Shoeing?????

Question

I Was Thinking Of Leaving My Horse Without Shoes,
I Ride English And The Horse Would Be Rode 4-5 Times A Week
For About An Hour Probley Less, It Would Be Ride Indoor With A Soft Dirt Or Outdoor With Sand Occasionally in the Feild.
I Wouldnt Be Doing Many Competitions Mabey One Every Month Or Less.
I Would Be Walking Aronud 2 Warm Up, Trot, Canter And A Few Jumps. And The Horse Would Be Turned Out All Year Apart From Winter
Should This Be Ok.
If The Hooves Are Getting Cracked And In Bad Condition I Will Get Them Shoed.
=]
ThankYou
o0xX

Answer 1

None of mine have shoes. I own 25 Morgans & 10 Mustangs. But ask your farrier to know for sure. I ride mine in the mountians of WY & in NV. Some horses don't need them. I do ride mine very often. Riding for 30yrs Training for 19yrs

Answer 2

I had my horse with no shoes on for a couple of months, i rode him once a week on the road. He had to be shoed about 2-3 months ago because he started to ride out more than once a week, but on road. I'd say for now, leave him with out shoes if your only riding in a sand school or feild, but keep a close eye on your horses feet. Also, just a warning, your horse will have quite sensitive feet for the first month or so with out shoes, and i wouldn't suggest you compete for at least a month or 2 after you leave him without shoes, as he will need to learn how to hold himself again and get used the feeling without shoes.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

As long as your horse has good feet, they should be fine. I do not know many horses that actually need shoes. The ones I know either have a problem with their hoof wall being extremely weak, or they are riding on cement constantly.

I ride dressage 4-5 times a week, and also do barrels, jumping, etc, and have never shod my horse.
I do not see the point of doing so unless genetics or circumstances means you have to- most people are just shoe happy and love to spend that extra money.

Answer 4

take a look at the following websites:
www.hopeforsoundness.com
www.naturalrehab.com
both have good info about this topic.
Also check out books by Pete Ramey and Jaime jackson on the subject. I keep all three of mine barefoot (A belgian Draft, a Percheron/Paint, and a QH) and all three are doing well.
If your horse has shoes on now, be gentle with him in transition. He may be tenderfooted for a while. Use hoof-boots until he starts to feel better. Have them on hand BEFORE you take the shoes off to help minimize problems.
To successfully keep your horse barefoot, you will want to make sure to have REGULAR trims. If you neglect a barefoot horse, he will develop cracks, chips, and flares.
Check out how Pete Ramey does his. That mustang roll he adds to the trim helps keep problems like that at bay.
There is a lot more to it - but that is the nutshell.
I do it with my three horses. i do the trims myself every three weeks or so. I ride my horses on all kinds of ground, and the only one that needs boots is the QH.

Answer 5

wellll, I have my horses shod. The sand out here dries and cracks the horses feet. Also, my mares feet were starting to splay out and look really bad. If you can go barefoot then have at it but make sure you feed your horse something that will help their feet, like horseshoers formula. Keep them strong. I wouldn't talk to the farrier for the simple reason he just might not give you the best thing. He's there for the money. Go with what you want to do. If your horses feet start to look bad then you know barefoot is not right for your horse.

Answer 6

I'd ask my farrier if he/she thinks your horse's hooves are strong enough and then go for it. Regular trimming 6-8 every weeks and a good supplement should keep their feet in good shape. My horses go barefoot and I use Easyboots when I ride on hard or rocky terrain.

Answer 7

Im thinking of doing the same thing, i don't do as much running in the winter, but it really depends on you, your horse, and how you ride. You also want to have your horse's hooves clipped so they DON'T get craked and overgrown. Good luck with your horse!

Answer 8

its all about what you do with your horses...if you dont need them then dont use them....i dont!!!ask your ferrier to be sure,
my ferrier says they dont need them either not for what i do and the trails i ride them on.
shoes actually interfere with the hooves natural step, a hoof actually flexs when a horse steps down and with a shoe you are interfering with the natural flex of the hoof!!! you are in a sense confining the hoof.... i know horses may need them depends on the situation but if you dont need them then dont use them that would be my suggestion!!!

Answer 9

if they are on sand and dirt it will be fine, although their feet will still need trimming.
my neighbours leave their horses wild and never trim or shoe, and their feet are dry and cracked, so you will still need the farrier every six - 8 weeks

Answer 10

Shoes are really necessary when riden a lot on rough ground. Riding where you are they should be just fine! The shoe is pretty much a way to protect the hoof from bruising and from injury that can happen on rocks and such.
Enjoy your riding and not worry about the shoes.