Transition
It is
very important for owners to be committed
throughout their horse's transition process. Horse
management adjustments may need to be made to ensure
success!
What
to expect
The
length of the transition period depends on the
horses and how much their hooves have been affected
over the years by incorrect trimming, shoeing and
management. In some cases the horses transition is
immediate while others can take a year or more. The
transition time is not
always dependent upon the severity of hoof issues a
horse may have. The
success will be determined by proper trimming,
correct diet management and movement, per the
horse's needs and tolerance levels.
The
more unhealthy a hoof is, the more transition time
it generally needs. Heel weakness/pain is often the
most common problem we see during transitions.
Hooves
will generally adapt to their environment. It is
unrealistic to expect a pasture hoof to be a rock
cruncher, although exceptions do exist.
In the
beginning, some hooves may struggle with increased
soreness, depending on how sick they are. This often
causes the soreness to be blamed on the trim, when
in fact the trim just brought the underlying issues
(frog infections, heel weakness, subclinical
laminitis) more to the surface. It is difficult to
gauge in some cases how little or how much a horse
can tolerate when being trimmed. It is imperative to
support the horse as best as possible, with any
treatment and/or hoof boots, to make the process as
comfortable and easy as possible and encourage
movement that will speed up the healing process and
forge healthy, bare hooves.
Diet
Diet is a big factor when it comes to barefoot
success. If not already in place, horses should be
fed a species specific diet, which means good
quality, low carb/sugar forage, with mineral and vitamin
supplements as needed. Ideally, forage should be tested to
see what needs to be balanced with supplementation.
If at
all possible, forage should be fed as free choice,
since horses are designed to forage for most of the day
rather than eat "meals".
Low
sugar/carb hay pellets or rinsed and soaked beet pulp can
be used to mix supplements in. Check the following
for more diet information when it comes to hoof
health:Feeding the Hoof
- Pete Ramey
Movement
Wild horses eat a high fiber, low sugar forage
AND easily travel over 20 per day. That forges
extremely healthy hooves. Domestic horses do not
even come close to that ideal - instead they tend to
be over fed and under-exercised, plus locked up in
stalls most of the time. Therefore adequate
movement, through turnout and/or exercise is a must.
A 24/7 turnout with shelter is really the ideal
environment for any domestic horse and creates
overall healthier horses.
Turnout movement can be maximized by incorporating
Jaime Jackson's concept of the
Paddock Paradise.
Boots
Boots with pads should be used during the transition
period as needed and should continue to be used for
trail riding if necessary, because, as mentioned
before, hooves adapt to their environment. A grass
pasture hoof will not be as a tough as a hoof that
is used to rocky ground!
There
are many different boots to chose from. Good fit
without rubbing is essential. Boots that stay clear
of the hairline and that provide good break-over are
generally the better options.
More
info on boots:
Boots & Pads - Pete Ramey
EasyCare Inc.
