Every now and then I come across a new horsey friend who doesn’t know and understand why I am such a keen advocate for keeping ridden horses barefoot.
At these times, I find myself re-telling the story that has got me and my horses to this point, and I think I should do a blog summary of the advantages and pitfalls of keeping ridden horses barefoot.
The good
The best thing, and I mean simply the best thing, about keeping ridden horses barefoot, and eventing said barefoot horses, is never having to worry about studs ever again.
Not only do I eliminate hours of prep, cleaning out stud holes, tapping stud holes, packing stud holes, putting in studs, searching for studs in the long grass, chasing the foot around with the tap still in the hole and all the other nightmares associated with the logistics of studding a razzed up horse, I don’t have to worry about what size of stud to use, nor the possible damage done to foot and forelimb by the unnatural stress and shear force transmitted to the horse from a studded foot.
You know how footballers are always fracturing their tarsal bones? This is due to the foot gripping suddenly at speed and all that kinetic energy getting transmitted to the bones of the foot at an angle and intensity those bones are not meant to withstand. Horse’s feet are meant to flex, in order to absorb the concussion of landing, and are also designed to slide a little before gripping, to protect the bones of the foot and the more precious bones and ligaments above.
And without shoes and studs, I get the benefit of the horse’s own natural gripping mechanism. The horse’s hoof is beautifully designed to function on all surfaces when healthy. A concave sole with a pointed toe allows the foot to dig in for extra lift. The fully developed spongy frog provides grip, slows the sliding and acts as a cushion shock absorber, a bit like Nike Airs, that also helps to pump blood back up the limb. The bars and quarters act like the cleats in a pair of football boots.
Keeping ridden horses barefoot also ensures that they have the benefit of optimal proprioception when we humans are on board. Proprioception is ‘the perception of awareness of the position and movement of the body’, and a key component of the information required fir the horse, or any animal, is the ability to feel the ground beneath their feet. The ability to access and use that information to adjust to uneven or challenging terrain is an essential part of balance and of healthy movement. Our human shoes are mostly supple and flex with our feet; horseshoes generally are not. I often think be by shod must feel like being permanently stuck in winter mountaineering boots with crampons- these have a completely rigid sole that does not flex at all; can you imagine trying to walk any distance in your ski boots? You have to do the funky chicken in the joints above to make up for the fact the foot doesn’t flex as it was meant to.
And can you remember how cold your feet get in ski boots, or even in wellies, in winter? That feeling when your feet are like blocks of ice, solid lumps with no fine touch sensation and it’s difficult to wriggle your toes? And you feel like you are walking on chunks of solid flesh rather than a fully functioning foot? That feeling is caused by impaired circulation; in the cold the blood flow to our extremities is reduced to prevent us losing excessive heat from those areas. The foot goes numb, and is less functional.
Thermal imaging allows us to compare the temperature difference, and therefore blood flow, between a shod foot and a barefoot hoof.
http://equinethermography.co.uk/galleries/horse_hoof_thermal_gallery.php
Immobility leads to impaired circulation. When your feet are cold you wiggle your toes to get the blood going; likewise a functioning equid foot flexes and contracts as it contacts the ground, pushing the blood around the hoof and limb.
The horn is still a living substance, more solid than our foot but certainly not rigid as we are led to believe.
What do steel horseshoes do? The rigidity of the steel limits the natural flexion of the foot, converting a conformable, dynamic structure into a fixed, immobilised structure. The nails and the tightness of the shoe impair circulation; even if the shoes are beautifully fitted to the hoof on day one of the shoeing cycle, as the hoof grows, the shoe and the nails become restrictive. Just observe how much the hoof grows out of shoes during your winter shoeing break compare to how slowly it grows in between shoeing cycles.
The impaired circulation from restrictive shoeing mimics chilled toes; the horse therefore suffers from impaired proprioception, both from cold feet and from being deprived of crucial mechanical contact between the sole of the foot and the ground.
In a healthy foot, the frogs act as extra pumps, moving blood around the foot and back up the limb, and also acting as a hydrostatic shock absorption mechanism. A cadaver model has actually shown that a barefoot hoof absorbs nearly ALL the concussion created by landing the limb, and therefore very little force is transmitted further up the limb, minimising damage and wear on the rest of the joints.
http://www.healthyhoof.com/articles/concussion_study.php
Another interesting fact is that steel horseshoes vibrate at the exact same frequency that causes the industrial injury “vibration white finger” in humans. It’s a frequency that causes necrosis or tissue death. Not all shoes do this- Cytek and other plastic shoes don’t have this effect, nor do aluminium racing plates. But steel horseshoes do.
The Bad
What are the disadvantages of keeping ridden horses barefoot? The main problem that I have observed is that we get instant feedback about how fit, well and sound our horses are.
Photo courtesy of V&T equine services
The motto above may not be an easy motto to live by, but it is the truth. Keeping ridden horses barefoot gives us really accurate information about our horse’s fitness to work.
Lucinda Green tells a great story about a racing trainer friend who has recently started legging up his horses barefoot. He is noticing fewer early season injuries, and much better longevity from his charges. Why?
Because shoeing had previously allowed him to work the horses harder than their bones, joints and tendons were ready for. By building up the work barefoot, he could only increase the intensity of work at the rate the feet were conditioned for; which accurately reflected the conditioning of the limbs above.
When keeping the ridden horse barefoot, we also get instant feedback about our horse’s general health. Event lines in the horn of the hoof document times of metabolic challenge. You will see a line for each dose of wormer, each vaccination, every flush of grass. If you’ve moved yards, or if your horse has had an injury, or another reason for a period of stress, there will be a ripple visible.
Is the horse footy on stones? Mostly it will have had too much sugar in its diet, or have a pro- inflammatory process going on. I am now ashamed that it took me a good few years to twig that Cal’s funny feet were actually borderline laminitic.
Laminitis is a funny disease- it’s much more akin to diabetes, a disorder of sugar metabolism that affects the whole body, than a disease limited to the foot. The horse’s foot is the end organ most often damaged by the systemic disturbance, a bit like diabetic foot injuries in humans. Cal had terrible airway inflammation, low level laminitic feet, probable ulcers and some very peculiar skin lumps- all of these are manifestations of systemic inflammation. Once I listened to the story his feet were telling me I found the answer to all his ailments.
The solution- strictly organic, low sugar low starch diet with wrapped late cut meadow hay and Phytorigins amazing supplements for hindgut health, maximum anti oxidant support and optimal digestive efficiency.
the results speak for themselves
So the main disadvantage of keeping ridden horses barefoot is that you will inevitably become much more in tune with your horse’s body. Once you start listening and observing, I warn you now, not all the information is welcome. You may have to adjust your plans and ambitions to fit in with the horse’s schedule, their current capabilities. Your ego may have to step aside. You may have to train at their rate. You may have to learn new skills, such as a little light hoof trimming. You may have to become a feed geek, or a grass geek 😜, or get a whole degree’s worth of knowledge from bitter experience!!
I say it’s worth it.
The ugly
My friend the vet said to me many years ago – “you do see some really odd shaped feet on barefoot horses”
He said this as if it was a problem, as if the trimming was at fault, or those misshapen hooves were dangerous to the horse’s long- term soundness. He was almost offended by the lack of symmetry, and that someone could allow it to persist.
My current level of understanding is that feet reflect both what’s going on inside the horse and also above in the musculoskeletal system.
Nic of Rockley Farm wrote a brilliant blog back in 2013 about flares and deviation; it’s probably the single most useful blog post I have ever read
http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2013/03/flare-deviation-and-does-it-really.html
If the horse has funny looking feet, it’s likely because it needs funny looking feet, or because, at this moment, it can only grow funny looking feet. Fix the diet, treat the whole horse,allow and correct the movement, and beautiful feet will grow.
Simples
Nic writes from years of solid experience and is always a source of comfort and inspiration and power on badass barefoot days
http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/2017/10/ask-how-and-why-and-dont-be-afraid-to.html
Asking How? and Why? of any horse care professional is your right, and your duty as guardian of your horse.
if you are not yet ready to not shoe, do please burn this image on your brain. And give those feet a good long shoeing break every year, to keep the feet looking more like the healthy foot on the left of the picture than the right.
Educate yourself. Turn into a hoof geek. And a horse health geek. Ask questions. Be honest with yourself- what do you see when you look at your horse’s feet?
And remember- no foot no horse
A couple of book recommendations to get you started on your barefoot journey
Feet First by Nic Barker and Sarah Braithwaite
Barefoot Horse Keeping-the Integrated Horse by Anni Stonebridge & Jane Cumberlidge
This article is also available as a podcast
https://soundcloud.com/fran-mcnicol/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly
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Brilliantly well put. Just wish more folk would “listen” to their horses and accept that nature is worth respecting
Thanks Katie. I now know more people who question dogma than people who don’t- at grassroots level anyway
Have a lovely horse who was suffering so much from foot imbalance that he was presenting as sore all over, vicious and requiring sedation to be shod. Took off the shoes in 2008, helped by a great trimmer with rehab over a year and now have a 20 year old horse happy to compete at 100 level!!
What a fab story- thanks for sharing. My old guy was very similar- he used to have terrible crumbly feet and absolutely hate Farriers. Took the shoes off and he went from strength to strength. They will tell us what’s best for them if we listen.
Thanks for this. I’ve s barefoot navicular rehab ex eventer now back and bouncing around so am a convert. I took the shoes off my 5/6 yo for the winter because his hinds at least were looking so tight and narrow like pic 3. However I was going to reshoe for Spring as starting to event him. I see the no studs argument when there’s some give in the ground but what happens on those dewy slippy grass mornings in the dressage phase, how do they cope with that? I’m not a great one for studding but that’s the case when I’d usually put some little ones in. Thanks!
Thanks for this. I’ve a barefoot navicular rehab ex eventer now back and bouncing around so am a convert. I took the shoes off my 5/6 yo for the winter because his hinds at least were looking so tight and narrow like pic 3. However I was reluctantly going to reshoe for Spring as starting to event him. I see the no studs argument when there’s some give in the ground but what happens on those dewy slippy grass mornings in the dressage phase, how do they cope with that? I’m not a great one for studding but that’s the case when I’d usually put some little ones in. Thanks!
I agree those mornings can be difficult. I rode the test conservatively and make sure he’s sat balanced on his hocks. A well balanced horse may slip a foot out the side but the body mass won’t move because they know where their feet are. It’s the unbalanced horse that falls over from a slip.
This is EXACTLY the story of a mare who came to me! I started to wonder if I’d made the right decision, offering to rehome the mare as I’d never handled one who had so many ‘issues’. She was so sore, everywhere, from misbalanced feet and tight shoes, that she was aggressive and incredibly moody, happy to use feet and teeth at the slightest provocation. My heart was kept perpetually leaping from her squealing and squalling in frustration, anger and pain.
2 years down the track, and apart from the occasional ‘wobble’, I have a loving, happy horse who comes galloping when I call her. Her beautiful feet are a credit to my patient and tolerant barefoot trimmer.
Another fab success story – well done you xx
Something very special about the feeling of having “rescued” a horse
Usually it’s them that rescue us- she’ll pay you back somehow
I live in a mountainous area of Montana where even the topsoil has decomposed granite in it. My horses live in a natural environment and no amount of supplements or healthy nutrition will keep their foot from wearing down quicker than it grows out. Shoes are the only thing that works. Rims. This is 30 years of experience and over 200 head of horses. Natural is always better but shoes have a purpose and can also contribute to a better horse. No hoof, no horse!
You say you’ve tried everything? Really tight husbandry? Every brand of hoof boot- including the semi permanents?
My good horse coped with anything and everything barefoot. The grey not so good- but a pair of hoof hoof boots lasts me a year at 20-30 miles a week, although we only use them for the really non stop stony terrain, with none of the downsides of steel rims. Better for the horse and better for my pocket 😀
In Mongolia the ponies did 30kms a day over all terrain including granite boulders, with no shoes or boots.
Great use of Ralitsa’s picture and a brilliantly written article.
Thanks Nick 🙏
I’d saved the picture but not the provenance- I’ll edit and credit later 😀
I have just moved from a traditional d.i.y livery to a place where i have 4 acres, field shelters, a dry yard if needed, lots of natural shelterand other horses in the neighbouring fields. This is still a livery yard but i can manage my 3 as i see fit. They have surprised me how they have settled into this way living especially my T.B. My trimmer is so pleased with their feet ( they have all been barefoot for sometime) they have improved a lot in a short time and my Arthritic mare was able to stand on 3 legs without having to take her foot back. Best decision i ever made.
Great news. So pleased for you and your horses
Great reading!
Thanks Ann 🙏
We are in transition to permanent barefoot on two of our competition horses. This is such a nice, easy to understand article. How do you feel about the usage of products like Scoot Boots for horses in transition and especially rugged terrain/pavement? Thanks!
Scoots are brilliant. Over the years I have come to the opinion that the single most important factor in growing good feet is miles travelled. Work sharpens up the insulin metabolism and a better insulin response helps horses to cope better with any dietary challenges. The foot will grow as much as it is stimulated to as long as the diet is good enough. So if boots help you get the miles in then go for it.
Super smooth tarmac is the single best conditioning surface for hooves so I wouldn’t boot for tarmac but would do so to help the horse cope with stones or uneven terrain. Work their butts off and the feet will flourish. 30miles a week (some of which can be arena circles) would be a good target 😀
Hi Emiley
Over the years I have come to the conclusion that the single most important factor in barefoot transition is mileage. Proper work keeps the insulin response super sharp and makes horses more tolerant of dietary challenges. If the diet is good and the insulin response sharp they will grow good hoof at the rate required – there is no such thing as feet wearing away. If boots help you do the miles then use them. I love scoots- the grey wears them for stoney days out.
Super smooth tarmac is the best foot conditioning surface out there so I wouldn’t boot for that, only for hardcore/ stones etc.
I aim for 30miles a week in transition and run up to competition season – you can count your arena miles as long as doing plenty others too 😂
You can walk in hand or long rein or lead over short sections of harder stuff- or just let them mince at their own pace. If you don’t batter them over it they won’t hurt themselves.
Sorry replies keep vanishing
I had a WB that was barefoot.
As I rode more often, my farrier said I needed to put shoes on as his feet were wearing faster than they could grow.
If I had my time over, I would have used a sneaker/boot whilst riding instead of going to shoes, but didn’t know about them then, so was guided by the guy I trusted to look after my horses feet.
My TB only has fronts on, as his rear feet are fine without shoes, but he doesn’t like not having fronts. I get that I could possibly improve this with supplements, but I think horses are far from natural, over bred and like that has caused issues in dogs that can’t breathe from over breeding a particular nose shape, I think our breeding has impacted the feet to work as nature intended. I think if it were purely a nutritional issue, his rear feet wouldn’t be fine barefoot.
I don’t see how I can ever go barefoot with my TB.
Interesting article though, and hoping to keep my WB filly barefoot.
The TBs I’ve known have all ended up with amazing feet- their insulin response is awesome and they only know forward and so they are really easy to transition. The crap feet they are renowned for are mostly due to being shod well before the feet have finished developing. And fed starch and grain from a very young age, and mostly having ulcers – it can take a while to unpick the whole damage. But we as keepers are often limited by our chosen compromise- be it husbandry, cost, time available or our own convenience.
I find hoof boots are so good now that there really is no need to shoe.
As a trainer I would like to say that, in a perfect world, horses should be able to compete barefoot, even over jumps and in the fields. However, that only works in the horses’ favor if the rider is advanced enough to ride a horse balanced and straight (respectively) in any situation. Unfortunately that is mostly not the case. I would consider it pretty unsafe for any less than advanced amateur, child, or otherwise novice rider to pilot a horse around a jumping course on grass and keep it on its feet in all situations. That can take some skill for a professional sometimes and I could not imagine assigning that responsibility to student riders. Sadly (?) safety has to come before an unshod horse in my opinion. Having said that, all the horses in my care are barefoot unless shoes are absolutely necessary due to soundness or lifestyle reasons.
My question would be- why should the horse’s health and longevity be compromised for human failings?
Why can’t we as humans make a nearly perfect world for our horses?
If you can’t canter and jump a horse in balance on grass, maybe the answer is more lessons to learn how to do so safely?
Yes I consider myself an advanced rider. But I also decided that every horse I own should be kept in the best possible health as a thank you for ‘belonging’ to me. Everything is possible- when we really listen to the lesson the horse is teaching.
I heartily agree. The standard of riding at the lower levels of competition, in particular, eventing, is, in many cases, very poor, with much “motorbiking” to be seen. And too much training of horses and riders taking place on prepared surfaces so folk do not learn how to ride on grass. Shoeing and studding is not the only shortcut at the expense of many horses, over bitting is a whole other subject!!!!!!
There is also the option of trimming for grip when competing on grass. In situations where I would have studded a shod horse, I now add traction with half round nippers and/or a rasp. I have been doing this for 12 years now and it is very effective.
Someone else mentioned this to me years ago but I’ve never tried it. Could you send some photos? I’d be really interested to see a real life example to use as a guide 🤓
I agree that barefoot can be great. My boy is sound without shoes, but due to his conformation I decided to keep shoes on as there is more a farrier can do to support structures with a shoe than without.
That being said, barefoot isn’t for every horse. While they may be sound both with and without shoes, if they are uncomfortable on the hard or stony ground for an extended period of time I don’t feel like that is fair on the horse at all!
I also have an issue with some barefoot trimmers. I have degree in equine science and have worked in the farrier industry so have a good understanding of how important hoof balance is. The fact that you do not need ANY qualifications to be a barefoot trimmer and the fact that some of the things they teach on these optional courses is terrifying! Some of them promote a hoof shape which puts so much extra strain on the structures in the foot and higher up the limb.
I will say I have seen as much bad farriery as I have poor barefoot trimming – forcing the foot generally to conform to a shape is generally bad idea. My horse’s fractured carpal bone was directly due to a farrier leaving the toe way too long.
You are also mixing up steel horse shoes with the concept of hoof protection. There are so many good hoof boots on the market now that a horse can wear boots to work on challenging surfaces and reap the physiological benefits of being barefoot the rest of the time.
I agree that there are bad farriers out there. But I also think horse owners should understand the difference between a good hoof and a bad, so that they can seek advice from a different professional.
While there is a huge selection of hoof boots on the market now, there is no real research onto the long term effect of using boots on horses. Initial studies have found that many boots alter the horse’s biomechanics.
But we do not know yet if this could have a detrimental effect on the limb. While I think they are great for walking along stony ground, I would not advise using them for too much exercise until more research has been done. You could end up doing more harm than good.
I would disagree- there have been millions of miles travelled in various hoof boots now- mostly by the endurance community. The evidence to date is that they cause much less damage than shoes, and are only worn for exercise, allowing the benefits of barefoot the rest of the time.
I absolutely agree horse owners should be able to tell a good foot from a bad foot, to keep tabs on their trimmer or farrier.
My experience over the last few years has shown that diet and husbandry are the most important factors in usable quality feet. If those elements are right, the horse needs very little maintenance to work comfortably over varied terrain. Insulin response is the key to good feet.
So far that is just case study based evidence. There are no actual studies published to date. Which is fine, but I personally would need more research before ever recommending hoof boots for an extended period of time.
All the so called scientific studies in horses are based on such small numbers that they are effectively anecdotal research or case series. I can’t think of a single study in horses actually powered for statistical significance, even if it was randomised.
There is however an enormous and ever increasing body of anecdotal evidence of horses damaged by shoes- if we apply the adage of ‘first do no harm’ there is no evidence to date of hoof boots causing harm.
If we are going to quote the ‘science’ we have to understand it’s limitations.
Amazing article! Jam packed with interesting information one can never stop learning ! Thank you 🙂
What a fantastic written article, I bought my horse 10 months ago, I promised him when I went to view that I would remove his shoes and bit (He had raced for 8 years). Best thing I have ever done, we had a few months of tenderness but all worth it for the strong wonderful feet we have now, I will share your article far and wide to get the word out to many. I just wish more people would try it and for longer than a couple of weeks. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the kind comments. Barefoot is definitely best in my world xx
I ride my MFT in the Rocky Mountains … on
“rocky” trails. Boots are okay, but pain in the neck when crossing rivers, muddy trails — all that is in the RM and not in an arena, track or polo field. My farrier puts shoes on in mid-April (most snow pack melted off the trails) with horse shoe pads. June 1st regular shoes. As the riding season open up, it is not unusual to ride 15 – 26 miles a day, 3 days in a row. Shoes come off in late October, unless doing a late fall ride the RMs. IMO, shoes are necessary for the type of riding that I do.
My 7/8 TB did up yo50 miles a week barefoot on rocks, stones, tarmac, Cheshire mud, Cheshire sandstone and everything in between. He has had brilliant barefoot feet but was terrible in shoes. He is my best barefoot horse to date but he just shows that it is possible when the diet and husbandry are optimal for that horse.
Whether the owner can manage optimal management for each and every horse is the question.
My grey half Irish horse does the same work now as paddy used to but needs to wear hoof boots for the more challenging terrain.
Wow this is so good to read, lots of great information. I love horses.
I absolutely love this! I have always kept my boys barefoot, my 18hh TB ex-racer now has better feet than my Cob! If that isn’t proof enough then I don’t know what is xx
That’s so cool- TBs have the best feet in my experience- it’s just a case of letting nature remember it’s job.
This is super informative about the horses thanks for teaching me something new!
Always a pleasure 😀
Can you talk a little bit more about the laminitic problems with shoeing? My mare is tender on stones but walks fine in grass. I’m interested in how diet has helped your horse. Mine is currently barefoot, trimmed all the time. She’s had tender feet since I’ve known her, she’s an Appaloosa if that makes any difference. I’ve heard they can be soft footed sometimes, but she is more so. She’s not on any grain, just a hay diet my barn feeds but I believe it’s second and 3rd cut.
Two questions- trimmed all the time? Is she being trimmed too harshly? And have you had the hay analysed? I would want nutritional analysis for the sugar as well as minerals to check iron as well as other balance? Is it organic or fertilised? What diet of hay? Alfalfa or Timothy? Or just plain meadow hay?
The next post in the series about diet will hopefully be useful for you
Never ridden a horse before but I will definitely keep these points in mind!
Great post! I took the shoes off my mare years ago and am riding her at the PSG/I1 in dressage and she is the best she has ever been. She interferes in her movement and with shoes she kept hitting her splint bones, up to a point that she got herself a hairline fracture in the back splint. The vet said to always put on 4 boots on her. But after taking shoes off, after a while, her balance changed and she stopped interferring so much and I no longer have this problem. I now have a healthy happier horse and save money $$! I am sold! No more shoes on my horse please!
Another great success story letting the horse find their own balance. Thanks for sharing and love to your horse
well written article!I am actually going to cite this page for a college essay! I believe I am emailing the author, could I get your first and last name for the citations? Thanks!
Hi!! That’s great news – I am so pleased the article has been helpful to you. If you’re going to cite me as a reference you’d better have full title- It’s FJ McNicol MBChB MD FRCS
I’d love to read your essay?
Franmcnicol@gmail.com
Hi 👋 I replied once but not sure if comment uploaded- it’s Frances J McNicol. I’m actually a surgeon so I usually get cited for my scientific articles in Colorectal Disease – this will be a first!
I’d love to read your essay? Franmcnicol@gmail.com
Hello Team Nelipot, I love your post “Keeping Ridden Horses barefoot- the good the bad and the ugly”. I am an editor of the Danish site https://naturalhorsecare.dk/, where we promote barefoot horses. May I have permission to use one of your photos of your performance horses in action? I will of course quote your blog and photographer. If OK, please reply with link to photo and name of photographer. Thank you so much.
Hi Marianne
Thank you – of course – it will be my pleasure.
Struggling to send pic through WordPress.
Have you got a direct email address and I’ll send you a favourite image?
Franmcnicol@gmail.com
Thanks again
Fran