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Barefoot horse may need shoes - here's my dilemma...

11K views 84 replies 24 participants last post by  Coffeejunkie 
#1 ·
I have an 11yo Paint mare who has ALWAYS been barefoot her whole life without issue. Never taken a lame step from it at all, and I ride and compete with her quite frequently (cross country and in arenas). I recently had to move barns due to financial reasons, and this new barn has all limestone arena footing. Unfortunately for the first time in her life, my mare’s hooves are getting so chipped up and she’s not moving like she used to anymore :-| I’m going to talk to the farrier this week but she may need shoes because of the footing.

My dilemma is that I LOVE this barn, the people, the owner, everyone who works and boards there. I love the turnout, and the care they give to the horses. I love the facility and the trainer and basically everything about the place except the footing :? But if it’s going to mean putting shoes on my horse, extra $100/month in farrier costs, etc. I’m not sure what to do now. I’m battling with myself because my mare has always had rock hard hooves and no issues whatsoever, but this footing is just too rough. I’ve heard several others have had to leave the barn for that same reason, but I always just kind of thought they were exaggerating or something.

I really don’t want to leave, but I feel like if I stay and drill holes in her hooves and weaken them I’d feel pretty guilty, just because I didn’t want to leave I had to put shoes on her for the first time in her life. I rode her on grass at a show this weekend and felt like there was a different horse underneath me, so I know it’s the footing unfortunately, that sealed it for me :-( So if you were in my shoes (pun intended ha!) what would you do?

And if I go the shoe route, I have a whole list of questions, like:

1. Aluminum vs Steel on the fronts – I know Aluminum is more $ and wears down faster, but some have told me not to put Steel on the fronts because it will change the horse’s way of going…any experiences with either?

2. If I put the shoes on and then take them off later, will her hooves be crap because of them? I’ve heard both ways, some people I know put them on in the summer and remove for winter, but a friend of mine did that and said her mare’s feet basically disintegrated after she took them off, so I don’t know what to think :cry:
 
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#2 ·
And wow, didn't realize how small that font came out...here it is again in a larger one so it's easier to read...
I have an 11yo Paint mare who has ALWAYS been barefoot her whole life without issue. Never taken a lame step from it at all, and I ride and compete with her quite frequently (cross country and in arenas). I recently had to move barns due to financial reasons, and this new barn has all limestone arena footing. Unfortunately for the first time in her life, my mare’s hooves are getting so chipped up and she’s not moving like she used to anymore :neutral: I’m going to talk to the farrier this week but she may need shoes because of the footing.

My dilemma is that I LOVE this barn, the people, the owner, everyone who works and boards there. I love the turnout, and the care they give to the horses. I love the facility and the trainer and basically everything about the place except the footing :???: But if it’s going to mean putting shoes on my horse, extra $100/month in farrier costs, etc. I’m not sure what to do now. I’m battling with myself because my mare has always had rock hard hooves and no issues whatsoever, but this footing is just too rough. I’ve heard several others have had to leave the barn for that same reason, but I always just kind of thought they were exaggerating or something.

I really don’t want to leave, but I feel like if I stay and drill holes in her hooves and weaken them I’d feel pretty guilty, just because I didn’t want to leave I had to put shoes on her for the first time in her life. I rode her on grass at a show this weekend and felt like there was a different horse underneath me, so I know it’s the footing unfortunately, that sealed it for me :sad: So if you were in my shoes (pun intended ha!) what would you do?

And if I go the shoe route, I have a whole list of questions, like:

1. Aluminum vs Steel on the fronts – I know Aluminum is more $ and wears down faster, but some have told me not to put Steel on the fronts because it will change the horse’s way of going…any experiences with either?

2. If I put the shoes on and then take them off later, will her hooves be crap because of them? I’ve heard both ways, some people I know put them on in the summer and remove for winter, but a friend of mine did that and said her mare’s feet basically disintegrated after she took them off, so I don’t know what to think :cry:
 
#3 ·
All the horses on the farm are barefoot as long as possible. One gelding has weak hooves and is shod all summer, but bare in the winter.

My arab has amazing feet, but I ride on sand and rocks a fair bit and i litteraly wear the feet off her in the summer, right down to sole. Her previous owner had her shod all year even when not ridden. I pulled her shoes this spring and have been riding barefoot up until next week, when she gets a set of shoes put on. I will shoe her untill the riding season slows down in september, then she will be barefoot again.

So I guess to answer your questions,

1) we've always done steel, except on the race horses. I've never seen it "change the way of going", they adapt to the extra weight easily. Kinda like a person putting on sneakers.
2) We do crazy miles on terrain most people wont ride in. We need shoes on our horses in the summer, but typically 9 months out of the year they are barefoot, no problems at all. Also half of the horses on the farm are ottb's, which are known for having terrible feet. We get them off the track, pull their shoes and give them a few weeks to get used to it and off we go. Havent had a horse that doesnt transition well from shod in the summer to barefoot in the winter in the last 10 years.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for that, makes me feel better about at least giving them a try knowing she'd be able to go back without trouble :) I've been talking with a friend this morning who is an apprentice under her farrier and she gave me the same advice you just did.
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#5 ·
If your horse's hoof quality is good, putting shoes on won't change that. You can generally get by shoeing every six weeks versus trimming every four. I don't know whay farriers charge in your area, but mine charges 40 for a trim and 80 for shoes. He charges less if I have him reset shoes, and more if one of the horses needs a specialized shoe.

Personally, if I was in your situation, I wouldn't hesitate to shoe a horse. It can be difficult to find a good barn. If the only issue you have is the footing, I think trying shoes on her might be the way to go. If it doesn't work out for you, you can always move later.
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#8 ·
If your horse's hoof quality is good, putting shoes on won't change that. You can generally get by shoeing every six weeks versus trimming every four. I don't know whay farriers charge in your area, but mine charges 40 for a trim and 80 for shoes. He charges less if I have him reset shoes, and more if one of the horses needs a specialized shoe.

Personally, if I was in your situation, I wouldn't hesitate to shoe a horse. It can be difficult to find a good barn. If the only issue you have is the footing, I think trying shoes on her might be the way to go. If it doesn't work out for you, you can always move later.
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Thanks that's kind of the opinion I'm starting to have too, it is certainly very difficult to find a good barn!
 
#6 ·
You don't say how long she's been at this barn. What I'm wondering is if you've given her enough time to adjust? Since she's had great feet all her life and you've ridden her in a lot of different terrain my first blush guess would be that her hooves will adjust to the new surface. Of course based on your post I don't know things such as how lame she actually is or is she just a bit off, is she loosing massive amounts of hoof or is it just chipping that you're not accustomed to, when is the last time she had a trim? Next, you may want to consider other options such as polyurethane shoes or equisocks . These options would allow you to avoid nails in her feet and allows the hooves to flex naturally while still protecting them.
 
#9 ·
Sorry I thought I mentioned that but I wasn't very detailed, just a few months. And to reiterate, she is NOT lame (yet), but I don't want to wait until she is lame to do something about it proactively. I have also tried boots on her before (Cavello Simple boots) and they rub the sole of her hoof. I've even tried wrapping her hoof with vet wrap and it just bunches up and moves. They're kind of a pain and to be honest, I'd rather put shoes on her than mess with those some more.

She was trimmed less than 3 weeks ago and they are already horrible looking. She's on a 4-week trim cycle because of the chipping but last time all they did was rasp them because she had nothing to trim off. Now it's been 7 weeks since the last time she had anything extra to actually trim off and she has nothing. So obviously this footing is wearing her hoof down faster than it can grow :-(
 
#10 ·
Yes when it packs down it packs VERY hard, or if it rains a ton then it's like CEMENT until it gets dragged again! I'm not sure about pavement, as there isn't any around to work her on (the driveway is gravel and the road is too busy with a blind hill, fast speed limit, and huge ditches on either side so I'd never walk her on that).

When you mention hoof soaks, what are you referencing/what product do you use?

Also in terms of drying it certainly is (and this dry summer we've had is certainly not helping out the pasture either!). The farrier has me using Keratex which is a hoof hardener as kind of a last ditch effort to keep her barefoot but her hooves are still chipping and wearing down.
 
#11 ·
So to my question about Aluminum vs. Steel, anyone else have any opinions there?

1. Aluminum vs Steel on the fronts – I know Aluminum is more $ and wears down faster, but some have told me not to put Steel on the fronts because it will change the horse’s way of going…any experiences with either?

So far I've had 2 people I know tell me the difference is negligable and they didn't notice one at all with their horses and they use steel on all 4. And 1 person only puts aluminum on her horse's fronts. The trainer at the barn told me to use aluminum on the fronts because otherwise it would change her gaits, but so far I'm leaning towards at least trying all steel first, for my pocket book's sake if nothing else!
 
#12 ·
I don't know what the limestone footing is like, but I'm assuming it's like walking on pavement or bedrock. I don't think I would want to be doing arena work on that kind of surface without something on my horse's feet. But not due to wear, due to traction. Any horse I've ever ridden is not confident at more than a trot on slick ground and for corners... hmmm.. never mind jumping.

I know you said you tried Cavellos on her and that they rubbed the sole. That doesn't make much sense to me, but I have never seen Cavellos live, in person. Still, it sounds more to me like either the trim wasn't right or the boots didn't fit right. I would be inclined to try a different boot. Some people's farriers stock various sizes so their clients can try something before they buy.

Also, I really doubt that the hooves are wearing faster than they can grow. It's likely a transition time for her and boots would help you to ease through that transition and maybe keep her barefoot. Generally speaking, with a proper diet, the hooves will grow as much as they need to for the given terrain but it takes a while for that to show. How long, I unfortunately don't know. I would suspect 3 months or more.

If her feet are chipping, usually that is a sign that the hooves are too long and in need of trim. If now there is nothing to trim at 7 weeks, they should not be chipping anymore. If the trimmer says there is nothing to trim, but the next day there is fresh chipping, then obviously there is indeed something to trim.

How would you feel about posting pics of your horse's feet?
 
#15 ·
Below is a video of the arena just so you can get an idea of the footing. As for the boots, I measured her and she actually has exact circular front hooves and I purchased the boots that she was an exact measurement for, so at least in that respect she was fit perfectly. However after I purchased them, I did hear from others than the Cavellos rubbed and sure enough, they rubbed on her as well. So perhaps it just is the brand and/or how they are made.

She's been at this barn for a little over 3 months now, and the longer she's here, the worse her feet are getting. So I'm not sure how much longer I can leave her barefoot without some lameness starting to show, but I can tell you that the longer we go in this footing, the shorter strided she is becoming and the less she is tracking up. She's never been on footing like this before consistently, she's always been in a deeper footing sand arena, so this shallow footing limestone stuff is definitely a big change for her.

I've had her for almost 4 years now and I've never seen her hooves this ripped up before. Previously she could go anywhere from 6-8 weeks between trims, and she might have 1 or 2 small chips around week 7 or 8 with plenty of extra hoof past the white line for the farrier to clip off.

Now about 2 weeks after the last trim, she is chipped up so badly it looks like I never get her hooves done, and even 7 weeks out, she has barely any hoof beyond the white line. Her frog is also changing, becoming very hard and flat, seems to be wearing down.

I planned on getting some photos tonight that I can post on here for everyone to take a look at. The farrier is coming Thursday so I'll be picking his brain on the subject then once he has a chance to look at her.
 
#13 ·
I only use aluminum for specialty shoes, like the wedges my clubfooted mare wears. I just put steel shoes on my four year old for the first time, and after a day, it was like she didn't even notice they were there.
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#17 ·
The footing doesn't seem to be so unforgiving. It's definitely got some movement to absorb some impact, some give for traction. It can be raked, so it's not as hard as bedrock by a long shot.

Is it pure limestone or is it a calcium mix? I'm just trying to figure out in my mind how a particular mineral might affect hoof abrasion. I don't see how in heck footing that I see in the video would cause chipping.

I'll be watching for the pics when you get a chance.
 
#18 ·
I'm not sure of the exact mix, but I do know it's the same stuff one of the local trails uses, and at my old barn when we'd trailer out and go on a ride, Sandie's feet would be all chipped up when we got back. So I know it's the footing. Also apparently others who have come to board at this barn have left because of it, and there are some who won't come and show there because of it.

But around here, most of the arenas are sand or that sand/rubber mix that seems to be becoming all the rage around here. The good thing about the limestone is that it drains really well so you don't have issues with slippery footing or giant mud puddles or anything. The bad news is that it can be harder and cause what I'm seeing with my barefoot mare. I can try to take a photo of it up close tonight but without actually being here and seeing it in person I don't know how much that would actually help.

Anyway, it doesn't really matter since I know the footing is causing all the chipping and I have 2 choices now - leaving for another barn with softer footing but whose care may not be as good as this one, trainers might not be as good, and I may not like as much...or staying here and potentially putting shoes on my mare who's been barefoot her entire 11 year long life, to deal with the footing.
 
#19 ·
Oh I found a few of her front right, these were taken about a week after the last trim where they just rasped them. They look much more chipped now, but I'll get some more updated ones tonight.
 

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#20 ·
Have you tried to find a natural hoof trimmer??? It costs the same to do a trim, and depending on how far they have to travel, may charge a little for distance. And i'm learning how to do a natural trim myself, plus it seems to make more sense to me. I've taken my barefoot gelding on roads and never had a problem, and since they oiled and chipped the road had to take him across that too. And never had a problem. Just a suggestion. :)
 
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#22 ·
I am in the same position you are for different reasons. Our sand ring is very hard and has lots of rocks. I have to date been booting my horse (Renegades) for riding in that one ring and using the better indoor sand ring or outdoor grass area for riding whenever possible.

If Sandie has the really good feet I think she does, at worst you are looking at front shoes only. You can probably get away with leaving the hinds bare. Just be sure to look at several different farriers' work and make sure that you see uncompressed heels, frogs touching the ground and toes that are not too long. A good farrier will not mess your horse's feet up, but a bad one will is a train wreck.

The option would be to just boot her for when you ride in that ring. I know you didn't like the Cavallos, but maybe try Renegades or Easyboot epics. Both boots ride lower on the hoof so no rubs.
 
#23 ·
All 3 rings are that footing though is the thing...otherwise I'd just ride in the grass if they had that option!

Well I took some photos tonight but since I can't upload here on mobile I'll have to upload them tomorrow when I can hook my phone up to my PC.
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#28 ·
Please read the entire thread before you comment...tried the boots route, didn't work, they rubbed the backs of her heels raw. I'm not spending hundreds of dollars to try out all the different brands hoping for a different outcome, and the farriers in my area do not keep a bunch of types and sizes stock piled. And no, the turnout is NOT limestone, it's grass...although right now with the HOT and DRY summer we've had, the ground is super hard and there's not much grass left.

And yes I get that the "fancy arena", barn, boarders etc are for me, not her. Hence why I started this thread. Had I not cared about my horse, this would be a non-issue for me. I would appreciate if you did not imply otherwise, thanks much. :?
 
#30 ·
Yep and Cavello are the ones I have but again, they rubbed the back of her soles raw unfortunately. Which is too bad because they did work and NEVER came off!

You know it's funny you mention the mustang roll...all the farriers who have ever worked on Sandie have said that she naturally wears her hooves into a mustang roll! :lol: And she's always had SUPER rock hard hooves with no issues, until I moved her here and she started getting consistently worked on this limestone footing all the time. :-|
 
#27 ·
Don't feel bad about putting on shoes. I am a farrier. Some of my customers go the barefoot route, but some live in more rugged terrain, where it is not fair to their horses to let them go without shoes. Ferrel horses would be a completely different story because they have had time to adapt to their environment. But domesticated horses have been bred for many purposed in the show pen, and sadly, not every horse gets perfect feet. Out in the wild, only the strong survive, leaving easier keepers, but remember most people deal with domesticated horses. Find what is right for you in the way of what type of shoes, but I would highly suggest some sort of protection, before your horse's hooves become worn down into the sensitive lamina.
 
#31 ·
YAY a farrier's opinion!! :D Thanks for the feedback...I guess my main concern here is that in the future, if we ever move (eventually we'd like to move to Florida!), I'd like to be able to pull her shoes and have her go barefoot again...since she has never had shoes, I just worry about nailing things into her hooves and what that could potentially do to their integrity in the future.
 
#32 ·
Alright so I took some photos last night, here are some of the front hooves (the ones that are my main concern, the back ones aren't really bad at all). I tried my best to clean them up and make sure my Iphone was focused on them, but some of them didn't turn out so wonderfully and for that I apologize! ;-) But this should give you all a better idea of what I'm working with at the moment. So this is 3 weeks after the farrier rasped them last and cleaned them up.
 

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#34 · (Edited)
i'm not a farrier, but in my op her toes are still long, if they were trimmed back and filed for a mustang roll, she'd have no issues. Usually when a farrier trims, they use a flat trim just like they would to put shoes on a horse, so it leaves the toes kind of long. Her hooves look great. Which would explain why you saw all the cracking and splitting. JMO
I would try the rubber shoes, or boots, or try to find a natural hoof trimmer who can do a mustang roll. You could even learn how to do touch ups yourself if you have the time. Good luck!!! P.S. Even if its costly, if it saves your horses hooves, and causes less stress, then i would give it a try...

I have a lot of sites and books on what shoes to do horses hooves, if you would like to see for yourself. (why i'm totally against shoes JMO)
 
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#35 ·
Maybe I'm wrong but it looks like your farrier hasn't trimmed enough. When my horse's hooves get long, they tend to crack and chip alot more. Maybe that's the case? Are you using a new farrier?
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