Please do call me on 07990 973913 to ask any questions, to discuss any concerns you have, or to ask for more information, either generally or specifically about your own situation.

The answer to this is an essay in itself! However, here are a few key points, simply explained:

2. Isn't barefoot just suitable for horses and ponies not doing much work?

No, with the correct management, conditioning and nutrition, almost every horse is ultimately capable of working without shoes. Depending on the condition of your horses hooves at the starting point, it may take as much as 6 months or so to get a good enough hoof to do higher levels of work, but work can be done in hoof boots to increase usability and work capacity whilst developing a stronger hoof. Once you’re horse has developed the hooves he or she needs, if necessary boots can also be used on an occasional basis to manage wear, or grow a bit of ‘extra hoof’ to take you through periods of hard work needing to be done.

hoof help bristol Lydia and Meg - National Riding Club Eventing Championships 2008

3. Horses that hack, jump and compete won't be able to do that with no shoes, will they?

Yes, there are many barefoot horses competing in every discipline! Along with the answer to the above question, one of the main mechanisms used in equine podiatry is that pressure is a stimulus for growth, so generally, the harder your horse works, the stronger and better foot he’ll grow, providing correct management and equilibrium of function within the hoof structures is set up to encourage this. Hooves can also adapt in shape according to the type of ground they need to work on – a horse working mostly on hard ground should develop a thicker, more infilled sole for protection and wear, whilst a horse on soft ground will have a more concave sole for more ‘dig’ and grip. A horse also uses his natural slip/grip to turn and will rarely fall over! Better biomechanics will be achieved without shoes, which can also mean more efficient movement and less injury risk. However, I should point out here, that at the higher levels of eventing and showjumping on turf, you may need the extra security of footing that shoes with studs would provide.

4. Surely my farrier can trim my horse to go barefoot, what's the difference?

It’s not just about the trim. Most farriers wouldn’t dispute that they have little or no training in nutrition, environment, or any of the other many factors affecting hoof health, and how these can be used to influence hooves. This is why an equine podiatry approach can work, where a farriery approach has failed, and also what you are paying for compared to the average cost of a farrier’s trim.

5. Is it cheaper to have a barefoot horse?

Yes and No! Initially you may have to spend money on hoof boots and pads to help with the transition to barefoot, depending on the starting point of the hooves and the work you want to do with your horse. A decent pair of boots costs on average about £90 - £120, but they should last at least a year or two, and probably will last a lot longer, again depending on the work you do in them. There is also a good market for second hand hoof boots. Pads usually cost about £12 per pair, and may need replacing intermittently. Our topical treatments tend to be inexpensive – e.g a pot of Sudocreme may set you back £5. The charge for a consultation and trim is £35. There may be an additional charge for travel outside of a 15-mile radius unless a few horses are seen in the same area. With a typical set of shoes costing anywhere between £60 - £90, I suppose the answer is yes, in the long term, it is cheaper.

6. My horse has really bad feet, it won't cope without shoes.

‘Genetics’ are often blamed for this one, and it’s true that some breeds have stronger feet than others. But millions of years of evolution have not produced a prey animal designed to roam many miles a day, having to use speed to escape predators, over massively varied terrain, with ‘bad’ feet which can’t do the job! It is our influences which compromise the hooves, whether by shoeing practices, nutrition or management – all usually done with the best of helpful intentions! You need to ask yourself why has your horse got bad feet in the first place?! Maybe it’s time to tackle the cause, not just treat the symptoms …

7. Effective treatment for conditions such as Laminitis, Navicular, Thin Soles, Under-run Heels... The list goes on... Why does taking the shoes off help?

Firstly, let’s remember that all of these conditions are symptoms produced when something else is going wrong in the horse or the hoof and causing the problem. Farriery tends to just treat the symptoms, achieving a short term solution, whereas equine podiatry addresses the causes, which is much more likely to lead to a long term improvement or recovery. For example: A farriery approach to a horse with low underrun heels may be to fit some wedges to artificially ‘lift the heels’. An EP would address the reason why the heels are like that in the first place – probably due to incorrect heel height and landing – the key to getting the heels better is to get the horse to land correctly, so why was it landing incorrectly in the first place? There could be lots of reasons.

We also need to take into account here the answer to Q1. ‘Why is it better for a horse not to wear steel shoes?’ and realize that as soon as the correct functions and relationships of each structure of the hoof are disrupted and no longer in balance with each other, the horse has no choice but to compensate by taking undue stress onto areas not designed to cope with this, which in turn creates problems. So by taking the shoes off, treating the causes not just the symptoms, and bringing the whole hoof into equilibrium of function with appropriate trimming and management, huge improvement can often be made. This also sets the horse up to use its remarkable natural ability to heal itself – but only providing we allow it to do so.