for trail riding, it depends on the terrain you're commonly riding. Man-made Paddock Footing Products. 2) We could keep the horse barefoot until the internal structures develop. The boarding stable manager is working towards improving the footing in all the paddocks, but in the winter, these paddocks get very swampy . Technical specifications of EURO Paddock Mats: NO SUB-BASE needed when sloped. When I lived in Arizona - we had natural crushed granite as the ground cover every where - it was actually wonderful for Barefoot horses as it worked to wear their hooves in the right places and was reasonably soft underfoot. Stone or stone with From your beautiful picture on your Profile you appear to have Beach Sand available. Humans have been nailing shoes to the bottom of horses hooves for centuries. That means there is something wrong. Pea gravel has become popular in recent years for the top layer of horse paddocks. Most horses will roll and sleep in it and its fairly easy on hooveseven barefoot ones. First Barefoot horse to complete 160km successfully in Australia, First barefoot horse to win an endurance ride (1st across the line, 1st lightweight and Best Conditined) . The boots offer secure and comfortable footing for all sporting activities, such as cross-training, ring rides, and jumping. Hoof boots offer horses protection as feet transition out of shoes, if the horse will be working on varied terrain, or if continued support for different pathologies, such as navicular or thin soles, is needed, says Mount. The hard gravel toughens the hall and sole while it burnishes the edges of the wall. Hoof boots are a good option for barefoot horses when extra protection is necessary. but regular dirt/forest trails are fine for barefoot horses. Better to use them in the stalls and find an all-weather footing for your outdoor areas. Rock products, also known as sand and gravel, are a great choice for paddock footing because they are extremely slow to break down, dont hold moisture or bacteria, and can be supported for a stronger base. The shod horses lower leg and hoof will be cool, not warm, because of the blood that is not circulating within. With today's equine scientists proving that shoes actually damage horses' feet, we are no longer entitled to have opinions. 48 x 32 (1 square meter or 10.5 sqft) Weight 60 lbs per mat. This sort of rock often has particles that are around 1-2 in diameter and are of a reasonably consistent size The back part of the foot is designed by nature to flex, twist and distort with uneven terrain and turns--it helps reduce stress and prevent injury to Barefoot horses that live on a concrete feedlot slab are typically very flat footed with a tremendously thick, flat sole callus that can easily withstand very sharp stone and terrain. Recognizing retained sole takes experience. Articles and discussions on Boots for barefoot horses written and moderated by an equine veterinarian. In normal day to day riding in the sand arena or running in his paddock that is riddled with rocks he is bare.

It is normal for a hoof suffering with pathology to be sore. This is passive conditioning using time as leverage; all the unridden hours when a horse is in its paddock. Pea Gravel.

Original printed in the 2007 January-February issue of the American Farriers Journal. This option can work and is often chosen if people have access to the material or if they are concerned about bruising horses feet. For more information about Mud Management panels, visit the RAMM website. As the cheapest solution for muddy horse paddocks, we recommend wood products if youre on a budget. Stephen E. O'Grady, DVM, MRCVS. A Pasture Trim is a hoof trim which is the PREPARATION of the hoof for a shoe to be nailed on, but, in the end, the shoe is not nailed on and the horse is left barefoot. Horses that are not ridden regularly and spend the majority of their time out in the paddock or pasture often do quite well with bare feet. Wood Paddock Footing Products. I must say from the onset that I favour horses being maintained without shoes when possible, but it depends on multiple factors. The soreness isnt due to the lack of an inert piece of metal. The Benefits of Barefoot. Price: $38 per paddock mat. You can also use pea gravel in a smaller area and another outdoor bedding in the rest of your run or in-and-out to give your guy the option. Terrain needs to consider that horses belong in arid country and the tensile strength of keratin is highest when dry. This easy, quick-fastening boot is lightweight Save. The barefoot horses lower leg and hoof will feel warm to the touch, because of the blood circulating within. Lifestyle/Paddock Paradise. Here are a few reasons why barefoot doesnt work for horses: 1. Horses did not evolve to eat the lush green grass or the high-starch feeds that many consume today. This doesnt work for every horse, but the benefits to the barefoot horse are well known. This is not a decision for horse owners just learning to do their own trimming. A chalky frog and sole could mean the horse lives on footing that is too soft, and the hoof is not being worn naturally. Its been a longstanding tradition to shoe performance horses whether they be racehorses, dressage horses, jumpers, endurance horses, or reiners. hoof boots are a good thing to keep as a backup for more extreme terrain. They evolved to eat sparse, dry grasses that were low in sugar in starch. In horse paddocks and gate areas, course angular rock is frequently used as a footing material, either as a basis or as the full footing material. At Mission Farrier School we focus on sound shoeing principles, sound barefoot trimming and the appropriate use of boots and glue-on shoes when needed. Adding a finer grade of gravel plus sand to spots of the paddock can help. They can alleviate Rock Paddock Footing Products. It is a ground-breaking idea which has many benefits including: provides a more stimulating environment for the horse which discourages vices. Too much sugar and starch in the diet. Significant factors contributing to your horses hoof health are footing, movement, herd life, and mental stimulation. I consider if horse is boarded at a facility that will support my Try Geocell for Mud Management on Paddocks. Deep Smooth Gravel - This is one of the best surfaces for most bare feet because the deep gravel acts like a bean-bag, distributing pressure evenly. Cavallo Sport Hoof Boot. Soon it will be illegal to shoe horses so I hope we're all learning to trim! Pea gravel. Best Paddock Footing for Horses. Try to avoid generic and pasture barefoot trims. 2. Avoid hard surfaces, as they can cause significant pain in a horse with weakened laminae. This served us well and natural hoof care practitioners have brought comfort and total usability to many navicular horses this way, but the problem was that the horses were often turned out unusable for a year or more. 6.

extremely rocky (especially smaller rocks, like road pebbles) can cause bruising and soreness even for the best hooves. The stalls are in rubber matts with a wee bit of sand on top, like a half inch only. The damage in More than that is not better; you do not want the horse swimming in footing. 4986. About 150 equines. They lay deep wood chips to keep the horses feet from being down in the mud all the time, and it works well. Barefoot horses gain-- quality of movement, because a light, naturally shaped hoof with early breakover, allows the front leg to extend fully and the foot to land heel-first; -- surefootedness, because barefoot hooves can feel the ground and have better traction; -- stamina, because the flexing hooves help provide blood circulation to the entire body system. The clay is slippery when wet, holds the water a long time, riding too soon after a rain is very hard on the trails. Jen continues with sharing her experiences as a rough guide to anyone considering going down the barefoot endurance road. You can get a soft sole insert for foundered or other sole-sore horses. The terrain that a horse lives on plays a huge part in the quest to grow better hooves. While barefoot is the most natural condition and is recommended whenever possible, horses often need the protection offered by shoes. Susanella 100% are barefoot. Perhaps no issue related to horse husbandry creates more dissension among friends than the subject of barefoot versus shod and the appropriate use of boots. This ideology is the foundation for the wild horse model barefoot trim. They are all barefoot and the sand seems to work really well in keeping their feet dry. The best way Ive seen to maximize the movement of a turned-out horse is being popularized by natural hoof care practitioner Jaime Jackson, who describes his method in his book Paddock Paradise. Barefoot horses in particular will benefit greatly from the addition of pea gravel areas in a dry lot paddock. Each part of the boot is replaceable as it wears out. Pea gravel drains well and is permanent. For Pete to say that pea gravel is the best thing Use about three to six inches. The horse have daily access to a pasture, though. A friend of mine has her horses paddocks in just Sand. Proper trimming of the barefoot hoof: Hooves must be trimmed to their natural and proper physiological form. They must be trimmed by someone with the knowledge and training to perform this trim. The main emphasis will be on improving hoof form, which is the key to hoof and horse health. Pea gravel is about to 3/8 in diameter and should pass through your manure rake. Basically, you use fencing to create 30-foot-wide tracks around the perimeter of your property or pasture/paddock area. These panels are especially useful in high-traffic areas where other footing may get displaced from heavy hoof traffic. This boot is an ideal everyday running shoe for horses. The topic of having horses go barefoot vs. shod has been discussed at several American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Annual Conventions and always generates some very informative dialog while raising many important questions.

Or simply study the thermograph above. We owe it to horses to give them back their own hooves! There is an inflatable air sac to make it fit the hoof snugly. It is unusual in being designed for the short-heeled barefoot trim (wild horse trim and Strasser trim). by Mark and Karen Plumlee.

A Barefoot Trim, based on the wild horses hoof, is different to the normal farriers Pasture Trim. Horseadvice.com. Recent blood-flow studies by Robert Bowker, VMD, PhD, show that the horse's foot gets at least twice as much circulation when he's barefoot on yielding terrain, as compared to when he's wearing a metal shoe. Following basic principles of balancing the foot, easing breakover, supporting the heels, and aligning the hoof-pastern axis provide the best foundation for both normal and arthritic horses. Sometimes you will find suppliers who have an abundance of smaller material (1/4 or less), commonly called road chips or birds eye, thats also good material for horse footing. encourages more movement which benefits overall health of the horse. FEED Keep it simple. 20 mats on a pallet. Its not normal for a barefoot horse to be sore. The surface structure of the EURO Horse Paddock Mats is gentle enough for barefoot horses, yet it provides the perfect stability and skid resistance. Now Pete does not take or use words lightly. Use mulch. As more riders realize that barefoot performance horses can perform soundly and may even enjoy increased performance, they are spreading the word. In Europe, cast bronze shoes were common by about 1000 AD. Paddock Paradise is an exciting new natural boarding concept based on Jaime Jackson's research into how horses live in the wild. Mulch needs to be replaced fairly often in muddy areas as it breaks down. Barefoot horses must be supported with the right diet, the right trim, movement, and even varied footing, such as hard ground, sand, or gravel. The German website is www.marquis-vetec.com. I live in northern Ca near the foothills of the Sierras, which are clay with hard quartz extrusions. It is normal for a hoof that has been worked beyond its capability to be sore. Of all the information Pete gave us, he stated the BEST thing we can do for our horses is to incorporate pea gravel in the horses living area. Natural lifestyle, vital to horse health, is how the horse is kept and cared for in the space you provide for it.

He knows that the nay sayers to natural hoof care are watching and waiting for even the slightest slip of the tongue in order to discredit our movement.