Barefoot Movement

Remember the feeling of running through the soft green grass of summer in your bare feet? There’s a growing movement afoot that advocates letting horses enjoy the same pleasure.

Jumping, racing, cutting, reining, trail riding and even dressage - barefoot horses are doing it all. You’ve probably already heard the buzzwords: “wild horse model,” “mustang roll” and “natural balance trimming.” And if you’ve been around horses for any length of time, you know that asking 10 people about barefootin’ will get you 10 different opinions.

Scads of Internet sites, hundreds of articles, books, videos and clinics are dedicated to the barefoot horse movement. Veterinarians, farriers and trainers are advocating the natural horse, and decades of extensive research shows that it can be a valid resolution to hoof health issues.

Ancient Times
Ancient Methods

The famous fourth century Greek general, Xenophon, wrote this: “the same care which is given to the horse’s food and exercise, to make his body grow strong, should also be devoted to keeping his feet in condition.”

To that end, he ordered that the horses on which his armies depended be exercised regularly on specially built cobblestone areas in the paddocks. Iron shaped like a horse’s hoof also was used in early Christendom. Roman armies formed a crude protection for their valuable mount’s hooves when their enemies started using the caltrop, a nasty spiked metal “jack” strewn about the battlefield to stop mounted attacks.

As villages and towns grew, horse-using migrated from the fields to the rough and rocky cobblestone streets. Tradesmen first used rawhide wraps to protect their business partners’ feet, giving way to metal as blacksmiths began to ply their trade.

Back to Basics

The most common denominator for barefoot horses is a healthy hoof. Dr. Tomas Teskey’s statement sums up the barefoot movement: “What we do know is that when steel contacts a horse’s foot, damage occurs.”

An extreme opinion, yes, but the trend is progressing toward natural hoof care as an active choice rather than a last ditch effort.

The “wild horse model” studied by Jaime Jackson, a Georgia farrier and self-professed “barefoot goofball” and Gene Ovnicek, a veteran farrier and dedicated researcher in Colorado, has concluded that horses in their natural herd environment, with plenty of room to roam, good forage and water, can grow and keep healthy hooves. Wild horses roam where the sidewalk ends, and over the centuries, their hooves have adapted.

.....Ancient Horse Shoes

Benjamin Franklin
For want of a nail a shoe
was lost, for want of a shoe
a horse was lost,
For want of a horse
a rider was lost, for want
of a rider an army was lost,
For want of an army
a battle was lost, for want of
a battle the war was lost,
For want of the
war the kingdom was lost,
And all for the want
of a little horseshoe nail.

Going Barefoot

Though there are many pampered equines grazing wide open spaces, most horses live in confinement. They stand in a stall in the muck, are ridden once a day or once a week, and get too much sweet feed. Yanking shoes and expecting immediate results isn’t the answer.

“Barefoot hoof care is more than just taking the shoes off of your horse,” said John R. Graves, a farrier turned AANHCP- certified practitioner from Pueblo, Colo., quoted in Paint Horse Journal in February 2007.

To promote healthy hooves, it is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that his horse gets plenty of exercise, good nutrition and the all-essential barefoot trim on a regular basis.

Most farriers are dedicated to keeping the horse sound, whether with a proper barefoot trim, front shoes or a complete set. Environment, exercise and nutrition should determine whether a horse is shod.

If hoof growth exceeds no other soundness issues, then you may want to discuss with your farrier whether your horse is a good candidate for going barefoot.

Several barefoot experts such as Pete Ramey, recommend using a protective boot, such as the boots made by EasyCare. There are several styles and models to choose from and is a natural way to provide hoof protection, traction, treatment, cushioning and correction while allowing the horse to go barefoot at all other times.

Want to learn more about helping your horse to go barefoot, check out these readings:

Horse Owners Guide to Natural Hoof Care (Second Edition)— The hows and whys of natural hoof care are examined through words and images. Star Ridge Publishing.

Making Natural Hoof Care Work for You—A hands-on manual of natural hoof care for all breeds of horses and all equestrian disciplines. Star Ridge Publshing.

Learn More About EasyCare Boots

Clinton Anderson talks about EasyCare Boa Boots and barefoot horses.

See how to Measure a horses hoof for sizing of an EasyCare Boot.

See how to fit an EasyCare Boa Boot on your horses hoof.