•  The Welfare Issues of the Barefoot Horse.
  

Barefoot trimming, keeping horses unshod, going "natural"  etc has had some bad press in the past and in some cases understandably so.

If you don't know what you are doing it is very easy to cause considerable damage to the horses hoof which can impact the biomechanics of the horse, quickly becoming a welfare issue.

It should quickly be mentioned how horseshoe works as many of the problems seen in the unshod horse are still present in the shod horse but lay hidden by the numbing effects of  horseshoes. Read more.  In many cases the damage has been done long before the shoes come off.

By de-shoeing a horse circulation and sensation return to the hoof and the damage that is already there may now be felt.  Barefoot advocates and a growing number of vets and other equine professionals believe that this damage has the best chance of recovery only when the hoof is allowed to function in a natural manner.

For horses that do have damaged hooves due to what ever negative influence, there is a point between de shoeing and when healing starts when the horse will be able to feel the problems but the hoof will have not yet toughened up enough for the horse to be sound.

During this time is is paramount that horses in pain are provided with pain relief, hoof boots and professional support.

Please don't leave your horse in unnecessary discomfort.
It is normal for damaged hooves not to function properly and to be uncomfortable but with modern veterinary care and our knowledge of herbal supplements and the wide variety of hoof boots now available there is support that we can offer our horses through their healing process.

If you know that your horse has damaged hooves, ie navicular, ring bone, laminitis, side bone or any other diagnosed conditions please work with your vet to ensure their comfort.