After a long day of work or play, nothing feels quite as nice as a massage, and when you are feeling a little out of sorts or have a kink in your neck or back, chiropractic treatment can work wonders. These things are marvelous for us humans, and they can be great for our horses, too. Here are some fantastic ways to treat your horse to the best in holistic health care.
Massage
Just as there are different types of massage for humans, there are different massage techniques for horses. While simply giving your horse a thorough rubdown is a form of massage, equine massage techniques ranging from sports massage to deep tissue massage to massage for relaxation and the release of tension are becoming more popular.
Performance horses benefit from massage administered by professionals, and while you can call in an equine massage therapist for your horse, you can also learn how to administer some techniques yourself, improving your relationship with your equine partner along the way. Tellington touch and The Masterson Method are just two of the most popular equine massage methods; both methods can be seen at seminars and DVD’s are also available as are YouTube clips.
Acupuncture
Just as the Chinese have used acupuncture to treat a variety of human ailments for thousands of years, so did they develop equine acupuncture approximately 5,000 years ago. Performance horses benefit greatly from the treatment, and horses with severe nerve problems, such as facial paralysis, can benefit from the administration of electro-acupuncture.
In some cases a cold laser or acupressure are used instead of the thin, flexible needles that are normally used. While you can easily and quickly learn how to use acupressure to relieve pain and tension in your horse’s body, only professionals can administer acupuncture. Properly treated horses tend to relax deeply while the needles are in place, in some cases experiencing an endorphin release that is extremely pleasurable.
Equine Chiropractic
Equine chiropractors are adept at detecting and treating neck and back pain in horses. In addition, they can identify and treat gait abnormalities and other problems that lead to decreased performance and subsequent problems. There are a number of ways horses can become injured or suffer from spinal misalignment; these can include stress and trauma, training and riding, shoeing, trailering, and the birth process.
If you have ever suffered from back or neck problems, then you know that your entire body can be affected since other muscles step in to compensate for joints that are not working properly; and, if you’ve ever been to the chiropractor, then you know what a simple manipulation can do for your overall well-being. Treat your horse to the same relief and you may find you have a completely different animal once treatments have been completed.
Equine Energy Healing
Reiki and other forms of equine energy healing are quickly becoming more popular worldwide, particularly as people from different walks of life have discovered how beneficial energy healing can be. Like equine massage, this is a type of therapy you can learn how to administer, and as with massage, it is a wonderful way to develop a deeper bond with your horse. Physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual pain can be alleviated with properly administered craniosacral methods, reiki, and massage combined, leaving your horse with a new outlook on life.
These methods can be used in conjunction with one another to help horses of all types. It should be noted that equine holistic health care is not intended to replace regular veterinary care; for instance, your horse will need worming, vaccinations, and examinations on a regular basis, along with teeth floating and other routine care. However, adding these treatments to your horse’s health care regimen can help both of you enjoy a happier, more comfortable life together.
Just like us humans, horses are susceptible to a number of illnesses. Some, like tetanus, are caused when bacteria enters the body through an open wound. Others are viruses, and many are highly contagious. Here are just some of the most common equine illnesses.
Encephalitis
There are three known strains of Equine Encephalitis, including Venezuelan, Western, and Eastern Encephalitis. Transmitted by mosquitos, this group of diseases attack a horse’s central nervous system, leading to symptoms that are caused when the brain becomes inflamed.
The first sign of any of these types of encephalitis is a high fever that normally lasts from two to three days. After this, an affected animal may start walking compulsively or weaving in its stall; in addition, affected horses display a loss of coordination. At this time, it is common for blindness to develop, and as the disease progresses, the stage known as “sleeping sickness” occurs, with the horse becoming extremely lethargic.
As the disease moves from the brain to the spinal cord, weakness and muscle twitching combined with a staggering gait are displayed, and finally, paralysis affects the lungs. Horses in the final stages of encephalitis develop seizures and collapse before death.
Preventing encephalitis is much easier than dealing with it. Foals and weanlings require their first and second encephalitis vaccines beginning at the age of three to four months, and all other horses should be vaccinated each spring.
Treating the disease consists of helping the horse survive the initial effects and long term effects, and early intervention is a must. Eastern Equine Encephalitis is the most deadly of the three, with mortality rates at seventy to ninety percent. Call your vet if you have the slightest suspicion that your horse may have encephalitis.
West Nile Virus
Another mosquito borne illness, West Nile Virus causes meningitis and/or encephalitis. Symptoms come on suddenly; the first signs you might notice are stumbling and a sudden loss of coordination, skin twitching, and uncontrollable muscle tremors.
Other symptoms include facial paralysis, difficulty defecating and urinating, extreme listlessness, and sleepiness. Some horses with WNV develop mild fevers, while others develop seizures and blindness. Some are unable to rise after lying down.
Vaccinating your horse against West Nile Virus is the best prevention. While the disease kills only a small percentage of affected animals, the effects are severe and affected animals can be injured when they stumble, stagger, or fall. Veterinarians can usually intervene and help keep affected horses comfortable throughout the illness if it is contracted.
Equine Influenza
Much like flu strains seen in humans, Equine Influenza symptoms include fever, reduced appetite or total loss of appetite, coughing, fever, and nasal discharge. It is highly contagious, and affected horses should be isolated from others. Your veterinarian can provide you with Phenylbutazone to help control stiffness, pain, and fever if your horse is affected.
While this extremely common horse disease is one that most animals recover from fairly quickly and easily, vaccination can prevent it entirely. Foals and weanlings require a three part series beginning at the age of three months, while yearlings and performance horses must be vaccinated every three months. All other horses should be vaccinated against Influenza every six months, and broodmares should be provided with a booster four to six weeks prior to foaling.
These are just a few of the most common horse diseases that can be prevented via vaccination. For a complete list of diseases and vaccines, as well as for a vaccination schedule for your horse, contact your veterinarian.
Be sure any incoming horses are vaccinated, and ensure you keep thorough records on each animal in your care. Taking this simple step can prevent costly treatment and it can save your horses’ lives.
You know how to keep yourself healthy and you probably have a good idea about what you should do to keep yourself fit; now, all you need to know is how to keep your horse healthy and fit. It doesn’t take a lot of time, effort, or money to take good care of your equine friend – in fact, doing so can help you to save time, money, and heartache in the long run.
Basic Horse Care Goes a Long Way
The right type of food and plenty of clean, clear water are the basic building blocks that make a horse its healthiest. Just as you would not function well on a diet of junk food, and as you do not feel good when you are even a little bit dehydrated, neither does your horse function well or feel good when he is not properly nourished.
One of the biggest ways your horse differs from you is that he needs to eat almost constantly. Horses are grazing animals, and should eat between two to four percent of their body weight in forage and other foods every day, with the bulk of their food being high fiber, low calorie forage.
Horses who cannot graze as nature intended develop vices such as cribbing and wind-sucking, and they are also subject to ulcers. Keep grain rations at a fairly low level and limit treats; in addition, refrain from feeding your horse any kind of junk food. Horses’ digestive tracts were not designed to handle most of the foods we eat, nor were they designed to eat a lot of corn, beet shreds, or other high calorie foods. If you’re not sure how much grain you should be feeding your horse, talk to your vet or a more experienced horse person about what is appropriate.
Salt and mineral supplements are vital to your horse’s health too; especially when they are working hard and sweating, and during hot weather. Be sure your horse has free access to a salt lick in his pasture, and if he is confined to a stall, don’t forget to feed salt as part of his ration.
After nutrition comes basic veterinary care. Your horse should be seen by the vet at least once a year, and more often if he has any medical concerns. In most places, you’ll need to ensure he has a Coggins test annually, and depending upon where you live and which equine diseases are common, he will also need vaccines.
Depending on his age, he’ll need basic dental care. Floating a horse’s teeth takes your vet only a few minutes and helps to ensure that his mouth stays comfortable and that he gets the most out of his feed; properly floated teeth also help your bit to sit in your horse’s mouth properly. Last, but not least, don’t forget to work with your vet to come up with a worming regimen to keep your equine companion free of intestinal parasites.
Next comes hoof care. Depending on how fast your horse’s feet grow, you’ll need to have them trimmed regularly, and depending on what your horse’s activity level is, you’ll need to have him shod or work with your farrier to develop a natural hoof care regimen.
The rest is completely up to you. Horses need to exercise, both for their physical and mental health. In addition, they need to be groomed regularly; plus, in most places, they need to be kept free of flies. Stalls must be kept clean and free of built up urine and feces, and pastures need to be kept clean as well.
Caring for your horse properly is work, but it’s the kind of work you can enjoy since you know that your efforts will be rewarded every time you and your healthy, happy horse interact.
Nearly everyone who is interested in horses and horsemanship has a desire, at some point, to teach a horse new behaviors or modify existing behaviors. Done incorrectly, or attempted using harsh methods, horse training can be a disaster, and it can be frustrating and dangerous, and it can decrease a horse’s value. Done right, using positive reinforcement, it is a joyful experience that creates stronger bonds between horse and trainer. Here are some tips designed to help beginners start off on the right foot.
Decide on a Method
Before you begin teaching a horse anything, you need to first decide what you wish to accomplish, and you need to determine what method you will use to achieve your end goal. If you know absolutely nothing about horse training, consider attending training seminars, watching training sessions on DVD or online, and reading books to determine which method makes the most sense to you.
Don’t Go It Alone
Second, and again, before you go to teach a horse anything, take some lessons in horse training yourself, if at all possible. Find a trainer who specializes in the method or methods you are interested in learning, and ask to accompany him or her for a while. You may also be able to take horse training classes or sign up for hands on seminars; this does take time and it does require a monetary investment on your part, but it will give you a good foundation and prevent you from making costly mistakes with your horse.
Back in the dark ages, so-called horse training often consisted of cruel methods that did absolutely nothing to teach a horse to use his mind; these methods are still used in many places, and people who use them will often refer to their training methods as “breaking.” Horses, as a rule, are very intelligent animals that want to please. They should view you as a leader, not as someone to be feared. As you look for a trainer to mentor you, don’t be afraid to speak openly about your desire to use positive reinforcement and weed out the ones who use cruel or questionable methods.
Create Lesson Plans for Your Horse
Once you have decided on a training method and learned more about how your chosen method works, create lesson plans for your horse, and remember to build in room for setbacks. Horses are very much like people in that they take varying amounts of time to learn; in addition, they do best with small chunks of information at a time. Think baby steps, and don’t expect your horse to go from trails to the dressage arena in one fell swoop. Depending on how your horse has been handled and trained in the past, you may even have to teach him new ground manners; for example, if he is headshy, you’ll need to teach him that he has nothing to fear.
Building a Trusting Bond Can Accelerate Training
Once you have begun to train your horse, going along slowly and step-by-step, you will probably start to notice that he or she seems more eager to learn as you progress. When you spend time with your horse, don’t only focus on the lessons you want him to learn; instead, take the time to visit with him, give him plenty of positive attention, and make learning fun. You’ll know that you have succeeded when your horse greets you enthusiastically even when you’re not carrying a feed bucket.
Never stop teaching your horse to do new things; horse training is a process that never ends. Old lessons need to be reinforced, muscles need to be conditioned, and the relationship between the two of you needs to stay steady and constant. Take your time, learn the right way to do things, and before you know it, you and your horse will become a team.
Today, many people are being forced to give up their horses due to financial pressure, increasing the need for horse rescue. You’ll find that horse rescue operations work on a variety of different levels, with some individuals operating small scale rescues and some boarding facilities taking on rescues in greater number. Still others operate dedicated horse rescue facilities that cater to the worst cases. Whether you plan to help needy horses yourself, or if you want to contribute financially or via the donation of goods such as feed, you’ll be doing horses and fellow horse lovers an enormous favor. Here’s how.
First, Identify Local Need
If you want to take in rescue horses, you’re probably best off working with an established horse rescue program that needs foster homes for horses. Sometimes the local humane society is in charge of operations like this; in other cases, private parties are taking the lead. If, on the other hand, you want to contribute rather than do the bulk of the work yourself, decide whether you want to contribute money, time, goods, or some combination of the three. Be realistic in determining what you can afford to give, then identify horse rescues that need support.
Second, Visit the Rescues
Once you have identified rescues in your area, make plans to visit so you can find out more for yourself. Some so-called horse rescue operations are actually people with ulterior motives; now that horse slaughter is on the rise in some places, the horses you think you’re saving are actually being mistreated and sent on to a horrific death. Ensuring the rescue that you are supporting is on the level prevents you from spending your money aiding people who don’t have horses’ best interest in mind.
If you are planning to take in rescue horses, be sure to consider how these animals will affect your existing stock. Ensure horses already in your care are up to date on their vaccinations, and ensure incoming horses can be seen by your vet immediately upon arrival, if not before. If possible, visit with previous owners or caretakers to learn all you can about each individual horse so you can identify its needs before bringing it into the fold.
Third, Take Time Out for Taxes
Once you’ve completed inquiries or planning, you’re ready to take action. If donating money, feed, or other supplies, get a tax receipt if possible. If adding rescue horses to your stable, see whether you might be able to qualify as a non-profit. This is one case where helping horses may actually help your bottom line, as well.
Fourth, Take Action
Be sure not to over-commit in the beginning. Take it easy, and despite what your emotions may be telling you, think with your head as well as with your heart. If you are helping an existing horse rescue, don’t forget to pause to care for and enjoy your own horses; they need you just as much as the rescues do.
If taking in rescues, understand that you are going to have to work hard in more ways than one. Horses in need of rescue have often been physically and mentally abused. They may be distrustful, and they could be dangerous to a certain extent. Don’t get in over your head, no matter how badly you want to help. Be sure you have the time, money, and facilities to properly care for each animal you take in, and ensure that you can get help if you need it.
Finally, remember to carefully screen anyone who hopes to adopt a horse from you. Visit their home or boarding stable, disclose all you know about the horses you are hoping to re-home, and ensure that potential owners are properly equipped with the right knowledge and facilities to care for the animals they hope to take on.
Every horse lover has the potential to help in some way. What you do and how you do it is ultimately up to you.
Are you tired of not having enough time to ride your own horses?
Does it frustrate you when your lesson clients are no shows?
Wouldn’t you love to have all your invoices paid on time without questions?
How about learning a new way to not only make this happen but attract more clients to your farm easily and without spending huge marketing costs.
This is what LaRaedo can do for you and I am here to help you make that happen. LaRaedo is a unique system that tracks all horse maintenance, defines a cut above customer service and gives your staff a simple method to track their work.
We are introducing a new feature that many of you have been wanting. A barn calendar for any and every event on the farm.
You want to schedule a private lesson but aren’t sure who has already reserved that time and space?
You plan to sponsor a clinic and need an easy way to spread the message, what it’s about and even include the website location.
Who is signed up for tonight’s lessons and do they know what horse they will be riding?
When is the vet, farrier, dentist coming by the farm and who wants to sign up for their services?
These are just a few ways to use this calendar that keeps you, your clients and staff on track, and eliminates voice messages that may never get heard.
Take a listen to this video below and think about what YOU want to do differently in your business that so wants to attract new clients and bring in more dollars.
I can help you learn how to use this software. I know it like the back of my hand and all your questions are important and will be answsered. You can learn this and be a pro in no time at all.
I’ve have three easy methods, depending on your needs:
Be a DIY – Do It Your-selfer by reading the user guides and listening to the many tutorials I share on my blog (LaRaedo Lessons and LaRaedo Tutorials). And I am just a phone call away for any questions or concerns.
We can schedule a few webinar hours (at one time or in chunks) for me to walk you through every inch of how this software works and the best methods to use to begin taking advantage of all the cool features.
Or I can come to your farm and teach the whole gang of you. I’ll spend the day getting you set up, teaching everyone the ropes and no one will go away without a firm and clear understanding of how this whole system works.
Isn’t it time to make a change and stop listening to all those naysayer that pronounce that the horse business is a tough one to make money. There are MANY that are successful and they are because they are open to learning new ways to improve their horse business. Think about it, what have you really got to lose – ZERO, ZIP, NADA!
Any horse is capable of developing bad habits and vices, and most of the time we humans are to blame for these problems. Sometimes horses show that they are in pain by refusing to perform as we would like them to, and sometimes they refuse to perform simply because we are not providing them with clear, consistent messages. This can cause us to become frustrated, irritated, and even angry – but none of those emotions are helpful in dealing with bad habits as they arise. Here are some more effective strategies.
First, Understand Your Horse
Often easier said than done, understanding horses and realizing why they do certain things the way that they do is the first step to curing problems. Understanding comes with experience, and it is also the product of faithful studying and observation. Natural horsemanship clinics are great places to learn more about how a horse’s mind works, and horse training books can also provide excellent insight. Once you understand the way your horse’s mind works, you’ll be in a better position to solve problems.
Second, Identify the Habit You Want to Change
If your horse has a lot of bad habits, you’re going to need to correct all of them; most are the product of careless handling at the hands of caretakers. Go through your horse’s undesirable habits one at a time. Write them down, and then write down the desired outcome. Watch your horse and try to understand why he does the things he does; in some cases, he might be in pain, or he might be frightened. if this is the case, making simple adjustments can sometimes stop problems immediately.
Third, Work on Each Problem in a Calm, Matter of Fact Way
Various problems can be corrected with different methods or combinations of methods. Depending on the bad habits you are hoping to correct, you may need to make changes to your horse’s feeding regimen, or you may need to make changes to the way he is housed.
Other factors to consider include grooming issues, hoof care, body condition, and even under or over exercise. In some cases, you will need to work on modifying behaviors step by step using recognized training methods, and in other cases, you may need to call the vet to provide a medical or surgical solution to the problem.
These three basic steps to correcting bad horse habits look simple on the surface and in fact, they are, so long as you don’t let negative emotions cloud your response to those habits. Horses are very intelligent, plus they are extremely perceptive. Some really want to please their handlers, while others are resentful and do not want to cooperate at all. Getting to the root of the problem and handling it calmly and in a matter of fact way will prevent you from causing further psychological damage, whether a mistake you made caused the problem or whether a mistake someone else made caused it.
In some cases, problems caused by mistakes made while horses are very young become permanent and irreversible bad habits. Sometimes horses have neurotic tendencies, in the same way that some humans and other mammals do; these tendencies can be genetically inherited, although sometimes they are developed due to experiences with trainers, with their dams or with other horses they are exposed to, or even due to trauma or disease.
If you are faced with a neurotic horse or a horse that is so psychologically damaged that his habits cannot be changed, do what you can to reduce exposure to factors that cause those undesirable habits to be displayed. Try your best to keep things positive and always try to end a training session on a good note by asking your horse to do something he does well and enjoys doing. By providing firm, understanding leadership, you can help almost any horse feel more secure and in turn, display more desirable habits.
No matter what your discipline, your saddle is one of the most important pieces of equipment you’ll ever own. There are many important factors to be aware of when purchasing saddles; here are some tips to help you make the right choice.
Size
Besides being the right size for you, your saddle needs to be the right size and shape for your horse. In some cases, you might be able to get away with purchasing a treeless saddle or a saddle with an interchangeable gullet system, and in others, you’re going to have to be very careful about fitting your horse.
Horses with high withers are notoriously difficult to fit, and if you are very tall, or if you are a large person, you might have to try several saddles before you find one that fits you and your horse both.
Consider having your horse professionally fitted, and consider having a custom saddle made if either of you are hard to fit. An ill-fitting saddle can hurt your horse’s back and adversely affect his performance, and it can cause you to look and feel ill at ease while riding. A properly fitted saddle, on the other hand, helps both you and your horse to perform as a team.
Material
Once upon a time, all the best saddles were made of leather, and while you can still find excellent leather saddles from top saddlers, don’t be in a hurry to turn your nose up at synthetics, particularly if you are hoping to save money, or if you want a light saddle that is easy to transport.
Synthetic saddles are made from many different materials, including the following:
• Cordura – An extremely durable material that is very easy to clean and maintain, cordura comes in a variety of different colors as well as in brown and black natural tones.
• Biothane and Beta Biothane – Sometimes simply referred to as Beta, this material can have the look of leather. Made from nylon webbing and covered with thermoplastic polyurethane, it is durable, flexible, and scuff-resistant.
• Equileather and Equisuede – this brand name has a leather or suede like appearance, and like other synthetic saddle materials, it is lightweight and easy to keep clean.
Discipline
Be sure to choose a saddle that will do what you need it to do. If you mostly ride trails, for example, pick a saddle with a secure seat.
If you do many different things with your horse, then you might need to buy more than one saddle; a lovely dressage saddle is great for the show ring, but will be ruined after a few trips through the woods.
Buying New vs. Buying Used
Buying a used saddle is a great way to save money, so long as you get the saddle from a reliable source, such as from someone you know or from a reputable saddle shop.
Be careful about purchasing a saddle in an online auction, and if you do, be sure you can return it if it doesn’t work out for you. Check the seller’s reputation before bidding, no matter how attractive the deal looks! Secondly, be careful about purchasing saddles that have been heavily used, and be sure you check all leathers and other rigging before you even think about riding.
Buying a brand new saddle, especially one that has been carefully selected to fit you and your horse both ensures you’re not going to be sitting in somebody else’s wear pattern, and it ensures that you are getting exactly what you want and need rather than settling for second best or compromising. Remember, in many cases you get just what you pay for.
Whether you’ve been riding forever, or if you are brand new to the world of horses, you know that riding properly entails much more than simply sitting astride your horse’s back while he carries you around the arena or up the side of a mountain. Simply sitting there just does not work – in fact, the fitter you are, the better off both you and your horse will be. Here are five tips that can help you gain fitness to ride.
Get Enough Cardio and Do Weight Bearing Exercises
Chasing your horse around the pasture with a halter in one hand and a carrot in the other doesn’t really qualify as a workout, although a traipse through the field might help you to get a little extra cardio. In order to be at your best though, you are probably going to need some intentional exercise, unless you are physically active most of the time. Try to do cardio at least three days a week, and be sure to get your heart rate up. Do weight bearing exercise at least twice a week.
Improve Flexibility
No matter how fit you are, you should spend a little time focusing on flexibility every day. Yoga is a great way to stay limber, and so is regular stretching. When you are flexible, you will feel much more at ease in the saddle, and you’ll find that your endurance improves as well.
Watch Your Waistline
The extra pounds you might be carrying translate to extra weight your horse must carry too. An important part of being fit to ride is weighing the right weight for your height. Eat properly, basing your food intake on vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains. Talk to your doctor about how much you should weigh, and if you are overweight, lose the excess as soon as you can safely do so. Not only will your horse thank you, the two of you will look better together and your performance will improve.
Ride As Much as You Can
Riding well is something that doesn’t happen all by itself, and no matter how fit you are for other activities, you still need to focus on riding. Watch your posture and stay alert; and work to improve constantly. Try new things when you are riding, too. Not only does learning different disciplines help keep your horse from becoming bored, it helps to keep both of you in good form.
Work on Mental Fitness
An important part of fitness for riding is your mental preparedness for problems that might arise. Many of us have deep seated fears that hinder us from riding as well as we possibly could; fears that prevent us from pushing our limits and extending our boundaries.
If you want to be the best rider you possibly can be, work on mental fitness. First, be honest with yourself about any stumbling blocks that seem to stand in your way. Second, learn different meditation techniques to aid you in ridding yourself of those mental hurdles that prevent you from doing your best. Third, celebrate each time you make progress in overcoming difficulties. As you become accustomed to clearing problems from your path, you’ll gain more confidence and you will find that your riding improves as a result.
Great riders are not normally created overnight. If you are overweight, for instance, those pounds didn’t suddenly leap onto your body, and it is going to take some time and consistent effort to rid yourself of them. If you are out of shape, it’s going to take work to gain fitness to ride. Be patient with yourself, and be consistent. Soon enough, you’ll notice the difference, and so will your horse.
Keeping your horse’s hooves healthy is one of the most important aspects of horse ownership, and different horses have much different needs. While most farriers will tell you that you definitely need to keep your horses shod unless they are out to pasture, some veterinarians, trainers, and other experts disagree.
Let’s take a closer look, so you can make the right decision for you and your horse.
The Purpose of Shoeing
Horseshoes as we know them today are thought to have been invented sometime between 400 and 600 CE. People have been protecting their horses hooves from excess wear, bruising, and breakage, though, for thousands of years. For instance, in ancient Asia, horses had their feet wrapped in leather or rawhide, and Romans used devices known as Hipposandals, which were constructed much like today’s hoof boots are.
In the days when horses were used heavily and ridden for miles each day, horse shoes were an absolute necessity. Different types of shoes were developed to provide traction on slippery cobblestone streets for instance, and in areas where horses had to perform on icy surfaces, they were fitted with the equine version of snow tires.
Today, horses are shod to prevent hooves from cracking and breaking, particularly when they are exposed to excess moisture. Constant movement in the wild keeps horses’ hooves from becoming overly long, and in the wild, horses typically inhabit fairly arid climates that keep feet hard.
Some horses require corrective shoeing to provide heel support, and some which are worked regularly need shoes for the same reasons horses from days gone by needed them; mainly, to prevent excess wear and protect legs and joints from stress. Sometimes, we need to put special shoes on our horses to provide them with extra traction; for example, eventers and show jumpers need to be properly shod for stability and top performance.
When Shoeing is Unnecessary
Some horses really do not need to wear shoes; for instance, horses on pasture that are ridden infrequently on soft terrain can easily go without, and retired horses often have no need for shoes unless they require corrective shoeing to ease joint or ligament conditions.
Some breeds can easily go without shoes, even when they are being ridden regularly; for instance, mustangs have feet like iron and rarely need to be shod. While horses being boarded in stalls need to wear shoes to support and protect feet and legs, horses that spend little time in stalls or trailers can easily go without.
Natural Hoof Care
Natural hoof care is much more than simply pulling your horse’s shoes and allowing him to run free in the pasture; instead, it requires careful monitoring and frequent trimming to ensure the hooves are properly balanced and maintained.
Trimming a horse’s hooves prior to shoeing is a different process than trimming as part of a natural hoof care program. Some farriers have trained in natural hoof care techniques as an alternative to shoeing, so if you are considering allowing your horse to go barefoot, look for one of these experts to help get your horse’s feet into shape.
In addition to getting the right type of trims and using the proper hoof care products as part of a natural hoof care regimen, you’ll need to ensure that your horse’s feet are not subjected to conditions that cause splitting and cracking. Urine exposure weakens hoof tissue, as does constant exposure to moisture.
Natural hoof care experts have successfully proven that barefoot horses can perform well in many different disciplines, including some challenging ones such as endurance and rocky trail riding when the right methods for hoof shaping are used. This does take work and consistent attention on the part of the owner or caretaker; make your decision according to what will realistically work well for both you and your horse to ensure both of you stay safe and healthy.
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