Barefoot and Beautiful

Charlie has just had his Natural Barefoot trim by the amazing Daniele Corsi his Aanhcp professional, our conversation has prompted me to write a more detailed post about my decision to remain barefoot.

I often ask myself, and others, why we do certain things to our horses and the upshot sadly seems to be – “because that’s what we always have done”. I am convinced that this attitude is not good enough anymore.

One of these habits is blindly attaching a hunk of metal on the bottom of their feet.

I did a little (very non scientific) survey asking why people shoe their horses and the following are the top 5 responses I got..

“Because I always have”.
“To protect their feet”.
“To give them better grip”.
“For my discipline I need shoes”.
“My shoes are to correct my horses feet”.

“Because I always have”. The overwhelming number one reply, is perhaps the most worrying, as it shows the fundamental lack of autonomous thought. The development of Natural Horsemanship and the way we educate and gentle our horses has come a long way, mainly due to a small group of Horsemen and Women that began to question the old ways and see the damage it was doing to the horse both physically and spiritually. Guys like Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Buck Brannaman and Guy Robertson, to name a very few, have been paramount to this new “movement”. These new methods have filtered down to all areas of our horse world both as amateurs and local horse owners to professional athletes competing at the highest level.

So, if we can evolve when considering the horse as a whole, we surely can do the same in its parts. The only way we can progress and begin to be better horse people is to ask questions firstly of ourselves and then of our peers and professionals (farrier, vet, yard management etc.). “Why that bit?”, ”Why that feed?”, “Why those shoes?”. Sadly most behavior that is contrary to the natural horse usually comes down to convenience for the the human.

“To protect their feet”. From what? For thousands of years wild horses have been able to manage their own feet without intervention from humans. Evolution has given the horse the perfect piece of equipment to deal with the environment it naturally inhabits and that environment in turn has become fundamental in the natural care of the hoof. It is true that in most domestic situations it is difficult to emulate the “natural environment”, BUT if not the perfect environment then it has to be possible to at least strive to provide as good as we can, that is our responsibility. If we can offer the domestic horse conditions that aids their hooves natural care and development, then shoes could become obsolete.

The term Paddock Paradise (see my previous post) is becoming more frequently used and something that is slowly developing and being adopted by both commercial yards and private owners. It is a method of ground management that allows the horse to have underfoot a terrain as close as possible to its natural habitat.

I appreciate that not everyone is in a position to alter their surroundings in a domestic situation, but even the smallest of changes can go along way to give your horse the conditions where they can prosper, both physically and mentally. The thought – “It is easier to change the horse than it’s domestic environment”, should no longer be a consideration.

“To give them better grip”. Charlie and I went on a hack the other day with 6 other horses. As the only barefoot horse he was as sure-footed as the rest (if not more so), who were all shod. With his natural grip he suffers far less concussion than with shoes and importantly, as with all barefoot horses, can feel the ground underfoot. The loss of sensation the horse experiences can be the difference between a steady gait and hesitation, I know which I prefer.

My small achievements aside, There are many high ranked professionals competing over many disciplines (that need grip), with barefoot horses; such as Luca Maria Moneta who, with his barefoot mare, cleared a seven foot wall at Olympia (London 2013). An accomplishment that broke records!

In 2003 the Houston Police Department Mounted Patrol was the first unit to initiate a bare foot program for all law enforcement agencies in the United States. The program is a great success, and other states are following.

“For my discipline I need shoes”. Well I have touched on this above with regard to grip, but if you’re saying that without shoes you cannot achieve the goals of your chosen discipline, I would say you need to question what you are asking your horse to do. Is it in fact detrimental to their physical well being, or are your skills as a rider sufficient? Is the ribbon more important that the welfare of your horse? This might sound harsh but take a look at these Barefoot-champions.

“My shoes are to correct my horses feet”. This is the tough one. It is true that some horses have been shod to correct a pathology or defect, and I would not suggest you remove your horses shoes without professional consultation with your vet and a barefoot expert. If barefoot is an option the transition should be taken seriously and under expert guidance, with great care. But ask the question…

Many things affect the hoof; not only whether you go barefoot or not, but the terrain, the quality and type of feed, the conditions you keep your horse in (liberty or boxed). The hoof is like a mirror and the effects of your equine management will be seen in the hoof wall.

In the past I was that someone; that without any thought would be calling the farrier every 6 weeks to nail horseshoes to all of my horses feet. As my horsemanship has developed so has my need to question. Barefoot, is the decision I have come to after much research and consideration. I am lucky to have found a barefoot professional (this is a must) that I trust. I have been on a “horse owners” seminar run by Dr Luca Gardini of Barefoot Horse Italia, where we were immersed in the world of horse evolution, the hoof structure and finally given the skills to be able to maintain our horses feet between the professional trims (trimming by a non professional should NOT be considered). This is a skill that I am still perfecting, and is another journey I find myself on.

Evolution has created a miracle of bioengineering, as guardians of our equine partners, we need to constantly question what we do and why we do it and not be afraid to change.

The equine foot is a highly complex structure don’t under estimate its need for due care and attention..

 

 

For further information and discussion, please take a look at these sites;

Aanhcp
Naked Horse
Enlightened Equine
Barefoot horse owners group (facebook)
Iron Free Hoof
Hoof Rehab

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