Last Updated on Friday, 29 May 2009 00:00

I am finally able to objectively write this article.  Up until a year ago, I only believed in the Mythology even though I thought I was level headed and fair.   I am Pro Choice when it comes to hoofcare.  I prefer barefoot, it is easier, cheaper and many times healthier for the horse.  I see a lot of horses in my area wearing shoes when they don't need to.  My goal is owner awareness, I feel all owners should be able to trim their own horses feet if necessary.  This ability would then provide them with the basics to hire a good hoofcare professional and to understand what their horse needs as far as hoof care.  Anyway, there is a lot of myth and misinformation being pushed to the horse world in regards to barefoot.  I think we should all be critical thinkers, ask questions of everyone and everything and then apply what you learn to your horses.  I recently saw one of the misguided folk on an internet forum, say that there is nothing as zealous as a turncoat.  I am not a turncoat or a traitor to the "Barefoot Movement".  What I am is an advocate for the horses, I will not espouse an ideal for the sake of an ideal.  I now know that many horses can go barefoot, but I also realize many can't.  Otherwise there wouldn't be a need for shoes or boots.   I came up with this list in conjunction with Ruth Hamilton, here is our top ten list.

# 1  

Myth:  

All horses can go barefoot

Reality:  

Okay, yes all horses can go barefoot in the pasture except for those that can't handle eating grass, or walking on frozen ground, rocks, etc.   Some horses take to barefoot like a duck to water, many many more need some kind of protection.  Folks if you are having to use boots than your horse isn't completely barefoot.  

# 2

Myth:

All horses can/could have perfect feet IF they just got the right diet and the right trim.

Reality: 

Not true, what is "The Perfect Hoof" anyway. Feet differ based on breed, terrain, environment... A species specific diet is important, but nothing trumps exercise and movement. Most people should be on the up and up on diet these days, thanks to the work of Katy Watts, Dr. Kellon and others whos work is too numerous to list.  There is a mindset of certain people (The BUA for example) that all the ills of the hoof relate back to high NSC diets and it isn't true.  So if your horse isn't sound and you have diet and the trim right, you need to explore other options.  

Just in case you haven't heard of them just click on Katy or Dr. Kellon's name to be taken to their websites.

# 3

Myth: 

Genetics play no role in the ability of a horse to be barefoot and sound on all terrain. 

Reality: 

Genetics absolutely do play a role in the ability for a horse to have thick soles and be barefoot.  I used to spout this little gem to owners all the time, then about 5/6 years ago I went to a farm. Woman had a Stallion/Mare combo that she bred 4 times, 3 of the sons were still on the farm all of varying ages. Sire and Dam were in their 20's and the sons ranged down from there. They all had the same feet, all had the same crooked front foot. Soles looked exactly the same, two had the same soundness issues, one was fine over all terrain. Hmmmm that got me thinking. Since then I've seen many sister, brother mother/son, mother/daughter and father combos to show me that absolutely "Hullllooo, just like humans" genetics play a huge role in foot health.   

# 4

Myth:

To have a sound barefoot horse you must toughen up their feet by forcing them to walk across gravel/rocks. 

Reality: 

This is complete and utter nonsense and is an act of abuse.  The reality is that "toughness" comes from within.  What allows a horse to walk over hard ground and some types of rocks is thick, hard soles. A well connected wall that has a thick inner wall (Stratum Medium) and a thick outer wall (Stratum Externum).   A sub category here that needs to be discussed is that it is much easier to have barefooted horses in the drier parts of the United States. Keeping horses bare and sound in the Northeast is a real bitch.  My personal horses live on wet soggy ground almost year round (including snow).  They have soft soles and no amount of forced marches over gravel and rocks will change that.  Ruth's horses moved from Michigan to Arizona a year ago, now that they have grown a complete Arizona hoof they are doing well barefoot.  Although her horse Bud, who is like Finn, did need the shoes for 6 months to help develop that sole (foot mass).  

# 5

Myth:

You need to use boots and pads to toughen up your horses feet. 

Reality: 

This isn't entirely wrong, more like a half myth.  If you pull your horses shoes and want to keep riding, then boots and pads are usually a must.  It won't "toughen" up the feet, what it does, with a good trim, is allow the horse to use it's hooves in a more correct way.  If your horse is capable within 6 - 9 months, if not sooner, the boots will be unnecessary.  I hate to use the word transition but it is true that some horses come out of some pretty bad shoeing/trimming applications and they need time to reorganize their hoof capsule and internal structures.   

# 6

Myth:

If you have concavity it means you will have a Gravel Crunching horse. 

Reality: 

Concavity is not all it's cracked up to be.  Remember the sole mirrors the coffin bone and coffin bones come in all shapes and sizes.  Think about human feet and the arch we have.  Some of us have high arches, others have flat arches.  The same applies to the horses coffin bone.   I see people posting pictures and being very excited about the concavity their horse has. Most times what I see in the pictures posted is a horse with really really thin soles and a ridge directly under their coffin bone.  Alert, Alarm, this means your horse needs even more protection and preferably 24/7.  Now, I'm not saying concavity is unhealthy either.  The point I'm really trying to make is that you need to now what you are looking at.  I have included three pictures below, to help show what I'm describing.

• Thin Sole Thin Sole
• Thick Soled Thick Soled
• Thick Soled Obl Thick Soled Obl
•  

# 7

Myth:

Shoes are evil, they damage horses feet. 

Reality: 

Okay, I believed this for a long time, even though I would say publicly that sure some horses need shoes to do their job.   I bought into the mantra that shoes were bad, they were peripheral loading devices and not one horse ever needed shoes.  Since I've never stopped learning and am always open to the opportunity to learn I changed my tune.  The correct shoeing package with support for the bottom of the foot is not a peripheral loading device.

What is important is the trim paradigm.  You need to have a plan of what you want to do for the hoof in hand and then shoe accordingly.   I used to say barefoot is healthiest for the horse.  Now I realize that sometimes, for some horses barefoot is not what is healthy.  Use the tools whether it is shoes, boots, casts, clogs, use them wisely and then move on.  Remember the trim paradigm is what can ruin feet, whether shod or bare, don't blame the tools.

#7a

Myth:

Nails cause infections in the hoof wall. 

Reality: 

Mostly not true.  A nail that is driven into the laminae, a "hot" nail can cause an infection or abscess.  But otherwise, nails and the resulting holes are not a problem.  Nails do oxide on hoofwalls and is usually most visible in white hooves.  I don't have any sources to cite but, in my opinion, this is not causing harm to the horse or hoof.  I remember when I was a kid and I would buy cheap gold plated jewelry to wear around all summer.  Many times they rings or earrings didn't last long with the hot humid summers and I would end up with greenish rings where the jewelry touched my skin.  Oxidation.  It washed off in the shower and I never developed a sickness from it. That is what I feel is happening with the nails and the hoof.  If someone has proof otherwise, please email me and I'll revise this item.

# 8

Myth: 

Shoes cut off circulation in the feet.

Reality: 

Absolutely not, I believe this information started with Strasser.  If shoes cut off circulation then horses feet would fall off.  Poor trimming paradigms, might cause loss of blood flow, inflammation of the sole, weakening of the digital cushion but shoes in and of themselves don't.  Go and read Finn's story and look how much healthier his hooves look since having the Epona's on.  Some Strasserite did a study on ONE horse and published some thermograph photos.  To the BUA (Barefoot Uber Alles) this became the mantra "shoes cut off circulation", snort.. I don't think so.  Dr. Bowker also did some studies where he showed blood perfusion on hooves standing on Pea Gravel and then on hard ground. Again, interesting but not supporting the claim that shoes are cutting off circulation or numbing the feet.  

# 9

Myth: 

All horses can be Gravel Crunchers 

Reality: 

This just isn't true, some can and some can't.  Pete has given me permission to say publicly that he wished he had never put that in the book.   Maybe out in the Southwest and the West this happens frequently but here in the Northeast, it ain't so.  I don't see too many horses who can go anywhere and everywhere 100% barefoot, nekkid, no protection whatsoever.  I know some of the BUA and others think if you just trimmed the foot right it would be true, but sadly I haven't found this to be true.  Some horses can be Gravel Crunchers and others can't.

# 10

Myth: 

Boots are the best protection for your horses feet. 

Reality: 

Okay, I saved this one for last as it's a touchy subject with many of my peers over in the American Hoof Association.  I think, they think, I've gone off the deep end, which I haven't.  You want to talk about a necessary evil, lets do it, boots.  You either Love em, Hate em, or Tolerate them.  They are okay and do provide protection for people who can't or are unwilling to use shoes.  I know that Pete and others in my association swear they are having huge successes - I'm glad.  I just think the makers of the boot are falling short in some ways.  I don't want to redesign boots once I pay for them and receive them. Boots are toe extensions even more than shoes.  I think there is a race track saying, something about an ounce at the toe is a pound at the withers.  Watch your horse, walk, trot and canter bare and then put the boots on, watch again.  What do you see.  I'm not saying don't use the boots, I'm saying realize what they are and what they can and can't do.  They are not always the answer for every horse. 

So that is the Myth and the Reality as we see it.  As I come across more Barefoot Mythology, I'll add to it.  If anyone would like a topic added please email me and we can discuss it.  

Almost all of my clientele is barefoot, I try to keep as many horses bare as I can.  I do recommend boots for the clients that need them, I also recommend shoes for the horses that need them.  I haven't "jumped" ship as some like to say.  There is no ship to jump, as I stated at the start of this page, I'm not a turncoat and I'm most definitely not a bad farrier as some BUA have alluded to.  I want what is best for the horses and I'm willing to open my mind to all the possibilities.  I will not just do something because someone says I should.  I experiment and try out what is out there on my own horses and if it is useful I take it to my clients.  I talk to Ruth, Paige, the AHA Members, Farriers I respect and use what I can and discard what I can't.  I challenge all of you to do the same.

Barefoot is best for a lot of horses, just as shoes are best for some horses.

Let me know what you think, email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .