Hi all
Just picked up on this thread as I've just got back from my holiday in Egypt. I have a horse who doesn't wear shoes, and she's fine. I also have use of a treeless saddle, which I find quite odd. My legs are much further back than usual, and I get a bit of cramp in my thighs (need to do more stretching I think!!!)
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Barefoot horses?Hi Morph
From what I have read the treeless is supposed to give a much more natural riding position, almost lke riding bareback? I suppose it means a lot of adjustment in seating position and from what has been taught from riding english style saddle, maybe not quite so rigid and upright? I have got an english saddle that I bought for the kids to use, I want them to be able to learn and tack up/ride everything from western to treeless. They dont like the english style much for riding, but they find its the quickest and easiest by far to tack up! Do you trim your horses feet yourself? I have only been trimming mine myself for about 2 years - still under the close supervision of a friend though! Hi Gixer
Yes, I've heard the treeless is for a more "natural position". I've been taught to ride in an English saddle so find it quite un-natural from what I'm used to! It pushes your hips further back and I need my stirrups longer, and yes it is less rigid. I don't trim them myself - (she'd kill me!!!). I've only had her about a month now -16.2hh shire who's 23. She's a real softy, but has feet issues - the farrier charges £15 to trim, so not bad really! Small steps lead to big changes
Ahhhh she sounds gorgeous! Have you felt any pressure from the farrier or other horse owners to get her shod? My herd all avoid the gravel track if they can help it, preffering the soft ground, but they do cope well on the rough stuff if it's been neccessary to shift them along a road for some reason. I do go through an awful lot of hoof oil, it seems to help act almost like a barrier because the ground can get very water logged at times. Have you got any photies of your girl?
If you can get to see this vid the first two are our old boys, out (with shelter) 24/7 and unshod. The next is our quarterhorse and then our Arab, both shod in front. Unshod is becoming the in thing in horse care at the moment but in a way which means special trimming, expensive boots & special surfaces. I really don't have time for all at and mine do fine. They are shod on the front because of the amount of roadwork we have to do. We now ride western and have a barefoot Arizona (western treeless) for hacking. I think if we were younger we would move somewhere where the riding was more adventerous, England is very tame unless you are lucky enough to be somewhere like Dartmoor but then you have to earn a living! Would love to see more pics! Special boots and surfaces?
They do need trimming although not sure what would be classed as special trimming?! Mine are out 24/7 but the oldies do get coated now in the bad weather, but their feet are all their own, they are trimmed and filed and very occasionally have holes drilled in to prevent cracks turning to serious splits and I do go through tins and tins of hoof oil but they are totally 100% au naturel lol Your horses are gorgeous Misty, how old are the boys? they look in great condition  We've had our boys for about twenty years and had so much fun with them. The bay is an anglo arab, very sharp, best gait was flat out gallop. He was my first horse and I got him when I was in my early forties. He was retired because he was lame and nobody could find out why and at 18 I didn't think it was worth the cost (plus we couldn't afford it) to take him to Newmarket. The chestnut was bought for my o/h and was an excellent horse and I used to do a bit of dressage on him but other half liked to jump him, a very comfortable ride. They are now about 27 and 30. Yes, they have got rugs on now, mainly because of the rain.
Some people here give their horses a special trim and sometimes this means the horse can't be ridden for ages and they have to have boots on but it is done in the name of keeping the horse 'natural'. In some cases they put down different surfaces for the hoof to wear correctly. There's a lot of stuff about it on the net, some good some bad. Our girls are in at night during the Winter in the hope that we might be able to ride but the weather has been truly awful. I am waiting for it to stop raining so that they can go out in our little woodchip school and I can do the stables plus I've got work to do! Keep up the good work (and pics) in telling us about your life, it's really interesting. lovely horses misty - like the vid!!!
The people I had her from didn't shoe, and they're not "horsey horsey" either, so no pressure. I can't be doing with the horsey lot to be honest - glad I keep her where she was before, and I just potter around doing my own thing with her. She's a little darling!! Here's Kizzy 
 Small steps lead to big changes
Morph I think we would like a pic of you riding. She looks a lovely girl. We have been riding (and learning) western for the past few years but if this rain ever stops I want to do some English with Rosie the Arab and do some dressage. You know how most judges dislike arabs but the western aids are so good I would just like to give it a try.
Ahhhhhhhh horses. They are lovely horses, the video and the piccies.
The Shire looks like one we had some years ago called Joe. We rescued him, he had had thrush in all fours for about 2 years previous to us having him, that then turned to canker in all fours. Unfortunately after some months and hundreds of pounds he had to be pts as it had progressed up into his digital tendon and there was absolutely nothing anyone could do. He was 16.2hh also and had been used in a riding school for the majority of his life. My daughter now has a bay Shire called Jack he is 18.2hh and still growing  When she bought him four years ago he was 17.1. He does dressage in fact just came back yesterday from the East of England show at Peterborough where he came third in the ridden. The dressage was cancelled due to the weather and ground conditions.
She also has a chestnut ID/TB called Saintly who is 17.1hh, she doesnt do much with him at the mo as someone else rode him and sort of blew his mind, but she is working on it. Last but not least is Daisy a dark bay TB 15.2hh who is 6 in May and she is just a companion, as has osteoarthritis in her back. So far we have managed to keep her pain free and she hasnt been lame since we bought her! We paid one pound for her, cheap at half the price lol. I know FussyMare has horses as I met her on a horsey forum. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/03/14/eashire114.xml
ahhh - not good news! Small steps lead to big changes
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