barefoot?

Question
I am thinking of purchasing a 17.2hh Irish Draft who is currently barefoot and doing very well on it. I live on the edge of Dartmoor which has some very rough hilly stoney ground. If i buy the horse I will hopefully hack out on the moor and along roads for a few minutes to get there and back. Do you think this gelding will be alright without shoes or maybe just with front shoes on? Will having no shoes on help him to grip while up on the moor?

Answer
Hi Lorna ... well, it all depends. *GRIN*   Can't give an absolute answer as I can't see the form of the hooves or the condition. IF he's used to such ground then it *shouldn't* be an issue. But, if he lives on SOFT ground then he probably will be a bit tender on the gravel. One way to help get his hooves conditioned is, in addition to as much turnout on varied ground as possible, hand-walking him daily for a minimum of 10 mins. or so on smooth, level, tarred road. Just that little bit of time will make a HUGE difference in the condition of his hooves.

You might consider purchasing hoof BOOTS for him ... you can put them on and remove then when not needed. Many people who are not able to give their horses the proper conditioning environment for barefootedness will use these boots for riding while leaving the horse totally barefoot otherwise. Old Mac G2's or Epics ... there are a number of hoof boots that are suitable for riding and replacing the necessity for 24/7 shoes.

Best of luck to you. Hope this has helped a bit.

:) -- Gwen