and a baby and now I have been conditioning her to get back in running shape. She is getting along great wo shoes so far her feet are like concrete. How many top riders run horses barefoot and how do they handle the ground?
I am going to give it a shot, I figure she will tell me if I need to put them back on but it totally relieves my stress about her constantly pulling shoes, over reaching loosing one right before a race.
My shoes does an excellent job with shoes and barefoot so that is not the issue. |
|
| |
|
 BHW New Catch of the Day
Posts: 9883
  
Location: Missouri | For the past 5 years my horses have been running bare foot. This year because so many people have said I needed shoes I put them on. I've not seen a difference this year with shoes. Other than one is not as tender footed on rocks as usual. The other one has nice hard feet and is like a mountain goat on rocks.
Edited by Tbred 2016-09-22 3:44 PM
|
|
| |
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I just pulled shoes off my little horse.
Tenderness aside he is soooo much freer. Keep in mind he is small and petite, but going barefoot has really minimized knee action and allowed him to step out more. I am running him this weekend for the first time barefoot.
|
|
| |
|
Regular
Posts: 57
| I have always ran my horses barefoot, unless they have bad feet or a hoof problem that needs shoes. I find that they handle the ground better, I very rarely have any ground issues. My horses have no real any injuries either. I have always been careful on rocks even with shoes on a horse, but have not had problems with stone bruises or abscesses. |
|
| |
|
 Born not Made
Posts: 2932
Location: North Dakota | I think it depends on the horse.
My horse Red simply runs better with shoes because he handles the ground well and slips less. I may do a run here and there without shoes, but for our normal season and normal hauling, he gets shoes on all 4. Just made a couple runs this past weekend without shoes (had a baby earlier this year, so I've barely gotten time to ride the way it is) and he had some trouble with the ground. Just "confirmed" what I already knew -- he runs better with shoes.
But if your horse gets along fine barefoot, then stay barefoot if you want. I think it depends on the horse.
By all means, if they can handle the ground barefoot, I'd rather them stay barefoot too b/c it's cheaper and you don't have to worry about pulled shoes!
|
|
| |
|
  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | All mine do most of the time, but if I have one I am really competing on seriously, I put shoes on. It sucks when you have a stand out horse and you lose a race because of simple slips. Some handle it better than others, but I think generally you have an advantage to have shoes on. |
|
| |
|
 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Get x rays of the feet to make sure they have enough sole, or don't have any special needs due to conformation.
If you're running just jackpots, it's probably less of an issue since you usually will have a good place to warm up and the ground is better.
Hauling a rodeo horse barefoot could probably turn into an issue for lack of good warm up space and questionable ground. |
|
| |
|
 Life Saver
Posts: 10477
Location: MT | Best thing I've ever done for my horses. It's really changed 2 of my horses feet (that had issues) around for the better. Make sure you find a good barefoot trimmer though, it's worth putting the effort into finding a good one.
|
|
| |
|
The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| classicpotatochip - 2016-09-22 6:45 PM
Get x rays of the feet to make sure they have enough sole, or don't have any special needs due to conformation.
If you're running just jackpots, it's probably less of an issue since you usually will have a good place to warm up and the ground is better.
Hauling a rodeo horse barefoot could probably turn into an issue for lack of good warm up space and questionable ground.
For questionable warmup ground it is an easy fix with a pair of hoof boots.
I was at a a jackpot a few weeks ago and someone actually ran in a pair of easy boots, ran in the 2d no slips. I was impressed. |
|
| |
|
Gettin Jiggy Wit It
Posts: 2734
| cheryl makofka - 2016-09-22 7:25 PM classicpotatochip - 2016-09-22 6:45 PM Get x rays of the feet to make sure they have enough sole, or don't have any special needs due to conformation. If you're running just jackpots, it's probably less of an issue since you usually will have a good place to warm up and the ground is better. Hauling a rodeo horse barefoot could probably turn into an issue for lack of good warm up space and questionable ground. For questionable warmup ground it is an easy fix with a pair of hoof boots. I was at a a jackpot a few weeks ago and someone actually ran in a pair of easy boots, ran in the 2d no slips. I was impressed.
The mare I rodeo on and qualified for curcuit finals on is barefoot. I own easy boots for her. I'll warm up in those if there is iffy ground then take them off when I am up by the arena before a run. I tried shoes on her and believe it or not, she didnt seem to like them. Now if one needs shoes, with no hesitation, the horse will be shod.... But for my main horse, she doesn't need them. |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 320
Location: Dubuque,IA | I haven't shod a horse in 13 years and never will because ieducated myself on shoes. If you want to be barefoot it takes a commitment and YOU HAVE to have a qualified educated barefoot trimmer. A regular pasture trim by a farrier does not cut it. |
|
| |
|
 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6437
Location: Montana | There are so many variables. My mare I ran with shoes on, then at the end of 2014 I ran without shoes (I always pull for winter if I shoe them) and ran the fastest time I ever ran on her to that time. We took last year off so, this year I tried again with without shoes, with mixed results. One arena we ran the fastest time we have ever run, the other I think we would have been better with shoes because of the ground.
Overall thought, going barefoot has been a success for my horses for the most part. Mine get a little ouchy if you ride on a lot of rocks, and my mare has good hard soles. You have to be kind of vigilante about chipping and how often you have them trimmed depending on the time of year and what kind of weather you have. I have mine on a schedule and I have a really great farrier. |
|
| |
Folks on-line