How do you transition a horse to barefoot?

Zappa: How do you transition a horse to barefoot?
I am getting a horse soon, and bare foot horses are hard to find. How would you transition a horse from shoes to barefoot? The horse would, eventually be ridden 6 days a week, if that helps.
Also, how much does a farrier cost with and without shoes per month?

Please do not comment on how much you hate barefoot, and I need shoes, I think barefoot is best. Keep your arguments to yourself, please!
Thanks!

Answers and Views:

Answer by BEE
I agree with you…barefoot is the best way to go! Be sure that you get someone that knows how to trim a BAREFOOT horse….not a farrier. There is a big difference between a barefoot horse and someone just TRIMMING a horse. Make sure that your farrier or trimmer doesn’t take any sole, that’s BAD! Be sure to keep your horse off hard ground. Let them walk though to get good blood flow to their feet. It will take about a good week to get your horse to adjust. All horses are different and it depends on where you live. If you have boots…like renegade boot, or easy boots…those help immensely! Also a new barefoot horse’s hoof tends to chip a LOT, so if you have a rasp I’d use it or learn to use it and just keep your horses hoof nice and smooth. Hope this helps.

Answer by Reneigh
take the shoes off and put to rest in the paddock for atleast two months

you need to take work very lightly after the first two months no rocky ground grass is preferrable

after a few weeks when you have put him in the paddock let his feet grow out a bit more than usual dont wrry if it cracks a little

call the farrier and get him to trim his feet then and make sure you let him know that hes a horse thats freashly become a barefoot.

there is a different way you trim a bare footed horses feet to a horse who gets shoes on either regularly or every now again for showing certain things like that

it may take a few months for his hoof to be very tough and stable

its a huge process of drowing his feet out and trmming them accordingly

HAVE A CHAT TO YOUR FARRIER =)

Answer by Becca
Weather or not a horse needs shoes or can barefoot depends on the horse. Not ALL horses should be barefoot, it depends on their hoofs. So I would suggest getting advice an experienced farrier.
A friend of mine has been so set on keeping her horse barefoot that he now has severe problems because of it, and the vet that came to give him chiropractic work was horrified that she refused to put shoes on him since it was messing up his back.

So it really depends on the horse. Please make sure you are doing what is best for the horse, not for you.

Hope I helped and best of luck!

Answer by Jeff Sadler
You pull their shoes and trim their feet. Their is no transition but their feet are usually tender the first few weeks.

Depending on your area you may be able to get by with going barefoot even with competitive trail that you are planning. I just wanted you to be aware that being adamant and inflexible can lead to problems.Give it a try. But be willing to do what is best for your horse even if it is getting shoes.

Answer by buckinfun
The best way is to get boots. EZ boots or another type.
Keep those on him for awhile and then take them off while he’s in his stall. After a few weeks you can try him without boots in the pasture.

Normally if they’ve been in shoes most of their days they are severely ouchy (even in grass). They will be ouchy on dirt roads for a very long time. You’ll need to ride in boots for awhile til he toughens up.

You can use Venice Turpentine to help toughen.

EDIT:
Hey GOOOD: You are referring to a blog by someone that is not a certified farrier, commenting with her own bias, and the trim that is being discussed is the STRASSER. That trim is barbaric and not used by normal day to day barefoot trimmers. Don’t put us all into one basket and you shouldn’t be trying to scare people off of keeping their horse barefoot.

Answer by justacowgirl2004
When the shoes are pulled, the farrier should do a minor trim, basically just a little rasping on the toe and sides, not too much on the bottom. Clean the sole and do not pare it or take off much frog. He should take off a little more heel that if he was being re-shod.
The farrier should take off excess growth, but not as flat as being re-shod. It would be best to let the horse run barefoot at least a week before you ride, as long as he is showing no lameness. Keep him off hard surfaces for awhile (pavement, rocks, gravel). Sand would be great!
Many people are going barefoot horses nowadays, it is believed that it is more natural for the horse and does not cause damage that nails can cause, and it toughens the hoof.
I only shoe now when I go to a major reining show, and use sliders for the protection of my horse. Other than that, mine are all barefoot now.
I see no problems with barefoot, but I do think if a horse has a hoof problem, like founder or bad cracks etc, they may need shoes until it is corrected.
Farriers usually charge about half of what they charge for shoeing, all depends on where you are from, some charge very little for just a trim.
Here’s a couple of articles on it:

Answer by galloppal
Most important is to find a good barefoot trimmer who knows how to maximize the proper function of the hoof, and keep your horse trimmed frequently enough. The transition will progress in stages, and while that is happening some people purchase hoof boots for riding on hard surfaces. It takes many months to undo the damage shoes do to the hoof. The soles will need to form callous, and the wall tissue will have to thicken, which will happen with time. Once the walls, frogs, and heels are functioning correctly, the circulation and tissue perfusion inside of the hoof will be improved, which will in turn improve the whole hoof. Your horse can gradually develop sturdy, hard hooves that can handle any surface……even the weakest, thinnest walled hooves can be turned around if given the chance. Here is an interesting article on some barefoot research findings…………….

https://www.thehorseshoof.com/Art_Bowker.html

A certified barefoot trimmer will cost more than a regular farrier charges for the usual brand of trim, but it is worth the cost to have it done right.
ADD……it is not recommended that you use any hoof dressing, hardener, etc. on the barefoot hoof. All of these interfere with development of a healthy, rock hard hoof, and some do considerable harm. And the more exercise you give your horse, the more the tissues are perfused with blood, which is necessary to the adaptation of the hooves.

Answer by Lala N
Make sure that this choice is right for you horse – and that is something no one can tell you unless they physically see and check the horses hooves. It is also something that you may have to wait and find out and if it doesn’t work out put the shoes back on. Talk to an experienced and trusted farrier and get him/her to come out and see the horse and tell you what is best. He/she will also give you advice on how to make the transition smooth and comfortable for your horse. If you are riding a lot on slippery grounds, roads or competing to a high level I would not recommend taking shoes off as that is usually why they need them. I have two ponies who are both barefoot and are happily competing at grande prix. So it does show you don’t really need shoes on. Your horse will definitely be a bit ouchy when you first take his shoes off – it is like you wearing sneakers all of your life and then taking them off and walking on hard ground/rocks. It is exactly the same for your horse; and you will have to be patient with the transition. Try not to ride on hard ground after you have taken them off as you will end up with a very sore and grumpy horse. If you can ride in an arena where there is a softer surface than just grass. Be careful and aware that it is a big change for him and you and make a conscious effort to make things more comfortable for him e.g. don’t walk on roads or do things that put more stress on his legs and hooves such as jumping. This is just for the first few weeks, although it is different for every horse some do not feel any different and after about a week you can go back to light riding, others feel it a lot and you may need to put boots on until they are more used to the feel of no shoes, this is especially for those horses who have been with shoes for over 3 or 4 years.

Whilst changing I would recommend using a product for his hooves to make them harder such as one with biotin in it. You can probably talk to your farrier and he/her will recommend something. Also on the bottom of the hoof you may want to but something on such as cold tar; but again your farrier would be the best to help you there.

When you talk to your farrier about what to do tell he his previous history, how long he has had the shoes on for, what sort of riding you will do and your farrier will tell you whether he thinks it is a good idea to change to barefoot – what you do may be entirely different and you may want to get a few opinions before actually choosing.

To the matter of price: Yes of course barefoot is cheaper. In the summer we get our ponies done every four or five weeks as their hooves grow so quickly and it is better to get them done before they are absolutely awful. In New Zealand (at the New Zealand dollar) you can pay from about $ 35 – $ 100 including travel, it really depends on how much that farrier wants to charge.

I am not for either barefoot or shoeing, as I said I do have two ponies that compete happily barefoot – so you probably could say I was a little bit for it. But I do choose for the horse not for me or the price of shoeing. If it is best for the horse then that is what I shall do, no matter if I believe in it or not. Hope this helped!!

Answer by Hell Raiser
I prefer to shoe my horses but my current horse has feet hard enough to not really need them. The transition wasn’t really that hard. Kept him on softer ground for a while and I also oil his hooves once a week which works really well.

When they have been trimmed I keep him of hard surfaces few a day or two but I do a lot of trail riding and he has no problem walking on roads. But make sure you get a person that actually knows how to barefoot trim. When my horse was done the first time by a supposed ‘professional’ she cut his hooves so short that he was standing like he had laminitis. I was so angry!

But the woman who does them now is great. You can actually learn to do it yourself. There are usually courses around that teach you,maybe you could look into it if you prefer barefoot horses. But his hooves look great, no cracks, he doesn’t go sore and it suits him really well.

Answer by mnm1088
Both my horse are barefoot. I would make sure you found a great ferrier that knows something about bare feet. My farrier knows a lot and he is always telling me whats going on with my horses feet. I would say, take off the shoes, and make sure the horse has some dry soft ground to walk on for a while as it might be sore if its hard to too muddy. Dont do any riding during the week because it might cause him to become lame. If the hooves get dry, cracked, or chipped, use some of this ) or I use another product that I just cant remember the name if but its like a glue substance and it works wonders!!! (you should be able to find it in any tack store). Boots might help, although ive never used them. I have to get my horses feet trimmed about every 8-10 weeks (they grow slowly) and it costs me $ 35 per horse for a trim. You might also want to keep a rasp around just to keep them nice and smooth (although I dont). Good Luck!

Answer by GOODD
Regardless of what YOU think or what anyone on here thinks ultimately your horse’s soundness will tell you whether they need shoes or not. Some horses need shoes. It’s a sad fact of equine care that not every horse can be barefoot. A lot of horse breeds have crappy feet (Thoroughbreds are notorious) that once you pull their shoes the wall starts to crack, break, flake, etc. Instead of saying “I am going to shoe barefoot because I like it and it’s cheaper” you should be saying “I would like to see how he does barefoot” and go from there.

I went from a horse with train wreck feet needing corrective shoes ($ 175 just for the front every 8 weeks) to a TB needing regular shoes ($ 110 every 6-7 weeks) and my next horse is going to be an Andalusian. Part of the appeal for me of that breed (along with being awesome, gorgeous and the “ultimate dressage horse”) is that they have really good feet and can be barefoot. $ 50-$ 60 every 6-8 weeks.

In any case, you transition a horse to barefoot by having a farrier remove their shoes. Give them a couple of days, see how the hoof wall is doing, check on the soles of their feet and keep your eyes out for any type of lameness. A LITTLE soreness is okay at first, but should go away within a few days.

PLEASE if your horse is sore barefoot put shoes back on. Leaving a hrose that needs shoes barefoot and sore/lame is a form of animal cruelty and people HAVE been going to jail for this.

https://fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-01-15T09%3A21%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7 <— The very first post is a GREAT one and the one I think you should read.

I know you want what's best for your horse. Work with your horse and your farrier to figure out what that is instead of deciding without any of the facts.

Answer by paintgirl_h
The best way to transition your horse to barefoot will depend on a few things 1)what type and condition of hooves he has 2)how long he’s been in shoes 3)what type of ground he will work on 4)what type of ground he will live on 5)the time of year 6)how much you intend to ride him.
You would probably really benefit from watching Pete Ramey’s DVDs on barefoot trimming, they are called “Under the Horse” I think. Those DVDs are a bit long, boring and dry but they will give you tons of advice on how to pick a farrier, what to watch for, how to transition him over, and even how to do some of your own trimming and maintance.
If you buy a horse now I would pull the shoes immediantely. If you buy a horse just as show season starts, you may want to leave the shoes on for a few months. A horse that has been in shoes for a long period of time is going to take a while to toughen up his shoes and frog, and will have to wear hoof boots. You are not allowed hoof boots in shows, so you’ll end up with a tender or sore horse. If you can pull them now you have months before the beginning of show season and hopefully your horse will be ready to go by then.
Ideally your horse’s living grounds will be similiar to the type of ground you’re going to ride on. If this is the case, then he’ll transition over fairly well. If you’ll ride him on much different ground than his home ground, then things get tougher. Also, if your horse can be out in turnout 24/7 he’ll toughen up quicker than if he’s in a paddock or stall. It takes movement to grow a thicker sole and frog, and he won’t change very quickly in a stall.
I bought four Easyboot Epics for my mare (off e-Bay, you can find the method to measure by going onto EasyBoots website) and used them most of this spring. This was the first year I did not shoe my horse for the summer, and she managed well. I did have to watch her carefully, showing wasn’t a problem because arenas are normally soft and well worked, but the problem areas was the gravel around arenas and show pens. I tried to use the EasyBoots when we covered hard, rocky ground to prevent stone bruises. We showed on the Paint breed circuit and earned points in four different classes, including Western pleasure and Hunter under saddle, so obviously she still moved well without shoes!
As for farrier costs, this will vary enormously on where you live. In my area in Canada a trim costs $ 30, a full shoe is $ 90 and front shoes are $ 60. This is pretty reasonable compared to a more urban area. I have no barefoot trimmers within an hour or two of me. I pulled the shoes off my mare, and had my farrier trim her feet (but I did tell him I wanted to try her barefoot, and asked him to leave her sole and frog as intact as possible) I watched the Pete Ramey DVDs and learned how to put a mustang roll on my mare’s hooves, and I did most of the trimming inbetween the farrier’s visits. I went all last year with the farrier only trimming my horse’s hooves three times, and I did it all the other times. By being careful and trimming small amounts frequently, and getting assistance from my farrier, it worked well. Believe me, my mare was NOT neglected and had no hoof problems. Not one person at the show, including judges, would have ever known that I did much of her trimming. The cost of the EpicBoots were about $ 60 apiece, I saved more in shoeing and trims than I paid for the boots.
I agree that each horse has different feet and not all will respond as well to barefoot trims. I do believe that if you learn what you’re doing, monitor your horse’s feet, use boots and even pads inside the boots if necessary, allow your horse in turnout as much as possible, and don’t allow your horse to become grossly overweight and eat too much carboydrates the majority of horses, including Thoroughbreds, can go barefoot. Some may require boots for riding on hard ground part of the time, some will require boots for that sort of ground all their lives.

Answer by AmericanHPTS-12
NOT all horses need shoes! That is determined by each horse. All of mine(28) are barefoot. We ride in mountains of WY & NV. Both places are very rocky!!! It will just take time for your horse to build strong hoof walls, which is done by taking the shoes off. If it was me & I bought a new horse with shoes. That is one of the 1st things I do is take them off. I have never had a horse that HAD to have shoes on. & For fuglys bolg- it is FULLLL of ill information. I never read any of hers!! NOOOO good!!!! Go to a REAL site that knows what they are talking about. Please DO NOT use that as a reference!!!! NOT wise!!!!! It is much cheaper to have a barefoot horse over shoes. & Good for you barefoot is BEST!! It is how the horse should be. Here are a few good sites to read.

https://www.thenakedhoof.com.au/

https://www.thehorseshoof.com/

https://www.tribeequus.com/

https://www.barefoothorse.com/barefoot_Strategy.html