Transition From Shod to Barefoot

Making the transition from shod to barefoot.

For one reason or another, many horses transition from shod to barefoot. Some go back to being shod, and others don’t. What’s important here is that the transition can be managed for maximum horse comfort, regardless of why your horse is going from shod to barefoot. Remember that being barefoot doesn’t work for all horses, and being shod doesn’t work for all horses.

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What can you, and farrier, and your vet can do for your horse

The first thing for you to do is game plan with your farrier and your veterinarian about why you would like to pull your horse’s shoes. You may want your veterinarian to take x-rays of your horse’s hooves to ensure the future barefoot hoof has internal structures that can support your horse. This will also tell you how thin the sole is, a huge factor in barefoot success.

Consider these factors in your decision to switch your horse to being barefoot:

Footing. How is your arena footing, paddock footing, walkway and barnyard footing? Rocky, hard, or unforgiving footing will usually be trickier for your newly barefooted horse. Plan on limiting time in these areas and/or use protective boots.

Exercise. How will his newly barefoot feet affect his exercise and turnout routine? This ties closely with the footing at your barn. It’s probably a good idea to go slowly, use protective boots if needed, or perhaps choose another way to the paddock. Gravel may be tricky for him initially, and the fluffy dirt path will likely be better.

Diet. Will you need to adjust the hoof-supporting vitamins and minerals level in your horse’s diet? Your veterinarian and equine nutritionist may be able to help you determine if a supplement or diet change can help you.

Trimming touch-ups. Is your farrier available weekly to perform fine-tuning? Can he train you to do some upkeep in between his visits? This is often needed for a few weeks because the nail holes can act like a perforation, and you may have some atypical flaking. Some farriers can help you become proficient with a rasp to keep the new edges of the hoof smooth between farrier visits.

Supportive transition boots. Will your horse tolerate wearing supportive boots when needed during the transition period? There are many styles to choose from. Some cover the pastern, some do not, some have buckles, some have velcro.

These boots are ideal for riding a barefoot horse, especially if the ground is rocky.

From the farrier’s standpoint, there are some things to think about as well.

This is where I turn it over to farrier Ernest Woodward. Ernest gives us some gems of wisdom when it comes to making the transition between shod and barefoot:

Most importantly – you need to be patient! While we are not asking these horses to do anything extreme or unnatural by being barefoot, we are taking them from having support and protection and asking the feet to transition back to a simpler setup… So be empathic to their situation!

Put yourself in your horse’s shoes (or lack thereof!) – most people that wear shoes all day would be tender-footed and walk carefully just going to the end of the driveway to get the mail, this does not mean that you are evolutionarily diminished or can never go barefoot, it simply means you are not used to it… Even if you are walking on a clean smooth surface with no pain, you are going to take more cautious steps in the beginning because it feels strange…

Despite the pressure to “Go Barefoot” don’t look at the use of boots during work, lunging or turnout as a “Failure to Barefoot.” While it is reasonable to work toward the goal of being able to work totally barefoot, this is not a race that you win by being the fastest. The saddest instances I see are people pushing the horse to fit into the model they have decided sooner than the horse is ready for, have a big setback then give up and put shoes back on because “it’s just not working for him”…

I also asked Ernest a few questions about things we should know.

For the last few shoeing cycles when the shoes are on, are there any special considerations, such as letting the sole get thicker or not trimming as much?

Yes. Generally, you will have the easiest transitions when there is as much foot as safely possible when we first remove them. Leaving as much foot as you can, even if you have to come back the next week for a touch-up, can often make a difference for the initial transition.

Do you typically remove the hind shoes or the front shoes first?

This depends entirely on the horse. The tradition is to remove hinds first, but I have had a lot of success removing the fronts first. When fitted for boots, the horse will generally go a few cycles getting solid before removing the hinds. This is also discipline-dependent.

When do you recommend using temporary boots? Are there specific footing conditions that warrant using boots?

I am not shy to be as preventative as possible. I have pulled the shoes off on a horse, had the trainer ride a half hour later and say they couldn’t feel a difference, and I have a lot of horses that can easily take two weeks to a month to really get confident with their feet. So in the first week, I generally have people use them whenever the horse is out of its stall or paddock. This could be overkill on some horses, but it’s a whole lot easier than having to play catch up with a sore horse that wasn’t ready. It’s an ounce of prevention being worth a lot more than a pound of cure!

What should we look for the first few days?

Soreness is the main thing.

What should we do if they see chips, cracks, or bruising?

I always encourage my clients that are taking their horses barefoot to at least have a rasp and get at least moderately comfortable moving it around a hoof. With even a dull rasp your farrier or trimmer was going to throw away, you can manage a lot of chipping and roughness really easily. I have taught clients ranging from eight years to 75 how to manage their horse’s feet with success.

For hardening the feet there are a few really good products out there and I’m sure more than I am unaware of. Durasole is available at most good farrier supply stores or your farrier can order it. Also, Seashore Acres is an east coast company that makes a sole paint one of my clients swears by.

How do you suggest we wean our horse from the temporary boots?

Be logical and listen to your horse. You can start by removing them halfway through your ride once the horse has reached a dependable working level and work your way up to just using them every other day… then down from there. It depends on what your horse does for a living and your stable’s situation.

This is my horse’s hoof. He was barefoot for many years, and we used Durasole short-term after we pulled his shoes.

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