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> I guess I will put my two cents in. LOL  I have been quiet about this 
> topic and keeping low key.  All of our horses are barefoot. We have 
> found that the horses we foaled out and raised barefoot are better than 
> the horses that needed to be converted over. However, they can still be 
> converted over.  However, I still feel they will never be quite as good 
> barefoot as those that grow up running over gravel since birth.
>
> We started with 1/4 of the paddock covered in pea stone but kept mixing 
> in until we got up to 1/2" stone. The horses are turned out in groups 
> of 2 or 3 on 1/2 acre dry lots with rocky soil. Most people pick the 
> rocks out of their paddocks but we throw them in!!!  We put the gravel 
> near their stalls/overhang so they have to constantly walk threw it. 
> Start walking on roads from weaning on a couple of times a week. Now, 
> all of our horses gallop across the gravel and do sliding stops without 
> blinking an eye! Will happily trot up roads too.
>
> I'm starting conditioning with my 5 year old to do CTR and endurance 
> rides. She has always been barefoot. Got worried from reading the posts 
> here how it's hard to go barefoot and do endurance. Thus, I bought some 
> easy boots (epics). Figured, what do I know as a newbie.
>
> I live in rocky new england where it is just rocks, hills, and rocks! 
> Rode her saturday 2 1/2 hours marking trails and did a ride on sunday. 
> 5 minutes into ride and at second huge mud hole, easy boot got sucked 
> right off! Boy, was that interesting! I had the thing super tight too! 
> Only had them on her fronts. Forgot leatherman so couldn't take off 
> other boot. Thus, remember to carry a leather man if you use easyboots! 
> *grin* Walked back to trailer and took other boot off and finished our 
> ride barefoot. She happily trotted and cantered across rocks much to 
> the amazement of the riders I was with! It was to my amazement too as I 
> had lost my confidence from reading posts. 100% sound. Today 100% 
> sound. No heat or filling anywhere either. Not ouchy.
>
> You will find that barefoot horses seem to "take a funny step" or "feel 
> off for a split second" a little more often. However, I figured out 
> that it was just her sensing pressure under her foot and letting off. 
> You can feel her shift her weight but it might shock you at first 
> because you''ll think, "oh my Gosh, my horse is lame!!" LOL Shod horses 
> can't sense the pressure so they tend to get more abscesses. Thus, if 
> you are use to riding horses with shoes this feeling might be weird at 
> first.
>
> Also, now that I am riding her a lot more we discovered that her toes 
> need to be a little longer than ideal. All horses are trimmed with the 
> jaime jackson barefoot trim.  However, once you start riding heavily 
> you might find, like we did, that you need to leave more hoof wall than 
> you would before. My mare does much better with a little more hoof wall 
> being barefoot and in training. Not, overly long but long enough to 
> make you think, "hmm, her toes seem a tad long."  When she is trimmed 
> normal she seems ouchy. However, every horse is different. I am going 
> to leave her barefoot and see how it goes!!! :-)
>
> If you want to go the shoe route I have a suggestion. We tried to do 
> the barefoot thing with our TB racehorse. He didn't have a prayer 
> because we got him at 2 (easier to influence at a younger age) and had 
> flat feet with thin soles (revealed on x-rays). He has been in Sigafoos 
> shoes and they are AMAZING!!!! They are glue on but with a concussion 
> pad. They attach to the hoof wall  via a cloth and not the sole so the 
> hoof can expand. They are pricey but worth it. Hope any of this helps!
>
> Take care,
>
> Sara
>
>
>
>
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