Barefoot trail horses

[Jim Apple]

I would like to know how many of y'all ride your horses barefoot and why.

As many of you know I have been a farrier for 28 years and chose to let my anvil start rusting back in 1994, and since then have devoted my professional life to educating horse owners about the myths and truths of barefoot.

I would also like to invite EVERYONE to attend my annual spring trail ride on March 21st. at Percy Warner Park. (I will post more info on the events page soon.) The last ride we had 32 barefoot horses, lets make it more this year!

Please share!
Jim Apple

[Darlene Harris]

Hi Jim
just joined few weeks ago very interesting stuff here. I have a 17 hand QH gelding with "navicular syndrome and bone spur" Dx about 6 years ago guess you know what I've been thru. He has eggbars pads and heel wedges,90% sound after about 3 yrs if I don't ride him. I've had 4 vets study his case
and one of them just went nuts when he saw his feet said they were to small needed to cut most of his hooves off and let them grow naturally and others say if i take his shoes off his coffin
bones will fall out . So i'm totally upset .I haven't felt he has been comfortable for years. I showed him in lower level dressage for couple of years before dx. Ihave always wanted to try barefoot
but have gotten nothing but NEG NEG NEG from vets and my current farrier. He is a wonderful horse but I feel he may be painful most of the time. We just do parelli games now. Thanks for
letting me vent and maybe you can help me Also he had x rays showed changes in navicular bones and the spur on his foot that was the most lame in.

[Bonnie & Paul Hibberd]

Darlene,
Pull his shoes, get him off of sweet feed, treat him for THRUSH with White Lightening soaks, keep feet clean, spray with diluted lysol daily and find yourself a GREAT barefoot trimmer. Believe me, I have been there and done that as far as the navicular....which we fought for 8 years..eggbars, wedges are only TEMPORARY relief.....turns out.....diet and thrush, and LONG toes are the ENEMY!!! Plus went from buting every day to no bute at all. Please go to hoofrehab.com and http://healthyhoof.com/ for more information . Education is the key to the health of your horse!
Good Luck

[Darlene Harris]

Thank you for the web site, loads of good info.
I'm getting Jim Apple to look at my horses very soon. I'm just
a little worried about my QH getting very sore after removing
his shoes after all he's been wearing high heels for about 6 years.
He' 90% sound but I haven't worked (rode) him but 3 times in 8 months
last 2 times he was 100% sound and seem to enjoy, but from past experiences
with him he does great for a few weeks then turns up a little off in his right
foot mostly,and then I quite riding. I feel bad 'cause I thought time off would
make him sound.That's a temp. fix.
Darlene

[Darlene Harris]

Hey Bonnie and Paul
I know it's been a long time finally I got the courage changed my horse's diet soak
his feet every day in vinegarand had Jim Apple come out and pull his shoes
also bought him boots this is day 3 on a scale 1-10 he maybe a 3 in tenderness
he's in pasture with his buddies and up at night just till he gets over this I sure
wish I had known Jim 6 years ago I might still be showing Dressage

[Jim Apple]

Darlene,

Give me a call I would love to tell you how I used to "treat navicular" back when I was a horseshoer. Its a lot different than what you described and pretty simple.....

Who is your vet?
Who is your farrier?
Do you hav the xrays?

Email me at [e-mail] or call me in person to vent!

Jim Apple 615.406.3491

[Shannon Kimes]

I ride all of mine barefoot. If I'm going to ride on gravel or lots of rocks I just slap on some Boa or Easy boots. I just find that the hooves stay healthier without shoes on mine.

[Cheryl - Charlamagne40]

both of mine are out 24/7 and don't have a problem.. but I can see where it can become a problem when the spring grasses start coming out.. before they were alternated between dry lots and pasture until they got use to it.. I'm at a new place this year.. and they don't have anything to account for this.. so it may be a problem... but hoping for the best..

[Jean Clark]

Watch these videos........
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lbdZxfXSos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42I2of1xH2Q
Jean

[LFALTL]

Great videos!

[Judy McKeehan]

Our horses are barefoot and it is great. I pulled the shoes on my 6 years old Walking Horse about 3 years and it took some transition with occasional boots and regular trimming. My daughter's horse is 5 and never had shoes. Her mare rarely needs boots, it has to be really rocky before she needs them.

[Holly A. Wachuta]

My Hubby and I ride our two horses barefoot and have an Amish fellow trim them, sometimes they do get a little ouchy after the trim, otherwise they seem to do well. My mares feet are awesome, she somehow seems to keep them self trimmed and just needs touch ups, where as Hubbys horse is always chipping or gets shabby looking when it get dry out during a dryspell in the summer....so I like to run the water tank over abit since he likes to pig out in the puddles, figuring it might keep his feet moist.

Holly

[Jim Apple]

Glad to hear it works for your horses!

I worked with a Czech man in Connecituct in a industrial blacksmith shop with the last name Wachuta. His first name was Shooter.

I taught him english and he tried to teach me Czech.

Jim Apple