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To Shoe or Not to Shoe?

2K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  mudpie 
#1 ·
I am new to horse ownership. I have had my boy Cooper for about a month now. He previously worked in a therapeutic riding barn. The barn manager and farrier at his previous home kept him shod in the front because he has soft feet (he is a flea-bitten grey with white hooves). I was advised to keep him shod in the front.

At his new home, we do not have an indoor arena. When there is snow on the ground I have not been able to ride him because he gets ice balls. In the pasture this has not been a problem as his feet get sand/mud in them before they get snow in them. But when I clean his feet to ride, he gets ice balls.

My barn owner suggested I try taking them off, since she is a proponent for bare feet. Yesterday she called the farrier while I was there to set up an appointment for her two horses. She then told the farrier about Cooper's situation and how I was told to keep him shod.

Her farrier responded by saying what he likes to do in this situation is take the shoes off, see how the horse does and go from there. You can always put them back on. And he said it is healthier, even to have them off for a short period of time.

But I am concerned. I read that horse's feet can be very sore after having their shoes removed. And his previous caretaker seemed to think it would be a bad idea to take them off.

Should I have the farrier remove his shoes? Should I have winter shoes put on him? How sore will he be and for how long if his shoes are removed?

I would greatly appreciate any advice I can gather before the farrier comes next Wednesday.
 
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#2 ·
The farrier is right, take them off and see how he does. If he needs shoes they can be put back on at any time. Most horses can go without shoes unless there is a medical reason for needing them like having been foundered or going navicular.

For those that are fine in the pasture/arena barefoot but ouchy on gravel, invest in a set of boots instead of shoes.
 
#3 ·
always add shoes to deal with a problem. Default is no shoes. Someone telling you that white hoof stuff is feeding you old wives tales and I would pretty much disregard anything else they had to say. Your current barn farrier seems like a smart guy. Take em off a couple cycles see what happens.
Shoes are generally used when hoof wear exceeds hoof growth or the terrain you ride on is likely to damage hooves. If your arena riding and not out on alot of gravel and pavement I would go barefoot awhile.
Oh I might add you want to look into horse nutrition and make sure your horse is getting the nutrients required for healthy hooves
 
#4 ·
They had him on Smart Hoof. I am keeping him on Smart Hoof and have added Smart Flex to his supplements. I was hoping between the supplements and maybe by adding a topical treatment, he will do fine without shoes. I would so much prefer him barefoot.
 
#18 ·
Mudpie has had really bad hooves since before I got him. That, paired with bad trimming, made it so that he could not be barefoot without becoming extremely uncomfortable and in pain all the time, even when left to adjust for months at a time. We kept shoes on him, and nursed him off of the leather rim pads, and I also started him on SmartHoof. He was on SmartHoof for about two months (with visible improvement) when I completely re-evaluated his supplements.

I switched him to Farrier's Formula Double Strength, and I was COMPLETELY amazed by the results. His hooves are healthy, not flaky anymore, and actually growing! That's a BIG DEAL! :) I can actually highly recommend Farrier's Formula Double Strength. It's only $4 more per month, and totally worth it. :) So there's my two cents on supplements...

As for shoes, it really depends on his workload and what he's comfortable with. Mudpie was in full work, so shoes were necessary. Mudpie's injury, however, means that he will be on stall rest for four months, and for the first time, I felt comfortable taking his shoes off... He's barefoot! And sound!! :)

It's really your decision, but if he's not going to be doing much, and he's going to be comfortable, going barefoot is a good option! :)
 
#6 ·
Another thing that can contribute to the idea of "soft hooves" is incorrect farrier-work.
If the walls of the hoof are overly long/stretched/etc, the walls ARE going to chip and break. It's a common misconception that that means the hooves are soft - not true, it just means they're trying to self trim!

Anyway, with the help of a good trimmer, I bet you'll be pleased with the result. And if need be, shoes can always go back on! :)
 
#8 ·
With snow on the ground, you might be okay removing the shoes. It does provide a nice cushion. However, do not just take off the shoes and hope for the best. Have hoof boots on hand before you pull the shoes. If you suddenly find you horse in pain, and then have to wait 5 days for boots to ship, you will feel like crap.

As for white feet, yes supposedly it is an old wives tale. My farrier has shown me study after study that white hooves have all the same properties and tensile strength as dark hooves. Nothing suggests there is any difference. However, talk to any farrier who has been around awhile and they will tell you that they crack, chip, and bruise far more than darker hooves. It's just one of those things nobody can explain. My horse's only white hoof is by far the worst of the 4.

I love the idea of barefoot and tried it with my horse last year. For some, it just does not work. Just be cautious and recognize when it's time to either boot or put shoes back on. That all being said, I really hope it works for you. Good luck.
 
#9 ·
With snow on the ground, you might be okay removing the shoes. It does provide a nice cushion. However, do not just take off the shoes and hope for the best. Have hoof boots on hand before you pull the shoes. If you suddenly find you horse in pain, and then have to wait 5 days for boots to ship, you will feel like crap.

As for white feet, yes supposedly it is an old wives tale. My farrier has shown me study after study that white hooves have all the same properties and tensile strength as dark hooves. Nothing suggests there is any difference. However, talk to any farrier who has been around awhile and they will tell you that they crack, chip, and bruise far more than darker hooves. It's just one of those things nobody can explain. My horse's only white hoof is by far the worst of the 4.

I love the idea of barefoot and tried it with my horse last year. For some, it just does not work. Just be cautious and recognize when it's time to either boot or put shoes back on. That all being said, I really hope it works for you. Good luck.
My horse has one white foot, havent noticed any more wear and tear or injury on that foot compared to the others. But it is easier to carve out sole with my knife and the rasp takes off hoof wall quicker. Figure that one out.
 
#10 ·
kept him shod in the front because he has soft feet
You need to do your homework, learn the pros & cons of shoes & other approaches & make your own *informed* decision, as you will hear different opinions on this, many based on little or anecdotal information. There are also fanatics on either 'side of the fence' and you need to read/listen with an analytic, objective view & take everything with a large rock of salt:wink:. Unfortunately there's no shortcut to doing your own study & weighing up pros & cons, if you want to truly make the best decisions for your horse's sake.

I think Mayfield Barehoof Care Centre Home Page Equine Lameness Prevention Organization & www.angelfire.com/al4/anyashoofcare are 3 good sites for more info, to get you started.

That said, agree with others, & to a certain degree your farrier, that IMO it would be a good move to get the shoes off, to start with at least, & at least for regular periods throughout the year, because being shod long term without respite is not great, even if shoes are 'needed'. I also believe conventional shoes are *generally* contraindicative of unhealthy feet, so if your horse has hoof issues, I'd tend to want him unshod until his feet can become healthy & strong.

BUT if he has 'soft' feet, if this means thin, soft soles/frogs, he may well need protection/support, for work at least(unless horses have very serious issues they don't need protection in the paddock). So while I'm all for *shoeless*, that's not to say I think *bare* is necessarily always best. IMO boots, pads, casting, etc is generally a better option than conventional steel rims, which can indeed make the horse more comfortable & reduce feeling, but can do further damage by peripherally loading the hooves & providing no protection/support under the foot where it's needed.

In the pasture this has not been a problem as his feet get sand/mud in them before they get snow in them. But when I clean his feet to ride, he gets ice balls.
Don't clean his feet before a ride then:wink:

But I am concerned. I read that horse's feet can be very sore after having their shoes removed.
If your horse's feet aren't too bad, they shouldn't be sore just from having shoes removed, but like yourself if used to wearing shoes & lacking calluses, they may be a bit sensitive on hard/rough surfaces.

Severely compromised feet can indeed be sore immediately after the shoes are removed, because suddenly there is more feeling in them. Also if a horse has thin flat soles from having them suspended off the ground, removing that 1/4" of 'buffer' puts their feet(eg. pedal bone with little 'armour plating' under it) directly on the ground. IMO this is far from a good reason to just whack shoes back on, but they may well need protection under those soles, or to be kept on yielding footing for a time, while their feet become healthier.

How sore will he be and for how long if his shoes are removed?
Can't answer that, not having much at all to go on. There are so many factors that even with hoof in hand, 'it depends' is the only straight answer. Your farrier sounds like he may have some good knowledge to share though.

If you would like some specific opinions/advice on your horse's feet, there are a fair few hoof-knowledgeable people on this site & posting pics(see link in my signature below) & more info on diet, management, etc would be helpful.
 
#13 ·
to shoe or...

Although I'm certain I don't have as much experience as some of the other members, I've found that most horses can do w/o shoes. All of mine do. We have every kind of rocks down here in south MO, & when I'm riding over a stretch w/ a lot of that sharp shale rock, I will dismount & give my horse a break. But otherwise, they do fine. Oh, and snow will pack even if they are not shod.
 
#14 ·
I would take his shoes off. Hopefully there is some concavity to his feet, that way his soles wont be too sore at first. He'll need a little time to become more calloused, that way he isn't tender footed. But if you can keep shoes off, you should. Save your self some money!!
I don't know if this is true, but can't horses hurt themselves if they get "ice balls" on their feet? It seems like it to me.
 
#15 ·
"Ice Balls" put stress on the tendons, joints and ligaments in their legs. It's effectively like they are walking around on a wobbly high heel.

Use caution pulling shoes at this time of the year if you are in a climate where you are experiencing ice balls. In our experience shoes should be pulled in the fall or spring while the ground is soft to give the foot time to toughen up before the ground becomes extremely frozen in the winter or dried out and hard in the summer.

I'm don't believe that every horse can go barefoot as some may. Your horse will 'tell' you what he needs. You will know very rapidly if he needs shoes. I have two shod and one barefoot. One of the shod horses hooves fall apart as soon as he's barefoot (and I have a very good farrier, this is not a case of incorrect hoof care. He is also supplemented). His hooves are white and as soon as he's barefoot and the ground is hard they start cracking, breaking etc. My other shod horse is perfectly sound barefoot however he does not extend and stretch out. When shod the extensions are beautiful and a non-issue. My mare is barefoot, has white feet, and has never had an issue. It varies greatly from horse to horse.

You can take vaseline and put it on your horses soles- It will stop some of the ice balling. Cheapest way to deal with it and has worked in our Canadian winters. I highly recommend if you keep him shod to use snow pads and small ice picks on the shoe. Mine thrive with this system :)
 
#16 ·
I'm don't believe that every horse can go barefoot... One of the shod horses hooves fall apart as soon as he's barefoot ....perfectly sound barefoot however he does not extend and stretch out. When shod the extensions are beautiful and a non-issue.
Agree absolutely with the first comment. I actually think the vast majority of horses need support/protection in some situations we may require of them. Sometimes I think conventional rims are likely to be the best option for a particular horse & situation, but these days there are other great options such as boots, so it's not just a question of shod or bare.

If your horse's feet 'fall apart' when bare with cracking & breaking, IME there's a lot more going on there aside from the question of shod or bare - Walls may be too long, infection in the walls may be compromising their strength, 'low grade' laminitis, imbalance, circulation, diet & nutrition can all be contributors, of which shoeing doesn't help get the horse over, but may in some instances exacerbate.

If a horse is 'short striding' on any footing, I would question soundness actually. I'd suspect weak heels may be a problem, especially if palliative measures of shoes or pain blockers are needed for the horse to stride out.
 
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