Barefoot or shoed?

Question

Is your horse barefoot or shoed, which do you like better, and why?

Answer 1

Mine are barefoot, but at this point in time, they aren't being shown.  However, one of them I have had for 10 years and he was being shown up until about 5 years ago and has always been barefoot.

Around here, many barns are converting to barefoot...the last stable I boarded at before we bought our own place has about 70% or better converted, and the horses compete in multiple disciplines, and also road ride on a fairly regular basis, about 6 miles total to get to and from riding trails.

That particular barn is managed by people who are active in the barefoot movement and the farriers they work with are educated in the wildhorse research project and findings.

Answer 2

shoed so they wont get hurt

Answer 3

I have 4 horses.  2 of them are shod and the other 2 are barefoot.  All I can say is that it really just depends on the horse.  I have a thoroughbred who was jumping and tore his tendon in his left front foot.  We let the tendon heal, but he continued to be lame so the farrier decided to take his shoes off.  Ever since then he has had no issues with lameness.  Actually his feet have gotten stronger and healthier without the shoes.  We just make sure his feet are trimmed every 8 weeks.  But, my other fancy hunter is the opposite.  He goes lame without shoes, but when he has shoes on, he is completely fine.  My HUGE jumper is shod in the front, but not the back.  I haven't had him for a very long time and when I got him, his feet were in pretty bad shape so the farrier put shoes on all four feet, but his hind feet are good enough, so he took them off.  We plan to keep his front shoes on all the time just because he's so big, but so far we haven't had any problems.  My other horse is 24 and does some small jumps occasionally, but other than that he just kind of plops around on trails and such.  He has pretty much always been barefoot and we haven't had any problems with his feet.  So, needless to say, I think it really depends what you plan to be doing with them.  If you're goign to be jumping and moving around a lot in lots of different surfaces, I would put shoes on.  But, if you're just planning on doing some trails and light riding, I think it's better to leave them barefoot and just trim their feet every 6-8 weeks.

Answer 4

Barefoot for mine. The farrier puts a pasture/mustang roll on them and I have found they wear with less chipping.

Answer 5

Fronts shoed! Cheaper than all fours and he doesn't need them all done!

Answer 6

barefoot. a lot of farriers reccomend barefoot. i like it better because it makes a horses feet stronger. i only advise shoes for a foot problem.

Answer 7

All my horses are barefoot and they all have strong healthy feet.  I, of course, have a barefoot trim on all of them.  Being barefoot allows for natural flexing and movement of the hoof as well as the rest of the horse.   Shoes and nails damage feet and perpetuate weakness and other problems.  When you continually punch holes in the hoof wall, you open multiple avenues for bacteria and fungus to enter.  The hoof wall is the first line of defense for the foot and you have to sacrifice that if you choose for your horse to be shod.  Shoes also inhibit a horse's natural way of going.  I have a warmblood that is an eventer, and he can go anywhere.  It is an extreme and unusual situation for a horse not to be able to go barefoot.  In most situations, people will "try" the barefoot method, and immediately it's "that didn't work - my horse's feet were breaking up so I put shoes on".  If you have been having your horse shod, and you pull the shoes, it will take about a year to get his feet healthy because of all the damage he has.  You have to boot your horse to ride for maybe 3-4 months or so to give his feet time to begin the healing process.  In the end, it is so worth it and so much better for your horse.  I would never put shoes on my horses.  They don't need them.  If you go barefoot, you will probably meet a lot of opposition.  It is not as "profitable" to have barefoot horses.  Also, you need to find a professional that will support you in your barefoot efforts.  A barefoot trim is very different from a trim that prepares a foot for a shoe, so you need someone who can do this for you.   good luck.

Answer 8

My horse is shoed.  I don't really have a preference, it all depends on what the horse needs.  My horse has always had shoes, so without them his hooves crack badly.  It is nice to have a horse with strong hooves, but shoes are a good support for horses with weak hooves.

Answer 9

All are barefoot.

Answer 10

it really depends on what you are doing if your paddock is muddy no out it still depends on what you are doing ask your farrier

Answer 11

we do both...show horses are shod, trail horses are shod in front and barefoot in winter in a perfect world I would have them all be natural but its not possible. If I have a horse on vacation or laid up or retired, I always pull shoes.

Answer 12

All 28 of mine are barefoot. It promotes healthy hoof growth & strenght.

Answer 13

Actually I do hunter jumping and my horse isn't shoed. He does just fine. It really depends on your horse and what you do.

Answer 14

Always shoed! lol I do Hunter/Jumper so my horse needs shoes

Answer 15

I don't own a horse, no place to keep him.

Answer 16

Both, it depends.

Answer 17

Half and half - mine are shod at the front only.

My daughter's loan horse is barefoot ( and does roadwork and jumping)

It all depends on the horse - they are all different.

Answer 18

Barefoot. Simply because my horse is semi retired and it is much better for their feet. I still get the farrier out to her and he files down her hooves but i personally prefer no shoes. She doesnt slip as much, you don't have the problem of them coming loose or anything. But if you hack out and work your horse pretty much every day, especially on the road then i would suggest shoes.

Answer 19

Barefoot. Some horses like it, others don't. I pefer it on my pony as I don't show much, and its less cost if they don't need it. His paddock is muddy, so if he doesn't have shoes, they can't be pulled off.