Pilates is done barefoot as it enables the human to feel the support points in their feet and so to improve their sense of balance. Could it be the same for the horse?
Certainly, the frog in most shod horses does not contact the ground. This means that the horse can’t feel the ground so well. My horses are barefoot now and their feet are good. However, this has not always been the case. Shantie has never worn back shoes and his hind feet have always been excellent. In contrast his front feet were poor when shod.
Since removing the shoes I have had no brushing or over-reach injuries (or indeed kick injuries or injuries resulting from losing shoes in the field). My farrier bill is a fraction of what it was as I do a lot of the care myself. For more information on footcare see the Barefoot Horse internet sites in the appendix (36).
Most leisure horses do not need shoes. In fact they probably need shoes like a hole in the head. But we are afraid to change. Why? There is always a bad patch when a change is made. For a while the horse’s feet will “break up” due to nail holes splitting, as well as the feet getting used to the wear. However, they will toughen up again. We can’t face the problems of the transition period so we are locked into shoes for good.
Shoes have their place for horses covering many miles a day on hard and uneven abrasive ground where excessive wear would negate the benefits of being barefoot.