Careful here I think

[TheRider]

My experience with unshod horses is that you need to be very careful with the feed and minerals that you supply your horse.

This will increase hoof strength and allow you to carefully build it up with no chips, many wild horses have terrible hooves and chips and cracks abound.

[upstatesc]

I know this may sound ridiculous but I imagine this would be terribly painful for the horse?

[caliber]

I know of some friends that have chosen the BAREFOOT NATURAL HOOFS to their horses!!! and I have to say!, they look great and very healthy!

NOW! it takes a process and it was a long one too! They had to hand walk their horses 3 times per day on rough surface for 10 to 15 minutes at first! and also they had to trim their hoofs very regularly!!!!!

So! I wont recommend! just taking their shoes off! without getting them adjusted to the new natural stage!

[HooverH]

My rider instructor's horses are mainly barefoot. A few are front or back shod, but only his horse, Drift, gets full shoes. They seem to have very healthy, strong hooves, but are mainly on dirt or grass (or right now, mud).

I have no idea Hoover's shoeing history. I recently had him farriered for the first time with me. The farrier says he has very strong hooves, but has deformations due to his ankles (he has low pasterns). The farrier is going to start doing some therapeutic trims, to prevent further damage. I'm not sure he's ever had trimming specifically for his ankle problem before, the farrier at the rescue did a horrible job. On each of his feet, one wall was shorter than the other. His feet tend to grow "wings" to compensate his issues, but hopefully our farrier (who placed in a national championship) will be able to alter that through the trims.

Shoes really aren't an option for him, as the only shoes that would help him are the backspur kind that catch on everything.

[patdarb]

Shoes are better protection I'd say. I don;t have the extra time to walk daily on rough surface. I'm afraid it they would get all messed up even with the best of efforts and intentions.

[patdarb]

I'd have to agree it's a decsion that you have to be totally committed to. It wouldn't be a stretch for some. Would be very hard for others to keep it up right. I consider it a preference on both sides of the philospophy.