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Shoes vs. Barefoot

5K views 36 replies 11 participants last post by  Solon 
#1 ·
What are your views on shoes and on barefoot?

=)
 
#2 ·
I honestly would pick barefoot over a shod horse any day. I'm more of the type to keep the horses as natural as possible. Although, many horses need shoes. Horses are much easier to maintain barefoot if they have never had shoes in the first place.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't like shoes unless it's completely necessary.
 
#4 ·
Leave it to the professionals to decide whats best for your horse I say. They know more than I do about shoeing/horse's hooves. Some people don't like shoeing their horse, wanting to keep it natural, but a horse who is ridden regularly that doesn't have hooves that are used to the pressure really need shoes. It's more comfortable for them, my mare has shoes but my gelding doesn't. I leave the decision for the farrer.
 
#10 ·
'Eh I ride 4 times a week and before this recent trim Gunthers feet were in amazing shape. You have to be cautious about who the farrier is too, some will lie about a horse needing shoes, they get more profit. You might think your farrier knows best but it always helps to know what your looking at and to get second opinions.
 
#11 ·
The horse will tell you what it needs. Either shoes or no shoes. Too many people push their beliefs on the horse. People who want the horse to be barefoot but the horse shouldnt' be.

The horse is the best indicator on what should be done.
 
#14 ·
Solon, In no way am I saying that ALL farriers are like that, just like in the horse world you will always have a person trying to slip something over on you when your buying a horse, you will have farriers that will do that.

When I was friends with a girl at my barn her uncle was the local farrier, VERY respected and well known by everyone. I heard him talking one night over cards and beer and he was laughing and making fun of all the owners he pretty much took advantage of.

I'm not trying to make all farriers look bad but you have to know they're out there. You can't live your life thinking their are no bad guys in this world. ESP in the horse world.
 
#16 ·
I have 8 horses and in Hungary none of them are shod. The same cannot be said of the same 8 in the UK - at least 3 would have shoes on with the rest having a sharp eye kept on their feet . The farrier I get advice from ( I barefoot my own with advice ) will tell you that climate has a lot to do with a horse needing shoes or not.
Hungary is mostly a warmer drier climate than the UK - the UK has rain almost every week - Hungary can sometimes go for 2 months without any, so the horses feet in HU have less moisture in them and are as hard as nails.
Barefoot Vs shoes is a bit unfair as much depends on climate / horse / work ethic - so both are good in my opinion depending on circumstances
 
#18 ·
Actually you would know. It's easy based on the regular prices that everyone charges. They are all pretty similar in this area. Now if someone was charging a considerable amount more than the going rate of the area, you'd be asking why.

Farriers will increase their rates based on things like gas, but normally they are within a specific range.

So, yes, you would very likely know.
 
#20 ·
I'm just saying that the going rate around here for trimming is 35-45 dollars. If someone was charging way more than that, you should be asking questions. Same with shoeing. It's not that hard to figure it out.
 
#21 ·
Unless a farrier is better than another and sees something extra the horse needs/doesn't need. My mare used to have an amazing farrier before I leased her out and she was moving much better when he advised me to put pads on her front feet along with shoes. The other farrier didn't do that and she moved fine, but when she got pads put on she was an amazing mover and much happier even. Granted, it was an extra $40 or so per shoeing.
 
#23 ·
If the horse can handle it, I like barefoot. Any horse that does go barefoot gets biotin and sometimes another hoof supplement, just in case. I've had some though that do need them. One mare had a riser on her left front and pads in front and if she wasn't shod every four weeks, she would go dead lame. I had asked the farrier and the vet about it, but she was quite literally perfectly sound when she was shod properly.

I like ponies barefoot a lot too. Most ponies are hardy little things and one of my biggest pet peeves is when people buy a barefoot pony and think it looks better at shows if they have shoes. i don't understand that connection :)
 
#24 ·
I have an arab with great feet but definitely needs shoes. I run alot of roads and even steel shoes last only 6 or 8 weeks. The wear factor would be too great. Also with the ice I need the extra traction that studs, borium or drill tec give me. I would love to run barefoot but it is not practical for me.
 
#27 ·
I think keeping a horse barefoot is easy if you have the right natural conditions. One of the biggest problems I see is that people always keep their horses on soft ground with no "natural" trimming items suck as rocks or hard soil or little things that count. But instead alot of us choose to keep our horses on nice fluffy bedding (guilty), soft dirt/grass paddock with every little rock picked out and nothing natural (not guilty). If horses were in the wild they would be walking over rough terrain all day and most wild horses have wonderful feet without getting a trim once in their lives.

But i do agree that horses are individuals, people need to realize what is best for their horse, even if that means shoes or no shoes.
 
#28 ·
I think you should go to this forum and ask them about how many rip off their customers. And ask them exactly what their expenses are. I think you'd be surprised to know that very few actually make a profit. They make enough to cover their business and living expenses.

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#29 ·
Solon, I'm not looking for an argument. I'm just letting people know that there ARE people that will and do take advantage of customers. It wouldn't be right to pretend that everyone in the horse world is out to better the world. Not all farriers are like that, I never accused all of them of being scam artists or anything. Drop it. This thread was for the purpose to see what peoples opinions are on shod and barefoot horses. Not to prove who's right and who's wrong. Would it make you feel better if I told you that you were right from the start? What on earth was I thinking to reveal that some farriers are not good people?!!! I must be crazy!!!

Also you can't always trust people on an online forum, just because they can type up how they barely scrape up enough to get by doesn't mean they can't type up a lie.
 
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