Care of the barefoot horse

[bryony83]

Hi guys,

my horse went barefoot 2 weeks ago as she is on box rest and I saw it as a good oppurtunity to try barefooting out.

As I am a barefoot virgin so to speak Im not sure how often I need to looking at trimming or when to know the hooves need a trim. As there are so many barefooters on here I thought I'd ask you guys for help. Her hooves are looking really good at the moment and prior to them being removed she had had a new set of the shoes the week before (she removed one in the accident and the vet and farrier suggested I just take off the others)

[Yann]

I suspect you're going to be treading water whilst she's on box rest. Trimming should be more or less on the same schedule as she was shod although you might end up being able to go longer the first time if she was recently shod. Probably worth making some effort to disinfect the frog and white line with something like Milton or Hibiscrub while they're on box rest. Good luck with the recovery

[mandal]

Time for you to start leaning! Diet and management are as important if not more so than the trim. Here's a start and I recommend Nic and Sarah's book 'Feet first' as well as all Pete Ramey's stuff. www.performancebarefoot.co.uk/page3.html

[portiabuzz]

Feet First around £13 on amazon...im ordering it now!

[Deleted]

I have KC La Pierre's book called The Chosen Road. It's good but not easy to read, I've had a look at Pete Ramey's website and it seems much easier going so might get one of his.

[Yann]

Pete Ramey is much easier to understand, doesn't complicate things unnecessarily and makes just as much if not more sense to me

[marianne]

Hi Bryony

The first time I tried barefoot with my mare 5 years ago I thought it was just a question of taking the shoes off. 6 weeks later she was so lame shoes went back on and I started to read up on barefoot properly!

Successful barefoot is a combination of correct trimming, nutrition, exercise, environment and conditioning the feet so you can transition correctly. Please PLEASE read both Pete Ramey's book as well as Jaime Jackson's to get you up to speed on all the minefields out there :-) There are so many things I didn't even think of and I learned most of them the slow painful way.

PS - took the shoes off the mare again 4 years ago and now she and my other 5 are all barefoot and sound.
xxx