What is the best way to convince someone that barefoot is best?

Question

I have talked to a lot of people about barefoot trimming horses and they all have started attacking me saying that I'm abusing my horses by not shoeing them and threatening to report me to the authorities. (That part does not bother me though) How do I tell these people that barefoot is the best way to go? They are really starting to get on my nerves with their ignorance.

Answer 1

well i personaly believe barefoot itsnt always the best.... every horse is diffrent.... when horses dont have shoes on and are under training and showing or what ever they do it can wear down there soals.... which can make them off or lamn.. and then cause more problems with there feet and legs...  shoes help horses with stone bruises, laminitess , naviculars, keeping there feet from breaking up and keeping them comfortable and sound, absorbing shock for training... ur not abusing ur horse.... but all horses are diffrent and u have to take in consideration horses people can be hardheaded and ur way isnt the only way... i dont think a horses should be all barefoot but i take alot of my horses back shoes off in the winter.. so i think u sould just say barefoot is the best way for my horses... u dont have to agree... and leave it at that...

I couldnt tell u why they make threats against u... maby u shud take in to consideration what u are doing with ur horses and maby thats why they have a big problem with u neglecting to put on shoes.... but maby not.. i dont know

Answer 2

Honestly barefoot is not always best, especially if a horse has a condition that effects his hoves such as navicular or laminitis. Sometimes supportive shoes are needed to provide more support to the horses hoves. While not all horses need shoes all the time, some do. however, if youre horse can live a happy, sound, disease free life without shoes, then i see no reason to put them on.

Answer 3

How about not being pushy and forcing your opinion on others? It always makes people mad, there's no nice way to do it. If someone asks you about going barefoot, that's fine, and casually mentioning it is alright, but the in-your-face "my way is the only way" attitude?  Just plain RUDE.

Answer 4

if your horse is fine barefoot and they work good then it is best for that horse.  each horse is different, and you should just kindly inform them of that fact.  It is your horse and you know what is best for the horse.

some people think they know best, when they really should just mind their own bizz. my arab had the best feet of any horse i met, her feet could go easily 8-10 weeks before they needed trimmed. they grew great and strong and she was out in the field and walking enough to keep them at the right length. my quater horse on the other hand couldnt go 6 weeks with out a new set of shoes and pads, he needed corrective shoeing and more work.

so two good examples of different horses, they were mine and were taking care of and given what they need.

just remember you know what's best for your horse, not some stranger.

edit: allie, she didnt say her horse had any of those issues, so why would you go put shoes on a horse that didnt need the shoes? not saying your wrong, because you are right (my quater horse had those so i know you are right) but if the horse doesnt need it, why use it? (goes for anything in life, if it aint broke dont fix it)

Answer 5

There is plenty of research data that you can find on line.  The best argument would be the facts that research has brought forth regarding the benefits to barefoot trimming.  Look it up, and refer them to the sites that you find most informative.  They won't probably listen to what you have to say anyway, so maybe if they read it for themselves they will change their opinions.

Answer 6

You can have your own opinions, and they can have their's, and you should tell them that! If it's your horse, YOU are in charge of them! What you can do is show them a picture of your horse and say "DOES THIS HORSE LOOK ABUSED TO YOU?!" and hopefully they'll back off. If this doesn't work, you should tell them to mind their own buissness and if they want to shoe thier horses, good for them. But they are YOUR horses, therefore under YOUR controll, not there's.

Answer 7

I have had my share of ingnorant people and they are just that so they will not hear you no matter what you say. I am one that loves to have my argument for them. I just tell them does my horse look lame? No, he travels on rocks just fine. When I trail ride I have boots for him if its TOO rocky. and there have been barefoot articles to disprove them(EQUS is one I think). Tell them, call the "authorities" the horse is sound and in good heath and they will laugh at you! and karma will kick you in the but for being ignorant. LOL

Answer 8

you really cannot convince someone in a single conversation that has strong opinions that your way is best. what you need to do is be calm about it, not nasty or rude, and say something along the lines of "I'm sorry you feel that way, but i truly think that barefoot is the best way to go with my horses. they are doing better then ever, and since they are MY horses, i really dont think it's your place to accuse me of abuse." just be polite and be the bigger person in this; dont stoop to their level. and if they do go off their rocker and call the authorities, what are they gonna do? seriously. they are your horses and you are not abusing them in any way, shape, or form by leaving them barefoot.

-now i'm assuming that they dont have any problems like navicular or laminitis... you're a horse person so i'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here... dont make me look like a fool. ;)

Answer 9

Trimming and shoeing depends on the horse.  My horse works well with both shoes and barefoot.  My horse use to have shoes a couple of years back but then we switched to barefoot because he stays on softer ground and is building up durability on trails.  But if he ever needed corrective shoeing I would get it him for him.  Don't try to convince someone in a lost battle like this.  Some horses need shoes for their sport and some don't.  

Answer 10

Bare foot trimming is not always the best, you cannot convince someone that it is the best when it truly isnt always the answer. I have a horse who is bare foot and a horse who has shoes All around. Some horses need shoes and shoes do help with proformance depending on what they are doing. I know I would never jump my horse on grass without all 4 shoes and corks.  

Answer 11

Not to be rude but why do you care whether or not their horses are shod?  (Have to ask the question).

If others choose to be ignorant and ride a shod horse, that is their decision...I've shown extensively in arenas with differing surfaces, some small rock and some that were so hard packed it was similar to cement.   It would sore up an unshod horse in a heartbeat.  If I'm chasing points the last thing I can risk is having a sore horse from a rotten arena surface.

I won't say your guilty of "abuse"....to each his own...I just prefer a shod horse for what I do.   If I weren't out on the show road and riding trails that didn't require shoes (a lot of rock) then, "maybe" I'd consider a barefoot horse....Depends.   I'm not one that falls for every trend coming down the pike...if that makes me an ignoramus, then so be it.

Answer 12

Barefoot is good for most horses. If you ride your horse of rocky/uneven ground or you do demanding work like jumping alot, you might want to shoe. If your horse has problems with their feet it is best to show them. But, barefoot is perfectly fine if it fits your horse.

As for those people: tell them to back off! They're your horses and you can choose to do what you please with them. Barefoot horses are not abused horses!! All wild horses are barefoot, so are they all abused (try telling them that!)? You may not be able to convince them barefoot is best, but you might be able to convince them it's best for your horse.

Answer 13

I honestly don't know.  There is tons of data that proves that barefoot is better for the horse but people still do it because they've always done it.  A horses hoof was not designed to have hunks of metal nailed to them.  Hooves work best when they are allowed to expand and contract as weight is put on then relieved.  This natural expansion and contraction actually helps the natural blood flow into and out of the hoof.  There is some proof that metal shoes inhibit this natural action.  It is as simple as that.  I have three horses and a donkey, all barefoot.  I do use Old Mac's Hoof Boots while riding though, especially when riding in rough terrain.  These boots can also be used for turn out and for help and support for the laminitic and navicular horse.  They protect the hoof while still allowing the hoof to work as God intended.

For the life of me I can't see how weak or brittle hooves are helped by nailing metal shoes to them.  I used to use shoes too, my horse's hooves are much healthier now that they are kept barefoot.  Caution for newbies changing from shoes to barefoot.  Make sure your farrier is familiar with barefoot trimming and make sure you get trims done regularly.  There may be a transition period when your horse is ouchy - you might want to look into hoof boots for this period and for times when you will be riding in rough terrain.  Hoof boots do have limitations - they cannot be worn while running events that require sudden stops or turns - like barrel racing.

Answer 14

I have a few points to make here:

1. You can never convince EVERYONE that your way is the "best". So I would work to demonstrate by example the excellence of this method.

2. As another poster mentioned, barefoot shoeing just isn't for every horse. My TB has transitioned perfectly to barefoot after 15 years of full shoeing, but my QH hasn't been able to be comfortable on rocks after a year of good barefoot trims and care, so now has front shoes again.

3. Obviously you are not abusing your horses, instead of being defensive, you can show people what your techniques are and why they work each particular horse. It's far more convincing to see a group of individual success stories then a blanket statement about how X is "best" for all horses.

4. Additionally if you have any professional credentials to support your knowledge, such as accrediation, training under a master farrier, working with a successful rider/trainer, or even some well known vets and texts to quote from all tend to lend credibility to your explanations.

5. Finally, (and perhaps back to the begining) accept that you won't be able to convince everyone of the superiority of your methods, but if you acknowlege that their methods are also effective you may reach a point of mutual respect and balance. Informed disagreement, as it were.

Answer 15

Your farrier should be the one to decided whether or not your horse needs shoes.  Some horses are fine without them.  However, many horse's need shoes because their feet get cracked or don't support them and they go lame.

Say to those people, "My farrier says my horse doesn't need shoes because he has very sturdy feet.  His hooves don't crack, and I don't ride him on hard surfaces.  Of course, if the quality of his hooves begin to deteriorate, or if he needs them for another reason  in the future, I will shoe him without hesitation.  But right now he's doing well without them."

Answer 16

Barefoot trimming is not always the best way to go - sure it works out for other people, but they are allowed their opinions and rights. Please stop pushing your opinion on others - and if these people are trying to force theirs on yours, you should probably stop hanging around them.

All the arguments that are for barefoot, there is one that is against it as well, and vice verse. It is all based off of preference.

Yes, horses can be treated for navicular and laminitis without shoes - but I suspect that those horses were on very, very strong pain killers. I'm not going to argue the points for shoes - because I know the pros and cons to both. All you can really do, is listen to their arguments, learn from it, and then do some research and gather facts and show them those as well.

Good luck!

P.S. ... I hope you were an apprentice to a farrier, or went to school to become a farrier before you decided to start randomly trimming on your horse's feet! :P

Answer 17

I don't think you should be convincing anyone that they are 'wrong'. There is no right or wrong when it come to their own horses health as long as they are healthy and happy.

I highly doubt if you know all the fact about these other horses or what advice their vets and farriers have given to them just as they clearly don't know enough about yours to be saying it's abuse.

If you want to win friend and favours then you don't go about telling people they are wrong about how they care for their horses, you may however just talking about the benefits of BOTH shoeing and barefoot and how barefoot isn't being slack because when done properly it can end it ends up cost just as much if not more!