Where are we now?

I was recently updating my website and was reviewing some of my past articles and I found myself reflecting upon how natural hoofcare has developed over the past few years. Barefoot hoofcare has certainly gone much more mainstream since I first began writing my column. There are more websites, books, videos and mainstream magazine articles centered on barefoot hoofcare then ever before. Owners now have more information at their disposal when deciding whether or not they wish to leave their horses barefoot year round. I have written about various factors concerning whether or not a horse owner should consider leaving their horse unshod.

Yet, there is one factor I have not touched upon in the past. It is perhaps the factor which carries the greatest weight. It is the owners themselves. If an owner doesn’t believe his or her horse can perform barefoot, no trim in the world is going to work. Conversely, a horse can be suffering from a variety of foot ailments and an informed owner desiring to leave their horse barefoot can work with a competent trimmer and rehabilitate the horse barefoot in a short period of time. These may sound like rather bold statements, but it’s been my experience time and time again.

There are several compelling reasons to consider barefoot hoofcare. Correspondingly, there are also a number of factors that contribute to the successful transition to barefoot. I am in no way attempting to minimize these factors; my objective this month is to put the owner’s role in perspective. Leaving your horse barefoot simply because you’re boarding at a “barefoot” barn or conversely, shoeing your horse because everybody else in the barn shoes their horse are common scenarios, neither of which makes sense to me. There are many aspects of our horse’s well being that are best served by the owner taking an active role in the decision making process. Obviously, hoofcare is one such aspect and it’s important that owners realize they have options. Barefoot hoofcare is one such aspect, but not one that should be hurried into.

I believe the owners expectations should be fully disclosed and a realistic time table be discussed. This is a critical step when pulling the shoes of a horse that has been shod for any length of time. It is unrealistic to believe that a horse will perform at the same level immediately after pulling the shoes and its important the owner is prepared for the transition. An owner has to be willing to adjust their horse’s diet, turnout and exercise schedule as needed. Many times boots are recommended to ride in and while their cost is offset by the savings of long term shoeing an owner still has to be willing to purchase them and be prepared to use them. My point here isn’t so much about the transition period, which can vary greatly from case to case, but the owner’s willingness to adapt to different horse keeping practices.

As a professional, it is my responsibility to listen to the customer and work within their comfort level and activity level. Occasionally, that means leaving a horse shod. I believe there are times in which the horse is better served with a properly shod foot. It is seldom prudent to pull the shoes of a horse in the middle of its competition season. The proper application of a shoe, based upon many of the principles of barefoot hoofcare, can also provide a better foot to work with if and when the owner decides to pull the shoes.

This month’s column isn’t so much about the hows and whys of barefoot hoofcare, but about the owners’ role in making an educated decision about how they maintain their horse’s feet. There is a tremendous amount of information available to today’s horse owner. Unfortunately, many well meaning farriers and trimmers attempt to browbeat owners into either going barefoot or shoeing their horse depending on what side of the fence their on. My goal is to present the advantages of barefoot hoofcare, but still offer the owner the choice to shoe their horse, always keeping the best interest of the horse in mind. I began this column with the question “where are we now?” While I’m still an ardent advocate of barefoot hoofcare I have gained a greater respect for the owner’s role in successfully transitioning their horse to natural hoofcare. Until next time, God Bless you and your equine partners.