20/06/2023
Your healthy barefoot horse will move most comfortably on the surface it is used to.
Horses in their natural environment have hooves that are capable of moving at all paces over lots of different terrains which can often include quite harsh, rocky, and sandy surfaces, whereas our domesticated horses are seldom exposed to much more than a riding arena, a flat paddock and maybe some road work, and most of their movement is usually carried out in a straight line and on a flat surface, so they are never given the opportunity to develop their best hooves because they simply don't move enough over anything even remotely like what they would naturally. In order to develop a good strong healthy hoof that is able to function soundly over a variety of surfaces without the need for shoes or boots, a horse needs a good low-sugar and low-starch diet which is free from inflammatory ingredients, exposure to a variety of surfaces, and time.
Pad walking is a good place to start and we like to use Sole Mate Therapeutic Pads which are made from 1" thick cell foam which regains its shape after every use, so although they're a little expensive they are a good investment. The pads offer a lot of support so would be very useful for a laminitic horse or for a newly barefoot horse that is really uncomfortable. To use them we simply cut them to the shape of the hoof and duct tape them on and walk the horse for 10 mins per day and this usually only needs to be done for around 2 weeks. If you wanted to use these pads in boots you would need to get a slightly bigger boot because the pads are very thick.
To begin conditioning the feet they will need gradual exposure over time using what you have available. In an ideal world, you would begin with soft sand or a menage and only move on to anything more challenging once your horse is absolutely comfortable. A good way to judge the different surface comfort levels for your horse is to try first walking over them yourself without shoes. If you are comfortable then it is likely that your horse will be too but if a surface makes you feel ouchie then a horse with thin, undeveloped soles will likely also feel it this way. When introducing a new surface walk for no more than 10 mins to begin with and always make sure you allow a day off in between to allow the feet to recover. If your horse lives on a track then consider adding different surfaces such as pea gravel, rocks, and sand in different areas and try and place obstacles for your horse to manoeuvre so that all areas of the hoof are fully stimulated. Be guided by your horse, it is far better to take it slowly than risk trying to rush and your horse ending up with bruised soles. If you still need/want to ride your horse during this transition phase then boots will allow your horse to continue working so long as they have been given the all-clear by their hoof care provider.
My name is Julie Leitl and I am a Strasser Hoofcare Professional (SHP). This page is to help educate horse owners about horse health and the equine hoof.
