Question and Answer Series on Barefoot Hoofcare; Part 4

Our latest blog series is taking a look at barefoot hoof care with a variety of Questions and Answers from our customers. The questions will be answered directly by our very own barefoot hoof care expert The Saddlery Shop’s proprietor Lucy Nicholas in this five part series! Question 4: I’ve had my horse barefoot for three months, but he doesn’t seem to be adjusting very well. His hoof horn is breaking off and he’s been footsore quite a bit. What should I do? Lucy says... "This is almost undoubtedly due to dietary issues. Only a horse with an optimised, balanced diet will have truly healthy feet. Modern hoof care professionals (including farriers that specialise in barefoot horses) will place great emphasis on diet. Domestic horses are often fed a diet high in starch and sugar, and may also have periods with no food to eat. Neither practice is good for an equine’s nutritional status. Some horses can do well on a less-than-ideal diet and still have the quality of hoof you need to work them without shoes, but most barefoot horses need a natural diet. Good quality, low-sugar forage should form the largest part of the diet; sugar beet, linseed and copra meal [a coconut blend] are all useful for providing ‘cool energy’. Many owners of barefoot horses give supplementary vitamins and minerals. Biotin famously promotes hoof quality, and should be ideally fed in conjunction with methionine and often zinc, to aid absorption. One of the most significant minerals used to improve poor hoof quality is magnesium. I also advocate feeding a good prebiotic and probiotic. This serves as a very good nutritional insurance policy! Free choice salt should also be available. Seek nutritional advice if you are unsure; remember, good barefoot hoofcare practitioners will offer advice on your equine’s diet." A wide range of Hoof Boots and Hoof Boot accessories are available from The Saddlery Shop why not visit the website today at www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk to find out more or send your own enquiry via the Hoof Boot Enquiry Page. If you keep your horse or pony barefoot or are interested in barefoot hoof care make sure you catch up with the rest of our Q&As on barefoot via our blog. Next week we will complete the 5 part blog series with our final customer question- don't miss it!

Question and Answer Series on Barefoot Hoofcare; Part 3

Our new blog series is taking a look at barefoot hoof care with a variety of Questions and Answers from our customers. The questions will be answered directly by our very own barefoot hoof care expert The Saddlery Shop’s proprietor Lucy Nicholas! Question 3: How long will hoof boots last? – I’m trying to budget for going barefoot in the near future. The largest manufacturer of hoof boots, Easycare Inc, states their boots outlast steel shoes 3:1 on average, so if your horse wears through his metal shoes in six weeks, you could expect boots to last 18 weeks. However, boots are generally not used all the time or for every ride, so will in most cases last longer than this. The boots of the average horse hacking for an hour a day, five days a week, will last 6-18 months; this is dependent on terrain (roads being more abrasive than tracks, in general). Incorrectly sized boots will show unnaturally fast wear – for example if the breakover is too long for the hoof, this can make a horse catch the boot and wear the toe more than expected, highlighting the importance of a correctly fitting boot. I have heard of boots lasting three to four years when they were not used all of the time! Just like with metal shoes, the horse’s action plays a part in boot wear. A horse with a twist to their action or that drags their toe can wear them prematurely. A wide range of Hoof Boots and Hoof Boot accessories are available from The Saddlery Shop.

Question and Answer Series on Barefoot Hoofcare; Part 2

Our new blog series is taking a look at barefoot hoof care with a variety of Questions and Answers from our customers. The questions will be answered directly by our very own barefoot hoof care expert The Saddlery Shop’s proprietor Lucy Nicholas! Question 2: A friend keeps her horse barefoot and says that hooves need to be trimmed differently if you keep your horse without shoes. Is this true? Yes; the type of trim given to prepare the hoof for a shoe is completely different to a functional trim given to a working horse. There are two types of trim commonly performed on non-shod horses. Essentially, a pasture trim tidies the hooves of a non-working horse at grass, and is sufficient for companion or retired horses. Meanwhile, a natural (or performance) trim aims to produce hard-working hooves for ridden horses. The type of trim your horse receives depends entirely on your choice of practitioner and their understanding of your needs. A pasture trim generally just removes excess length and tidies chips, and does not shape the hoof in what is termed a ‘mustang roll’. This rounds the edge of the hoof to strengthen the hoof capsule and help the hoof withstand chipping. The natural (or performance) trim ensures the foot is properly balanced, addresses flare, trims the hoof wall trimmed to hard sole level, and applies the mustang roll. Barefoot practitioners should also discuss diet and environment at each visit. Seek recommendation, whether via friends or on equine forums, to find a recomended hoofcare practitioner. Simply removing the shoes and tidying the hoof will not produce a functional bare foot. A wide range of Hoof Boots and Hoof Boot accessories are available from The Saddlery Shop.

Question and Answer Series on Barefoot Hoofcare; Part 1

I’ve been thinking of using hoof boots on my horse, but am concerned they might rub. Could this be a problem? Lucy Nicholas from The Saddlery Shop advises... Once you have selected a boot for your horse based on its measurements, fit the boot as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Does the hoof fill the inside of the boot nicely without bulging or ‘gapping’? Check that the fastenings are not too tight. When the boot is on the hoof, you shouldn’t be able to twist it from side to side by any more than around five degrees (unless stated differently by the manufacturer), as this could indicate that the boot could be too big, or the wrong shape for the horse’s hoof. Rubbing will occur if the boot is too small – if this occurs, the owner should check their measurements again, and try the next size up to see if that fits better. The foot should sit comfortably on the inner sole of the boot, and should not crush the heel. One way to check the length of the hoof inside the boot is to put the sole of the foot flat on the outside of the boot sole. Rubbing is usually more common in horses with under-run heels, where the measurements for length have not been taken into consideration. Some hoof boots have special wraps or gaiters that act as ‘socks’ to help protect sensitive skin. A wide range of Hoof Boots and Hoof Boot accessories are available from The Saddlery Shop.