SHOELESS HORSES - WHY BAREFOOT & WHY THE HPT METHOD?

I agonised over taking my horse barefoot, sat up all night reading websites, bought every book I could find, asked questions of anyone who was kind enough to talk to me about it! I became fanatical about the different methods available and spent a huge amount of time educating myself about them, comparing them and trying to determine the method that was going to work for me and my horse. I am not anti shoes but felt that taking my horse barefoot would benefit his long-term health.

I had very definite ideas about what I wanted from the method, and I was commited to:

1) not causing my horse pain and trauma of any description
2) understanding the science
3) conditioning that was gentle & suitable for my horse's level of comfort at the time
4) allowing my horse to do the work that keeps him fit and happy

So armed with these principles I discovered the HPT (High performance trim) method - in the introduction to KC La Pierre's book (The chosen road) it says "Do no Harm", From then on I was hooked and had read the book twice by the next day! Since then I have embarked on the diploma course and am training as an Equine Podiatrist.

The HPT method is the trim used in the "applied science of equine podiatry". It is however much more than just a trim. The Applied science of equine podiatry is a study of the equine hoof; it is using and considering the horse's environment. By environment we mean anything that affects the horse: nutrition, ground conditions, weight of the rider, horses weight, confirmation, weather etc. By applying the HPT trim and using the knowledge we have about environment we can maximise the horses ability to heal itself and restore the structures that exist in a healthy hoof thereby improving performance.

An important factor is time - The damage done to the foot takes place over usually an extended period, with the right conditions the foot can and will heal but this takes time - it cannot be rushed or forced. The HPT method:

• Does not invade the living tissue in the hoof

• Seeks to maintain the horse as comfortably as possible

• Does not induce trauma to the hoof in the name of increasing circulation (the consequence of inducing trauma is often pain and it can result in abscessing - trauma is also avoided by scoring the hoof to assess the capability of the hoof and not exceeding the work the horse can do)

• The only material removed from the hoof is to put the hoof in balance and this is kept to a minimum - if the horses foot is restored to equilibrium we can use the environment to return structure

• Does not use angles - there are no absolutes

• Does not use the wild hoof as a model (the question here is which wild hoof would you use for your model, the horse will develop the foot it needs for its particular environment and so the equine foot will develop differently if living in the desert to the hoof of the equine living in the new forest - instead the applied science of equine podiatry studies the functions of the various structures that make up hoof and uses this information to determine how to treat the hoof)

Some of you reading this may already be barefoot, others may be considering it and some may think that it would never work for their horses. Hopefully this page will give you some useful information about being barefoot and what to expect from HPT.

GOING BAREFOOT - WHY:
An important question, after all we have been shoeing horses for years so why now the move towards barefoot? The answer is simple: horses do not need shoes; of course there may be the odd exception or situation, but in no circumstances is the shoe conducive to a healthy foot. By examining and evaluating the functions of different parts of the equine hoof we can clearly see how the shoe compromises the integrity of the foot and function.

There are so many problems in modern horses, navicular, underun heels, cracking, poor frogs and in general poor quality feet: most of which can be rectified with a good trim and using the environment to allow the horse heal naturally.

The Hoof does not need a shoe to hold it together although this is a common misapprehension - in fact cracks will heal quicker in a barefoot horse, nor does a horse that does roadwork or hard work need shoes, so why the belief that it does along with many other misinformed ideas?

Lack of information: Removing the shoes is not enough to achieve a successfully working barefoot horse, it is important that those interested in pursuing this educate themselves, preferably BEFORE the shoes are removed. Many people have tried barefoot and found it not to work for them, this could be for many reasons, the trim, the way the horse is introduced to barefoot (perhaps doing to much to soon), and infection. The owner needs be aware of all these things to help them succeed.

History: Most people shoe their working horses, it's what we see around us and it is accepted as the norm

Lack of knowledge about the functions of the equine foot: More investigation is being done in this area than ever before and the findings are not only fascinating but dispel some of the commonly believed myths about the hoof.

Transitioning to barefoot does not only provide improvement for just the Hoof but it has been found to improve the horses paces, overall health (benefits to the immune system, circulation, muscle development, bad backs etc) and can even help with behaviour problems.

THE BAREFOOT TRANSITION
The barefoot transition can be a difficult time, some horses fly it others may find it more challenging at first due to the lack of structure and the way the foot has been compromised by shoeing (many horses come to barefoot as a result of pathologies). There are thankfully many ways you can make it easier and an Equine Podiatrist will help you to stay within your horses comfort zone whilst helping the foot to improve and while working towards a healthy and functioning hoof.

The owner is very much a participant in the barefoot journey, and untimely the success of your transition will be your achievement. An equine podiatrist will balance the foot and will assess how much that foot is capable of, a recommended conditioning programme is agreed and left with the owner which is designed to improve the hoof, working towards the goal of improving structure and performance. It does take time and commitment and so is not always for everyone...

It is important to address infection, not just in barefoot horses but also in shod horses. Unfortunately it can be hard to keep on top of infection in a shod horse as it may be hidden under the shoe so ensure that you check with your farrier.

There are many useful products available to help with looking after your barefoot horse (see recommend products) boots so you can continue riding (if appropriate), hoof dressings to protect from wet conditions (a major problem for us in the UK) and of course topical applications for treating infection effectively.

The most important responsibility as an owner you have towards your horse's feet is to ensure (shod or not) that they are well balanced and free from infection. All horses would benefit from a couple of months a year without shoes to let the feet recover but if you want to take it further than that there's lots of help out there!

If barefoot is not for you then it is important to ensure your horse is regularly and well shod, learning more about a good trim and the functions of the hoof will be useful information when choosing your farrier and evaluating the health of your horses feet.

I am not currently accepting trimming clients, as I am not yet a qualified equine podiatrist. I can and do advise clients with regard to their horse's feet if appropriate during a consultation and am happy to provide any information I have access to.

If you are interested in learning more about Equine Podiatry go to www.equinepodiatry.net for more information where you will also find lots of articles and a forum, although please feel free to contact me if you would like a chat about it.

KC has also written a book "The chosen road" and produced a very educational set of DVD's please see Recommended reading for the review and purchase details

If you would like a consultation with a view to training your horse or pony to stand properly for the trimmer or farrier please give me a call to see how I can help