The Barefoot Horse - Balancing the How, Why & When?
By: Patty Stiller, CNBBT, CNBF, CLS, CE ~ Copyright © 2010
Many horse owners today are considering permanently taking shoes off their horses. These decisions stem from many factors. Some of these decisions are financial, while many are based on information presented widely on the internet and in equine publications. Unfortunately some of this information is not based on good science, although it is presented as such.
As a full time hoof care provider for three decades, my experience has shown me that for many domestic horses barefoot is an appropriate and successful hoof care option as long as all the parts of the ‘formula for success’ are present. I weigh all of the many factors to help horse owners make the appropriate decision for that individual.
First and foremost, we need to consider that we are not keeping most of our domestic horses in Nature’s environment. An environment that promotes optimal development and maintenance of the hoof from birth is one reason why feral horses have such great quality hooves. We have also bred the optimal hoof quality out of many domestic horses, in our pursuit of other traits. Feral horses are naturally selected for good hooves.
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