Can driving horses work without shoes?

All working horses can experience the effects of concussive forces that are driven into the limbs and feet from the ground. The heavier the horse, the greater the vertical hoof force distribution; one reason why ponies are notoriously popular driving animals!

Barefoot advocates believe the healthy, bare equine foot horse experiences dramatically less concussion on hard ground than the shod horse, and has improved hoof mechanism; e.g. the hoof naturally contracts and expands with more functionality. But can driving horses work without shoes, and avoid concussive injury? The answer, according to many hoofcare experts, is yes.

Concussion frequently linked to foot shape

There’s not a ‘one size fits all’ mentality in the field of barefoot trimming – each horse’s situation must be taken on its own merits, and its workload, the capabilities of the animal’s hoofcare professional, and the horse’s foot shape assessed. Concussion is frequently linked to the horse’s foot shape. According to CEO of hoof boot company Easy Care, Garrett Ford,

Hereditary defects and poor trimming or shoeing can create a foot shape with a low heel, which puts strain on the deep flexor tendon and navicular bone. If blood supply and nourishment do not reach the bones of the foot, there could be serious implications.

According to Ford, iron shoes increase concussion. “They hold the frog off the ground, thus reducing blood circulation through the hoof. Shoeing can cause contracted heels, corns, contribute to navicular disease, sidebones, ringbones, and so on. A good many of these problems arise simply because nailing on an iron shoe locks in problems that a barefoot hoof would automatically adjust to, by natural wear and freedom,” he believes.

(Of course, this is Ford’s opinion; it certainly gives us plenty of food for thought, and healthy debate! We like to encourage discussion about hoof functionality, and I would encourage owners to discuss it with their horses’ hoofcare professional).

Many observers of barefoot driving enthusiasts may wrongly assume that carriage horses and ponies, many of whom trot on hard surfaces for long periods of time, are being subjected to excessive concussion; but this isn’t necessarily so. Driven horses are not subjected to the same stresses as ridden horses, which are constantly adapting to the rider’s balance – especially in the case of an in-experienced rider on a young or spooky horse. There is of course also the additional weight of the rider to consider, in the riding horse – and a heavy, unbalanced rider will compromise the animal’s gait and balance.

Barefoot horses enjoy dramatically reduced concussion 

American natural hoof care specialist and driving trainer, Heike Bean, says a barefoot horse with healthy hooves can feel the ground better and enjoy dramatically reduced concussion on hard ground. “They are also more sure-footed, usually move more freely, and have better traction on most surfaces,” Bean states. “When balancing a hoof, it is of utmost importance to ensure that it lands heel first. Heel-first landing is necessary for ideal joint loading and shock absorption. Toe-first landing stresses ligaments within the hoof capsule and places concussion on structures not suited for this purpose.

“Driving horses land toe-first going uphill, and heel-first going down. This is caused by a locking mechanism in the knee and cannot be altered, but it can be worsened by poor trimming; since driving horses have increased stress on their hooves when pulling a vehicle uphill, timely breakover of all four hooves is essential to minimise stress. This factor is often overlooked when shoeing, trimming, or booting a horse.”

Heike says driving enthusiasts formerly faced limitations regarding suitable hoof boots on the market. “However, with today’s boot styles, driving can be done barefoot,” she states.

Visit The Saddlery Shop’s website at www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk to see the wide range of hoof boots and accessories available.

Dealing with Hard Ground

Hard ground affects horses in various ways – concussive forces and bruising of the sole in particular can lead to lameness. Riders should monitor their horse’s workload on hard ground in summer and early autumn when the ground can still be hard, and speak to the animal’s hoofcare professional about appropriate management techniques.

Many owners turn to barefoot hoofcare because their horses do not cope well with the concussive forces linked to hard ground, and barefoot advocates believe that horse shoes potentially increase concussive damage by holding the frog off the ground, reducing blood circulation.

During the transitional process from shod to ‘bare’, many horse owners choose hoof boots as the hoof strengthens, while a growing number of horses use hoof boots on a long term basis within a training programme, or to avoid concussive forces from hard ground. Remember that appropriate exercise, correct trimming and booting, and optimum nutrition can all boost equine soundness and the ability of the horse to withstand challenges that hard ground creates.

www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk has the UK’s largest stock of hoofboots, so peruse our pages today to see what we have to offer!

Right on Track!

By Lucy Nicholas, author of ‘The Barefoot Horse: An Introduction to Barefoot Hoof Care and Hoof Boots’

The Paddock Paradise system, or track system, originated in America and is a natural way of keeping horses that imitates wild horses and their herd life – it is favoured by many owners of barefoot horses, but has benefits for most equines. Here, in our latest blog- taken from our recent feature in Local Rider Magazine we share some first-hand views of UK-based owners using this increasingly popular system.

Natural horse keeping

Lauren Hetherington runs Graveney Natural Track Livery in Kent; Lauren’s barefoot trimmer introduced her to tracks when Lauren bought a youngster with some hoof issues.

Lauren says...

“I went away and researched the system, later convincing my partner to help me construct a small track at my horse’s livery yard - after a few months with little grass, ad lib hay and movement, there was a world of difference in my horse's feet,” Lauren tells us. “Since then, we have set up a track on our own land, added more of my own and livery horses, and have experimented with features and challenges for the horses, such as different surfaces and obstacles.

Not only has having a track made a huge difference to the health of my horses’ hooves, it has opened up a world of more natural horse keeping. Behaviourally, there have been huge benefits to the herd horses. They groom, play, chase, feed, rest and move at free will. It has also allowed any horses carrying more weight to self regulate their food, and tone up,” Lauren concludes.

Metabolic issues

Nicola Downes from Bewdley in Worcestershire is also a fan of track systems, telling Local Rider Magazine that the system benefited her former mare.

She says...

“I put my new horse on my own track system, and for two years she was barefoot and out 24/7. But when my circumstances changed and I had to sell her, she went to a lady who stabled her, fed her both haylage and hay, and put her out on a paddock. Within three weeks, the new owner had concerns about the horse’s headshaking and dental problems - she sent a photo to me that showed the mare had very swollen glands that were affecting her eating; obviously linked to grass intake. Although I was not aware of it when I owned the mare, it turns out that her owners prior to me, who kept her at stabled livery on a dairy farm with haylage, had also had the same issues. During the two years I had her, not once did she show any of these symptoms. For some horses, especially those with metabolic issues like this mare, conventional turn out on lush grass, combined with reduced movement and confinement, can lead to a range of wellness problems,” Nicola states.

Suiting the horse’s natural physiology

Melanie Isaac from Dorset keeps her horses at livery on a bare earth track through most of the year.

“It keeps my good doer free from navicular, which was the reason I put the track up,” she states. “But what I found really interesting was the affect it had on my other horse, an anxious rescue case. Previously he’d spook at everything, gallop straight to a fence and try to push himself through in panic. With the track, he could carry on running till he had used up the adrenalin in his system, effectively running it off. He is far calmer now, and rideable; I do believe the track has had a part to play in this, because it provides a natural environment that suits the horse’s natural responses and physiology,” Melanie says.

So how do you create a track system? 

Tracks are set up utilising fencing to create 'channels' - they should be wide enough to allow the horses contained within the system space to safely pass each other e.g 10-12 foot min. Grass should be sparse, never lush, encouraging the horse's to travel to graze. Hay should also be distributed around the track where required. 

If you are interested in a track system and/or barefoot hoof care why not read more in 'The Barefoot Horse; An introduction to Barefoot Hoof Care and Hood Boots' by Lucy Nicholas. Price £15.99. Available from retailers including www.thesaddleryshop.co.uk, specialists in barefoot hoofcare products and hoof boots.