Natural hoof care

Horse with natural hooves wearing boots to protect from rocks and provide traction
Booted horse on a trail ride (the horse is in a transition period where it cannot be ridden barefoot after shoe removal)

Natural hoof care is the practice of keeping horses so that their hooves are worn down naturally, or trimmed to emulate natural wear, so they do not suffer overgrowth, splitting and other disorders.[1] Horseshoes are not used, but domesticated horses may still require trimming, exercise and other measures to maintain a natural shape and degree of wear.[2]

Within the natural hoof care philosophy, the term barefoot horses refers to horses which are kept barefoot, as opposed to horses who are fitted with horseshoes or hoof boots. The hooves of barefoot horses are trimmed with special consideration to a barefoot lifestyle.[3] The barefoot horse movement advocates a generalized use of barefoot horses, both in non-competitive and competitive riding, often coupled with a more natural approach to horse care. Horses are kept barefoot in many parts of the world, including South America, Mongolia and other cultures.

  1. ^ T.Teskey (2005), "The unfettered foot: A paradigm change for equine podiatry", Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 25 (2): 77–83, doi:10.1016/j.jevs.2005.01.011
  2. ^ Drew Radford (23 July 2007), A load of horses' hooves, ABC
  3. ^ "Why Go Barefoot?".