Barefoot transition period question

I just pulled shoes from my Foxtrotter and my Endurance Arabian as I have decided to try barefoot. I am wondering how long they are "ouchy" after shoes are pulled.

I live in San Diego where we have had a lot of rain recently so I thought this might be a good time.

I have a gal coming to fit easy boots in a couple of weeks.

Thanks!

Margot

Comments

[Martha]

Hi Margot
When I pulled my horse's shoes Dec 06, he was only tender for 10 days and that was only walking down my gravel driveway going out to pasture.Now my horse is a QH that was shod with pads on the front so he had some hoof issues.
And to spend up the healing time -the more the horse moves around,the faster he will get through this.
Also don't worry about heat in the foot.A barefoot hoof is always warm.
Hang in there -it is worth it for your horses feet.
Also I highly recommend that you start watching the Easycare videos.
Martha from Wash

[Joe Reilly]

Free advice is what it is - but

A simple answer I learned from Paul Chapman (Australia Barefoot Guru)
- let the horse tell you.

Easiest thing is to observe him/her walking on rough asphalt - any discomfort & you should write off anything gravel or rocky until the horse is comfortable.

Sand should be fine - if not - get a second opinion on the trim.

Best product I've used is Durasole from Alvin Farrier (Alvin Texas - they ship)

It's pretty simple - mainly acetone but it really helps any transition

(I use for Endurance racing on hard ground just for insurance).

If you cruise the web on the subject of when contraction is corrected you will see 2-3 months; but it takes the hoof wall more like 8 months to re-grow completely.
Let the horse tell you...

Most important is the trim - he/she should be standing on the sole, not the hoof wall or bars - this is the essence of a barefoot trim. During the de-contraction period you will be susceptible to cracks - more reason to get the weight off of the hoof wall. If your farrier trimmed so that weight is on the hoof wall/bars - go find yourself a barefoot farrier.

None of the boots on the market are going to be sensitive to the rear heel expansion (which will occur). The only exception is Swiss boots. If you are considering Swiss boots then I advise holding off - opinion; Swiss boots are great for walking but not Endurance racing.

EZ boots are very wide in the rear & Renegades are very open - so no problem with either. When you fit - talk with your fitter about what the proper trim is for the boot size you are purchasing. You really want to get into the smallest size without severe rasping & hopefully you are no stranger to touchup rasping - if you are, give it a try - your horses will tell you if you are messing up (another one from Paul Chapman). Using boots involves being comfortable working with your horses hooves anyway - pre race touchup rasping is simple after experiencing removing and replacing a boot during the excitement of a Endurance ride! (I'm assuming you have left all this to your Farrier in the past; if not, apologies)

Like I said, all free advice...

Regards,

Joe

[Karen B]

I'm not sure I agree with all this.
First, in the past when I pull shoes, my farrier doesn't over trim the sole, frog or hoof so there isn't usually a "tender" stage unless we get in a lot of rocks. Your trim should be balanced, dead tissue removed from sole and frog but not trimmed so short that you are getting to the quick, "pink" in your white line. If he is sore on soft ground, he's trimmed too short. A sore isn't going to be a happy horse. I have taken many a horse with contracted heels, trimmed them and had them over come this problem within a few months.
Also - one comment above reads not to worry about heat in the hoof because a barefoot hoof is always warm. Maybe slightly warm, but heat should never be excessive. If it's hotter than your hand when you feel it, there might be something going on. Just watch it and see what is normal for your horse.
Now I am no expert on "barefoot" but have had my horses trimmed with common sense for years and they are sound & healthy so I figureI must be doing something right. :-)I often whittle at the hooves with a rasp between official trims. Keeps them balanced.
Happy riding! Karen B

[Asa Nuttal]

Nobody can tell how long it takes so if I were you I would not sit and wait just get the boots and ride. Depending on in what health your horses feet were in and that he was not lame to begin with he should be ok on soft ground. If his soles were thin and more important than anything else, if he has thrush, then you have to deal with that first. He needs to land comfortably on his frogs or he will always be a tender foot. Get the boots and ride like crazy. It is the miles that in the long run determin how strong his feet will end up. Don't ever feel bad if you end up with a horse that has to be ridden in boots in rough terrain. I live in a gravel hell and have learned to love the boots so much( Bares) that I don't want to ride without them. They make my horse very sure footed on slippey sufaces I would have avoided at times. Åsa

[Rebecca Wyatt]

Hi Margot,

Shoes can often mask pathologies that become apparent when the shoes are removed (for a variety of reasons), so that may be part of what is going on with your horses. If they were shod for a long time previously, it may feel strange for them to be able to "feel" the ground again. Or, there may be some mechanical issues that need to be addressed with your trim.

Depending on how long your horses were shod, how well they were shod, and how much damage has occurred, it may just take some good trimming and a little time. Boots (with pads for tender soles) are a great way to continue riding and help condition the hooves during the transition period. There's absolutely no shame in wearing hoof boots, and Easycare makes some of the best. However, hoof boots will not heal your horses' hooves--that's where the trim comes in (and time).

If you're interested, I'd be happy to take a look at your horses' hooves (if you're able to email photos) and let you know what I see. You can email them to [email protected].

Hope this helps,
Rebecca

[Rebecca Wyatt]

Hi Margot,

Shoes can often mask pathologies that become apparent when the shoes are removed (for a variety of reasons), so that may be part of what is going on with your horses. If they were shod for a long time previously, it may feel strange for them to be able to "feel" the ground again. Or, there may be some mechanical issues that need to be addressed with your trim.

Depending on how long your horses were shod, how well they were shod, and how much damage has occurred, it may just take some good trimming and a little time. Boots (with pads for tender soles) are a great way to continue riding and help condition the hooves during the transition period. There's absolutely no shame in wearing hoof boots, and Easycare makes some of the best. However, hoof boots will not heal your horses' hooves--that's where the trim comes in (and time).

If you're interested, I'd be happy to take a look at your horses' hooves (if you're able to email photos) and let you know what I see. You can email them to [email protected].

Hope this helps,
Rebecca

[Rebecca Wyatt]

Hi Margot,

Shoes can often mask pathologies that become apparent when the shoes are removed (for a variety of reasons), so that may be part of what is going on with your horses. If they were shod for a long time previously, it may feel strange for them to be able to "feel" the ground again. Or, there may be some mechanical issues that need to be addressed with your trim.

Depending on how long your horses were shod, how well they were shod, and how much damage has occurred, it may just take some good trimming and a little time. Boots (with pads for tender soles) are a great way to continue riding and help condition the hooves during the transition period. There's absolutely no shame in wearing hoof boots, and Easycare makes some of the best. However, hoof boots will not heal your horses' hooves--that's where the trim comes in (and time).

If you're interested, I'd be happy to take a look at your horses' hooves (if you're able to email photos) and let you know what I see. You can email them to [email protected].

Hope this helps,
Rebecca

[Rebecca Wyatt]

Ack, sorry about the triple post, guys. I kept getting a white screen when I posted the comment. Probably ISP problems.. -Rebecca

[Ute Davies]

All my horses wear easyboots, but only on rides, the rest of time they are barehoof and all the horses needed between 8 and 12 month before the hoofs were strong enough not to breakout, this is the experince I made.If we did not have such stony trails , I' sure we could make it without any hoofshoes, but to protect the frog, we prefer riding with easyboots

[Lysane Cree]

The sole can be a source of pain if it is being trimmed excessively or if it is thin and/or flat and perhaps some concavity needs to be developed over time (basically just with a good barefoot trim). But often, the source of pain is from the heels. A horse that has been in shoes a long time may have poorly developed digital cushions - this can take a little longer to develop and so a horse may need boots on rougher terrain. Also, if the hoof is contracted and the frog is underdeveloped, this can take some time as well to build. In some cases the hoof will decontract quickly, other times it will take longer.
When I started trimming my mare she was comfortable on gravel within a couple of months, but she was always comfortable on any other terrain (soft terrain in general shouldn't be a problem unless something more is going on). I was able to then ride her barefoot everywhere, although I still used boots on and off, but then her hoof development kind of stopped improving and stayed the same. She was sound on rocks at that point but still not quite decontracted, not great frog...Couldn't figure it out - good trim, lots of turnout and riding etc. Turns out the pastures were too wet all the time, mainly muddy. Once the pastures were fixed up with gravel in the high traffic areas, bingo! Her hooves have started improving again, decontracting more, developing better frogs. So a dry environment is also a big help in getting the hooves healthy.

Best thing about using boots is that it eliminates any pain from the hoof contacting the ground in rough terrain and it ensures a good heel first landing. Hundreds of repeated good heel first landings are what will develop the digital cushions, decontract the heels and develop the frogs.

Lysane

[brenda wust]

hello--let your horse tell you--the more you ride the sooner it will happen--stay with it and use the boots and pads--good things come to all-
patience is what we loose track of--good luck
i had one gelding 1 year and is doing great now without any problems--still on severe terrain i where boots

[Mel MacAllister]

SAFETY FIRST,
Just thought I should pipe in here. When transitioning from shoes to barefoot it seems there are differing opinions on trim, health of hoof, environment, timing, etc.
Regardless of the above mentioned arguments, a horse with boots is "A PROTECTED HOOF" horse.
During my transition to barefoot riding the trail conditions and timing seemed perfect to test the hooves without the boots. Mind you, I'd only been out of shoes for 2 months. I proceeded on my regular trail system. I was pleasantly surprised with my horses barefoot comfort.When cleaning his hooves after the ride I was shocked with what I found. My Romeo's right front hoof had been sliced by glass and had a vertical slice 3 inches long. almost the full length of his frog deep enough but luckily not into the sensitive tissue, and through the central sulcus.
After 6 months of healing his frog grew back and the sulcus closed.
I've since had 4 boots on with every ride I take. I feel confident that I'm doing everything I can to protect his hooves.
Another worthy to mention fact is both of my horses hooves are still noticeably changing! It's been 15 months. If you put the photos of past and present side by side you would not believe they were the same animals!!!
I ride in both EasyCare Bares and Renegades. The only request I have is I'd like to find boot holders that don't flop all over the place for when and if I needed to carry them with me. If anyone has info on good quality packs, please let me know.

[Karen B]

Did you know Easycare has packs?? The hoofboot bag ties down well and I have used the cantle bags with water bottle holders and I love them! Karen B

[Laurie P]

My horse has been barefoot with boots for 16 months. At first I had the goal of riding & driving without any hoof protection and I hoped it would happen quickly. My horse's feet have changed a lot during that time, and my mindset has changed as well. (Take many pictures during transition and you will learn a lot about what is happening. Sometimes observable changes happen in as little as a week!) I now realize that there is no glory in asking my horse to perform on rough, unnatural, or unknown surfaces completely barefoot.

The risk of injury to the bottom of the hoof exists whether going barefoot or with traditional steel shoes. Hoof boots are the latest and best technology, and I have a hard time imagining what could damage my horse's hoof through the sole of those boots. The glass injury mentioned by above is a thought-provoking example of what can happen to the unprotected hoof.

The only time I opt not to use boots is for ring-work or when I am 100% sure that where I am going is a surface that *I* could safely and comfortably perform barefoot on. But there could always be that unseen and unexpected hazard . . .

Also, I definitely recommend using pads in the boots. My photo records showed a distinct and dramatic improvement in hoof remodeling when I started using pads in the boots.

[Lynda]

"Ditto" to Laurie P!