Transition Tuesday Week 9

An Inevitable Component of The Holistic Barefoot Transition:

Riding Barefoot

Redford, Far and me heading out on a very early Sunday training ride.

I’ve read that one of the changes that takes place in a horse’s foot when you go barefoot is that the circulation of blood throughout the foot changes. The nerve endings re-awaken and the foot comes alive again. Compare it to the feeling of your leg waking up after it has fallen asleep. It’s a wonderful image to think of the foot going through this rejuvenation process.

In fact they say the tenderness we see when a horse lands toe-first is because the feeling in the foot is beginning to return. And the best thing we can do for a horse that is showing a sign of such discomfort is actually to get out and about and moving to increase the circulation of blood. I find that fascinating.

Three equines with no shoes.

Of the horses in our herd here in the soaring heat of the Sonoran desert, one has adapted to barefoot without so much as a false step. Far is a stoic horse with a tough mind and a tough physical structure. In shoes, his feet looked high in the heel. Barefoot, his feet are getting rounder, the sole is more concave every week, and his foot is looking more balanced as the weeks go by.

Far’s feet are changing dramatically: the sole is wearing away in an interesting way.  I want to see less heel, but that will take time.

Rocky has been the most challenging horse in the herd thus far. We were too aggressive in the beginning with soaking his feet, scraping away the false sole and peeling away his frog. With less fussing, the horse is sound and happy. The more we fuss, the less well he adapts. There may be a lesson there somewhere.

Rocky’s feet look nicely balanced.

Redford has adapted well to the transition, but in an effort to reduce the impact of removing the shoes, we left too much sole and the pressure created under his foot made him quite sore – akin to the balling up of snow in mild winter conditions. As soon as the sole was brought back down level with the hoof wall, the pressure released and the horse was immediately comfortable again.

Leaving the ranch: we’re off at a trot.

Each horse is different and each horse reacts very differently to a shoeless program. One thing is true of them all: nothing can equal regular exercise. A good run with no hoof protection will really speed up the transition to a healthy and comfortable barefoot horse. We make sure that our training schedule includes regular work in the washes around our house without any hoof protection.

On Sunday, I rode Redford and ponied Far. One of the many great reasons for living in northeastern reaches of Scottsdale is that there are enough washes from our backdoor that we can ride down to the Verde River. The washes are a good workout for the horses and they provide soft footing for us to work the horses anaerobically with little risk of bruising their feet.

Redford and Far out in the desert without hoof protection: a sure way to speed up the transition process. I was pleased with the way they moved out. At one point in the ride Redford felt sore. When I checked his feet I discovered a few small rocks lodged into his frog. I removed them and he was instantly comfortable again. As the ride went on, he was more and more comfortable to move out. In the days following the ride, he has demonstrated tougher feet and a more comfortable way of going. I’m sure the barefoot training has helped.

Checking Red’s feet: if you look at the full-size image you can see the rocks wedged into his frog.

Neither Rocky nor Redford are ready for serious endurance training on the trail without Easyboot Gloves. In fact, there have been several days over the last ten weeks that their daytime turnout has included boots on the front to ease their sensitivity. This is a transition: the boots make it much easier to keep them in a conditioning program. Without the Gloves and the Glue-Ons, there would certainly be no running up and down the mountain!

Red’s feet are progressing well: the separation is reducing.

Another important element of any barefoot conditioning program has to include close attention to diet. Two of the horses here are very easy keepers: they gain weight easily and they have also shown a tendency to be more tender-footed. For the last month, those horses are getting less starch and sugars – grain has been removed from their diet; their beet pulp is rinsed after soaking and they are enjoying a low sugar feed. The results are surprisingly noticeable: not only is their weight in better check: they seem happier on the rocks; landing heel first when being trained without boots and standing square on their feet in the paddock.

So take your barefoot horse out on the trail barefoot at least once a week. It will speed the transition away from steel shoes and increase your confidence in this healthier way of life for your horse. Remember anything new takes time: my limited experience is that patience with your horse will create a healthier and stronger animal over time.

Take Garrett up on the 2010 Easyboot Tevis Challenge. It takes time to transition your horse so now is the time to pull those shoes and get out on the trail. I’ll see you at Tevis in 2010 (and in 09 if you are there).

Determination: a beautiful thing.

Keep up the (barefoot) boot legging!

Kevin

Comments

[Leslie Fuger]

You're simply great. I love keeping up with Robbie (Red), and I love hearing how much you care for all of your horses. Long distance, gratitude-filled hug Kevin.