"Traction in Mud of the Barefoot Horse"

Howdy Friends,
 

We’ve had over 5 days of rain now and more on the way. Streams are high, our yard, Kessy’s playground, and yup the logging roads we ride are muddy. Here in central VA we have what folks call, Virginia red clay and the logging roads are pretty much red clay, baked concrete hard in summer months, muddy and sticky in the rain. Especially this much rain!

Sadie leads the way up the soggy red clay trail.

We had a bit of a break for a few hours yesterday so Kessy, Saturday, Sadie and I set out for a fun ride. Wet leaves and boughs splashed me plenty as we tiptoed along, a light mist decided to drop in, but we were undeterred.

In wet slippery conditions I always allow Kessy to set the pace, which she’ll hold to a sensible, careful walk. We stop at the stream with 25 water falls to take in the beauty of so many tiny ponds laced with fallen yellow tulip tree leaves.

Saturday and Kessy wade in the stream of 25 waterfalls.

After the stream we move to the logging road and into an area of a few hills. Kessy navigates wisely the grade changes and slick clay, her hooves making sloshing sounds with each step. But what they don’t do is slip.

I thought as we moved along about the marvelous traction a barefoot horse has in the mud. I did not feel a single slip or slide—and yes we were only walking, but still it was impressive. At one very level place she even stepped up to a gentle running walk, not a single slip, slide or misstep.

As we went along, confident and happy, I thought back to those years long ago, before I accepted the barefoot way and all the many benefits to the horse. I thought of one horse in particular, my magnificent Spotted Saddle Horse, Diablo, and the shoes he wore—and the slipping he would have been doing today.

That was back when I was certain, and no one could convince otherwise, that horses must be shod. And yes, we did different shoes for different circumstances. I even remember putting shoes on Diablo with cogs, to handle mud like yesterday’s ride. What damage do those cogged shoes do to the suspensory tissues inside the hoof? I can only imagine ... but I can compare the better traction Kessy displayed in the slippery red clay.

Kessy’s entire foot, every inch of sole and frog can, and does, touch the ground, supporting her and me as those magnificent feet had been designed. And providing great traction, mobility and surefootedness.

Riding in the red Virginia clay is a treat on a horse with bare feet.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry

"Rocks for the Health of your Barefoot Horse"

Howdy Friends,
 

Yup I’m a believer that all horses can, and should go unshod for their highest health. Not only foot health, but overall health of the horse from blood circulation to shock absorption and posture and body awareness. I acknowledge there are problem cases, that for a time may need extra effort on our part, but I maintain unshod is best. I agree boots are sometimes a great thing and there are several excellent boots out there today.

Kessy strolling happily to her run-in on her river rock.

Transitioning to barefoot takes a little time, you might read my thoughts HERE.  Maintaining a healthy barefoot horse is easy, but may require a few management practice alterations. Changes such as trimming, most barefoot horses should be on a 3 week schedule, you might read about that HERE. I also believe many folks can learn to trim their own horses, which is both rewarding and cost saving. Another adaptation to consider is housing, I’m a huge proponent of the “Paddock Paradise” or Track System, you can read more about it HERE. Sometimes people give up on going barefoot because they cannot, or don’t want to adopt the few easy management changes. But I promise they quickly become routine and in the end save down time, money and stress—for you and your horse.

One BIG management practice so important to barefoot horse health is giving your horse enough rocks. Yup, give ‘em rocks! To walk on.

Kessy's rocks cover the lower half of her run-in, and to her water tub. She walks on them each time she comes and goes and drinks. Saturday thinks the rocks feel good on his feet too.

A common catalyst to barefoot failure is, horses stay in stalls with little movement possible, or wide open grassy pastures, or pastures, paddocks and turn-outs with only soft footing—Then the rider asks the horse to carry them on trails with gravel, stones and rocks. Of course the horse will flinch, perhaps protest, but the failure lies at the hands of the caregiver, not the barefoot horse. The horse needs the opportunity to create those rock-crushing solid healthy feet, which is easily done.

Rocks must be provided for the horse to walk on. Some folks call the rocks “pea gravel,” or “river stone.” Whatever you have available in your area consider mixed “round” stone no larger than 2 inches with stone 1 inch and perhaps a bit less. Not fine screening, or crushed rocks with sharp edges. Even if your home turf is dirt, sand and grit adding rocks will improve foot health.

Kessy's feet in the stone. I recommend about 2 inches deep to encourage the massage action.

Walking on rocks does SO MUCH for the horse’s foot health, exfoliates dead tissue, cleans mud and manure should that be present, and even massages the foot, aiding in blood circulation and mobility far above the foot. The ancient Greek Xenophon (c. 430-354 BC) first pointed out that “naturally sound hooves get spoiled in most stalls,” and in his classic work “On Horsemanship” advised measures to strengthen horses’ feet including, “palm sized rock beds for horses to walk on.”

I maintain, for my mare Kessy, an area of rock that starts in her run-in and extends outward about 30 feet. I just refurbished it the other day, the rock do gradually drift away and sink in so maintenance is required every now and then. About 2 inches deep will do the trick. They should be placed where horses frequent such as the water supply, as Kessy’s is, and as I do directly on the route to the run-in. Many folks with track systems have several locations along the way the horses walk through.

Here you can see the rock path ... Kessy givin' me a little lovin'

I hope you’ll consider giving rocks to your barefoot horse.

Gitty Up, Dutch Henry 

P.S. - If you've not yet purchased my book, "It's for the Horses: An advocate's musings about their needs, spirit, gifts and care," find it here www.itsforthehorses.com  

"Let’s Talk About the Barefoot Horse and Trim a Little"

Howdy Friends,
 

A few emails and facebook questions this week suggested I revisit the barefoot trim again. We’ll cover only a few key points here, but it might help.

My mare Kessy's beautiful bare foot- Great sole, wonderful healthy frog.

Let’s remember caring for and riding a barefoot horse is more than simply removing shoes, though that is of course the first step. Barefoot horse care is a different paradigm, one that puts the horse first—perhaps that is why so many people find it difficult, in that there are a few things needed to be done differently. At first these things may seem too much bother, extra work, but in time after the initial changes it is actually less work, less money and of course more healthy. Read "Barefoot Paradigm HERE-

Housing and exercise are paramount. The horse must be able to move about, and not only in grass. There should be dirt, stones and rock. Pea gravel is excellent. I’m a huge supporter of what Jamie Jackson created, the Paddock Paradis, track system. In it horses move about at will on a track, have free choice housing, no stalls and limited grass. Hay feeding stations and water placed strategically to encourage movement. This is so much better than big grassy, weedy pastures or fields. When you think of a horse in big grassy fields, think overweight man on the couch gorging on potato chips and cookies. You can read more about PADDOCK PARADISE and horse healthy housing HERE.

Diet is important. Limited grass, no grain and no sugar. All forage diet is best. Horses are designed for forage, and yes a horse can and will gain weight on all forage diet. HERE is my mare’s diet.

The trim. Keep it simple. Don’t be intimidated by all the talk out there how difficult it is to trim a barefoot horse. It is not. And yes you can learn to do it yourself. First thought, if your trimmer also does iron shoes, I suggest you find another. If a person can see the wisdom of nailing shoes on a horse, they cannot truly grasp the biomechanics of the horse and horse’s foot. I have been saying that a long time, and I keep seeing things happen that make it even more true to me. Preparing a hoof for a flat shoe is totally different than seeing the whole horse, the sound hoof, and the two cannot be blended.

Trimming schedule should be every 3 to 4 weeks. The horse should walk on the sole, not the hoof wall. Very few horses can go 8 weeks without the hoof wall becoming too long and therefore stretching the lamina. Even a little stretch is bad stretch, much of the health of the foot lives in the lamina. If you need to use a nipper the trim has gone too long.

Filing Kessy's hoof- takes about a minute a foot ... 

Trimming is best done from the top down with a file, not a nipper. If the 3 week schedule is maintained it is very little effort. For Kessy it takes me about a minute a foot. Never pare or scrape the sole, ever. Almost never trim the frog. The frog should touch the ground. No more than one third of the foot should be in front of the apex of the frog.

No horse should ever be lame or tender footed after a trim. You should be able to trim your horse and immediately go for a ride. You can read more about a simple maintenance trim HERE

Transitioning from shod to bare does take time. Six months to a year for riding. But there are many great boots out there today, so don’t let that hold you back. You need not lose a day’s riding while transitioning.

A barefoot horse will enjoy better hoof health, of course, but will also enjoy better health overall. From legs, tendons, joints, muscles to even their organs. The free hoof is able to absorb the shock as intended, not transfer shock to parts of the body never designed to absorb shock. A bare hoof will also pump blood as it is designed to, to and out of the foot bringing nutrients and removing toxins—that’s why barefoot horses feet always look better than shod feet, and do not need hoof supplements and paint on products. Read "Why Barefoot?"HERE

Kessy loves her Paddock Paradise!

Having a barefoot horse is today not as mysterious or difficult to understand as it was 30 years ago. We know have the evidence of many thousands of barefoot horses and their caregivers in all disciplines. I find the growing acceptance of the barefoot horse wonderfully exciting, for the horses’ sakes.

Kessy's pretty and healthy feet

Gitty up, Dutch Henry

"Feature Friday – Why Barefoot Peruvians-Guest Blogger, Jan Pippins"

Howdy Folks, 

We have a guest blogger today; Jan Pippins. She is a horsewoman, certified equine cruelty investigator and author. Her most recent book is “Henry Darrow: Lightning in the Bottle” the award-winning biography of actor Henry Darrow. She is currently working on a book about her experiences with horses and horse people ... I invited her to write a little about herself and her transition from the Tennessee Walking Horse and Big Lick world to the world of Barefoot Peruvians.

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Jan Pippins

Thank you Dutch Henry, and Hello Coffee Clutch friends,

I loved horses as a little child. Being near them was heaven. Riding was beyond heaven. My first horse was a little gaited gelding named Pepper. He was a kindly, nondescript bay, the type of horse a kid could ride bareback with only halter and lead rope. My second horse, Dandy, was a fiery green-broke two-year-old Tennessee Walker. Back then, we rode two year olds because we didn’t know big didn’t equal grown. A green-broke two year old probably wasn’t the best choice for a nine year old kid, but my parents weren’t horse people. I loved Dandy fiercely.

Unfortunately for him, I became an unhappy teenager with the horse-show bug. Riding was about the only thing I did well. Soon, it wasn’t enough to ride Dandy on country roads and through the woods of south Mississippi. I wanted to win blue ribbons. So that good horse became a show horse for me. He was stalled because he had to wear built-up shoes. Because built up shoes (“packages”) were what Tennessee Walkers showed in. No more free time in the pasture with his buddies. This was serious business. His bit had eight-inch shanks, because that’s the kind of bit a Tennessee Walker showed in.

In those days before the Horse Protection Act (HPA), Tennessee Walkers were commonly sored for the show-ring. That is, caustic chemicals like mustard oil were applied to their front pasterns. Next came heavy chains or boots to slam against the chemical burns. The pain made horses jerk their front legs high. Their back legs did a crawling motion as the horse tried its best to avoid inevitable agony. Before the HPA, it wasn’t unusual to see blood and pus streaming from the legs of blue-ribbon winners.

I did not sore my horses. I drew the line there. But, like Dandy, later, better-bred Tennessee Walkers wore built up shoes and chains. They wore bits that make me cringe today. The tendons of their tails were cut so their tails could be braced up high for that show-ring look. They spent their days stalled wearing tail sets, harnesses to keep their tails limber for bracing.

Eventually, the cruelty at Tennessee Walking Horse shows and barns became too much. The Horse Protection Act had passed years before and soring had just gone underground. I didn’t like seeing horses in pain. I didn’t like making my horses live a life that was so unnatural for them. At 25, I sold my last horse, an honest fellow who spent too many years locked in stalls or performing in the ring. I hope had many good retirement years in sunny pastures and nice rides on pleasant trails.

When, after nearly twenty unhappy horseless years, I was able to own a horse again, I looked at Tennessee Walkers first. I couldn’t find a flat-shod one in our part of the country with good gait. Breeding for the “Big Lick” had taken its toll on the natural gait of the TWH. To move well in built-up shoes, a horse had to be naturally pacey. That’s what I found – TWHs so pacey they’d break your teeth.

I tried a couple of new-to-me breeds. Peruvian Paso Horses charmed me. Not only were they breathtakingly beautiful, they were natural. No built-up shoes, tail braces, soring, chains or artificial anything. In fact, shoes were prohibited in the ring. The theory being (rightly), that shoes can be used to alter gait. If the gait is “enhanced”, the most “enhanced” horses could begin to win. People breed to the winners and soon enough, the prized natural gait isn’t there anymore. Rather than start on that slippery slope, the Peruvian Paso Horse associations banned shoes all together. What a refreshing and stark contrast to Big Lick TWH shows! To top it off, Peruvian Pasos had the healthiest hooves I’d ever seen. Since even top show winners had 24/7 turnout, they had ample time to just be horses and were willing, eager and beautiful workers on trail and in the ring.

I became a convert to barefoot and 24/7 turnout. I don’t believe every horse does better barefoot, but many do. Even our Thoroughbred – people who warned us that his hooves would practically rot off if not shod changed their tune to, “Wow, I’ve never seen such beautiful feet on a Thoroughbred!” 

Today, our horses are trail horses. They are all somebody’s cast-offs, including a mentally damaged former “Big Lick” Tennessee Walker. Every horse and many of the horse people I’ve known have taught me a great deal. Unfortunately, one thing they’ve taught me is that change comes slowly when there’s money and prestige involved – over forty years have passed since the Horse Protection Act became law and yet gaited horses, especially Tennessee Walkers, are still sored. New legislation is pending to criminalize ALL soring tactics used in the Big Lick show world. The Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) It’s supported by the AVMA, other prestigious groups and right-thinking horse people. It does NOT ban shoes ... It DOES ban a number of insidious methods used to enhance soring and make horses suffer (LEARN ABOUT THE PAST ACT HERE) and how you can help support it.

Jan's beloved Impresso

 I support the PAST Act in the memory of Dixie Dandy, Magic’s Black Pepper, Pride of Gunsmoke, Shadow’s Salute and “Big Lick” horses everywhere who have endured countless tortures to put money in their owners and trainers pockets and ribbons on the wall.

~ Jan Pippins

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Thank you Jan for sharing painful lessons learned – and all you do to help horses and their people.

 – Friends you can join Jan on Facebook HERE and have a look at her book HERE

Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry