Why Is Going Barefoot So Shocking To Horse People?

By, Georgette Topakas     www.ZephyrsGarden.com

Here I go again preaching about going barefoot (it’s a mission for me!), but I wanted to share an experience from several weekends ago.  My daughter and I were in San Juan Capistrano, CA showing at The Oaks.   She was showing in the grass ring, and I was the nervous mother on the rail, watching and counting strides.  Before she and Zephyr (show name Tall, Dark, & Handsome) set foot in the ring, there was some extra attention surrounding the two of them.  Zephyr was the only horse showing on the grass without studs.  In fact, he is completely shoeless, front and back.  Several trainers thought it was impossible (and one thought against the rules for safety issues) to jump without studs, but Zephyr was as sure-footed as always, contrary to the many horses I saw tripping over their feet.  I’ve never had a horse in studs, but I imagine it can take a bit of getting used to.  Not only was he as sure-footed as a mountain goat, but they won their division, probably causing some trainers to scratch their heads in wonder.

Big, Bold & Barefoot!  Zephyr (Tall, Dark & Handsome) at the Oaks

Now that I’ve bragged a bit, I need to ask, “Why is going barefoot so shocking to horse people?”  I have yet to see a downside; my expenses for hoof care are less, my horses both move soundly, both have become more balanced and better muscled, my life has been simplified since I never worry about a lost shoe or a hot nail, and by being able to understand hoof health I have a better “picture” of my horses’ overall well-being.  At the show, several trainers approached me to inquire how such a large horse (Zephyr is 17.1 hands) could be barefoot and have good feet.  There’s a myth that only ponies with dark hooves can go shoeless.  One trainer said, “My horse eats an apple fritter every morning and has horrid feet, do you think that may be the reason?”  Sugar, sugar, sugar!!  That’s one major cause for bad hooves.  I’m not a hoof expert, but my “secret” to good hooves is pretty simple – no alfalfa, minimal sweets, minimal grains, grass hay, some good herbs and that’s it.  I don’t use prepackaged hoof supplements or dressings, and I keep their feet as dry as possible.  I feel my approach is just a more simple way of taking care of our horses, though many view it as labor intensive.

First, the sugars.  My horses’ love apples, in fact, we have 5 apple trees at our house.  They’ll get a few apples a week, but not by the bucket full.  Same with carrots.  A carrot now then, not 5 lbs a day.  People equate sugary treats (and yes carrots are full of sugar) with love.  I also treat with fresh dandelion leaves, Swiss Chard, and melon rinds. In addition, I’ve told our trainer that no one else can “treat” the horses except us.  I don’t want some well- meaning person giving them a dozen carrots or a handful of molasses sweetened cookies.  Of course, no sweet feed either.

No alfalfa.  My trimmer once told me that he’s never seen a horse with good hooves that eats alfalfa.   Even just a little one winter to keep weight on made Zephyrs’ feet go downhill.  Good grass hay, and plenty of it, should be your dietary foundation.  If we had pasture, I’m sure that would be even better.

For their buckets, both horses get Triple Crown Lite.  It’s been a terrific feed for us and has helped keep both horses healthy.  Whenever I’ve tried to change feed (and don’t ask me why I did this) Zephyr’s feet have had flaking and fungal issues due to excessive sugar and/or grains. 

I love using herbs for the horses.  All my knowledge has been through reading books and by subscribing to Horse Journal.  There are lots of great horse herbal books on the market and I’ve tried to read them all.  If there was a horse herbalist in my area, I might have gone that route, but it’s been fun to learn along the way.  My “core” herbs are Bladderwrack Kelp, Dandelion Leaf, Rosehips, and Cleavers.  I also pour on the raw apple cider vinegar and grind flax seed daily.  I mix all this in with the Triple Crown Lite, add some water, some Olive Oil (being Greek I’m partial to this healthy oil), and stir.  I’m also a big fan of garlic and Spirulina during the fly season.

Lastly, and here’s the one that no one realizes is important – DRY FEET.  Wet feet can turn soft, mushy, tender, and for Zephyr, attracts fungus.  We keep his bedding as dry as possible and I rarely hose him off.  I save the baths for the shows and, when in training, let him air dry.  Once the sweat is dry, it curries off easily.  After we ride, we hand walk/graze the horses, let the sun dry the sweat and curry away.  I have to confess, I love to curry!   Their coats are soft, full of natural oils and shine, and their feet are dry.  It’s really win/win but it takes a bit longer then putting your horse in the cross-ties and hosing them off.   I also try to never put a damp horse back in his stall, that’s just begging for a good case of fungus.  One item I do put on their hooves is Zephyr’s Garden Hoof Growth Salve.  I created it for Zephyr and still rub it on his coronary bands once every week or so to keep growth strong.  I also use it at shows instead of hoof oil.  I let it warm in the sun and paint it on with a brush.  It’s Olive Oil based, so his feet have a show shine and are healthy. 

So, aside from taking the time to research some herbs, groom a little longer, and regulate my horses’ sweets, caring for a barefoot horse is not that much different then ones with shoes.  I love sharing my barefoot experience, but for some reason, other horse people are very hesitant to follow suit.  I hear all sorts of excuses, “Your horses’ must have really good feet, my horses’ feet are horrible” or “My trainer would never allow it, it’s against the barn rules”.   My favorite is, “My farrier said my horses’ feet would crumble with the pounding they take in the sand ring and over jumps.”  Yes, there are a million excuses, but truly, if I can do it anyone can!   

Comments

[Beverly]

Just found your blog. Love the barefoot idea. My horse is barefoot and will always be. My niece is going for her trainer's license (Thoroughbreds) and she intends to race in barefeet. It's not illegal and will probably help those terrible Thoroughbred feet that our farrier complains about!

[Mary]

Glad you found the blog Beverly!
That is great your niece is going barefoot, especially for the races. I'd love to hear how it works out for her.

[Bob Sibbald]

Found your blog rather refreshing Georgette, as I have often wondered why so many pleasure and light work load horses were being shod. I was raised on a ranch with horses used for extensive work during breeding season. We were inseminating over 300 head of cattle and had to ride through entire herd twice daily approximately 4 hrs each time. Each rider used two horses, one for am and one for pm. Horses were turned out in about a 10 acre pasture for grazing and 1 gal. of oats each per day. We never did have to shoe our horses, only an occasional trim. Cow herd was scattered out where about a three mile ride separated some pastures and required almost constant lope for horses in rolling hill country to cover necessary ground in 4 hr time frame. This made for a fairly intense workout that was maintained daily for over two months. We did always make sure that watering trough was not running over creating wet spots that would soften hooves but other other that no health or hoof problems. Have been surprised at high level of maintenence provided for horses with light to moderate work loads especially for hoof care.

[Georgette Topakas]

Bob, thanks for your comments. How I wish I could turn my horses out in a 10 acre pasture! It's certainly my hope to provide this for their retirement (if not sooner). These days, show horses move from a padded stall to a sand ring with little to wear their hooves down. Also, with so many processed feeds and sugar laden foods, hoof diseases and problems are prevalent. All this adds up to extra hoof care and farrier bills that are unreal. I just heard from a friend that LA shoeing bills are nearing $400, and that's shoeing every 5-6 weeks! Well we're happy barefoot and love how the horses move, can't understand why more of my friends and barn mates aren't going shoeless - Georgette

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[Jim Breitinger]

Your blog is incredible.

I am introducing people to Rex Peterson, and thought you would be interested.

Rex is (in my opinion) one of the real horse whisperers and one of the more accomplished horsemen of our times. He works in the film industry primarily and has supplied his horses for films for the past 30+ years. He was the horse trainer behind the cameras on the Horse Whisperer, Hidalgo, and many many other films.

Check out his new videos (his first foray into the world of producing training videos in many years). We are lucky he is taking the time to do this. Go to http://swansonpetersonproductions.com

Keep up your blog and stay barefoot.

[Gimme A Dream]

I've kept my horses barefoot now for years. A few have competitively jumped and no one even considered the matter.

[Madeleine Pickens]

Can you help us stop the mass murder and imprisonment of 33,000 wild horses and burros! The Wild Horse Foundation has a plan that offers a solution, but we need your help! Please stop this trail of carnage and public waste by contacting Ken Salazar at the Bureau of Land Management at the link below:

http://capwiz.com/madeleinepickens/issues/alert/?alertid=12943361&type=AN

[Elliemae]

My mare has been barefoot since I bought her 10 years ago. She's an Appaloosa mare and has very hard, healthy hooves. When I was going thru a divorce and she was being moved from barn to barn as I tried to find a place for us to settle, she went 8 months without even a trim! Her feet don't grow fast and don't split or chip. Her regular farrier now keeps her on an 8 week trim schedule, mostly just to keep the shape nice. Maybe I'm lucky..but there's something to be said for letting nature take care of things. Farries keep toes and heels in check...let mother nature take care of her job..horses hooves are designed to to work without our interferance. There are always exceptions (navicular, etc) but most horses would be better off barefoot. Great post!

[LoveMyColt]

Great stuff! Always nice to see some forward-thinkers out there when it comes to the barefoot/shoe debate. Also, I know most of us horse lovers use it, so thought I'd let you know that I found some pretty great coupons on Absorbine products: www.absorbine.com/offers.html. I can't wait to try out UltraShield; the stuff is supposed to work wonders! Take care.