shoes or barefoot?

Question
I recently purchased a 16 year old Appaloosa mare and a 10 year old QH/Arab cross gelding for my daughters (first horses and only some horse care knowledge). Although they had been pasture kept for the last 6 years and not ridden at all for the last 2 years, they had been regularly shod on the front. Presently, my daughters are getting them re-acquainted with being ridden and plan to use them for western pleasure/show and possibly some speed events.  Do you recommend leaving them shod or could they be conditioned to be barefoot all around?

Answer
Hello Phoebe,
thank you for the question. First of all congratulations on your first horses!
Most horses, in principle, can be conditioned to go barefoot. All depends on what you intend to do with them and whether you as the owner/rider are willing to consider giving them the time and conditioning and the hoof care they will need to remain barefoot.
Not knowing your horses, I don't know whether there are any reasons per se why you could not pull their shoes, have a farrier who is KNOWLEDGEABLE about barefoot trims for riding horses trim them and see what happens. The reason why I say farrier experienced with trimming barefoot riding horses that there is quite a difference between trimming a horse that then gets shoes versus trimming a horse that will remain barefoot. Many farriers do a trim that they would usually do for shoeing and just leave the shoes off. This is not appropriate for barefoot riding horses but many farriers will not be argued with...for obvious reasons :-)
So, if you want to take advantage of the fact that your new horses are not in heavy work right now since they have to be re-acquainted to being ridden, this may be a good time to pull the shoes and see what happens.
What WILL be normal is that your horses may be sensitive on stony or hard ground initially which you can help by purchasing them hoof boots. There are quite a few varieties out there and some companies will provide you with advice on what boots to pick (e.g. Easycare, inc.). This will allow your daughters to take them on trails while letting the hooves grow out a bit, the nailholes grow down and overall the horse get acquainted with being able to feel the ground again.
You may see some chipping of hoofwall initally, but with an appropriate barefoot trim, this should be minimal. Over time, you should need the hoof boots less frequently when your horses are being ridden on more surfaces. You just can't expect (although some horses have absolutely no issues when haveing their shoes pulled) that your horses will be able to walk over stones, rocks and other difficult terrain without being very careful or ouchy. This is good thing, actually, because being ouchy and not putting all your weight on a hoof with stones underneath is great protection and horses with shoes don't feel the ground very well and often end up with bruises for that reason.
So, the short answer after the long answer is - try it if you are willing to accomodate their possible transition during which you may not be able to do all the riding you would like to do....it is soooooo worth it, in the long run!
Also, please remember that even unshod, actually ESPECIALLY unshod horses need regular and frequent hoof care. 4-5 weeks but not much longer between trims will be needed, even if just for balancing and "clean-up".

Give it a try and please let me know how it is going.

Take care,
Christine