Your tender-footed horse and that occasional pasture turnout..

I know I harp on feed issues a lot, and I'm sure plenty of you shake your heads and mutter "it's just ONE molasses cookie", "but he LOVES to be turned out to eat grass all day long", or, "she needs alfalfa to keep weight on her". I'm also sure that there are plenty of vets and trainers who will blythely tell you a little bit won't hurt.

But what we're seeing in the field, and what current research like that done by Dr. David Hood at the Hoof Project at Texas A & M is confirming, is that a little bit can hurt...quite literally. Horses that were toe flicking sound all winter are suddenly tender on hard ground or gravel; transitioning horses who finally have adequate sole coverage and healthy frogs start to tiptoe again. Trimmers across the country have seen it enough to know the solution: stricter diet. For committed barefoot horse owners, the solution is a really honest evaluation of what the horse is eating.

Those of you new to barefoot horses will inevitably wonder whether your horse really just needs shoes after all. The truth is shoes will only mask the underlying problem: too much sugar or non-structural carbohydrates in the horse's diet, causing inflammation of the laminae that bind the hoof wall to the coffin bone. Linda Cowles, a noteable and talented trimmer in Northern California (see her website, http://www.healthyhoof.com/ ) had this to say on the subject:

"People who aren't committed slap shoes on their horses when the trainer or vet suggests it, in essence ignoring a vital warning sign that could have long term consequences [laminitis, founder]. This happened at a stable I work at recently, where a known IR (insulin resistant) horse who had been barefoot for 8 years became tender and was shod. Her small paddock was surrounded on all sides with lush grass that had been nipped down methodically, and the base of her paddock had a liberal carpet of tightly cropped grass. When she became tender, the trainer advised shoes and she got shod. Is she sound? No, she isn't landing heel first, but her toe first landing is less pronounced, and the trainer is satisfied.

It's easier to assume that the horse is unable to go barefoot, or to choose the easy solution of metal shoes to boots and an optimum diet. People who are committed to their horses' health choose grazing muzzles and dietary changes, using diet and boots in conjunction with a good trim to pull horses through these tender periods. More and more people are thinking this way, but because vets and trainers often feel shoes are a very acceptable alternative, it takes nerve for the conscientious owner to go against their suggestions.

The real problem is that shoeing masks symptoms without addressing the cause, which is ongoing grass laminitis, or early onset of Insular Resistance."

I couldn't agree more. Lush pasture, sweet feed (oatmo, grains, ANYTHING containing molasses), and alfalfa are all potential triggers. I have a question for you to ponder: If you had a diabetic child, would you feed that child large doses of sugar on a daily basis??

Barefoot isn't just about pulling shoes. It is a whole horse care choice for the better health of the domestic equine. If you make the commitment....MAKE THE COMMITMENT.