Heather's Experience with the Barefoot Sporthorse:

In 2005, we purchased 2 thoroughbreds off the track; Canoe Ridge, and Jojo Ryzen (show name, "Finisterre"). Canoe was 4 years old and had raced as a 3 and 4 year old. Jojo was 3 years old and had never raced. Canoe's feet were in terrible need of shoeing when he arrived and Jojo had lost both shoes weeks before arrival. We reshod both horses within days of stepping off the trailer.

Over the next 6 months both horses were reshod at 5-6 week intervals, yet were pulling shoes regularly in between. In defense of our farrier, the shoeing job was not the problem. Both horses had a big overstep, and as they were growing and adjusting their balance in their training, the shoes seemed to be the repeated casualty.

The fateful experience for going barefoot, occurred in the spring at a schooling dressage show where both young horses were entered. Canoe pulled a shoe prior to the show and the farrier was unavailable. We took him anyway for experience but he was scratched from showing. Jojo pulled a shoe in warmup. Since the horses were at the show for experience more than performance, the situation was explained to the judge and Jojo was ridden in the test despite his missing shoe. Although I was certain that he would be lame in the gravel arena, he received a good score and the judge mentioned that he looked sound to her. Later, when schooling Canoe at the show, he pulled his other front shoe but despite missing one or both shoes, never seemed to be unsound.

Within a week Jojo pulled his second shoe. I threw up my arms. These horses were not going to stay shod. I started reading up on going barefoot.

There is a lot of great information on the web about barefoot trimming. I have included some links here on this page. What I read gave me the confidence to attempt to trim myself. I also contacted barefoot trim specialists in my area and paid them to teach me. I purchased Epic Easy Boots to help in the adjustment to various footings and I was patient despite the awkward glances I received when my horses took a funny step on gravel. I followed a regimen of excercise despite tenderness at first and regularly made my horses walk on pavement or gravel despite their reluctance.

I also had another horse, Riley, that had been intermittantly off for the past six months. Several different vets examined the horse, The results were inconclusive and xrays showed mild arthritis consistent with his age. We injected him and tried corrective shoeing. Nothing worked for long. Hopeless, I decided to pull off the corrective shoes that had done little to improve him, and I began trimming him with particular focus on expanding his heels through reduction of the bars and keeping his toes bevaled.

The first six weeks for Riley were embarrassing. I was afraid my neighbors were going to turn me into ASPCA. Riley would hardly budge from his stall. When I made him walk, he took tiny, tender steps. My younger horses had not been nearly as difficult to adjust to the barefoot lifestyle. However, Riley was currently unusable anyway, and I didn't have the luxury of turning back to corrective shoeing on a horse that was out in the pasture.

It took about 2 months for Riley to begin to come around. Within 4 months Riley was completely sound. In the fall of 2006 Riley again evented Novice and is currently in regular use at our farm as a school horse. He can be tender after a trim and we use our Epic Easy Boots to help him adjust for several days. But the change to the structure of his hooves after a full year of barefoot has been incredible. His heels are wide and his hoof beautifully round. Bevaling the toes is a key element to the trim.

Currently three of the four horses that I personally own are barefoot. Canoe currently competes barefoot, is sound on all footings and is surefooted on grass or mud when jumping. Riley and our other schoolhorse, Starlite, are both sound and successfully barefoot on most footings. Jojo has been the ony horse that we decided to reshoe. Unfortunately he could not seem to grow enough toe and remained tender on certain footings. I was reluctant to go back, expecially after the time put into growing good foot. However, my experience with him seems to support the old wive's tale that white legged/footed horses do not always grow as strong a hoof. But the time barefooted allowed him to grow into his body and learn his balance without the encumbrance of constantly pulling off his shoes. He now keeps his shoes on much better! And when out of work, we pull his shoes and let the foot grow.

My experiences with barefoot trimming have led me to start all of my young horses without shoes and maintain them as barefoot for as long as possible. There have been a number of very successful equine competitors that have maintained their barefoot status through the upper levels. We hope that some of our horses will be added to this list in the future.

-Heather Jackson

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