Stride Equus

Education

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“Hoof boots are an important tool for the transition to barefoot; the comfort they provide will help your state-of-mind as much as they help the horse.”  Gretchen Fauther

If you are considering moving your horse to barefoot, there are many excellent sources of information.  For newcomers, these are excellent sites to help you with your decisions.  Below is listed a few of them:

 www.barefoothorse.com

www.naturalhorsetrim.com

www.thehorseshoof.com

www.strasserhoofcare.com

www.hopeforsoundness.com

www.safergrass.org

The following information has been re-printed from the www.naturalhorsetrim.com site owned by Gretchen Fauther.  She has an excellent site with very comprehensive illustrations.

“Hoof boots are an important tool for the transition to barefoot; the comfort they provide will help your state-of-mind as much as they help the horse.

-- hoof boots used on front feet when riding on gravel, rocks, pavement, or frozen ground;

Do not expect to ride your horse on gravel, rough pavement, frozen ground, or rocky trails without front hoof boots, during the first year after pulling the shoes.

Winter is a hard time for transition horses. Expect that your horse will be sore when the ground freezes, through the first and sometimes the second winter after pulling the shoes, even if he is sound on soft ground. You may need to provide boots for turnout.

Hoof boots

When hoof boots are called for:

-- During transition or with any flared foot, if you ride on gravel roads, pavement, rocky trails, or frozen ground; protects the inflamed sole corium.

-- If the old hoof walls are thin or brittle; prevents too-fast wearing of the hoof wall.

-- For a horse working on a very abrasive surface that wears the feet faster than they are growing. May only be needed part of the time (such as alternate days).

-- For foundered horses that are too sore to move around much on their own; protects the sole corium and the tip of the rotated coffin bone.”

Marjorie Smith also has an excellent site www.barefoothorse.com for education on barefoot horses.  Visit her site for a very friendly and informative discussion on barefoot. The following has been re-printed from her website:

“Being realistic about transition

The "white line" is a layer of interlocking laminae. Like a sort of living Velcro (hook-and-loop tape), it connects the hoof wall securely to the coffin bone. (See photos on Hoof Shape page.) The white line carries the entire weight of the horse when the foot is weighted. It takes an enormous supply of blood (nutrients) to keep the white line strong enough to handle this awesome job. Horseshoes reduce circulation inside the hoof; the "starved" white line becomes weak and stretchy.

I don't think I've ever seen a horse that was shod for more than a year, that didn't have white line damage. Anyone who helps lots of horses return to a barefoot condition, comes to recognize that horseshoes (plus infrequent trimming due to shoeing) do damage the feet. Most feet are going to be sore for a while after you pull the shoes; fronts much more than hinds, because they carry more of the horse's weight.

It can be very hard to admit to ourselves that we have caused this much damage to our beloved horses' feet by doing what we thought was best for them, e.g. keeping them shod. I know how hard it is from personal experience, as well as from "holding the hand" of horse owners while they go through the early part of Transition. The truth is, we made them sore; and so we get to live through the recovery time with them, including not riding for a while if necessary.

The hoof is a high-priority organ for the horse's survival; it has a denser blood supply than any organ but the liver and kidneys. All tissue-building, maintentance, and healing in the foot depend on the constant supply of nutrients brought by the bloodstream.”

Excerpts from “Hoof Boots Hit the Trail”,

 written by Fran Jurga, published by The Trail Rider, www.trailridermagazine.com

“Most hoof-boot makers will advise you to make tracings of your horse’s feet soon after trimming.  Keep in mind that your tracings will capture your horse’s feet as they were shaped on that day.  If you’ve recently removed your horse’s shoes, his foot shape may change quit a bit in the month to come.  Plan to evaluate hoof-boot fit on a regular basis, or opt for boots with plenty of adjustment features.”

“Marquis boots have an inflatable pastern collar that aids in custom fitting, but also helps keep out debris.”

“Many riders report that their horses seem more surefooted when barefoot or wearing boots.”

“Marquis is equipped with removable studs similar to those worn by jumper and event horses.

“A properly fitting trail boot that’s equipped with removable traction may be a very good investment if you live in a snowy, icy climate.  Remember to remove the studs during trailering, or your mats will suffer!”

“Every few months, stand back and evaluate how your horse’s hoof boots fit.  Ask your farrier to check the boots and note any developing problems.”

Trimming Methods Comparison Chart: